Short answer: Music cue records are dated copies of every cue you deliver to a production: each mix, stem set, score and cue list, version by version. When you write for film, TV or games, cues go back and forth many times, and months later people may disagree about which version was sent when. A simple routine is to save each delivery as files and record their fingerprints with a timestamp before you send them. A TimeBind records each file’s SHA-256 fingerprint on the Bitcoin blockchain. Later, it shows that exact file existed no later than the recorded time. It doesn’t show who wrote the music, who owns it, or that anyone received or approved it. TimeBinder’s Free plan includes 1 Token a month, with no credit card required.
Disclosure: I’m Inna Hall, co-founder of TimeBinder, the file timestamping tool this guide mentions. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Table of Contents
Why cue versions get hard to track
A single project can mean dozens of cues, each with several revisions, alternate mixes and stems, sent by email, file transfer links and shared folders. Picture edits change the timing, so cues get rewritten. A director asks for “the version before last”. A studio’s music editor works from one folder, the producer from another.
Later questions are usually about versions and dates. Which mix was delivered for the locked cut? Which version of the theme existed on a given date? What did you send before the project changed hands? Transfer links expire, and files get renamed and re-exported, so a dated copy of what you sent helps.
How to keep music cue records for each delivery
- Name files by cue and version. For example
1m03_chase_v4_mix.wavand1m03_chase_v4_stems.zip. Use whatever system your production uses, but keep the version number in the file name. - Gather the delivery. The cue mixes, the stems, the score or parts as PDF, the session or MIDI file if you’re sending it, and your cue list for that round. For printed scores and parts, see proving a sheet music score existed before a date.
- Zip large stem sets. A TimeBind takes up to 10 files of any size or type, and a zip file counts as one file. Zipping a folder of stems keeps a full delivery in one record.
- Make a TimeBind before you send. Drag the files into TimeBinder. Each file is hashed on your computer and never uploaded, so unreleased music stays with you. Only the fingerprints are recorded.
- Keep the exact files. A file still matches its fingerprint only if every byte is the same. Store the recorded copies, unchanged, with the certificate.
- Log what you sent. One line per delivery: date, cue numbers, versions, who received them and how.
- Repeat each round. Every new version or delivery is a new record, so you end up with a dated trail across the whole project.
What to include in each record
| File | Why it’s useful |
|---|---|
| Cue mixes (WAV or MP3 as sent) | What the production heard |
| Stems (zipped per cue or per delivery) | The parts behind each mix |
| Score and parts (PDF) | The written music at that stage |
| Session or MIDI file | How the cue was built, if you share it |
| Cue list for the round | Cue numbers, versions and lengths you delivered |
| The brief or spotting notes you received | What you were asked to write |
Early sketches and mock-ups are worth recording too. Themes often start long before the first delivery.
If you also write songs or release your own music, see how to protect your music before sending it and how to timestamp an EP before release. The music copyright timestamping guide covers lyrics and early recordings, and music copyright records gives an overview. If you co-write cues, the free split sheet generator helps you write down who did what.
Pooled or ASAP?
- Pooled (1 Token): Your fingerprint is grouped with other users’ in one shared Bitcoin entry, usually recorded within 24 to 48 hours, and often sooner, depending on Bitcoin network activity. It’s checked through TimeBinder.
- ASAP (3 Tokens): It gets its own Bitcoin transaction, broadcast straight away, although that doesn’t mean instant confirmation. It can be checked independently, without relying on TimeBinder.
On a tight turnaround, when cues go out the same day, ASAP is broadcast straight away, although confirmation still depends on the Bitcoin network. For sketches and themes you’re not sending yet, Pooled is usually enough. The Pooled vs ASAP explainer covers the difference, and how it works explains fingerprints and certificates.
What a TimeBind does NOT do
- It doesn’t show who wrote the music, or who owns it.
- It doesn’t show the contents are original, or whether AI was used.
- It doesn’t show a cue was delivered, received or approved.
- A Pooled TimeBind can’t be checked without TimeBinder.
- It can’t say how a court, production, studio or anyone else will treat it.
This is general information, not legal advice. Who owns or can use your cues depends on your agreement with the production. For advice about your situation, speak to a lawyer in your country.
When TimeBinder isn’t the right tool
- You need to settle ownership, fees or usage rights. That’s your composer agreement, ideally reviewed by a lawyer.
- You need to show a production received your files. Keep delivery receipts, transfer logs and replies.
- You need to register works. A TimeBind isn’t a registration with any collecting society or copyright office.
- You need to show who wrote a cue. A timestamp doesn’t show that. Keep your sessions, sketches and messages too.
TimeBinder pricing
- Free: $0. 1 Token every month (1 Pooled TimeBind). No credit card required. The Free plan’s monthly Token doesn’t roll over.
- Essential: $20 a month for 5 Tokens (5 Pooled, or 1 ASAP + 2 Pooled). Unused Tokens roll over. Cancel any time.
- Expert: $50 a month for 15 Tokens (15 Pooled, 5 ASAP, or a mix).
- Extra Tokens: 1 for $5, 3 for $15 or 9 for $40. Tokens you buy never expire.
A paid plan replaces the Free plan’s monthly Token, so Essential gives you 5 Tokens a month in total, not 6.
Enterprise plans have custom Token limits and dedicated support. Service terms for every plan are set out in the TimeBinder Terms and Conditions. To match a plan to how many deliveries you make each month, see which plan do I need.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Should I timestamp every cue version?
Recording each delivery round is a simple routine. One TimeBind holds up to 10 files, and a zip of stems counts as one file, so a full round often fits in one record.
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Does a timestamp show I wrote the cue?
No. It shows only that a file existed no later than the recorded time. Keep your sessions, sketches and messages as well.
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Is my unreleased music uploaded?
No. Files are hashed on your computer and never uploaded. Only their fingerprints are recorded.
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Can I share the record with a production?
Yes. Each TimeBind has a certificate with a QR code, which can be public or restricted to email addresses you choose. Checking is free.
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Pooled or ASAP for a same-day delivery?
ASAP gets its own Bitcoin transaction, broadcast straight away, though that doesn’t mean instant confirmation. Pooled is usually recorded within 24 to 48 hours, and often sooner, depending on Bitcoin network activity.
TimeBind your files
Before your next cue delivery, start with a Pooled TimeBind: the Free plan includes 1 Token a month, and no credit card is required. See plans and pricing →
