I’m Tommy Arnold — a film and TV composer. I teach aspiring composers how to actually break into this industry.
I’ve spent years learning film scoring the hard way: figuring out orchestration, MIDI mockups, DAW workflow, and sample libraries on my own, then figuring out the part nobody talks about — how to get hired, price a job, pitch a director, and make a living at it. This channel is everything I wish someone had shown me.
Here you’ll find:
🎬 Film score breakdowns /🎹 Technical tutorials /🔍 Gear and plugin reviews
This channel is for the composer who’s serious about doing this professionally — whether you’re pre-first-paycheck or already working and leveling up.
Through Score School, I also teach a full course on writing your first professional cue from blank page to finished mix.
📰 Scoring Notes Newsletter → scoreschoolacademy.kit.com
📋 Free: The Film Composer’s First Paycheck Checklist → payhip.com/b/mN0xI
🎓 Score Your First Scene → payhip.com/b/MlH21
Tommy Arnold
Score Your First Scene is live. 🎬
If you've been watching these videos wondering how to turn "I can write music" into "I score films," this is the whole path in one place — spotting, deliverables, pricing, working with directors, and 3 fully produced scenes you score and keep for your reel.
23 lessons. 6 modules. No degree required.
$197 for the next 8 days. Then it's $397 and stays there.
Link in the comments 👇
1 month ago | [YT] | 2
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Tommy Arnold
Low brass + rising strings + sudden cut to silence = psychological terror.
But the real magic is in the TIMING.
Most composers hit the stab too early.
Hold it one beat longer than feels comfortable.
Trust the discomfort. 🎺🎻
5 months ago | [YT] | 5
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Tommy Arnold
Clear harmony, clear rhythm, clear intent will beat clever ideas every time — especially when music has to support a scene, not steal it. Clarity is what directors and listeners actually respond to.
8 months ago | [YT] | 0
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Tommy Arnold
🙏wow thank you all so much. Great year on YouTube📺
8 months ago | [YT] | 3
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Tommy Arnold
If a cue isn’t working, don’t add more layers — clarify the role of the music first.
Ask: Is this cue supporting emotion, tension, or pacing?
The answer usually fixes the cue faster than another plugin ever will.
9 months ago | [YT] | 2
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Tommy Arnold
If your interested in breakdowns of my favorite film scores and composer insights check out my substack.
Totally free!
open.substack.com/pub/tommyarnoldcomposer/p/an-orc…
9 months ago | [YT] | 1
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Tommy Arnold
Most of what I share here comes straight from real composing work — things I’ve learned by doing, revising, and missing deadlines.
If you’re a composer or producer trying to sharpen your craft and think more clearly about your process, the longer breakdowns live here 👇
open.substack.com/pub/tommyarnoldcomposer
9 months ago | [YT] | 2
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Tommy Arnold
For composers and producers 👇
When you’re working on a track, what do you tend to obsess over the most?
— curious if composers and producers answer this differently.
9 months ago | [YT] | 1
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Tommy Arnold
One of the biggest scoring lessons I learned:
Silence is part of the composition.
If music plays nonstop, it loses impact. Pulling music out before a key moment makes the next entrance hit harder — even if the cue is simple.
Now I always ask: “Where should the music NOT be?” 🎬🖤
9 months ago | [YT] | 4
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Tommy Arnold
Quick poll for the composers + creatives here 👇
When you sit down to write, which part of the process drains the most energy for you?
9 months ago | [YT] | 2
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