M&E (Music and Effects)
Definition
The M&E (Music and Effects) mix is a version of the final audio mix that contains all the music and sound effects but excludes the dialogue. It is a standard international delivery requirement, as it allows foreign distributors to replace the original dialogue with a dubbed version in their local language while retaining the original music and sound effects. The M&E is typically delivered as a stereo or 5.1 surround mix, and it must be a "full" M&E — meaning that any sound effects that were originally placed under the dialogue must be recreated or "filled in" so that the M&E sounds complete even without the dialogue.
Contextual Usage
The Re-Recording Mixer prepares the audio deliverables: "I'm delivering the full mix, the stereo mix, and the M&E stems. Please note that I've had to do some additional Foley and effects work to fill in the M&E — there were several scenes where the only audio under the dialogue was the production sound, so I've added room tone and ambient effects to make the M&E sound complete."
About this section
Delivery and distribution is the final stage of the post-production process — the point at which the finished project is packaged and delivered to the distributor, broadcaster, or streaming platform. ...
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