Which term describes starting music with delayed tracking?

• A. Deferred Cue
• B. Dead Roll
• C. Sneak Start
• D. Soft Open

Answer: (B)

The idea here is about timing between the announcer cue and the music bed. A dead roll is when the music starts only after a short delay, so the host can finish or reach a natural point before the track kicks in. This delayed entry gives a clean, controlled transition and avoids music landing while the voice is still in progress. It’s different from a sneak start, where the music comes in early or overlaps the live line, or a soft open, which typically blends music and voice more gradually from the very start. In practice, using a dead roll creates a deliberate musical drop-in that lines up precisely with the next cue or sentence.