Music Transcription & Engraving

Writing arrangements or compiling a music book from sheet music (music engraving/scoring) is less costly than writing from transcribed material. If there’s no sheet music, Tom needs to do the transcription first, and this time needs to be factored into the bill. Tom uses Sibelius software to provide the finished score and this can be sent in pdf or paper format.

RATES:

Music transcription is painstaking work and Tom aims to do it well. Rates are extremely fair, based on guidance by the Incorporated Society of Musicians and Musician's Union.  Below is a guide to estimates. 

£40 per hour - transcription & engraving from audio recording of lead sheet/melody line, lyrics and chords (1 hour per minute of recording)
£20 per page - engraving only (scoring from written manuscript)

Music book production/publishing - please enquire

Payment is required in advance of work commencing.  Based on current workload, turnaround is up to 14 days per song.

Tom particularly specialises in the transcription & engraving of folk & traditional music, lead sheets, easy choir arrangements and depending on workload, Tom will consider easy piano & band arrangements. A Lead sheet is very simple to follow, but can include a lot of information:
Melody
Lyrics
Chords
Song structure

Tom can offer special rates to folk musicians/singer-songwriters looking to release a music book. This would be a joint venture, with him as co-author/compiler and publisher (the person that prepares, and issues “printed” original works, compositions and musical arrangements. This work includes music transcription and/or engraving/scoring, complete design and production.

All books to be ordered direct (minimum order of 50). Books printed with full colour cover and black and white or colour inners.  Generally, books are A4 or A5 in size and available saddle-stitched or spiral bound (depending on number of pages and requirements).

Book will include complete design, editing, barcode (optional), covers, introduction, contents, photos/illustrations (if required) and of course the tunes/songs in melody line, lyrics and chords format.

Optional: Listing on Amazon. Plus, submission to: The British Library; Bodleian Libraries of the University of Oxford; Cambridge University Library; The National Library of Scotland; The Library of Trinity College, Dublin, The National Library of Wales and Vaughan Williams Memorial Library at Cecil Sharp House.

Also, promotion to various print and online folk magazines if required! Such as Folk Life and Folk & Honey magazines.

Timeframe for completion of books could take up to 6 months if transcription is involved as well as engraving. If written manuscript is provided, then turn around will be nearer 3 months. Terms will continue in perpetuity once the work is completed and the title released. Each case is individual so please get in contact for further details.