Advice for a newbie Transcriber...

[perfect_pitch]

I got to ask something.... How much do transcribers usually charge for transcribing a piece of music....

FOR EXAMPLE: I transcribed the Double Bass, Strings and Backup singers all to Piano accompaniment for a guy on these forums. The song was 'Love Letters' by Elvis Presley. The song was 3 minutes long. And it took me almost 2 hours solidly to do it. It was very professionally done using Sibelius 3, and I transcribed it perfectly (I might add, and did a damn good job.).

I seriously don't know how much to charge, and I certainly don't want to overcharge him.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[pianohopper]

If you get a MIDI program and enter the music in, it will transcribe automatically.  And didn't I seee someone here who said they love transcribing and would do it for free?

[chopintod]

If you get a MIDI program and enter the music in, it will transcribe automatically.  And didn't I seee someone here who said they love transcribing and would do it for free?

Ouch...SHUT DOWN!

Hehe

Terry

[silvaone]

Pianohopper where can I find a progam like that? I had a simple one before but you cant always put in a midi file of the song u have cuz u dont have one

thanks

and Perfect-Pitch you did a *** great job..... u deserve every penny

- Silva

[Kassaa]

Pianohopper where can I find a progam like that? I had a simple one before but you cant always put in a midi file of the song u have cuz u dont have one

thanks

and Perfect-Pitch you did a *** great job..... u deserve every penny

- Silva

That's if the midi file already exists, which means it is already transcribed.

There is by no means a program which you can enter a mp3/cd track which will transcribe it for you, simply because mp3/cdtrack doesn't contain the information on rythm, pitch, speed etc.

[perfect_pitch]

This was off a MP3, not a midi. I listened to it by ear and transcribed it.

I could have taken the easy way and grabbed a Midi File, but I don't trust most people out there with midi file, usually they are very poorly done.

Any ideas on how much to charge???

[Kassaa]

200$?

[perfect_pitch]

200$?

FOR 2 HOURS WORTH OF WORK??? REALLY!!!???!!!

or are you joking....

[Kassaa]

FOR 2 HOURS WORTH OF WORK??? REALLY!!!???!!!

or are you joking....

I'm serious. It isn't a 'normal job', imo it's the same as performing.

[dkaplowitz]

I think prices vary widely. If you can get $200. more power to you. I see most people charge either by the page, depending on how elaborate it is. I've seen up to $35. per page. I also see people who charge by the measure (up to $1.00), or by the stave. That's not to say you can't charge an hourly rate to those who are willing to pay it. But I have trouble picturing anyone being willing to pay $200. for an arrangement of an Elvis song.

[silvaone]

I dont have 200$ to spare? I was thinking maybe 15$? lol

[perfect_pitch]

200$?

WOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! I could BE RICH!!!!

I hope....   

I'm obviously not going to charge $200 for 2 hours of my time, I am still a Uni student, and only turning 21 soon. But If I could charge that in say 10 years time.... LUCKY ME!!!!!  $$$

[chopintod]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! I could BE RICH!!!!

I hope....   

I'm obviously not going to charge $200 for 2 hours of my time, I am still a Uni student, and only turning 21 soon. But If I could charge that in say 10 years time.... LUCKY ME!!!!!  $$$

Of course, the problem would be finding enough songs to transcribe for people.  Eventually, one or the other (or maybe both) of these things will occur: 1) you'll run out of songs to transcribe, or 2) you'll run out of people who want transcriptions.  When you run out of potential customers, then you'll be forced to enter advertising (if, of course, you would want to make a career out of this).   And advertising costs money....a lot of it.

And, like dkaplowitz said, I find it hard to believe that anyone would pay 200$ for a transcription...especially for an elvis song.  For a little more than that, I could buy Garritan Personal Orchestra and make my own good-sounding symphonies, or buy Garritan Big Band & Jazz software and create realistic-sounding jazz songs.  $200....for one song?  When for $250 I could make my own symphonies?  I don't know....just don't get your hopes up.  (And, of course, there's gotta be sheet music out there...even if it's for guitar, anyone with half a clue about how the piano works could transcribe it himself.)

Terry