Enquiring about becoming a music transcriptionist/arranger...

[perfect_pitch]

This is something that's been eating at me the last couple of weeks...

After seeing this video from a post, written about a week ago...

I've been thinking to myself... I can do that... Is it possible to become an arranger/transcriptionist of music for a specific company? Is it possible to make a living being an arranger?

I've never had any trouble arranging or transcribing and can do it with ease... so I'm wondering - is it a profitable job, and if so - how does one get into that sort of business???

I've done quite a few transcriptions and arrangements of video/film themes just simply because I can - if you want to have a look at some of my past (done out of boredom or just for the fun of it), I've included a few of them below. Feel free to have a play.

[perfect_pitch]

Seriously... nothing on the subject???

No one has any advice???

[aintgotnorhythm]

Sorry I don't have any experience of this but if I were doing it myself I would first start off with some research, e.g.

what kind of publications would I like to produce and who is the target market - based on the transcriptions you have listed I would say an equivalent might be the books by Dan Coates which are transcriptions and arrangements of film/TV themes, pop classics, etc. His books are aimed at the intermediate/advanced level pianist and I would guess they are used also by people playing in bars and hotel lobbies.

buy some of these equivalent books to see how your transcriptions stack up, maybe transcribe the exact same music and get some friends to give you advice and feedback based on a direct comparison. Is there something unique about your approach that would help you stand out from the crowd?

once you have decided what sort of book you would like to publish and who will buy it then contact a music publisher (one at a time) with your idea for a book with, say, 12 transcriptions. Send the first transcription only as an example. At the same time I would send the transcription to the publisher holding the original copyright to the music asking them what is involved in publishing the transcription. Someone I know wrote a brass band arrangement of a Lloyd Webber show tune for his brass band and had a lot of useful feedback from the publishers (including being told to make specific changes to the arrangement) before the brass band could use it even in just local performances.

Be prepared for lots of rejections but you might get some useful advice along the way. While you are waiting then do some research into self-publication (but you would still need to sort out the copyright issues).

[perfect_pitch]

Right now... I'm just looking at getting my head into any sort of arranging. I can arrange songs I hear on TV, I can arrange video theme songs, film scores - pretty much anything I hear.

Lots of people seem to want to play the songs they hear on TV, so there seems to be a good market for that, and film scores would be great as a challenge (like my Pirates of the Caribbean transcription).

I wasn't sure if it was the music publishing companies that arranged to have the arrangement rights for the music, or if it was the individual who had to arrange that... but it's given me food for thought.

[oxy60]

Maybe you should go to where those services are needed. Telecomuting may be fine for some fields but writing/arranging needs to be done on the spot. At one time Hollywood was the center of that field. Google AFL/CIO Local 47 AFM for arrangers or Hollywood arrangers and see who comes up.

Making the connection for employment will be tricky.

[johnny1178]

Damn dude... you have no idea how long I've been looking for a Battle at Witch Creek transcription.  I even emailed the original composer and asked to buy it, but because of some Micosoft BS, he didn't have the rights to publish it.  You are my hero, keep up the great work!

[perfect_pitch]

Thanks... Glad you like the transcription. I don't do it often though since there's no real reward or appreciation in transcribing (except for the occasional person who says thanks - such as yourself.)

I just wish I could make something from all this hard work.

[countrymath]

You shoukd record a hi-quality video of yourself playing your arrangments and upload them on youtube. Search for "vkgoeswild", she does a lot of awesome arrangments, and she is living with them.

Internet market is here for those things.