Copying and Transcription FAQs

  • I begin with a free consultation to understand job requirements, your vision, and budget.

    I will then send you a quote outlining what I expect the project to cost. Once you approve the quote, I will begin work. For larger projects, a 50% upfront deposit is required.

    Upon delivery of the finished product, I will furnish an invoice.

  • Most projects need some revision. I will correct any engraving mistakes I make at no cost. For small changes, there's a fee of $50 per hour. For bigger revisions, I may give a separate estimate. I reserve the right to refuse revisions that significantly alter the original project scope.

  • I know music budgets can be limited. I aim to help clients create projects that fit their budgets. This may involve reducing the project's scope, but I can sometimes provide discounts for schools, churches, and non-profits.

  • After the project is done, I will create a shared Google Drive folder for you to access your files. They will be in PDF format in standard US Letter size unless otherwise agreed. I can't provide printing or music preparation services right now, but I hope to in the future.

  • See my MIDI Mockup and Arranging and Orchestration pages for details about my rates for those types of projects.

How much do you charge?

My rates are based on the AFM rates for music copying and transcription.

Copying rates are based on 4 bar pages. To find out how many pages of music your project needs, divide the number of bars by 4. If you have a partial page, round up to the nearest quarter page. Remember, the per-page rate is for the final project, not the initial number of pages you provide.

I will correct any engraving errors in the finished project free of charge. For revisions after delivery not reflected in the material I was initially given (such as the addition of repeated sections, lyric changes, dynamic or articulation changes, etc.), I charge a copying rate of $30/hr. For extreme transpositions that requires re-voicing parts, there will be an additional charge. Excessively messy or hard-to-read hand manuscripts will also incur additional charges.

For aural transcription, I charge my flat hourly copying rate for simple ensembles (melody and 1-2 accompanying instruments) and then 50% of my per-page rate for engraving. For larger ensembles, contact me for a quote.

Example: 83 bar SATB choral work with piano and brass quintet accompaniment and Latin lyrics, transposed down a step

  • 62 bars divided by 4 = 20.75 pages

  • 20.75 pages @ $54 (see below) = $1,120.50

    • Choral Parts with Foreign Lyrics @ $15 per page

    • Double stave part, Piano @ $11 per page

    • 5 Single stave parts @ $5.50 per page

    • Transposition @ $0/50 per page

    • Conductor’s score, complimentary

Example: Transcribe short jazz tune (singer, piano, bass, sax) to a lead sheet

  • 2 aural transcription hours @ $30 = $60

  • 20 bars (5 pages) @ $12.50 per page (standard $25 copying rate/2) = $62.50

  • Total = $122.50

If you have any questions about pricing, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Service Rate
SINGLE STAVE PARTS, SINGLE NOTATION
 $5.50
SINGLE STAVE PARTS, CHORDED OR DIVISI
 $11
DOUBLE STAVE PARTS, CHORDED $11
DOUBLE STAVE PARTS, CHORDED WITH VOCAL CUE $13.50
RHYTHM PIANO PARTS (CHORD SYMBOLS AND BASS LINE) $9.50
RHYTHM PIANO PARTS (CHORD SYMBOLS AND BASS LINE) WITH VOCAL CUE $12
PIANO VOCAL SOLO (3 STAVES) $16.50
SINGLE VOICE LINE AND ENGLISH LYRICS (ONE SET) $8.50
SINGLE VOICE LINE AND FOREIGN LYRICS (ONE SET) $15
2 OR 3 LINE FULL PIANO PART FROM ORCHESTRAL $50