Self-publishing can be one of the best ways to share your music, but it can also take a lot of work to do it right. We’re here to help with that! Songburd Connect is an all in one platform for the self-publishing composer. Once you’ve written, edited, and packaged your music just the way you want it, just have to upload your files, and we will handle the rest.
Steps to Self-Publishing
Step 1: Composing
The first step is putting pen to paper and creating music. As you compose, you should consider the next steps and how to get from writing to publishing.
Step 2: Editing & Engraving
This is the hardest and most important step to publishing. You will have to take a look at your score and decide what type of editing you will need, or can do yourself. If you aren’t sure we recommend talking with an expert to see what changes might need to be made!
Types of Editing:
Copy Editing: This looks at the general grammar and sentence structure of your written content (biographical information, program notes, descriptions, translations, metadata, etc.)
Content Edit: Process of analyzing the ideas you want to convey and reorganizes your written content to fit your audience.
Engraving: Engraving is process of editing the music content. Music engravers will format the overall music as well as check for consistency and clarity in the music to make sure it is ready for publishing in print and digital.
Step 3: Design & Packaging
After you have gone through the editing process, you will want to consider how you want to package your sheet music. Even though this is considered step 3, you should think about this as you are editing and formatting your music. Will this be offered for digital download and print? What size paper will you use? Will it require a cover, and if so, what type of cover?
If you are producing a band or orchestra score, you may need to format a cover for the score, and a folio wrapper for the parts. The score may be 11 x 17 inches and the wrapper may have to hold multiple 9 x 12 inch parts. Your general cover art should work for both situations.
View the different print options we offer here so you can plan how to package your music.
You can download cover templates here.
Step 4: Metadata
Metadata is the information used to describe your music and can help potential customers find it more easily. Beyond just the title, metadata allows you to create key words and phrases that describe your music.
You should take the time to consider making sure your metadata correctly describes your music and intent.
EXAMPLES OF METADATA
Title and subtitles: You should come up with a standard or catchy title that best describes the type or setting of your work.
Ensemble/Instrumentation: This gives the customer an idea of what instrument or ensemble your music is for. Example: Guitar, Flex Band, Orchestra, etc.
Contributors: Contributors include composers, lyricist, authors, editors, arrangers, translators, etc. The composer (and lyricist for choral works) should always take precedent over arrangers and secondary contributors.
Description/Program Notes: Program notes are not always necessary, but do help give context for the purpose (or story) of the music. This can be historical or story driven.
Composer Bio: A biography helps customers know more about the composer and other contributors. A good bio will also help when searching for your music online.
(Descriptions, Program Notes, and Bios should avoid time sensitive information. For example: “Dr. Jane Smith will be serving as Professor of Music in the upcoming school year.” Be brief, and list accomplishments and job titles in a way that you will not have to go back and change later)
Publisher Name and Logo: This identifies the publisher of the work. If you have established your publisher name and have a specialized logo, this should be placed on the cover of your work.
ISBN or ISMN: The ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is important for identifying a book and the ISMN (International Standard Music Number) is for identifying sheet music. You will need a different barcode number for each format of your work (digital and physical copies will each need a different number). For example, if you publish a book collection of art songs in a paperback, hardcover, and digital edition, then you would need three unique ISBNs.
Audio: While not necessarily metadata it is an important part of selling your music, and is generally included with metadata when shared to retailers. If you have the budget, you should try to get a professional or live recording of your music. Many customers (specifically educators) love to hear the music before purchasing. If you don’t have the budget to get a good recording, then using programs such as NotePerformer, to export a high quality MP3 will suffice. Note: Some retailers require live performances only and will not accept midi.
Step 5: Publishing
Publishing is the act of making your work available for sale. There are many services that can help with this and just selling on your website considered publishing.
Songburd Connect aims to offer unique services not offered anywhere else by helping you distribute with retailers and wholesalers that you may not have the time or ability to access on your own.
Step 6: Distribution
Composing and writing takes time and effort. When it comes time to publish, many who self-publish discover a new hurdle – distribution! Many retailers and wholesalers will only work directly with a distributor that they have a relationship with. Connect takes the time out of trying to distribute yourself by consolidating different sales channels in one place.
Step 7: Marketing
You should keep marketing and advertising in mind through the entire publishing process, and can start the process long before you publish to build interest in your music before it becomes available for sale.
WAYS TO MARKET
- Personal or Publisher Website
- Social Media
- Professional Reviews and Competitions
- Develop relationships with educational institutions
- Live Performances
- Share Recordings
- Conferences and Events
Step 8: Join a Performing Rights Organization
Selling sheet music is only one form of income you can earn from your music. You should join a performing rights organization as soon as possible. A performing rights organization (PRO) is responsible for collecting income on behalf of songwriters and music publishers when a song is publicly broadcast or performed. You should register as both a writer or publisher in order to collect both portions of the performance royalties.
Not sure how to collect performance royalties? Contact us support@songburdmusic.com and we can help!
Other potential forms of revenue for your music:
Synchronization (synch) – royalties paid when your music is licensed for visual media such as tv, film, or youtube.
Mechanical – royalties paid when your music is reproduced through the process of recording, manufacturing, and distributing the work.
How Much Does It Cost?
1. Editing & Formatting
The cost of music & copy editing can vary based on the project and editor. Some may charge per page, while others may charge per hour.
2. Cover Art & Design
While engravers focus on the music and interior content, an artist will help develop a design for your cover. The cost for an artist will mostly depend on experience, but may vary based on location. Since your music will be available in print and digital it’s best to find an artist who has experience in both of these mediums. Expect to spend at least $200-$500 for a quality cover design.
To save on this expense, you can develop a cover design that can be used with multiple pieces of music and different page sizes (i.e. choral octavo or oversized score).
3. Production Costs
Examples of production costs include printing, ISBN purchase, and some setup fees. Print costs will vary based on the type of music you are printing (page count, size, ink are a factor). NOTE: Songburd Connect charges a Print Setup Fee and a Distribution Setup Fee.
4. Marketing & Advertising
Pricing Your Music
Pricing your music can be tricky. You want to make sure you profit from your work, but you also want to offer a reasonable price for customers. So, how do you decide on a retail price?
Consider the Print Cost
In general, we recommend calculating your retail price based on the cost to print even if you plan to sell digital copies. If you multiply the print cost by 4 and 5 – while not an exact rule – this will give you a general range that is acceptable to price your music.
Print cost is $4.00
Multiply the print cost by 4 and 5
Acceptable Retail Price Range: $16.00 – $20.00
This price range will usually allow you to offer a wholesale discount so retailers will pick up your work, and compensate for manufacturing costs.
Wholesale Discounts
Wholesale discounts are important part of publishing and selling your music. When it comes to publishing and selling your music, wholesale discounts play a vital role. Offering these discounts to physical retailers and other outlets enables them to resell your music effectively. While the industry standard is about a 50% wholesale discount of the retail price, opting for a 30–40% discount might be passable, yet it could potentially deter retailers from stocking your work. You can use our Pricing Calculator to estimate your income and to get a general idea on how to price your music.
Note: Songburd Connect charges a 15% seller fee when distributing to wholesalers. View our Distribution Agreement for more information.
Below are three examples of pricing structures that demonstrate profits once print costs, wholesale discounts, and seller fees have been accounted for.
Sample Wholesale Pricing
Band or Orchestra editions with score & parts are generally more expensive to print compared to choral works and books.
Type of Piece: Grade 2 Wind Band Piece
Print Specifications: 9 x 12 in paper, folio cover
Retail Price: $80.00
Print Cost: -$17.00
Wholesale Discount 40%: -$32.00
SBC Seller Fee: -$12.00
Total Royalty: $19.00
Choral scores are traditionally sold in bulk (minimum of 8).
Type of Piece: Grade 4 Choral Piece
Print Specifications: 8 page, 6.75 x 10.5 in paper, color cover
Retail Price: $3.00 ($24.00 for 8)
Print Cost: -$0.60 (-$4.80 for 8)
Wholesale Discount 40%: -$1.20 ($9.60 for 8)
SBC Seller Fee: -$0.45 ($3.60 for 8)
Total Royalty: $0.75 ($6.00 while sold in a bundle of 8)
Type of Piece: Etude/Method Book
Print Specifications: 8.5 x 11, Saddle Stitch, ~30 pages
Retail Price: $18.99
Print Cost: -$3.50
Wholesale Discount 50%: -$9.50
SBC Distribution Fee: -$2.85
Total Royalty: $3.14
These are not the only considerations when pricing your music. While a wholesale discount can reduce your total royalty, it’s essential to provide retailers with this choice if your goal is global music sales. Not every retailer will require a 50% discount, but being prepared for such flexibility can greatly expand your market reach