Metadata is a key part of selling sheet music or books—it provides important keywords and summaries that help customers find your work in a crowded marketplace. In the vast sea of online options, strong metadata ensures your music doesn’t get lost.
When it comes to sheet music and books, two of the most important pieces of metadata are titles and subtitles. These not only define your work but also play a big role in searchability and discoverability. Choosing them wisely can make all the difference!
Title
The title is the cornerstone of metadata for sheet music—and all publications. Aside from your name, it’s the primary way customers will search for your music. A title can be almost anything, but like a novel or book, it should clearly reflect the style, aesthetic, or mood you want to convey. If it’s not a concerto, don’t call it a concerto. If it’s a sonata, call it a sonata. If your music captures the romance of two star-crossed lovers dancing a three-four waltz under the moonlight, call it Midnight Dance. Be creative and expressive with your titles—but above all, be accurate!
Take Honk! by Mica Redden as an example. The title, punctuated with an exclamation mark, immediately suggests satire and playfulness. Can you guess the intended instrument or instrument group? If you guessed tuba or another brass instrument, you’d be right! If you thought of a jazz band or wind ensemble, you wouldn’t be far off.
This title cleverly taps into our subconscious association of brass instruments as boisterous horns producing comical honking sounds. It sets the stage for a fun, lively experience. While the piece could have been given a conventional title like Sonata or Concerto, a bold and stylized name like Honk! perfectly complements the instrument and genre, promising flair and personality in performance.
Subtitle
The subtitle provides additional information that a title may not provide. In music, the subtitle may inA subtitle adds extra details that the title alone might not cover. In music, it can include key or opus numbers (like “in B-Flat Major, Op. 825”), hint at the contents or genre (“A Collection of Christmas Carols”), or mention instrumentation—though that’s usually handled separately in metadata rather than in the subtitle. While a subtitle isn’t always necessary, if you choose to use one, it should be intentional and well thought out.
Examples of Subtitles in Use
Key and opus number:
Partita No. 1 in B-Flat Major, Op. 825
- Partita No. 1 is the title, while “in B-Flat Major, Op. 825” serves as the subtitle.
Content and genre:
Holiday Carols: A Collection of Christmas Carols for High Voice
- Holiday Carols is the title, while “A Collection of Christmas Carols for High Voice” is the subtitle.
What to Avoid
Your subtitle shouldn’t be a laundry list of keywords just to rank in online searches, nor should it over-explain your music. A long, clunky string of descriptors isn’t helpful to the reader and doesn’t serve the purpose of a well-crafted subtitle.
Here’s what not to do:
🚫 Honk! Modern Solo Tuba Sheet Music with Piano Accompaniment
🚫 Midnight Dance: String Quartet Sheet Music for Weddings and Special Occasions
These subtitles try too hard to please search engines and don’t actually help the composer or the audience. Keep it simple and meaningful. Avoid words like “modern”—what’s modern today might feel outdated in a year. And terms like “for weddings and special occasions” belong in program notes or product descriptions, not the title. Also, never include “sheet music”—that’s already understood.
When a Subtitle Is Useful
For pieces like Honk! and Midnight Dance, a subtitle might not even be necessary. But if you want to clarify instrumentation, here’s a better approach:
✔️ Honk! for Tuba and Piano or Honk!: for Solo Tuba
✔️ Midnight Dance: for String Quartet
To decide if you need a subtitle, ask yourself: What is my music about? If the title alone doesn’t make that clear, a subtitle might help. Otherwise, let the music (and the metadata) do the talking!
How Long Should My Title Be?
While you can technically name your piece anything you want, it’s important to consider practical limitations—especially when selling your music. Keep your title (and subtitle, if you have one) concise. We recommend staying between 20 and 60 characters total, as this aligns with best practices for search engines and retailers. In fact, longer titles can actually hurt visibility rather than help.
Why Keep It Short?
- Long titles are hard to remember.
- Search engines prefer shorter titles (ideally between 20 and 60 characters).
- Retailers may have character limits, meaning your title could get cut off.
- Concise, well-thought-out titles look more professional and appealing.
So, What Should You Name Your Piece?
Ultimately, your title can be anything—as long as it captures the essence, form, and style of your music. Aim for something that is memorable, clear, and doesn’t distract from the music itself. Be creative, funny, or unique!
As for fonts and formatting? We’ll cover that another time.