Where do I find arranger, composer, and publisher information on sheet music? What if I am playing by ear?

Answer:

If you are using sheet music...

You can find the song title, composer, arranger (if any), and publisher information on the first page of sheet music with music notes. The song title is at the top center. Composer and arranger information is smaller, positioned just below the title, aligned left and/or right. Publisher information is at the bottom center of the first page with music notes.

Sometimes, people confuse distributor information with publisher information. Note that distributor information often appears on the cover of the sheet music (no music notes, the two major distributors are Alfred and Hal Leonard), while publisher information is always at the bottom center of the first page with music notes. We need to know the publisher, not the distributor. Follow the link below to see an example.

If you have concerns, you can always leave the publisher information blank when submitting your songs. Our service includes a free copyright search to learn the current publisher or copyright owner, before or after you buy.

See an example of how to find song information on sheet music

If you are playing by ear...

Usually, all we need to license your song is the song title and name of a well-known artist that recorded the song. We can use that to start our free copyright owner search. The search is free, before or after you buy.

If you want, you can help us out by providing composer information as well. You can usually find composer information on Wikipedia. Try searching the song title followed by the word “song”. For example, a Wikipedia search for “Here Comes the Sun Song” tells us that George Harrison is the composer/writer. This information is helpful because it further confirms the exact song you want to use.

If we are unable to find your song, we might ask your for publisher information or lyrics. You can often find publisher information by browsing the sheet music scans available at SheetMusicPlus.com and MusicNotes.com. You can find lyrics at several popular lyric sites, or by Googling. Any information you find is helpful. You can email this information to us, or post it to your project wall.

If we are unable to find the song with the information you provide, we will ask if you have any other information that can help us locate the copyright owner, such as an address or phone number.

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