How to Self-Publish Sheet Music

Do you want to be a composer or arranger? You should learn how to self-publish sheet music so that you have more control over when and what you compose.

I’ve published dozens of works online and made a bit of a side income from it. If you want to do the same, here are my top tips!

But first, this post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy to learn more.

Consider the Material

One of the first things you should do if you want to self-publish sheet music is to think about what you want to publish. For example, you’ll have more options when publishing your own original works.

Meanwhile, you’ll face restrictions when arranging copyrighted works. You’ll need to get the rights from the copyright holder or through a program such as ArrangeMe.

Even arrangements of public domain works may come with restrictions. You shouldn’t have any problems publishing arrangements of works by Bach.

However, Syrinx by Debussy entered the public domain in the US in 2023. And it’s still protected under copyright in some other countries.

Decide Between Digital and Print

Another thing to consider is whether you’ll publish digital sheet music or print copies. I went the digital route because it’s free and doesn’t take up time when someone purchases a copy.

If you want to self-publish sheet music in print, you’ll need to find a way to print the music and ship it to your customers. This takes time and money, so keep that in mind when pricing your products.

Of course, you can also publish print music through a publisher. But this is outside the realm of self-publishing, so I won’t get into that.

Review Publishing Platforms

Next, you’ll want to decide where and how to self-publish sheet music. My favorite option is to use a plugin like Easy Digital Downloads since I keep all of the sale except a small processing fee.

But you also have to work harder to build an audience to get sales. It can be easier to start making money if you self-publish through a program like ArrangeMe or Musicnotes Marketplace.

Both options will help you get in front of a larger community of buyers, so you could sell more music. Of course, these platforms also take a heft commission of about 50%.

If you want to self-publish sheet music in print, you can also look into something like JW Pepper. With MyScore, you can sell print copies, and JW Pepper will take care of the printing and shipping.

Finalize Your Score

Of course, you also have to compose or arrange something to self-publish. After you’ve written the music, you’ll want to make the score and parts look good.

You can do this in your music notation program of choice. Make sure there are no errors, and when possible, avoid awkward page turns.

When you’re happy with how the music looks, you can export it to a PDF. If you wish, you can even have another musician look over the score to help find errors or issues you missed.

Create a Cover Page

The next step to self-publish sheet music is to design a cover page. I’ve used Canva for this, and it’s a great tool for non-designers.

You’l want to add the title of the work as well as your name. If you’re an arranger, be sure to give credit to the original composer as well.

I’d also recommend creating a second page within this document. That way, you can add copyright information and other details you want the performers to know.

Finally, export the document from Canva as a PDF and combine it with the PDF of your score and parts. You’re now ready to upload the file to whichever platform(s) you choose.

Set Preview Pages

I’d also recommend offering a preview of the music. Depending on how long the piece is, you may want to give one page or more as a preview.

To protect yourself, you can use a watermark over the preview image. You can add one in Canva, so just take a screenshot of the pages you want and upload them as images.

Then, add some text or whatever else you want over the image of the music. Export the files as images and upload them to your website with the sheet music.

Write a Product Description

While not a part of self-publishing specifically, you want to make sure your music sells. A great way to do that is to write a compelling description.

Include information on the instrumentation, difficulty level, and length of the piece. The more you can share, the easier it will be to get people to purchase your music.

You’ll also want to use keywords to help show up in search results on Google and/or the sheet music site you select. That can help buyers find your music without relying as much on the algorithms.

Set a Price

Don’t underestimate the importance of pricing when selling sheet music. If you’re new to self-publishing, do your research and look at similar pieces.

Figure out what other composers and arrangers are charging right now. Think about what you’d be willing to pay for something.

Then, you can set a price based on those numbers. You may need to experiment to find which price works the best, so don’t be afraid of trial and error.

Publish and Promote

You’ve done the composing and arranging, and your listing is ready to go. Now, it’s time to hit the publish button on your latest piece.

Sure, the self-publishing work is done. However, to actually get sales, you’ll need to promote your music online using social media and other avenues.

I’ve used Instagram with minimal success, but it’s worth a try. YouTube is another great place because you can upload audio previews of your music and link to the sheet music in the description.

Will You Self-Publish Sheet Music?

If you want to make some extra money as a composer or even a performer, consider whether you should self-publish sheet music. It can be a great way to share your music with others.

At the least, it can even bring in some extra cash. And at best, you may be able to turn it into your entire career.

Consider using something like Easy Digital Downloads to get started!