Common questions about copyrighted arrangements
ArrangeMe is home to more than 5 million copyrighted titles that are freely available for you to arrange. Copyrights provide artists with legal protection and recognition for their original creations. With such easy access to protected works, we get lots of questions about the use of these titles. We’ve pulled together some of the most frequently asked questions and answered them below!
Q: Does my ensemble need to buy my arrangement of a copyrighted title, or can I just hand it out?
A: A purchase must be made of your arrangement in order for it to be considered a legal copy. You may be surprised to learn that you do not own your arrangement of a copyrighted title. Therefore, it is not yours to give away. Your arrangement of a copyrighted title is considered a derivative work of the original, and is fully owned and controlled by the publisher of that song. In order to legally possess the sheet music for an arrangement of a copyrighted title, the performer must have purchased it through an officially licensed retailer (e.g. Sheet Music Plus or Sheet Music Direct). Through that purchase process, the original rights holder, and owner of your derivative work, is properly paid. Anything else is illegal.
Q: Do I have permission to perform my arrangement of a copyrighted title?
A: ArrangeMe handles the print music licenses that cover the ability to create, upload, and sell your sheet music. Our platform does not deal in performance licensing.
After the sale of your arrangement, any subsequent licensing is the responsibility of the performer to secure or verify.
For live performances, the performer should verify that the venue has their Performing Rights Organization (PRO) licenses up to date. Educational performances (K-12) generally do not require a PRO license, but this helpful NAfME Guide for Copyright Permissions and Performance outlines specific scenarios that may require a special license request. If in doubt, always consult a PRO directly such as ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, or whatever organization represents the territory in which your performance will take place.
Q: Can I post a demo of my copyrighted arrangement on YouTube?
A: In most cases, yes. However, we recommend that you make sure that your video is in compliance with YouTube’s Terms of Use before uploading to their site. Keep in mind that anything published using the ArrangeMe platform is subject to our Terms of Use and we do not vet or take responsibility for third-party sites, services or products or for the postings or communications of other users. When in doubt, obtain a sync license from the copyright holder directly.
Q: What is my commission on an arrangement of a copyrighted title?
A: You earn 10% of the sale price as a commission for the sale of an arrangement of a copyrighted title.
Q: There are multiple results for the same title in the Song Search. How do I know which one to choose?
A: Matching the song you have arranged to the correct song title from the Song Search is of critical importance. This is how the publishers/copyright holders get paid, which is part of what makes the licensing aspect of ArrangeMe so beneficial. You must verify the writer(s) of the song you are searching for, not just the title. This is usually easy enough via an internet search or a repertoire search at ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC. Once you have verified the writer name(s), simply include that information in the ArrangeMe Song Search.
For example, searching “Hello” will return hundreds of titles, whereas “Hello Lionel Richie” or “Hello Adele Adkins” will return only the song you are looking for (if it is approved, of course). Whenever there are multiple writers of a song, searching the title plus the last names of the writers will significantly narrow down the results and allow you to more easily identify the title you are looking for.
If you cannot verify the writer name(s) of the searched title, it means the song is most likely unavailable. Selecting and uploading your chart to a matching title without the correct writer name(s) is a violation of our Terms of Use and your title will be taken down.
Q: What copyright information do I need to include on my sheet music?
A: Click on the copyrighted title in the Song Search. This will pull up a window full of information, including the copyright text. You must copy and paste the entire notice to the bottom of your sheet music. For a visual guide, check out this Help Center article.
Q: The title I’m looking for isn’t in the Song Search. Now what?
A: Unfortunately, not every single song has been approved to be included in the ArrangeMe program. Depending on the usage or type of arrangement you wish to create, we recommend submitting a request through the Hal Leonard licensing portal which provides several custom licensing scenarios that may meet your needs. Certain songs/catalogs are restricted for various reasons, but we like to keep track of unavailable titles people are searching for, so you are welcome to send us an email at support@arrangeme.com and we will add it to our request list.
