Submission Guidelines for Heron Creek Music (Music4ClassicalGuitar.com)
We accept submissions of original music or original arrangements of common domain music. We do not accept straight transcriptions of existing music; for instance, we would not accept 'Lágrima' by F. Tárrega, but would accept 'Lágrima' arranged for, say, two guitars or guitar and flute. We are focused on music for beginning guitar and guitar ensemble, especially music that can be used in teaching situations. Preference is given to scores that are in digital format, Sibelius being our format of choice. We can convert files that are in other formats (i.e. Finale), and may accept, at our discretion, files in formats other than Sibelius. All associate composers must designate at least one score to be viewed and printed in full from the web site free of charge. Since visitors can print the first page of every score for free, all one page scores would essentially be available (with a watermark) for free. An option is to 'bundle' several (related) scores together in a collection.
Revenue Share
You can offer scores for free or for sale (see Appendix A, below, for our suggested pricing structure) - we pay you 50% of the net sale price of your scores (i.e. the sale price less PayPal payment processing fees, about 6 - 8% on average). What's more, it's free to publish your music on Music4ClassicalGuitar.com, and, since the agreement is non exclusive, you are free to also publish your music elsewhere!
How do I start?
To publish a score on this site, simply contact us by email (info@music4classicalguitar.com) and tell us a little bit about your score(s) (i.e., instrumentation, difficulty, digital format - feel free to attach a file if you wish), and we’ll go from there. If we decide to host your score(s) on our site, we will execute a distribution agreement with you (a copy can be found at the bottom of this page).
Remember, you can only submit music for which you own the copyright and which fulfils some basic submission criteria as outlined above. Please note that we do not accept all scores submitted.
What are the copyright restrictions on scores I can submit?
We only accept:
- scores composed entirely by you; or
- out-of-copyright music arranged by you.
In addition, any lyrics in your score must be written by you, be out of copyright, or else you must have permission from the copyright holder.
A more detailed explanation of copyright is as follows:
Different people involved in creating a piece of music may own copyright in it - the composer, arranger (if it's an arrangement), lyricist (if it has lyrics), and editor (if it's e.g. an edition of a classical work). So a piece may have more than one copyright owner.
Each of these people typically owns copyright in the aspect of the music they worked on until 70 years after their death. Thereafter it is 'out of copyright'.
You must ensure that, for all scores you submit:
- you are the (sole) composer, or else the composer died more than 70 years ago; and
- if it's an arrangement, you wrote the original tune/piece arranged, or the arranger died more than 70 years ago; and
- if it has lyrics, you wrote the lyrics, or the lyricist died more than 70 years ago, or you have permission to use the lyrics from their copyright holder.
For example, you would be the sole copyright owner in the following scores:
- an original piano piece or song entirely written by you (including the tune and song lyrics)
- an arrangement by you of a piece by Mozart, or of a folk-tune
- a song with words by Shakespeare, tune by Mozart and accompaniment by you.
However, you must not submit scores such as the following:
- a Beatles song which you have arranged for wind band (as the tune is someone else's copyright)
- an original song by you with words by T.S. Eliot used without permission (as the lyrics are someone else's copyright)
- a piece by Mozart which you have copied out (we accept arrangements of out-of-copyright music but not verbatim transcriptions)
- Scarborough Fair by Simon & Garfunkel, transcribed by you for strings (the tune and lyrics are traditional and out of copyright, but Simon & Garfunkel's arrangement of the tune is copyright).
N.B. This is provided for general information only and not as legal advice. Copyright laws vary from country to country. If in doubt, seek professional legal advice.
You are responsible for ensuring that you are the sole copyright owner in scores you submit (or have permission to use copyright lyrics) and you will be held liable in the event of breach of copyright.
Composer Biography Guidelines
If your score is accepted, we would like to have your bio on the site. Please keep the length to about 200 words and, if possible, send along a picture (.jpg). Include contact information (email, etc.) at your discretion.
Proof-read your score!
Please check your score to ensure that it conforms to common practice notational conventions, especially those for classical guitar, and that good compositional craftsmanship is utilized with regard to voice leading, etc.. Specifically:
Voice Leading:
Check for and eliminate unintentional parallel 5ths and octaves, voice crossing, cross relations, etc..
Notation:
Please ensure that all necessary nomenclature is present such as time and key signatures, repeat structures and so on. Check, too, for things like beam grouping and stem direction.
Performance Instruction:
Do include dynamics, tempo indications, etc..
Special for Guitar:
Take care that the score utilizes enough voices and accurate note duration to reflect polyphonicity. For instance, the first note of an arpeggio should likely be in two voices with one note head, the 'stem up' note in the rhythm of the arpeggio and the 'stem down' note reflecting the fact that it is supposed to ring for the duration of the arpeggio. This means that one voice would have to be 'silent' and that the note head would reflect the value of the 'stem down' note.
For guitar, please use the treble clef with the little number '8' attached to the bottom to reflect that guitar music is notated an octave higher than it sounds.
Misc.:
If the score is an arrangement, include the original composers birth dates.
Make sure that your copyright includes the year.
Extract and edit parts as necessary.
It is, in our opinion, not necessary to name staves for scores that have less than four parts.
Playback
Assign a separate MIDI channel for each staff.
Follow General MIDI mapping for instrument assignment and Program changes.
Set the volume for each channel to maximum.
'Silence' notes that are unison sonority doublings as they can make the playback rather 'twangy'.
Sibelius Users
Please use the 'Standard' House style; following the settings below will help keep your score in a format that is consistent with the other scores that are displayed on our site.
Document Setup:
Select 'Letter' Size.
Set 'Staff Size' to 7.5, 7.0 for scores with 4 or more staves.
Set all 'Page Margins' to 15
Set 'Staff Margins' to 15, 3.5, 3.5, 3.5, 15
Engraving Rules – Staves:
Set 'spaces between staves' to 6.5, (5.5 for scores with 4 or more staves).
Set 'spaces between systems' to 12 (10 for scores with 4 or more staves).
Mixer:
Set the volume for all channels to maximum.
Assign a separate channel for each staff.
Set 'Distance' at 150 for solos and duos, 125 for larger ensembles.
Use 'Pan' settings where applicable.
Editing by Us
It is our desire to have all the scores on our site have a fairly consistent look and display. To this end we may make some minor edits. For instance, we normally display only part of the score (about half) and will add an (invisible) decrescendo. Or we may append a 'Score Summary' to multi-movement pieces and collections.
Appendix A – Current Pricing Structure (11/04)
1 - 2 Pages - $1.95
3 - 4 Pages - $2.95
5 - 6 Pages - $3.95
7 - 8 Pages - $4.95
9 - 10 Pages - $5.95
11 - 12 Pages - $6.95
13 - 14 Pages - $7.95
15 - 16 Pages - $8.95
17 - 18 Pages - $9.95
19+ Pages - TBA
Part scores - $1.00
Appendix B – Score Preparation Charges
We do not charge for normal file conversion, uploading or minor edits to make the scores consistent with our display policies. If, however, you want us to engrave a score from a 'hard copy' manuscript, the charge is $10.00 per page.
Payment Schedule
We will send the you monies held on your behalf on a quarterly basis within 30 days of the end of a quarter (the quarters beginning on January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1 each year), except that if the amount is less than US$30, we will hold the monies until any of the following circumstances occur, at which point we will send you all the monies held on your behalf:
(i) The total cumulative amount at the end of any quarter is equal to or greater than US$30;
(ii) The quarter in question is the last quarter in that year and the total cumulative amount is equal to or greater than US$10;
(iii) You ask us to send you the monies held on your behalf less the bank charges incurred by us for doing so, or
(iv) This agreement terminates. Monies will be sent in US dollars by electronic transfer using the service provided by PayPal Inc., or such method as is agreeable to both parties.
DIGITAL MUSIC DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT
TO: KEVIN LOVE O/A HERON CREEK MUSIC (the “Agent”)
118-5 Jacksway Crescent, London, Ontario, Canada N5X 3T6
INTRODUCTION:
- The Agent owns and operates a website known as www.Music4ClassicalGuitar.com (the “Website”).
- The primary purpose of the Website is to market and sell scores of musical composition for classical guitar.
- A composer (the “Composer”) has composed certain scores (the “Scores”) that he/she wishes to have the Agent market and sell through the Website.
THIS AGREEMENT will apply to all Scores submitted by the Composer for marketing and sale through the Website:
1. Appointment. The Composer authorizes the Agent, and the Agent agrees, to list the Scores on the Website and to offer to sell copies of the Scores electronically through the Website to the public in the same manner as other scores are marketed and sold through the Website:
(a) visitors will be able to view, play and print the first page of each Score from the Website for free; and
(b) visitors will be able to buy, pay for, download and print a full copy of each Score from the Website.
2. Agent Discretion. The Agent has the right to change the details of how scores are marketed and sold through the Website, including any of the details specified in the previous section, and will have full discretion to catalogue and display the Scores, and any background material on the Composer or the Scores, as the Agent deems appropriate. The Agent will also have the right to refuse to market and sell any Scores, and to refuse to display any material, which
it deems objectionable for any reason.
3. Sale Prices. Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, the Scores will be offered for sale in accordance with the price list published by Agent from time to time. The Composer will designate as least one Score which can be viewed and printed in full from the Website free of charge.
4. Score Format. The Composer will submit a copy of each Score in accordance with the guidelines of the Agent, who will be responsible for making sure that the Scores are in, or are converted to, the format necessary for consistent display and to allow for viewing, playing, downloading and printing from the Website. The Composer will be remain solely responsible for the accuracy of the Scores and all other material provided to the Agent.
5. No Exclusivity. The Agent’s right to market and sell copies of the Scores is non-exclusive in that the Composer may sell copies of the Scores by any other means. The Agent may market and sell scores from any other composer.
6. Intellectual Property Rights. The Composer promises that he/she has all rights and licenses necessary to authorize the Agent to market and sell the Scores and to display any other material provided by the Composer to the Agent. All intellectual property rights of the Composer in the Scores or any such other material shall remain the property of the Composer. The Agent will not be responsible or liable to the Composer for enforcing any of the Composer’s intellectual property rights against third parties, including users of the Website.
7. Indemnity. The Composer agrees to fully protect the Agent from any and all expenses, liabilities and damages of any kind whatsoever directly or indirectly caused by using, displaying, marketing or selling the Scores or any other material provided by the Composer.
8. Revenue Share. The parties will share all revenues received by the Agent from sales of the Scores equally, net of all taxes, payment processing fees and any third party selling costs. The Agent will remit the Composer’s share to the Composer quarterly by cheque or at such other interval and by such other payment method as the Agent may adopt.
9. Taxes, etc. The Agent will, on behalf of both parties, be responsible for collecting and paying all taxes, payment processing fees and any third party selling costs in respect of sales of the Scores and for filing all related reports.
10. Audit. The Composer will have the right to have the records of the Agent pertaining to the Scores audited by an independent auditor not more than once per year. All audit costs will be borne by the Composer unless the audit shows
that the Agent has failed to pay the Composer the proper amounts due to him/her by more than 5.0%, in which case the Agent will pay for the cost of the audit.
11. Set Off. The Agent has the right to set off and retain any amounts owing to him by the Composer against any amounts owing by him to the Composer from time to time.
12. Limited Remedy. If the Composer does not agree with the exercise of the Agent’s discretion on any issue, or if the Composer is not satisfied with the Agent’s marketing and selling efforts in respect of the Scores, or in the event of any other breach by the Agent other than failure to remit the Composer’s share of revenues, the Composer’s only remedy will be to terminate this Agreement as provided below.
13. Termination. Either party may give notice to the other terminating this Agreement at any time. As soon as possible following termination, the Agent will remove all references to the Scores and related materials from the Website and destroy or return all copies thereof to the Composer except as may be required for warranty purposes.
14. Notices. Any notice must be given in writing and may be given by personal delivery, by courier, by fax, by e-mail or by registered mail. No such notice will be deemed to be received until actually delivered.
15. Severability. If any provision of this Agreement is not enforceable, it will not affect the remainder hereof.
16. Enurement. This Agreement will be binding on and benefit the respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and permitted assigns of the parties.
17. Applicable Law. This Agreement will be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws, and each of the parties submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts, of the Province of Ontario, Canada.
