Music Arranging FAQS:

What is the Cost of an Arrangement?

Each arrangement is unique, but the cost will certainly be inline with comparable professional arranging services. A price quote, with a formal contract, can be provided free of charge after the Music Arrangement Request Form is filled out online. The contract will only be in effect if it is signed by the client and sent back to BTM within seven days.

What is the Payment Schedule?

A non-refundable up-front fee and the balance paid within thirty days of chart delivery is the normal payment schedule. However, it is understood that some school districts will not release funds without a Purchase Order. Therefore, the first payment can be waived with an official PO from the school district sent to BTM by the first payment date guaranteeing full payment thirty days after chart delivery.

What about buying, hearing, or seeing any previous BTM arrangements?

Most BTM arrangements are developed from Copyrighted material. This means that neither BTM nor the band director who contracted the service legally owns the arranged music; the publisher of the original composition material (i.e. Hal Leonard, Disney, Boosey & Hawks, etc…) retains all Copyright Ownership of the arrangement.  In accordance with this law, BTM is forbidden to allow anyone except the actual client to hear, see, or purchase these arrangements without express written permission from the Copyright Holder.

What musical compositions and arrangements fall under Copyright Law?

Any piece of material written in the past eighty-five years will more than likely fall under Copyright Law; this applies even if it does not have the printed Copyright symbol. Works in which the Copyright term has expired, or the few isolated works with special exemption, are considered to be Public Domain and can be arranged without permission. Do Not Assume Anything! Always check on the legal Copyright status of the music “prior” to having it arranged. To learn more on how to secure permission to arrange Copyrighted materials, read the Copyright Information page.

Will BTM help facilitate gaining Permission to Arrange Copyrighted Materials?

Yes. For an extra fee, BTM will trace down the Copyright Holder, fill out the formal documents to request permission to arrange a Copyrighted chart, and send the completed forms to you for your signature. You will then be responsible for forwarding the signed agreements on to the Copyright Holder. If permission is granted, you are also responsible for remitting all required granting payments directly to the Copyright Holder. In the event that one or more of your selections is denied, BTM will provide the service for a request to arrange another chart without any additional cost. Please be aware that you are paying BTM to facilitate the process without any guarantee of securing permission to arrange; so if permission is denied for ALL of your selections, there shall be no refund for the service.

How will the music be delivered?

Once the charts are complete, they will be saved as downloadable files and placed in a secure password protected folder on the BTM website. The files will be in the PDF and MP3 format; however, editable files, such as FINALE files, will not be posted. Unless the Client shares the password with others, this folder will only be accessible by BTM and the Client.

What is the turn-around time for chart completion?

A guaranteed completion date will accompany each and every contract, and is based on a first-come first-served process; so the earlier a contract is signed, the earlier the chart is delivered. However, be aware that BTM complies with all Copyright Laws and the delivery date for the chart is dependent on the client securing Permission to Arrange from the Copyright Holder. Please note that BTM will not begin writing an arrangement unless the permission to arrange is granted and a copy, signed by the Copyright Holder, is on file in our office.

Will the Arranger do Rewrites?

Every effort is made by the arranger to gather specific information from the director concerning all aspects of the musical continuity, difficulty, instrumentation, etc.. "before" the charts are written. Therefore, an extra per / min. of music fee will apply if a rewrite is requested once the actual writing process has started.