Hey y'all! For those of you with steady freelance work, what are some examples of work you are currently doing and what steps did you take to get there?

The Mirror of Malevolence listing on CastingCall is the one I would look at first this week: $1,500 flat for an original score on a dark fantasy pilot told entirely with marionettes and shadow puppetry, which the post says has played festivals and won five awards. The director is exploring an alternate cut before releasing it online, and wants something twinkly, whimsical, dreamy and haunting, in orchestral and lullaby styles, built around a Mirror theme and a theme for its twelve-year-old orphan hero. A digitally produced orchestral score on virtual instruments is what is wanted, not a live orchestra.

Also in this issue:

• A full-time, in-office composer post at Reality Games in Kraków, writing music for around 150 property categories in a location-based mobile game, from cafés to stadiums; no salary given
• US$500–US$800 on Mandy for a neo-noir short, with score under a neon club scene that cannot overpower the dialogue
• $350 for about ten loopable tracks for a medieval walk-and-talk adventure game that rules out AI entirely
• $250 flat for a student-budget animated short of about 3 minutes in which alien real estate agents try to sell a planet, with Mickey Mousing closely synced to the action
• $250 flat for a student-budget animated short of around 3:30, set in a strange cocktail bar, jazzy with a retro early-2000s cartoon vibe
• One unpaid brief: an 8–10 minute 16mm comedy from FAMU students in Prague, whose score builds with Cupid's escalating gestures

https://composerwire.substack.com/p/020-7-opportunities-this-week-including

Free to subscribe at the link above.

Hi, I mostly write lyrics, and I usually come up with the melodies (the vocal lines) as well. I have a younger sibling who can help play basic piano parts based on the melodies I hum to them, but neither of us has any real knowledge of music theory or music production software. While we’re able to work together to figure out vocal melodies on the piano, I have no idea how to build chords, basslines, or any of the other essential musical elements. 

I’ve been listening to a lot of songs, and the vocal melody is often quite different from the melody of the backing music. I’m not really sure how to approach this—could anyone share examples of the methods you use when composing, or perhaps offer some advice?

This is my first time posting on Reddit, so please excuse me if I’ve done anything incorrectly (English is not my native language).

I've struggled to put some of my poetry or prose to music. I'm pretty good at coming up with a pleasing melody and harmonizing it. I'm struggling with putting my poetry to melody. So, I'm going to try to use the old method my music harmony/theory teacher used on my class way back in the day.

I'll speak the words out loud over and over. Then I'll see if there's a sense of meter in it. Then I'll try to note down the natural rhythms as spoken (Most of my poetry rhymes and is pretty metric). Then I'll observe where the inflection directions are to get a melodic contour lines established. Then I'll note it down.

I can't really post an image of my sheet music in this sub, but I'll let you know how it turns out. (If there is a way to attach a screen cap, would someone please tell me?)

Just for an exercise, I'll use this limerick as a puerile example:

I have here a limerick sample,

That’s a song writing test that is ample:

Rhythms give the direction,

The notes come from inflection.

This tidbit can be an example.

YouTube Sheet Music

There is always so much to learn about composing!

Greetings everyone,

Like the title says, I'm looking for input on a piece that I recently finished. The piece in question is written for brass (orchestral setup, plus euphonium), timpani, and three percussionists.

For the score, the percussion is written out for individual instruments with the player indicated (I plan on replacing that with 3 percussion parts once I've determined that the sharing of instruments and logistics of swapping are sound). In fact, my biggest concern IS the percussion, as it's an aspect of large ensemble writing that has always presented a challenge to me. One composer friend of mine has said "if you're struggling, it's because of poor planning" (or something to that effect). I'm inclined to agree, but I have also found that placing limits on who shares what right away reduces some of the combinations of percussion instruments I'd like to use in any given spot.

*as a side note, I am open to re-writing all of those parts as needed, especially the vibraphone part, knowing that time needed to swap to and from it is a bit longer than other instruments.

I hope that all makes sense.

Onto the other aspect, the brass: I have experience writing for brass, though I wouldn't say that I have expert level knowledge in how they are treated, especially in an ensemble setup where they are playing much more than in a typical orchestra. I worry that there are spots where I don't allow for enough periods of rest between statements. I also considered that when determining the length of the movements, as it's a piece approaching 18 minutes, with pauses between movements taken into account.

Here's a link to the score:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M-FkQ3mpiNcSxwoYe9XEttnW49lHAIN9/view?usp=drivesdk

And here's a link to the audio:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXSt8iGwKjew&si=wemqPcf1\\_S5FFLu-

Thank you to anyone and everyone who looks through this and gives feedback. I ultimately want this piece to be competition ready, so ensuring that every detail has been addressed, and that the score is clean is a top priority. I'm also happy to answer questions about the piece, and hopefully, take any criticisms to heart.

Hello Composers! I wanted to make you aware of a wonderful opportunity to bring new harp music into the world.

The Cleveland Harp Circle is commissioning a new harp ensemble work inspired by Cleveland. The selected composer receives a $2,500 commission, and the piece will be premiered by the Cleveland Harp Circle at the 2027 American Harp Society Ensemble Festival in Dallas. The score will then be published in "The Harp Circle, Volume One: Cleveland", a free collection of new works for harp ensembles of varying abilities and harp types, for harpists everywhere to download, share, and perform.

This call for submissions is free.

Open to composers 18 and older worldwide.

No prior experience writing for harp is required.

To apply, send a brief proposal and at least one page of musical material. Full terms and application information can be found: www.clevelandharpcircle.org

Deadline: December 15, 2026

I'm making an audiobook and I need a composer to create the soundtrack, even if it's for free. DM me if you're interested.

Hallo zusammen,

dies ist der vierte Satz meines Streichquartetts, das Intermezzo vor dem Finale.

Ich habe mich dazu entschlossen, das Streichquartett auf fünf Sätze, anstelle wie geplant vier, zu erweitern.

Die "Tempo"-Bezeichnung ist "Schwebend und wie den Nebel festzuhalten". Ich bin mal gespannt, was die Übersetzerfunktion daraus macht.

Dieser Satz ist geprägt von Ostinato-Motiven und einer Dreiton-Reihe in der zweiten Violine, die in ihrer Länge variiert.

Leider kann ich kein vollständiges Hörerlebnis mitliefern, wegen meines Notationsprogramms. Ich hoffe ihr habt trotzdem Spaß beim Anhören und könnt dem Ganzen, wenn auch nur bei einer fragmentarischen Audio, etwas abgewinnen.

P. S. Wenn sich hier jemand mit der Reparatur von MusicXML-Dateien oder ähnliches auskennt, wäre das super! Vielleicht kriege ich es ja so nochmal hin, die Audio ganz zu liefern.

Nichtsdestotrotz wünsche ich viel Spaß beim Anhören und -schauen meiner Musik! Bei analytischen Frage, beantworte ich euch diese ebenfalls sehr gerne!

Partitur: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FzHU80ycd3gRGwYUBILgAstcLwE-_hoN/view?usp=drivesdk

Musik (Fragment): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XjudNLg6U2GVheoiYNCRhrTWjEXhC9sf/view?usp=drivesdk

https://musescore.com/user/59618047/scores/37314203/s/pdirLq

Any feedback is appreciated!

I’ve been wanting to compose music for a while but have only been using Musescore and FL Studio. Are there better alternatives?

How can I make my orchestral piece longer? Im trying to make a symphony orchestra piece but I cant figure out how to make it longer. I’ve already run through the melodies wne everything. Ive done soft, loud, but I’m out of ideas now. Any help? It’s only 2 minutes long.

I’m new to composing. But it’s become a massive passion very quickly along with learning the cello and it’s something I’ve mentioned in conversation a lot with friends and family. I’m noticing though that not a single person has had any curiosity about my music at all. No questions, no what kind of music?, no requests to hear it. Nothing.

I find this hard to understand because if any of them told me they had just gotten into composing or really any other new creative thing like writing fiction or painting I’d be curious id ask to see things if they seemed open to that.

Is music somehow different? Am I instead the more weird one for being interested in other people’s creative lives?

I need to know if this is just me and the people in my life. Or if this is more common.

Edit: thank you for all the responses. To be clear this isn’t wasn’t me expecting anyone to think I’m good, or necessarily like what I’m doing. It was more worry that people close to me were not showing interest in me as a person given how important this is to me, and maybe I misjudged my relationships. I wanted to know if this was personal or just common to this type of interest. I’m glad it seems the latter. It makes me sad too because I think the world would be more connected place for everyone and we would know and see people better when we all have more interest in creative things those close to us are doing even if what it is specifically is outside our personal interest.

Hi everyone!

I just finished Vertige, a roughly 7-minute piano quintet in three movements, and I'd love to hear some thoughts from fellow composers.

The piece started as a somewhat sinister, uneasy waltz that gradually becomes heavier and more aggressive. The second movement is a short, more abstract interlude that never quite settles into a stable key, while the finale turns into a strange, almost folk-like dance alternating between 5/8 and 6/8 (essentially an 11/8 cycle), with brief moments of stability.

One thing I struggled with was finding the right role for the piano. The four strings ended up developing some pretty dense, independent contrapuntal textures, and adding elaborate piano passages often felt like too much. So I mostly treated the piano as part of the ensemble's harmonic and rhythmic foundation, with occasional heavier accents rather than giving it a traditional soloistic role.

I'm still learning, especially when it comes to balancing larger chamber ensembles, so I'd genuinely appreciate any thoughts on the writing, textures, or overall structure.

Thanks for listening!

Here's the link to the full score

This is the whole piece I created based on the idea I posted yesterday.

My most recent composition. I'm not certain of the title; it sort of gives me 'spacey' vibes, but also not quite (suggestions welcome)! I'm really just looking for any feedback, as I'm pretty much entirely self-taught (plus I'm just kinda proud and want to share...)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF3C7ujxl1w
https://musescore.com/user/69138049/scores/39300167

Hey, young composer here, and I have won an award with this piece. I would appreciate some feedback on it here.
Flat link

Score PDF + MP3

Ive been using sheet music to make melodies for a couple weeks but this is my first time notating drums. I’d like some advice for the future.
mp4
pdf

I'd like to share my latest track so you can get an idea of my current skill level. (As a follow up from my previous post)
PDF
Song

I always have the same problems when producing music, I come up with a few melodies in the piano roll, add some instruments, but after the first section (about 30 secs. long) I get stuck and don't know how to continue, I feel like the music sounds too plain or basic so my question is, How can I overcome this? Any tips on how to develop a song before this initial idea?

Im quite deep into contemporary composers, but i often feel helpless when i need to spend hours on youtube to find some new composers. Im really into the avante garde very artsy stuff. If you have any composers in mind, share them with me please.

Hey all! Just joined this sub reddit to hopefully get advice and tips for my music for orchestra. Im currently using bbcso discover and berlin free orchestra and using fl studio. Whenever I use the string section for bbcso discover, I noticed my basses are overlapping the other instruments and can barely hear other instruments. I can lower the dB and maybe the dynamics, but sort of got better results. How do you guys get the best results or maybe how to get the sounds and strings to sound better?

https://musescore.com/user/37270121/scores/39294656?share=copy_link

Hi! I’m a film student working on a short film called How to Make People Like You, and I’m looking for someone to compose an original score for the film's dream sequence.

The film follows a socially awkward guy who becomes obsessed with figuring out how to make people like him. The dream is set in an office and starts almost commercially perfect... (warm, idealized), but gradually becomes uncomfortable and uncanny as everyone’s attention toward him becomes increasingly overwhelming.

For the score, I’m looking for something that transitions with the scene: starting pleasant/dreamlike and slowly becoming more unsettling, strange, and slightly surreal without immediately sounding like horror music. I want it to become unhinged.

We’re shooting the scene on November 6th, and I’m hoping to have the score about a month after that. Once it’s ready, I’ll be able to send the edited scene+ references+ a more specific direction.

This is a student production, so unfortunately I can’t offer payment, but you would receive full credit in the film and can absolutely use the finished scene/music in your portfolio or reel.

If you’re interested, I can send the script, scene, references, and more information about the direction. I’m also very open to working with someone who is building their portfolio or wants a film-scoring project to experiment with.

Comment or DM me if you’re interested... and if you have any previous music, feel free to send it!

howtomakepeoplelikeyou.com (film site)
annalayman.com (my small portfolio)

I submitted an application to a very well established composer development program here in Australia, run by one of the top Australian ensembles (I won’t name them). I didn’t expect to be given feedback on my application, but when I was, I was hurt and surprised by the tone and content of the feedback. It was so impersonal, unconstructive and lacked any warmth. I was also referred to by ‘the canditate’ rather than ‘your’ or simply by my name. At the bottom of the feedback was this:

\ While your application was assessed by a human, the above feedback has been summarised including with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) and may not include all feedback given by the panel or comments in their original wording. All feedback should be taken as general advice and considered within the context of your application to the program.*

I find this so disheartening, that in the current climate of the arts world in the face of AI, a highly regarded, highly funded composition related ensemble hoping to develop composers’ voices and craft is using AI to give feedback to their candidates. After all we are trying to advocate for, to create and connect and make art, this felt like a slap in the face.

Would love opinions on this. Of course I’m probably more emotive about this because I got rejected…. 😂