For more details, see: Guide: Contributing Scores.
Please be sure all submissions are public domain, or your own work, and in PDF format. (ZIP files are not allowed unless, specifically, they (a) are uploaded along with a PDF, and (b) contain the source files for the typeset in that PDF or (c) if the matching PDF file from your upload originally is on the page already.)
Quick Submission Steps
- Create an account so you can submit files.
- Find the composer page*. If one does not exist, add a new composer. - Do not add workpages for any composer who died after 1971! (Except for any work first published before 1928, you can make the workpage but you must make a request on the PD-US Workpage Request forum to get the composer page unlocked for you if he or she died less than 50 years ago).
- If you are a composer, arranger or editor who wishes to submit your own new work, see Composer Portal
- Check carefully for an existing work page* for the piece under the composer page. We have almost everything of the well-known composers covered by now.
- If a page does not already exist, click the 'Add Work' button on the top right of the composer page if you are using the Classic Skin (if you are on the Modern Skin, use the 'Add File' at the top of the workpage) on the composer's page.
- Do not create new pages for arrangements. Arrangements of works go onto the same page as the composer's original.
- Check to see that your scan is not already on the page. If it is not, upload it using the 'Add Scan' or 'Add Manuscript' option found in the drop-down menu beneath the 'Add File' button located in the upper right-hand corner of the page if you are on the Classic Skin (if you are on the Modern Skin, use the 'Add File' drop down menu on the top of the webpage). DO NOT use these tools if you are uploading typesets, use 'New Composition' for your own works, 'New Edition' for other composer's works (not your own of the same instrumentation of the workpage) and 'New Arrangements' that are not the original setting of the workpage, for other composer's works. See also the Note at the bottom of this workpage to read about the guidelines for submitting typesets. Scans of a living or recently deceased composer with which your account is associated must use 'New Composition' , the same as uploading typesets of your own works.
- Note that we do not accept single-page files for pieces which are more than one page. However, if it is not a score you are uploading, for example some kind of instructions or something equivalent in some way related to the work, uploading under the "Other" tab is OK, preferably a score to the work is highly recommended first if it is possible, do not upload junk in the file. Such files must be combined into a single PDF before uploading. Similarly, we do not accept parts split into separate movements. No one wants to download four sets of parts for a single Haydn symphony. Keep in mind that many users around the globe have only dialup-speed connections; making the downloads as practical as possible is therefore important.
- When uploading, the Scanner/Typesetter field should contain only the word "editor" or "arranger" (this should be automatically done in the uploader) if you are also the person who created the file on a notation program. Also the "Editor" or "Arranger" field should link to your category/composer page under either the "Editor" or "Arranger" tab. You must then choose one of the Creative Commons licenses. New pieces, arrangements or editions cannot be public domain under the 'moral rights' provisions of most copyright laws.
Note: Please do not upload files of this nature simply found on the internet unless they are clearly released under a Creative Commons license, and (per the terms of the license) the creator of the file is identified.
- If you wish to replace a file with a newer version of the same file number use this method below:
- i. Click on the file number.
- ii. Follow the link to "upload a new version of this file".
- iii. Upload the new file - you can name the new one any way you like (keep it the same or change to something new - it makes no difference).
- iv. When you see the little [B] next to the file description, you will know your replacement was successful.
- 7. Relax: a fellow administrator will review everything you have done to make sure it is correct.
*A composer page is the page under which all compositions by someone are listed. For instance, Johann Sebastian Bach is a composer page that includes links to virtually every one of his works. Each of those works is contained on its own work page (an example would be Erhöhtes Fleisch und Blut, BWV 173 (Bach, Johann Sebastian)), which houses all of the downloadable files. Note also that the title of the work might be in the original language in some cases, or fall under a generic title rule for pieces like Sonatas, Concertos, Symphonies and the like.
Note: If you are typesetting scores, before you create a PDF file of your typeset, you may also want to check that your work conforms to IMSLP's guidelines for typesets. Also, if possible, it is a good idea to include a zip archive of the actual engraving files and/or an archive of the typeset in a flexible format like MusicXML or MEI.
Important Note: If you are brand new to this website with uploading files for the first time. The administrators who manage this site WILL NOT TOLERATE aggressively spamming uploads on workpages and creating multiple workpages done in a sloppy manner with formatting details with fields and comments that do not comply to this website's formatting rules. It is highly recommended to proceed slowly and double or triple check your work before uploading. Certain important fields must be filled in English, like the file description and the instrumentation fields. Please review our Manual of Style for how to properly format fields on workpages and creating them. If you decide to upload, say, 20-100+ files in one day at your own risk and they all have to be corrected with the same mistakes, 95% of them will most likely have to be deleted depending on the severity of the issues on the workpages and file uploads if there are copyright issues (and if multiple workpages were of the same issues repeatedly). A few will be corrected (as long as it is, say, a typeset uploaded correctly but not a typeset uploaded as public domain or a public domain file with lack of details) at your own convenience to review and you will need to start over again and only upload a few at a time per day (5-10 a day for single file uploads on multiple workpages, vice versa for multi-upload on fewer workpages, can be more than 10 files though) until we feel you can upload more until as much as you want. If you do ignore our warnings about aggressively spamming uploads, your account and workpage may be blocked for a set period of time until you have read over the contributor portal. Please understand there is not a big team of administrators that are on here (most of the time just one or two) on a daily basis; please respect their time as there are many other files by other users to be reviewed for copyright. Remember, DO NOT upload your entire life's compositional output in one day (unless its a reasonable amount); if you want to have your entire output on the site, do not go overboard with uploading a huge amount at first. A little at a time IS BETTER than going many hours with a huge amount and all of them having to be corrected. It will be a journey of many weeks and months to upload files if you have several works to contribute, not a sprint done in a few days.
See also: Copyright Made Simple
For instructions on how to submit recordings, see Performers Portal
