Getting a song onto a computer

The first step is to get music editing software. There is a lot of software out there with the most popular being Sibelius and Finale. While the fullblown versions are excellent, they are also quite expensive. Most people find Sibelius easier to use. Finale has an inexpensive version called notepad that works well.

Another option is MUSE. It is free software that works well. It might not have all the bells and whistles that Finale or Sibelius have, but if all you want to do is get notes on a sheet of digital paper, this is a great option (and it even is available for linux).

Getting music into a PDF format

Once you have your music on your computer, the next step is getting it into the PDF format. There are several different ways to do this.

• Some music editing programs allow you to directly save your songs to a PDF file. Just go to File->Save as PDF or File->Export as PDF.
• If you don't have this option, you can print a song to a PDF. Some operating systems already have a PDF printer installed. Go to File->Print and then select the option to print to a file.
• If neither of these options work, you can download a PDF printer, and then load it like you would any other printer. A good PDF printer is the cutePDF printer. It is a small download, secure and works great. Once you have downloaded the PDF printer and installed it, go to File->Print and select the cutePDf as the printer. Then just follow the instructions.

Copyright Information

If you are uploading an arrangement of someone else's piece, make sure you include their copyright information on your arrangement. (i.e. ©1994 Janice Kapp Perry. This arrangement ©2009 John Doe. May be used for nonprofit, church, incidental or home use.)

If you are uploading a completely original composition, we suggest (but it is not required) that you put a copyright on it. (i.e. ©2009 Jane Doe. May be used for nonprofit, church, incidental or home use. )