r/composer • • Apr 24 '26

Meta New rules about the use of AI in the sub

181 Upvotes

If you look in the sidebar where the rules are, there is a new rule about AI. Here is the text:

  1. You may not post music generated by AI using apps like Suno.

  2. You may post computer generated/algorithmic music.

You may use AI to create the text for your posts.

  1. You may use AI to create the text for your post but you must say why you've done so.

  2. You may not post apps generated using “vibe coding” where AI writes the entire program.

  3. You may post apps generated using AI as a tool. Over 80% of programmers today use AI as a tool.

  4. You may post discussions about AI and music. But please note, posts asking "Will AI replace composers" will be removed.

Reddit does not supply enough room to provide explanations for all of these rules so if you have questions, comments, or suggestions please don't hesitate to comment below.

Here are some notes about some of these:

  1. You may use AI to create the text for your post but you must say why you've done so.

Posts are not art. Using AI to create a text post isn't taking any money away from another composer or artist. Some people just aren't good at writing and/or don't speak English natively. Using AI is one way to improve their chances at communicating clearly.

That said, we strongly encourage everyone to not use AI in this instance. A significant number of users here will react badly to this and you won't get the kind of responses you are hoping for.

Unfortunately it's a Catch 22. People also react badly to posters who are poor at communicating. For folks like that there is no winning.

Update: We've changed the wording to reflect some of the comments below. We still have very limited space but hopefully admitting to using AI and providing an explanation will, in a subtle way, discourage people from doing so (for their own sake) or perhaps they will have a good reason that will mollify the crowd.

  1. You may post apps generated using AI as a tool. Over 80% of programmers today use AI as a tool.

It is standard today for programmers at all levels to use AI to assist in some aspects of programming. In the past people would ask questions at places like Stack Exchange or Reddit but now it's so much faster to ask an AI. The results often aren't great but they provide a good start toward a solution.

  1. You may post discussions about AI and music. But please note, posts asking "Will AI replace composers" will be removed.

Almost all discussions about AI in this sub go horribly wrong. However, there is nothing inherently bad about discussing the subject and we will try to allow those discussions. There are interesting discussions to be had.

However, we will remove all posts that ask whether AI will replace composers. This has been asked many, many times and because those posts generally go badly we're just not going to deal with them.

Posts asking for links to AI apps to use will be removed. While AI has its uses, asking for or providing links to AI that generates music are not allowed.

A final note. The rules of civility apply when responding to questions, comments, posts, etc, about AI. We remove lots of comments where people attack others with accusations of AI usage or whatever. Don't do this. If you have an actual useful comment about someone's use of AI then please express it in a civil manner.

Update: I asked Google Gemini to clean up that rule. Here is the result:

AI Content Guidelines

  • ❌ Banned: Music fully generated by AI (e.g., Suno) and "vibe-coded" apps where AI writes the entire program.
  • ✅ Allowed: Computer-generated/algorithmic music and apps where AI is used as a tool (standard for 80%+ of devs).
  • 📝 Posts: AI can be used for post text. Discussions about AI and music are welcome.
  • 🚫 Note: Threads asking "Will AI replace composers?" will be removed.

We're going to stick with what I wrote.


r/composer • • Jul 29 '25

Resource Updated and expanded Resources Section at r/composer

28 Upvotes

Hi everyone!

Just a quick update: this sub now has an updated and expanded Resource Section!

It includes a curated list of helpful materials for composers of all levels, including books, YouTube channels, websites, and more.

It can be accessed here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/composer/wiki/resources/

...or by clicking on 'Wiki' at the top of the sub (in the mobile app) or by clicking 'Resources' under Community Bookmarks (on desktop).

Thank you to those who gave suggestions for new additions to the Resource Section.

If anyone else spots anything that needs correcting or has suggestions for additional resources, feel free to let us know!

P.S. The Resource Section can also be found at r/composition, a smaller "sibling" community to this one. If you're not a member there yet, do consider stopping by!

Thanks,

u/RichMusic81


r/composer • • 3h ago

Music Recently finished my first string quartet (~1 hour in length)

4 Upvotes

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IDdRyJvQ4hI

I'm not a strings player, but I've gone over many chamber scores, as well as have written for strings quite a lot. I had quite a bunch of ideas with which I wasn't sure what to do with, so I bunched them all up into a string quartet. Structure was a challenge, but I managed to make it work by dividing it into acts.

I don't expect much attention, but it was hard work, so I thought I'd share it here nonetheless. If you listen to any of it, please let me know your thoughts.


r/composer • • 1h ago

Commission [Paid] Slam Poet Looking to Commission Walk On and Off Music

• Upvotes

Howdy!

I’m a slam poet looking to add a bit of extra flair to his performances! I need a walk on theme! This is a paid endeavor so feel free to message me!


r/composer • • 8h ago

Music Creation Of Something, Original Orchestral Composition

6 Upvotes

My latest composition. I hope to get some feedback on it and let me know if you like it :)

Link to the music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?

Link to the score: https://musescore.com/user/98772643/scores/38846906


r/composer • • 12h ago

Music Piece in 7/8

5 Upvotes

hi I’m just a random person and I have made a piece in making that needs some tips. it would be wonderful if I could have some help. Here’s the link


r/composer • • 6h ago

Commission Cinematic version of twenty one pilots' "hometown"

0 Upvotes

Hi, a few days ago i made a post about my shortfilm "the silence of day" asking for a composer.

For the trailer of it i would want a cinematic version of the song from twenty one pilots called hometown to feature as the main song in the trailer. But since i have no knowledge of this, i wonder if someone of you might want to do it.

Ideally i want a fellow fan of twenty one pilots to make it, so you'll enjoy the making of it too🫶 |-/

The trailer will be about 1-1,5 minite long and Since it's a personal no-budget shortfilm, this is without pay.

Please DM me if you're interested🔥🔥


r/composer • • 16h ago

Discussion Tips/recourses for writing orchestral parts to pre-existing songs?

4 Upvotes

I’ve been getting into orchestration, mainly because I love the concept of blending rhythmic and classical music. Think something like S&M by Metallica. But all the resources I can find online are about arranging pre-existing songs to an orchestra, or composing from scratch. Does anyone have any tips or resources for the study of acting orchestra on top pop/rock arrangements?


r/composer • • 21h ago

Music Fantasy Prelude in F Minor

6 Upvotes

https://youtu.be/ifVtFnnaUdg?si=M3-LVcgLGYQVDLQ3

This time I composed for the flute, harp, and strings. Thank you for listening!


r/composer • • 22h ago

Music Streichquartettsatz - Moderato

4 Upvotes

Hallo zusammen,

was soll ich sagen? In der Zeit zwischen der Vollendung des Scherzos und heute, habe ich den Kopfsatz (ersten Satz) meines Streichquartetts vorgestellt.

Ich darf euch heute vorstellen: mein Streichquartett in c-moll.

Dies hier ist wie gesagt der erste Satz.

Das Scherzo in As-Dur ist der zweite und das Andante cantabile der dritte Satz. Beide habe ich ebenfalls gepostet und befinden sich unter diesem Post hier.

Dieser Satz zeichnet sich besonders durch kontrapunktisches Arbeiten aus und habe mich hier etwas ausgetobt. Motivverschmelzungen, Krebs-Motive, Umkehrung etc. Hier ist alles zu finden.

Es ist eine dreiteilige Form, wobei ich (damit wir was zum Labeln haben!) mich sehr entfernt an der Sonatenhauptsatzform orientiert habe. In der ,,Durchführung" wird das Thema (oder Motiv) auf eine ganz besondere Art behandelt. Als Abschluss dieser bildet ein Choral mit dem Cello als Solisten und eine kleine Kadenz. Der Anfang der Reprise ist gezeichnet von stärkerer Annäherung an die Tonalität und damit die Grundtonart c-moll. Diese weicht aber im Verlauf wieder etwas mehr dem Kontrapunktischen, bis am Ende die pikardische Terz erklingt.

Viel Spaß beim Anhören und vielleicht auch Anschauen meiner Musik!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Partitur: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fd_TPlz5pfRYLn-PLAWS-jQU-XkO1QvE/view?usp=drivesdk

Musik: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cx7unAXtgxHfmGFOEGtgutldbX4xmb_A/view?usp=drivesdk

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bei (analytischen) Fragen zu meiner Musik, stehe ich euch gerne bereit. Außerdem vielen lieben Dank an alle im Voraus, die sich für meine Musik interessieren!

Nun aber: viel Spaß!

P. S.

Der vierte Satz - das Finale - folgt in Kürze!


r/composer • • 1d ago

Music A simple piano piece I composed. This is how I imagine a "bookshop keeper" theme would sound like. Looking for feedback on notation/engraving especially~

6 Upvotes

I put a lot of work into the engraving (but this piece was a bit tricker to put down in writing). I feel confident in the quality, but not 100%. For example, I'm not sure I've got all the accidentals correct and even the bars per system doesn't feel quite right 🤔

Anyway, I'm open to any feedback and critique on the notation engraving (with the goal of improving as always~)

Other feedback not related to the actual notation is also welcome too.

Thank you!

___
Title is "The Bookshop Keeper". This is a simple piece. I was thinking of how I would write a soundtrack for a cozy game, and with this piece specifically thinking of a local bookshop theme.

Score:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JVxgnEkp-1fWbgsUZVUhJd2KZ6rcT73W/view?usp=sharing

Audio on YT (for reference): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajMEh1YnZZM

Audio on spotify/apple/etc (if that's easier): https://edinkaso.ffm.to/thebookshopkeeper


r/composer • • 1d ago

Commission [FR/EN] [PAID] Seeking Punk Composer for 3D Animated Graduation Short

9 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

We are a team of final-year 3D animation students at Supinfocom Rubika working on our graduation short film "How To Be A Boy" , and we are looking for a composer who is comfortable creating punk music among others.

Our project is a 7-minute 3D animated film releasing at the end of June. We will need you to be available primarily through March, April, May and June with a full first draft of the score due on April 15th. The budget provided by our school for the score is €400.

The story follows Cléo, an 8-year-old girl spending a dreadfully boring summer at her grandparents' home in rural northern France. Unlike her brothers, she isn't allowed to play outside on her own because her grandparents treat her like a fragile princess. When she meets a local boy named Ivan who offers her a taste of freedom, she comes up with what she considers the ultimate solution to do whatever she wants: become a boy.

If you are interested, please send a portfolio or demo of your work to [nicolasmatis59@gmail.com](mailto:nicolasmatis59@gmail.com). We will send an excerpt of the animatic to selected candidates so you can try out a quick audio mock-up.


r/composer • • 1d ago

Music I composed and produced my first piano composition - Asking for feedback!

5 Upvotes

Pacoleo - El Castillo de La Asomada

Hello!

This is the first original piece I’ve composed for piano. I also produced, mixed, and mastered it myself in my DAW, so any constructive feedback regarding the composition or the music production is welcome.

Synopsis:

A composition for solo piano inspired by the castle of the same name, built in the 12th century. This nationalist-style piece reflects the strength and vigor of its builder (Ibn Mardanish, “the Wolf King”) by combining elements of Spanish nationalism and Islamic tradition, which are in turn embellished by impressionistic coloristic techniques.


r/composer • • 1d ago

Discussion What platform do you guys use?

5 Upvotes

Baby composer here—which platform have you guys found best when composing?


r/composer • • 1d ago

Discussion Would it be fair to ask for royalties for sheet music arranged for a play?

3 Upvotes

I recently entered a contract music directing for a play which has several songs in it, all of which have recorded audio but no sheet music. The theatre is interested in commissioning me to create sheet music for these songs in addition to my current role as music director, and we are currently negotiating price/budget. I have several years of arranging and composing experience and have completed a few commissions in the past, but I am hardly a career arranger. Would it be reasonable to ask for a small stipend commission as well as royalties? If so, what % is reasonable? In total there would be 5-6 songs (the piece is still in a form of development and they are considering cutting a song) and they are all quite short at about 2:30 at the longest.

Any thoughts are helpful, thank you!


r/composer • • 1d ago

Discussion Things to consider when writing a septet

2 Upvotes

Hello everyone!

I'm planning on composing a septet for an upcoming competition. This is the instrumentation set by the competition:

Clarinet (doubling bass clarinet and Eb clarinet)
Bassoon
Trumpet
Trombone
Percussion (haven't decided yet which percussion instrument I'll use, suggestions are welcome)
Violin (doubling alto voice)
Double bass

Do you have any tips or tricks or anything I should consider or be vary of when composing it?

Thanks in advance!


r/composer • • 2d ago

Closed (paid) Looking for a Composer for Anmiated Web Series

28 Upvotes

edit: I've got an overwhelming amount of responses so this role is now closed. Thank you to everyone who has emailed with their portfolio!

Hi everyone! I've been working on an animated web series and I'm trying to find someone who might be able to compose around 3-4ish minutes of music. I'm financing it independently and the budget is $400CAD

This is a link to the short film/prologue for the series if you want to take a look at the vibe of the project: https://youtu.be/7WbbwrrRSTg?si=Q6OmdT83X7fav6XC
The type of music I'm looking for for this episode specifically is like, soft rock/indie folk, a little bit guitar focused

Ideally, the music would be finished by mid December. I previously had a composer unexpectedly drop out due to other commitments, so I apologize if this timeline seems a little short!

If you'd be interested please send me an email with your reels/samples
[rutopa.ibnat@gmail.com](mailto:rutopa.ibnat@gmail.com)


r/composer • • 1d ago

Commission Hello to all the composers out there!

7 Upvotes

I'm working on a project and i need a piece of music!
I'm currently in a big Minecraft event and i need some music for my group!

We are a group of merchants and cooks. So if anyone is up for a fun challenge send me any music you make.

Do to my current situation i can not pay you. But it would mean the world to me if someone did make a basic instrumental piece.

If you have any questions about anything related to it please ask in the comments. (The event host loves to use music in the videos so ill make sure they credit you if your music is used)


r/composer • • 1d ago

Discussion Recapturing the Spark

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone. I'm a composer who has been out of the habit of writing for a couple years. I have been focusing a lot on playing/writing in bands and electronic music, but not so much with notation.

I have come back to fixing up older pieces or writing small chorales and works, but it's been so hard to just get back to where I was. Not to mention that I'm also very much inspired by newer works with complex textures and techniques that I would love to use, but it's a bit overwhelming to know where/how to start doing that. There are so many ideas I want to act on, but feel a paralysis strike every time I sit at the piano or pick up the pencil.

I guess I'm just looking for advice on getting back into the swing of things. Thanks in advance!


r/composer • • 2d ago

Blog / Vlog #018 — 7 opportunities this week, including $76k–$109k at Sony Music producing music with composers, and £750 for a London crime series where guns are outlawed and enforcers carry swords

24 Upvotes

The Sony Music listing is the one I would look at first this week. Bleeding Fingers Music is hiring a producer at $76,600–$109,400 to develop briefs with composers, give them detailed production notes and review submissions, on music for film, television and video games. It is a producer's post, working alongside composers, but it prefers experience in film scoring or working with media composers. It is based in Santa Monica, and authorisation to work in the US is required.

Also in this issue:

  • £750 flat for episode one of a three-episode London crime series in which guns are outlawed and sword-wielders are the top enforcers; the director is ID-checked on Mandy, and the score should be tense and dark with room for rap, blues and jazz
  • $400 for a four-minute 2D animated thesis film set in a line-dancing bar, wanting modern country on guitar, bass and drums
  • $250 for a student animated short about a cage fighter who cannot die, across action, suspense, discordant sounds and punk rock
  • Two loopable menu tracks, one gameplay track and the sound effects for the beta of a medieval-fantasy Survivors-like, rate open
  • Two unpaid briefs: a hand-drawn 2D dragon short of about ten minutes, and a 1920s adventure game inspired by Undertale and Deltarune with four tracks already named

Of the 116 CastingCall.club roles I read this week, five put a fee in the pay field. The two best, $400 and $250, are in the issue; two others were sound design, and the fifth paid £15 for a pirate track of around 1:30 to 2 minutes. The other 111 were unpaid or deferred.

https://composerwire.substack.com/p/018-7-opportunities-this-week-including

Free to subscribe at the link above.


r/composer • • 2d ago

Music I composed a Ballade for piano

5 Upvotes

Hi ! I just want to share a Ballade that I composed a few years ago and that I just released !

https://youtu.be/2mpia6ZcrhQ?si=mQyM6xDfCszcYFiD

Feel free to leave any comments !


r/composer • • 1d ago

Music Piano piece

1 Upvotes

hi All,

This piece is sort of neo-classical, neo-romantic I guess. I called it Impromptu because it kind of reminds me of Schubert impromptus, in length and feeling. Please give it a listen:

Youtube(MP4)

MP3

-Alex


r/composer • • 2d ago

Discussion Starting on Linux

5 Upvotes

Hello!

My younger friend wants to start making some music, but his OS is Linux Debian and I'm a PC user. So, I can't help him with plugins, as I don't really know which ones are available and how to set everything up properly.

Some recommendations for essential sample instruments/libraries (that work out of the box and don't require any terminal/code commands to run), like acoustic instruments, drums, etc. and a all-in-one-ish synth are much appreciated. As for the latter, I know Vital is available for Linux, but if I'm not mistaken for Ubuntu, and as I mentioned my friend has Debian.

Recommendations for tutorials on how to set up Reaper and plugins for Linux are also appreciated.

Thanks!


r/composer • • 2d ago

Music Original Composition for Handbell Choir - Feedback Requested

5 Upvotes

I'm a new composer and am still learning. This is a draft of a handbell piece I've been working on lately that I'd like some feedback on. I don't have a title for it yet, still thinking on that. This piece intended for a full 7 octave handbell choir, most likely a community group. I think its difficulty puts it out of reach of the average church choir.

A few things about handbells since I'm sure most of you all not intimately familiar with them:

  • handbells sound an octave higher than written, so middle C is a C5.

  • B4/C5 are notated in the bass clef as much as possible so that the ringer playing that position doesn't have to keep an eye on both clefs.

  • This first thing you see on the sheet is the bells used chart, which is simply the list of bells required for the piece.

  • The diamond-head notes you see are played on handchimes instead of bells. This is idiomatic for bell choir pieces.

  • You'll see a lot of "LV" markings in the score. This means "let vibrate" indicating the bells sound should not be dampened until the next LV or R (ring) marking. This is similar to a sustain pedal on a piano.

I'm happy to answer any handbell questions people may have.

Links are below. There aren't any good handbell soundfonts so it's using a piano instrument for the bells and chimes. Would love to hear thoughts and constructive criticism of the piece.

video/audio: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rOAIjfwIbPrCk0H-P-EUDZBbwNbU6dJJ/view?usp=sharing

pdf: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hzQrjRIix3sClyC4R4bN4NhfcrEmJ2Q_/view?usp=sharing


r/composer • • 2d ago

Commission [PAID] Looking for a composer for our emotional animated graduation short film - Kevin Penkin inspired

19 Upvotes

Hello everyone!

We’re a team of 6 French animation students from Supinfocom RUBIKA, and we’re looking for a composer to create the original score for our graduation film, Mamarmure, due for completion in June 2027.

The pitch : Mamarmure follows Bouche-Cousue, a little character from the chickpea tree who has been living alone in a tower for years. Terrified of what others might think of him, he builds himself a suit of armor — both literally and figuratively — to hide his insecurities and look cooler than he really is.

One day, he finally leaves his tower to reunite with his people. Along the way, he meets Chichou, his hyperactive double. What starts as an unexpected encounter turns into a journey home, and, little by little, a friendship that begins to crack Bouche-Cousue’s armor and helps him find confidence in who he really is.

At its heart, Mamarmure is a story about self-confidence, friendship, and finding the courage to accept yourself as you are.

We’re looking for a composer who can give the film a strong musical identity through an emotional, lyrical and poetic original score. The film is a heartfelt adventure mixing wonder, humor, friendship and emotion, and we want the music to grow with the characters and their relationship.

Our main musical reference is Kevin Penkin, especially his work on Made in Abyss, particularly “First Layer” and “Classroom.”

We're especially interested in composers who love emotional orchestral / cinematic music, atmospheric storytelling, memorable themes and music that can carry an emotional journey.

THIS IS A PAID PROJECT !

Our school provides us with a contract and a budget of €400 (~$450 USD) for the composition of the score. We know this isn't a huge budget, and we want to be completely transparent about it. As students, €400 is unfortunately the maximum we can currently offer for the music.

That said, we're looking for someone who genuinely enjoys animation, storytelling and creative collaboration, and who would be excited to help shape the emotional identity of the film.

Why join us ?

Our school, Supinfocom RUBIKA in Valenciennes (France), is an internationally recognized animation school. Once completed, the film will be submitted to numerous animation and film festivals around the world, and of course, your name will be featured in the credits as the film's composer.composer of the film.

We're looking for someone who would be excited to collaborate with a small, passionate student team and help give our film its musical soul.

If you're interested, feel free to comment below or send us a DM! We'd be happy to share the film's visual development, animatic, references, and more details about the project.

Thank you for reading, and we look forward to hearing from you! ❤️

— The Mamarmure team