No matter how extensive the SmartMusic repertoire library becomes, we’ll continue to receive requests for specific pieces. For today’s blog I thought I’d describe the process of how new repertoire is added to SmartMusic.

A primary factor in determining which pieces are added is input from users like yourself. If you’d like to see a piece added to SmartMusic, we ask that you fill out a very short form on our request page.

Once we’ve prioritized which titles to add, the next step is to check with the publisher of each piece and work out the copyright details. This work can sometimes be the most drawn-out portion of the process.

Once we have their permission, we work very closely with the publisher. Typically they’ve engraved the piece in Finale for publication, and so they can provide us with Finale files. If they don’t provide Finale files, we’ll create them here.

We also look to the publisher for a professional-quality recording of the piece. They use these recordings to entice folks to purchase the charts: We make additional use of their hard work by harnessing the same recordings for the audio component of each SmartMusic title. Then time is spent matching the recording with the notation and fine-tuning the results.

Once this work is done, the piece gets checked over again for mistakes, related assignments are created for all ensemble pieces, and the completed files are put into a “batch.” Once we have a handful of pieces waiting in a batch, we publish them into SmartMusic.

Want to see what we’ve been up to lately? Click on this link, and indicate what you’re looking for (you can specify an ensemble type, level of difficulty, or search for a particular composer or title) and we’ll show you what’s been added recently.

Can’t wait for the next batch? Keep in mind that you can also create your own SmartMusic accompaniments using Finale— those details are available here.