Arranger

An arranger reimagines an existing composition, adapting the instruments, voices, rhythms, and tempo to create a new sound for a piece of music. 

Also called: Music Arranger

What does a Arranger do?

Arrangers help finish, rework, and adapt preexisting compositions by altering elements such as instrumentation, orchestration, harmony, tempo, and genre.

Arrangers work in a number of professional industries, including live music, musical theater, the record industry, and film and TV. Many combine arranging with another skill. For example, arranger-bandleaders adapt existing compositions to develop pieces for their own ensemble; arranger-producers create new studio arrangements based on their overarching vision for the recording; and music preparation specialists use arranging in combination with proofreading and orchestration skills to become one-stop shops for music preparation. 

While most arrangements aim to preserve the melody, lyrics, and formal structures of a piece, there's still a tremendous amount of creative freedom and self-expression within an arranger's work. For example, arrangers might come up with new chords to use as a base for the melody, strip down or build up the instrumentation, adapt for a completely different instrumentation style (e.g. change rock instrumentation to classical instrumentation), slow down or speed up the tempo, add electronic elements inspired by the original composition, write a new introduction or ending, or add entirely new vocal or instrumental harmonies. Ultimately, an arranger can wind up having just as much impact on the composition as the original composer or songwriter.

Arranger at a Glance

Career Path

In such a creative field, there's far more than one path to become an arranger. One arranger might make a living by adapting existing songs for new stage or film musicals; another might be a bandleader who crafts new arrangements for her ensemble to play; and another might specialize in creating new arrangements of popular songs for the film and TV industry, so that studios can avoid paying for the rights to expensive recordings.

Arrangers might also work as orchestrators, conductors, bandleaders, music directors, instrumental performers, record producers, and event producers. These positions represent the larger musical community to which arrangers belong, and within which they must network and collaborate if they wish to succeed.

Finding Work

Arrangers work for a wide variety of people and groups, including producers, composers, artists, and publishing companies. Additionally, they can find work in an equally large range of industries, including the record industry, music publishing, musical theater, live music, and film and TV.

Because arranging is mainly a freelance endeavor, and jobs are obtained through word of mouth, building a portfolio of good work and developing relationships with musicians, composers, and producers is necessary for success.

Professional Skills

  • ​Deep understanding of musical styles
  • Reading and writing music
  • Music theory
  • DAWs and software libraries
  • Transcription
  • Orchestration
  • Conducting
  • Verbal communication
  • Leadership
  • Networking

Interpersonal Skills

Arranging is a highly collaborative art, well-suited to musicians who have a strong vision and who relish working with composers, producers, and players in order to reinvent compositions. As is the case for all professional musicians, the ability to network is a major asset for arrangers.

Work Life

Arrangers generally set their own hours, although those who work in certain industries (e.g. film) can have tight deadlines. One of the benefits of being an arranger, like being a composer, is that most networking opportunities take place in the form of concerts, performances, and other music-related activities.

Related Career Paths

Transcriber

Using specialized computer programs, keen ears, and a deep knowledge of music notation, transcribers create sheet music and, occasionally, entirely new arrangements from musical recordings.

Proofreader

Proofreaders examine music notation for errors or ambiguity, correcting problems as they're found. Their careful attention allows composers, arrangers, and transcribers to focus solely on the music.

Orchestrator

Orchestrators play an important role in the film and television industries, where they create finished scores based on the sketches of composers in those industries. MIDI orchestrators, a distinct group, forgo traditional orchestration techniques, instead specializing in using samples to improve the quality of demos.

Music Prep / Copyist

Copyists are responsible for proofreading scores and preparing individual parts for film, TV, and video game music recording sessions. 

Composer – television

Television composers write the themes, background score, and source music used in television shows. 

Composer – film

Film composers create the musical scores that accompany movies.

Composer – background music, commercials, music libraries etc.

Writing for a wide variety of clients—including businesses, event production companies, software and hardware developers, nonprofits, films and TV shows, and music libraries—freelance composers create music not for the stage but for use in the world around them.

Assistant to a composer

An assistant to a composer helps make the composer’s life and work easier through a combination of technical, musical, and day-to-day support.