Music Annotator or Evaluator

Innodata India; United States; Remote; USD 28,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Innodata India seeks trained musicians to annotate music audio for an AI training project. You will write musician-to-musician notes on form, harmony, rhythm, arrangement and production, based on formal training in theory or composition and hands-on production experience.

Role requires precise, granular descriptions and the ability to evaluate tracks at a detailed level; remote project-based work is available to suitable candidates in the United States.

Qualifications

• Formal training in music theory or composition is required.
• Hands-on music production experience is required.
• Only candidates who pass resume screening and project quality checks will be considered.

Responsibilities

• Listen to music tracks and write detailed, musician-to-musician descriptions of form, harmony, rhythm, arrangement, and production.
• Identify musical form and section function by ear, including song sections and neutral forms.
• Describe instrument roles, playing techniques, and entry/exit of instruments and vocals in arrangements.
• Provide clear, precise descriptions of what is happening in an arrangement.

Skills

Form

Instrumentation & arrangement

Harmony

Rhythm & tempo

Melody & dynamics

Production techniques

Transitions

Communication

Education

Master’s or PhD in Music (composition/theory)

Certification or diploma in music industry

Job description

Job Title: Music Annotator (Music Theory / Composition) AI Project

Employment Type: Contract / Project-based
Work Mode: Remote

About the Role

We are hiring trained musicians to annotate music audio for an AI training project. You will listen closely to tracks and write detailed, musician-to-musician descriptions of form, harmony, rhythm, arrangement, and production. General music interest or genre familiarity is not enough. This role needs formal training in theory or composition, plus hands-on production experience.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s or PhD in Music, with a focus on composition or music theory


• Certification or diploma in the music industry (mandatory)


• At least 1 year of hands-on music production experience


• Strong music theory knowledge and the ability to write fine-grained descriptions


• Must pass resume screening and project quality checks

Key Skills (Verified During Screening)

• Form: Identify musical form and section function by ear, including song sections and neutral forms


• Instrumentation and arrangement: Identify instruments, playing techniques, and arrangement roles (groove, bass line, pad, lead, counter-melody, fills), plus instrumental and vocal entries and exits


• Harmony: Analyze harmony by ear, including chord progressions, chord names, pedal points, cadences, key changes, and modulations


• Harmonic roles: Analyze the role of each instrument (e.g., violin carrying the main motif in rapid staccato)


• Rhythm and tempo: Identify groove, meter or feel, drum patterns, syncopation, half-time/double-time relationships, tempo changes, and the natural tapping tempo


• Melody and dynamics: Describe melody, hooks, contour, repetition, call and response, vocal style, dynamics, texture, builds, drops, crescendos, layering, and density changes


• Production techniques: Recognize reverb, delay, distortion, filtering, sidechain effects, stereo image, and lo-fi vs. polished treatment


• Transitions: Recognize fills, risers, stops, cuts, fades, hard edits, starts, endings, and movement into the next section


• Communication: Write clear, precise descriptions of what is happening in an arrangement