Remote | Audio Expert — $50–$100/hour

24-Mag Llc; Northern, New York (KY, NY); Hybrid; USD 69,000 - 138,000; Part time

Job summary

24-MAG LLC offers a specialised part-time consulting role for experienced music transcription and audio-analysis professionals. The project focuses on polyphonic listening, SATB transcription, and MusicXML generation, leveraging Python for analysis and validation.

The engagement is remote, worldwide, with compensation of $50–$100 per hour and an expected ~15 hours per week. Tasks include transcription, verification, and workflow automation in a flexible schedule.

Qualifications

• Strong Python programming ability.
• Advanced ear-training and polyphonic transcription skills.
• Understanding of harmony, rhythm, and voice leading.
• Experience with SATB music, choral arranging, or related transcription work.
• Familiarity with MusicXML and digital notation workflows.

Responsibilities

• Transcribe complex polyphonic recordings into structured notation.
• Separate SATB lines from mono or mixed recordings.
• Generate or edit MusicXML files and validate notation accuracy.
• Use Python to inspect audio and support transcription workflows.
• Validate transcriptions through musical review and checks.

Skills

Python programming

Polyphonic transcription

SATB transcription

MusicXML

Music notation

Music analysis

Tools

MuseScore

music21

librosa

NumPy

SciPy

pretty_midi

Job description

We are sharing a specialised part-time consulting opportunity for experienced music transcription and audio-analysis professionals with strong expertise in polyphonic listening, SATB transcription, music notation, MusicXML, and Python to contribute to an advanced AI training and technical evaluation project.

Selected professionals will reconstruct precise musical scores from mixed audio recordings, separate simultaneous vocal or instrumental lines, convert performances into structured notation, and validate transcription quality through musical and computational checks. The work requires advanced ear training, strong notation skills, and the ability to combine musical judgement with technical workflows. This is not a general audio-production or speech-transcription role.

Key Responsibilities

Polyphonic Music Transcription

• Transcribe complex polyphonic recordings into structured musical notation
• Separate simultaneous soprano, alto, tenor, and bass lines from mono or mixed recordings
• Identify pitches, note onsets, durations, rests, and re-articulations accurately
• Preserve musical structure, phrasing, and voice independence across transcription tasks
• Apply strong listening judgement to dense or ambiguous musical passages

Rhythm, Harmony & Notation

• Quantize musical events to the correct rhythmic grid
• Apply accurate key signatures, accidentals, and enharmonic spelling
• Maintain correct notation across harmony, rhythm, and voice leading
• Resolve ambiguous pitch or rhythmic events using musical context
• Ensure scores remain readable, coherent, and consistent with standard notation practices

MusicXML & Score Construction

• Generate, edit, or manipulate MusicXML files
• Translate transcription results into structured machine-readable notation
• Verify that exported scores accurately represent the source performance
• Maintain correct metadata, pitch spelling, rhythmic values, and part structure
• Produce notation suitable for downstream validation and technical evaluation

Python & Audio Analysis

• Use Python to inspect audio and support transcription workflows
• Analyse spectral information, timing, and musical features where helpful
• Automate portions of transcription, validation, or score-generation processes
• Work with libraries such as librosa, NumPy, SciPy, music21, Essentia, pretty_midi, or comparable tools
• Integrate computational analysis with expert musical judgement rather than relying solely on automated methods

Validation & Quality Review

• Validate transcriptions through musical review, structured checks, or resynthesis
• Compare generated scores against the source audio for pitch, rhythm, and structural accuracy
• Identify transcription errors, notation inconsistencies, and incorrect voice assignments
• Develop reproducible validation approaches for technically demanding transcription tasks
• Maintain high standards of precision across repeated assignments

Ideal Profile

• Strong Python programming ability
• Advanced ear-training and polyphonic music-transcription skills
• Strong understanding of harmony, rhythm, voice leading, and standard music notation
• Experience with SATB music, choral arranging, score preparation, or closely related polyphonic transcription work
• Familiarity with MusicXML and digital notation workflows
• Experience with tools such as MuseScore, music21, librosa, NumPy, SciPy, Essentia, pretty_midi, or comparable software is advantageous
• Ability to distinguish simultaneous musical lines within dense recordings
• Strong attention to pitch, rhythm, articulation, and notation detail
• Relevant expertise may come from performance, arranging, composition, choral work, research, or independent transcription practice
• Formal education and fixed years of professional experience are not required where relevant skills can be demonstrated

Engagement Details

• Part-time independent contractor engagement
• Fully remote and open to candidates worldwide
• Compensation: $50–$100/hour
• Expected commitment: approximately 15 hours per week
• Schedule is flexible, including the option to work evenings or weekends
• Compensation is output-based, with payment made for tasks that meet project specifications
• Minimum weekly submission requirements apply
• Work will involve polyphonic audio transcription, SATB separation, MusicXML generation, Python-assisted analysis, and transcription validation
• The selection process may include screening questions, an approximately 30-minute AI interview, and hiring-manager review
• Selected professionals should be prepared to begin their first tasks within approximately 24–48 hours of completing onboarding
• Roles are typically filled within approximately 48 hours
• Work must be completed without using confidential or proprietary information belonging to any employer, client, institution, publisher, rights holder, or other third party

About the Platform

This opportunity is available through 24-MAG LLC. We connect experienced professionals with remote consulting opportunities across technical, evaluation, and project-based workstreams.

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