About Selling Single Sheet Music (PDF Format)
Hello, this is Chino Yoshio, a composer quietly working in Kyotanabe, Kyoto.
I’d like to share the background of why I sell single-sheet music in PDF format.
■ Inquiries about Apple Books
My sheet music is available for free on Apple Books. The reason I register it there is not only to make it available for performance, but also as proof that I composed the music. With an Apple account, anyone can download it free of charge when needed.
However, I sometimes receive messages saying, “I couldn’t purchase the score on Apple Books,” or “I don’t have an Apple account.”
■ Price
The price is set at ¥193 per file. This is a wordplay reference to “Ikkyu-san,” a Zen monk connected to the number 193.
For me, the price itself is not as important as the purchasing process. As with my music distribution, I believe it is enough if my work simply reaches those who genuinely need it.
■ Watermark
To leave proof of purchase, each score includes a watermark: the order number placed diagonally at 5% transparency. I’ve checked that it doesn’t disturb reading or performance. I also add my signature as confirmation.
■ My main profession is CAD operation
Since my main profession is as a CAD operator, I try to send the purchased scores as quickly as possible, but sometimes it may take a little time. I appreciate your understanding.
■ Requests
I am not currently accepting requests for unpublished sheet music.
Previously, I mainly offered PDF scores that had already been published on Apple Books, while also considering requests for unpublished pieces as future score candidates.
However, due to changes in my work and daily environment, I have found that the time and concentration I can devote to music-related work may vary significantly, and some tasks can take much longer than expected.
For this reason, I am shifting away from a request-based approach that assumes ideal working conditions, and toward a more sustainable activity policy that takes different circumstances into account.
Going forward, PDF sheet music sales will generally be limited to scores that are currently available on Apple Books.
Edited on 2026-05-24