With all these different possible iterations of a song, finding the right one in our search results can be a rather involved task. Sure, the categories on the left side of search results are useful for helping to narrow things down, as are the descriptions in the search results and the instant previews of the sheet music, but even then it can be difficult to find the right one.

This is why we’re happy to announce we’ve recently added a new feature to our site to make it easier to browse all arrangements of a specific song.  Now, once you’ve found the song you’re looking for, if the sheet music isn’t quite the arrangement you wanted you can easily see all the other arrangements available – directly from the product display page.

Here’s how it works:

1. Go to a product display page on our site (example: this arrangement of “Hallelujah“).
2. Look in the column to the right of the sheet music preview.
3. If additional arrangements are available, you’ll now see a text link that says “Or, see other arrangements of this song.”
4. Note: This link will be located under the keys for transpositions, or if no transpositions exist, under the Quick Details section.)
   
5. If more arrangements are available, just click the “Or, see other arrangements of this song” link.
6. You’ll get a window listing all other arrangements. You can preview them using the magnifying glass or go directly to the product by clicking the row listing the arrangement.
   

We hope this new tool helps make it easier for you to find the arrangement right for you. Of course, not all songs have multiple arrangements – but now that we’ve made it easier to browse them we’ll be better equipped to start offering more arrangements of specific songs on the site.

Please note this feature only applies to downloadable sheet music arrangements.

Have any questions or comments? Feel free to leave a comment below.

“Musicnotes added great content in 2010 – both new song releases as well as back catalog – and made marked improvements to the customer shopping experience, resulting in a solid increase in our conversion rate,” stated Musicnotes Chairman, Tim Reiland. “We are expecting further conversion gains in 2011 as we introduce significant site enhancements currently in development.”

Other important developments at Musicnotes in 2010:

• Musicnotes added its two millionth customer in Spring and ended 2010 with more than 2.3 million total customers
• A free sheet music app was introduced for the iPad in May, with a significantly enhanced app offered in October. The Musicnotes app was downloaded more than 50,000 times from the iTunes app store in 2010.
• International sales reached 23% of total sales, a new high.
• The top seller for 2010, “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen, exceeded 20,000 downloads – a new high for a yearly best seller.
• Royalties paid to publishers and songwriters exceeded $4 million for the year.
• Over 2.2 million sheet music downloads were purchased during the calendar year.

The overall digital sheet music market continued to develop throughout 2010 but still remains a modest part of the overall $1 billion worldwide market for sheet music.

About Musicnotes: Musicnotes, Inc. offers an online catalog of 100,000 digital sheet music titles, built on the strength of content agreements with Alfred Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, EMI Music Publishing, Faber Music Ltd, Sony/ATV Publishing, Disney Music Publishing, Cherry Lane Music Company, Peermusic, Word Music, EMI Christian, Bug Music and many others. Musicnotes is featured in Internet Retailer Magazine’s list of the Top 500 Online Retailers and is one of the top 50 American Music Products Retailers according to Music Trades Magazine.

On the Web: http://www.musicnotes.com

The app provides Musicnotes.com’s customers the ability to interact with their sheet music on their iPad by synchronizing it with their existing Musicnotes.com account. Once songs are downloaded to the iPad, they are stored locally on the device, allowing musicians to play their sheet music even if they are unable to access the Internet.

Features in this release include:

• The ability to instantly transpose the key of the sheet music
• A new mark-up tool to draw, highlight, and type on your sheet music
• Set lists and folders for managing your sheet music library
• Access to the Musicnotes.com “Free Song of the Month”
• Customizable backgrounds (paper types)
• A fully redesigned interface, including Cover Flow

“With this release, our goal was to enable musicians to do anything they would want to do with traditional printed music, but to eliminate the problems inherent in using paper as a medium,” said Bill Aicher, Musicnotes Direct of Web and Marketing. “Not only can musicians store their entire music library on their iPad, but they can mark-up their notation, instantly change keys to something more suited to their range and abilities, and even put songs together into one continuous playlist to make performing easier.”

Anyone who downloads the app also receives sheet music for five free bonus songs, allowing them the opportunity to sample the app and all of its features.

The app is available now at the iTunes app store. Learn more at musicnotes.com/ipad

Musicnotes is participating by hosting a show featuring Musicnotes-related bands on the day of the city-wide Women Rock for the Cure event on October 15th. We’d love it if you could join us!

Here are the details:

Musicnotes Rock for the Cure Event

Friday October 15^th
8:30 to midnight

Hemingway Lounge
2960 Cahill Main, Fitchburg, WI, 53711 (next to Panera in the strip mall)

The cover charge will be somewhere around 7 to 9 dollars.

Who’s Playing?

• 8:30 Just the Tip (2-piece band, friends of the club owner)
• 9:15 Tom Nauman
• 10:00 The Hemlines
• 10:45 Juice Jenkins
• 11:15 Blue Beyond

All bands other than Just the Tip feature Musicnotes.com team members.

For more details on Women Rock Madison, visit http://www.womenrockmadison.com

First up is another number from the hugely successful U.S. TV series, Glee. Take a look at our arrangement of the Glee Cast’s version of “Poker Face” from Season 1, Episode 20 of the show, arranged in the extremely popular Singer Pro format. If you enjoy singing along to this, why not check out our full selection of titles by the Glee Cast, or if you’d like to revisit the original then follow this link to the Lady GaGa hit, arranged for Piano, Voice and Guitar.

Before Glee tapped into the zeitgeist, Belgian girl’s choir Scala and Kolacny Brothers was slowly becoming renowned for its cover versions of popular songs. Formed in 1996, this choir is infamous for its minimalist arrangements of established pop tunes from bands such as Nirvana, The Cure, U2 and Coldplay. Their cover of Radiohead’s “Creep” has brought them to a wider audience after appearing on the trailer of the forthcoming motion picture, “The Social Network.” You can now download “Creep” by Scala and Kolacny Brothers in Singer Pro Format from musicnotes.com.

Next we have Eurovision Song Contest 2010 winner Lena with the hugely popular German entry, “Satellite,” again arranged in the Singer Pro format. “Satellite” went straight to number one in Lena’s native Germany upon its release and topped the local chart for five consecutive weeks, as well as reaching number one in the charts of five other European countries. “Satellite” marked the first win for Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest since 1982.

Scissor Sisters are back after a three-year hiatus with their hugely anticipated follow-up to 2006′s excellent Ta Dah!. Night Work, released in late June, sees the band collaborate with Madonna über-producer Stuart Price. Lead single “Fire With Fire” is perfect for Piano, Voice and Guitar. Stay tuned for further titles from Night Work, and if you enjoy music by this artist then make sure you check out our catalogue of sheet music by Scissor Sisters.

As promised earlier this year, we now have more sheet music from Everybody Wants to Be on TV by indie pop stars Scouting For Girls. You can download “Famous” by Scouting For Girls arranged for Piano, Voice and Guitar this month at musicnotes.com.

This month also sees the addition of sheet music from the smash-hit musical comedy stage show, Sister Act. Based on the 1992 film of the same name starring the legendary Whoopi Goldberg as a witness to a mob crime who is put under police protection in a convent, Sister Act premiered in London’s West End last year and has proved to be a resounding success. Now you can sing and play along to your favourite songs from the musical, including “Raise Your Voice,” “Fabulous, Baby,” and ‘Take Me To Heaven,” arranged in the great Singer Pro format and equally suitable for Piano, Voice and Guitar. The score was written by Alan Menken who has won 8 Oscars for his work on films such as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Enchanted, to name but a few. Why not remind yourself of his amazing canon of work by checking out our catalogue of sheet music by Alan Menken?

Kylie Minogue recently returned after a three-year break with her eleventh studio album, Aphrodite. The first single from the album, “All The Lovers” has stormed up the chart in both the US and the UK, making the top 5 in the singles charts of both countries. You can download the sheet music to “All The Lovers,” arranged for Piano, Voice and Guitar.

Last, but by no means least, is the sheet music from the new album A Curious Thing by Glaswegian singer-songwriter Amy MacDonald. Her massively successful 2007 debut This Is The Life, featuring the singles “Mr Rock And Roll” and “This Is The Life,” went double Platinum in the U.K. and performed exceptionally well in Europe, eventually selling around three million copies worldwide. A Curious Thing was released in March of this year and was recorded in Paul Weller’s BlackBarn Studios in Surrey. The mod legend collaborated with MacDonald on the album, playing guitar on “Love, Love,” and bass on forthcoming single “This Pretty Face.” You can download the sheet music to A Curious Thing arranged for Piano, Voice and Guitar.

World In Motion became New Order’s first and only number one in the UK singles chart and has proved an enduring hit, with remixes released for almost every World Cup competition since.

Christina Aguilera’s second single from her new album “Bionic” is the powerful ballad You Lost Me. Whilst promoting her new album she has appeared on several US shows, including a breathtaking performance on the recent American Idol finale. You can download the sheet music for this piano-friendly ballad, which was arranged for piano, voice and guitar in Musicnotes.com’s ever-popular Singer Pro Format. For our full range of arrangements by this much-loved artist visit our selection of Christina Aguilera sheet music.

French DJ and producer David Guetta recently achieved his third number one in the UK singles chart with Gettin’ Over You featuring Chris Wills, Fergie from Black Eyed Peas and Los Angeles-based Rappers and DJs, LMFAO. When you explore our catalogue of sheet music by David Guetta, you’ll find his other hit singles.

Keane’s first single from their number one album “Night Train” is a piano-led ballad featuring Somali-Canadian rapper K’naan. You can download the sheet music for Stop For A Minute, arranged for piano, voice and guitar. If you enjoy music by this band, why not check out more from our catalog of Keane sheet music?

Welsh hard rockers Lostprophets released their fourth studio album “The Betrayed” earlier this year featuring the singles Where We Belong, For He’s A Jolly Good Felon and It’s Not the End Of The World But I Can See It From Here. You can download the band-approved sheet music of these singles.

Until next time! Hope you enjoy these new songs from our selection of sheet music from the UK!

Are you ready to watch TWILIGHT: ECLIPSE in theatres this June? Musicnotes.com is pleased to present you with sheet music for TWILIGHT: ECLIPSE, including a band-approved arrangement of the first single entitled “Neutron Star Collision (Love is Forever)” by Muse. The soundtrack for the third film in The Twilight Saga has been rocketing off the music charts! Based on your requests, we’re continually adding new sheet music from TWILIGHT: ECLIPSE so be sure to bookmark this post and check back for your favorite songs.

Songs performed in TWILIGHT: ECLIPSE are listed below. If we have sheet music or guitar tab for any of the songs, you can follow the link.

1. Eclipse (All Yours) by Metric

2. Neutron Star Collision (Love is Forever) by Muse

3. Ours by The Bravery

4. Heavy In Your Arms by Florence + The Machine

5. My Love by Sia

6. Atlas by Fanfarlo

7. Chop and Change by The Black Keys

8. Rolling In On a Burning Tire by The Dead Weather

9. Let’s Get Lost by Beck and Bat For Lashes

10. Jonathan Low by Vampire Weekend

11. With You In My Head by Unkle

12. A Million Miles an Hour by Eastern Conference Champions

13. Life On Earth by Band of Horses

14. What Part of Forever by Cee to Green

15. Jacob’s Theme by Howard Shore

Official Video of Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever)

Want a sneak peek at scenes from TWILIGHT: ECLIPSE? Watch the official video below for the first single from the soundtrack for this popular movie series. Below, you can watch Matthew Bellamy and his band Muse perform Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTvgnYGu9bg

Looking for more sheet music from the Twilight saga? Check out our earlier posts about TWILIGHT sheet music and TWILIGHT: NEW MOON sheet music for more information.

We have recently added a selection of Ian Dury songs that inspired the motion picture SEX & DRUGS & ROCK & ROLL; the biopic about legendary performer and cockney wordsmith. The film, starring Andy Serkis (from THE LORD OF THE RINGS) as Ian, has been greeted with much critical acclaim for its portrayal of Dury and his rise to fame with the Blockheads, as well as his battle with his disability as a result of contracting polio as a child. The soundtrack of this film features unforgettable tracks that span the career of Ian Dury & The Blockheads. Now you can sing and play along with such classics as Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick, Reasons To Be Cheerful (Part 3) and the ode to a Rock N’ Roll legend Sweet Gene Vincent. If you enjoy music by this artist, be sure to browse our catalog of sheet music by Ian Dury.

Bright young thing Marina Diamandis released her debut album “The Family Jewels” in February of this year; it was certified silver days before its physical release, guaranteeing Marina & the Diamonds a top 5 hit in that week’s UK album charts. ‘The Diamonds’ in her band name actually refer to her fans rather than a backing band, as she says on the blog for Marina & the Diamonds: “You are my glittering army. I hope you never leave.” Marina has attracted attention for both her original fashion style and unusual vocal delivery and has been compared to iconic artists such as Kate Bush and her peer Florence and the Machine. You can download the sheet music of singles such as Hollywood, (I Am Not A) Robot, Shampain and the forthcoming new single Oh No! which are all arranged for piano, voice and guitar. For more arrangements by this popular artist, visit our selection of Marina & the Diamonds sheet music.

As well as those great arrangements, we’re also pleased to announce we’ve arranged some exciting new singles straight from the charts.

Indie pop band Scouting For Girls released their first single from their second album “Everybody Wants to be On TV” in April. It went straight to number one in the UK singles chart, knocking Lady Gaga’s smash hit, Telephone from the top spot. You can now buy the sheet music to their first number one single, This Ain’t a Love Song, arranged for piano, voice and guitar in Musicnotes.com’s popular Singer Pro format.

X Factor semi-finalist Diana Vickers released her first single entitled Once. This song literally stormed the UK singles chart in late April, entering at number one after selling over 70,000 copies in its first week of release. Our arrangement of sheet music for Once is perfect for piano, vocal and guitar.

Plan B released a second single from their concept album “The Defamation of Strickland Banks.” The song is a finger-clicking, soulful stomper that harks back to the classic Motown era. If you are in the UK, you can download our sheet music for She Said, arranged for piano, voice and guitar.

Last but not least, popular UK artist Muse has a title that is featured on the soundtrack for TWILIGHT: ECLIPSE. We’re pleased to announce that you can play or sing sheet music for Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever) on Musicnotes.com.

From now through September 30, 2010, download sheet music for “Lend a Hand” from Musicnotes.com for free. For every download of sheet music for this song, Musicnotes.com will donate $1.00 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund up to a maximum of $10,000. For more details, read our Support Nashville. Download “Lend a Hand” for Free page.

First off John, can you describe the situation in Nashville and middle Tennessee?

My own grandmother, “Granny Rich,” had to be rescued on a police boat due to the fact that her house was under water. There are 10s of thousands of people who have lost everything, and many more out of work. It was like an “inland tsunami” hit us. Unreal.

How has the flood impacted the Nashville songwriting community?

I know of many musicians whose instruments, recording equipment and so on were totally destroyed in the flood. Most writers/musicians don’t insure their stuff; it’s all they can do most of the time to keep new strings and blank paper. It’s a heartbreaking scene.

Can you tell us the story behind the lyrics of “Lend a Hand,” and why you decided to write the song with an upbeat feel rather than as a ballad?

I made a donation to the Red Cross but didn’t feel that was enough. I thought if I could write a song that might make people want to give to the flood relief, that would be a good thing. I didn’t want to write a sad song because the folks in TN are feeling like they want to triumph over this – not be defeated by it. So, I wrote a Pentecostal/Blues/HonkyTonk tune called “Lend A Hand” and decided to give it away on my website johnrich.com along with a link to the Red Cross. Giving music away isn’t a very common thing these days, but in this case it definitely felt like the right thing to do and so far we’ve had thousands of downloads and donations to the Red Cross.

How have fans reacted to the free mp3 download of “Lend a Hand?”

People are using this song on their Facebook pages, MySpace pages and everything in between. I’ve even had a church choir ask if they could perform it for their congregation.

Might you be releasing a music video for “Lend a Hand?” We imagine there could be some very stark as well as uplifting images.

There hasn’t been any talk of making a video yet, but the song is only a few days old at this point. I’d be more than happy to make a video for it if it would raise more awareness about the situation here.

Finally, how will donating to the Red Cross at Musicnotes.com and your site impact the Nashville community?

Donating to the RedCross Nashville chapter will impact the lives of countless Tennesseans who have literally lost everything they own to this flood. You can’t imagine how many people may never totally recover from their losses. Any donations made will be much appreciated and put to good use. Thanks for lending us a hand.

Musicnotes also announced 2010 digital sales are growing at a 25% rate through mid-May versus the same time period in 2009. The company is seeing both strong traffic and an increasing sales conversion rate. Growth outside the US is modestly higher than overall growth, continuing a trend Musicnotes has experienced over the past few years.

“We have recently focused a lot of energy on enhancing the shopping experience for both new and existing customers,” stated Musicnotes Chairman, Tim Reiland. “Two recent improvements – an enhanced quantity discount program and a ‘no software needed to view sheet music’ feature – have had a very positive effect on sales and have helped move our conversion rate to the 4.0% level.”

Musicnotes, which broke through the $10 million sales mark in 2009, also attributes growth to its ever-expanding catalog of downloadable songs, currently well in excess of 100,000 available downloads. Musicnotes added several key catalogs to its line-up in 2009 and that trend has continued in 2010.

“We recently released our iPad app and have additional features planned for our customers in 2010. And, of course, we will continue to add exciting new content,” Reiland indicated. “Our team is passionate about this business and looks forward to generating strong growth for years to come.”

According to the most recent data from research firm, Hitwise, Musicnotes.com continues to lead the digital sheet music retail market with a market share of over 80%.

About Musicnotes: Musicnotes, Inc. offers an online catalog of 100,000 digital sheet music titles, built on the strength of content agreements with Alfred Publishing, EMI Music Publishing, Faber Music Ltd, Sony/ATV Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Disney Music Publishing, Cherry Lane Music Company, Peermusic, Word Music, EMI Christian, Bug Music and many others. Musicnotes is included in Internet Retailer Magazine’s list of the Top 500 Online Retailers and was selected by Internet Retailer as a “Hot 100″ site for 2009.

On the Web: http://www.musicnotes.com