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Hiring now · posted today Creative Contract · Remote

Music & Sound Annotation Expert

$30–$45/hr

Published pay. The final rate depends on your test, experience and country.

Remote · Worldwide 10 openings Language: English Posted 31 Oct 2026

About this role

Preparing for this role? See the best AI tools for audio creators, practise with ready-made prompts for audio creators, read How to Use AI for Sound Design: A Practical 2026 Guide and take the free 30-day AI challenge.

Role Title: Music & Sound Annotation Expert

Role Type: Contractor

Location: Remote

our partner is engaging Music & Sound Annotation Experts to contribute to a customer's project at the forefront of music and audio technology.

Your ears are the ground truth. You'll listen to short field recordings and document exactly what's audible — instruments, tempo, key, background sounds, crowd reactions — through a structured web platform built for this project. Later phases involve grading AI model answers against what you actually heard.

What you'll do

  • Listen to 30–90 second field recordings (headphones, your own quiet workspace) and complete structured annotations: which instruments are present, tempo and key, timestamps of background events (traffic, sirens, applause), scene details
  • Compare paired recordings of the same song captured at different locations and judge what stayed the same and what changed
  • In later phases: review AI model descriptions of clips and mark what's correct, wrong, or invented, with a brief written explanation
  • Attend a paid onboarding/calibration session and a short weekly sync

Who we're looking for (any of these backgrounds)

  • Working or gigging musicians, session players, producers, or mixing engineers
  • Music educators, ear-training instructors, band/choir directors, conservatory students or graduates
  • Location sound recordists, sound designers, foley artists, or podcast/documentary audio editors

Requirements

  • 3+ years of hands-on music or audio experience
  • Strong analytical listening: you can pick individual instruments out of a busy, noisy, real-world mix — not just studio recordings
  • Can identify tempo (within a few BPM) and musical key (relative pitch with a reference is fine)
  • Comfortable with detail-oriented, repetitive annotation work in a web platform — dropdowns, timestamps, short structured notes
  • Clear written English for brief, evidence-based notes (e.g., "accordion enters around 0:12")
  • Quality headphones, quiet workspace, reliable internet
  • Available 20–25 hrs/week for the engagement window

This is a 100% remote contract role, open to applicants worldwide in the countries the employer accepts.

analytical listeningmusic theory knowledgeaudio annotationattention to detailwritten communication

How applying works

  1. Click Apply now and enter your email.
  2. You go straight to the application. We email you a copy of this role and your link.
  3. Most platforms ask for a CV and a short skills test or AI interview in your field.
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What to know before you apply

Pay
At the published rate, 10 hours a week would be about $300–$450 and 20 hours about $600–$900 before tax. Hours depend on the project, so treat this as a ceiling, not a promise.
Location
Open worldwide in the countries the employer accepts. Payments usually go out through services like PayPal or Wise, so check one of them works in your country.
Credentials
The listing asks for 3+ years of experience. Put it in the first line of your profile: reviewers screen for it before anything else.
Timing
This listing is new today. Projects can close once they have enough people, so it is worth applying while it is open.
Test tips for audio creators
  • Record in a quiet, soft-furnished room; echo fails more samples than accent.
  • Keep a steady distance from the mic and match the requested pace.
  • Listen back to your first take before recording the batch.
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    Transition Ideas

    I need to connect my song's quiet, atmospheric verse to its loud, energetic chorus. The verse is at 90 BPM and the chorus is at 120 BPM. Provide 5 creative transition ideas, including drum fills, risers, filter sweeps, or tempo r…

    Instrumental Layering Plan

    I have a basic drum beat and bassline for a deep house track. Create a layering plan for the arrangement. List which instruments (e.g., pads, arp, lead synth, vocal sample) should enter in which section ([[Intro]], [[Verse]], [[C…

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