Licensing Information | UniqueTracks
Frequently Asked Questions
- What kind of license agreement do you have?
- What is a direct license?
- What is an Extended License?
- Can I mass produce and market my product that contains your music?
- Can I include some of your music in my company's new promotional/gift CD?
- Can I release a CD of your music under my own private label?
- What is a cue sheet?
- Do I need to fill out cue sheets for TV broadcast?
- Can I add vocals, lyrics or other instruments to your music tracks and release it on CD?
- Can I use a sample from one of your tracks in my song?
- Can I use your music in a phone app or game?
- Can I play your CDs over my restaurant's sound system and avoid paying ASCAP/BMI performance license fees?
- Is your music "copyright-free"?
- Royalty Free Music, Buy-Out, Needle Drop, Stock Music...What does it mean?
- Can I create FLASH productions using UniqueTracks' music?
- What is a soundtrack construction kit?
- My client wants to hear several song, can you provide demo tracks before purchase?
- I've lost my prior orders in a computer crash - can I re-download my past purchases?
- How do I download music files?
- What is the compression rate of your MP3 downloads?
- What are your International shipping policies?
- What shipping methods are available?
- What is your contact address?
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1. What kind of license agreement does a UniqueTracks product have? [up] |
| Our Standard License Agreement states that you can use our music in synchronization with the images, text or other multimedia content in your commercial or noncommercial production. To be sure you are using the music correctly within the license agreement, just make sure to use the music in the background or in a supporting/secondary way. As long as our tracks are not the main content of your product, you are using the music correctly within the license agreement. (UniqueTracks can also license music to be used as the main content of your product, i.e. on an audio CD, but that is a different license with a different pricing. For more info, click here). There is no need to notify us if you are using the music in a video or software product that you want to market. Your purchase of a UniqueTracks product grants you a lifetime license to use that product as many times as you’d like. We ask for a credit (i.e. Music composed by UniqueTracks) if there is room in your production to give such credit. We realize that not all productions lend themselves to giving a music credit. If you have the space, please credit the music to UniqueTracks. |
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2. What is a direct license? [up] |
| Also known as a “source license, a direct license is a license written to your company directly from the music publisher (the copyright owner) that encompasses all performing rights and fees. It is a one-to-one relationship where no performance royalties are collected or paid to Performance Rights Organizations (PROs) like ASCAP, BMI, SESAC. Even if the publisher is a member of a PRO like ASCAP or BMI, they still have the option of licensing their performance rights directly to the end-user. The UniqueTracks Basic License Agreement grants a Direct License for Music-On-Hold, In-Store Broadcast, Internet Broadcast and Corporate Tradeshow usage As the owner and publisher of the music on this site, UniqueTracks grants a direct license for several usages including Music-On-Hold, In-Store Broadcast, Internet Broadcast and use at Corporate Tradeshows. |
| 3. What is an Extended License? [up] |
The UniqueTracks Extended License allows you to expand the parameters of the music synchronization rights granted by the Basic License Agreement. This can be done on every song product page using the "Extend Your License" drop-down menu. Here is a listing of the parameters that can be extended online for each song in the library. Units Sold - The The UniqueTracks Basic License grants synchronization and master use rights for a 10,000 unit product release (e.g. a DVD) using music licensed from our library. This limit can be extended in the following increments: 10,000 - 50,000 Product Units Sold Theatrical Release Option 1 gives a theatrical release but keeps the 10K DVD release. Radio & TV Commercials Our Basic License grants Radio and TV commercial broadcast synchronization rights up to 300 miles from your broadcast location. This is considered a regional license. This limit can be extended to National territory or Worldwide territory by selecting the option from the extended license drop-down menu. TV Ad Spot/Commercial - National Territory iPhone/Droid App & Video Game Music-On-Hold We have tried to make the process of extending the Basic Rights License as simple as possible. By using the drop-down menu on each song page, you can quickly configure your license to meet your needs. Your invoice and license will show the new rights added through the drop-down menu. For any questions regarding license extensions, please contact us at Toll Free (US/Canada) at (888) 400-2149. International call 1-718-965-2318. Please note the license extensions mentioned above refer to synchronization rights. Synchronization rights are given when the music is functioning as background music or is supporting your main content in some way. When the music is the main content, you'll want a mechanical license.
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4. Can I mass produce and market my product that contains UniqueTracks music? [up] |
Yes, you definitely can. This is really the intention of royalty free music; to give you access to music that you can use in synchronization with the other media of your production. |
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5. Can I include some of your music in my company’s new promotional/gift CD? [up] |
| Yes, you certainly may but doing so requires a special license from us. This type of usage is not covered by our Basic License Agreement. We have had several customers release our music on company promo CDs. Popular choices for this seem to be our Christmas Carols sets and the Classical Masters Series collection. Releasing our music tracks on a promotional CD produced by your company requires our “Mechanical Use” (also called Master Use) license. Essentially this license grants you the ability to manufacture your own CDs using our music as sole or partial content. The cost of a Mechanical Use License depends on two factors:
Tier 1 -> 1 - 1,000 units Tier 2 -> 1,001 - 2,500 units Tier 3 -> 2,501 - 5,000 units Tier 4 -> 5,001 - 10,000 units Tier 5 -> 10,001 - 50,000 units Tier 6 -> 50.001 - 75,000 units Tier 7 -> 75,001 - 100,000 units Tier 8 -> Greater than 100,000 units (unlimited) You must credit the music to UniqueTracks when you release your CD product. This is a mandatory component of the Mechanical Use License. We have done our best to make the Mechanical Use License affordable to all business types. If you you are interested in using our music in this way, please call us toll free (US/Canada) at (888) 400-2149 or International call 1-718-965-2318 or send us email with your request. We will be very happy to email or fax you a quote based on your requirements. |
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6. Can I release a CD of your music under my own label? [up] |
| Yes, you certainly may but doing so requires a special license from us. This type of usage is not covered by our Basic License Agreement. We have had several customers release our music on company promo CDs. Popular choices for this seem to be our Christmas Carols sets and the Classical Masters Series collection. Releasing our music tracks on a promotional CD produced by your company requires our “Mechanical Use” (also called Master Use) license. Essentially this license grants you the ability to manufacture your own CDs using our music as sole or partial content. The cost of a Mechanical Use License depends on two factors:
Tier 1 -> 1 - 1,000 units Tier 2 -> 1,001 - 2,500 units Tier 3 -> 2,501 - 5,000 units Tier 4 -> 5,001 - 10,000 units Tier 5 -> 10,001 - 50,000 units Tier 6 -> 50.001 - 75,000 units Tier 7 -> 75,001 - 100,000 units Tier 8 -> Greater than 100,000 units (unlimited) You must credit the music to UniqueTracks when you release your CD product. This is a mandatory component of the Mechanical Use License. We have done our best to make the Mechanical Use License affordable to all business types. If you you are interested in using our music in this way, please call us toll free (US/Canada) at (888) 400-2149 or International call 1-718-965-2318 or send us email with your request. We will be very happy to email or fax you a quote based on your requirements. |
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7. What is a cue sheet? [up] |
| A cue sheet is a printed listing of music cues used within the course of a broadcast production. Each cue references the composer and publisher of the music cue along with the amount of time the track
plays within the production. Each cue must also be given a usage designation. These tell how the music was used within the production. For example:
To view an example of what a cue sheet looks like when it is all filled out, please click this link To view a blank cue sheete which you can print out for your own use, click here. We will be glad to assist you in the filing of your cue sheet with the performance rights organizations and can fax you a blank cue sheet form if you need one. Please call us with any questions. US/Canada - (888) 400-2149 - International call 1-718-965-2318. |
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8. Do I need to fill out cue sheets for TV broadcast? [up] |
| If you have included a track from our library in your production and you are preparing your production to be broadcast on television (Network, Cable, Public) then a cue sheet must be submitted to the
broadcasting company with your production. If you are including tracks from our library in your film or video, a cue sheet must be filed whenever the film is broadcast on TV. A cue sheet is not necessary for local Public Access TV broadcasts. You do not need a cue sheet when using our music in 30 or 60 second advertisements. However, long-format advertisements, like infomercials, do require the use of a cue sheet. Broadcast of UniqueTracks music is cleared through the performing rights society BMI, ASCAP or SESAC whose revenues are collected directly from broadcast station licensing, not from you as a producer. All crediting information for TV broadcast can be found in the booklet of the CD or, for downloads, in the accompanying pdf file. Please indicate the song or remix title on your cue sheet for the broadcast company. This information is included on each individual UniqueTracks CD collection in the Standard License Agreement. It is also included when you download an MP3. To view an example of what a cue sheet looks like when it is all filled out, please click this link To view a blank cue sheete which you can print out for your own use, click here. We will be glad to assist you in the filing of your cue sheet with the performance rights organizations and can fax you a blank cue sheet form if you need one. Please call us with any questions. US/Canada - (888) 400-2149 International call 1-718-965-2318. |
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9. Can I add vocals, lyrics or other instruments to your music tracks and release it on CD? [up] |
| No, under the UniqueTracks Basic License Agreement,
adding your own lyrics, vocals or other instrumentation to our existing tracks to create your own song for CD release is strictly prohibited.
There are just too many legal, publishing and copyright issues involved to make this practical. The music tracks on this site have been created to work as background music - providing color and dramatic content to media productions. We license the music to be used in synchronization with your other media. Click here for more information about our Basic License Agreement. Toll Free (US/Canada) at (888) 400-2149. International call 1-718-965-2318. |
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10. Can I use a sample from one of your tracks in my song? [up] |
| Yes you can however doing so requires a special
license from us. This usage is not covered by the UniqueTracks Basic License Agreement. Please call or e-mail us with your details and we will be happy to send you a quote. If you have any questions about our Basic License Agreement or any of our licensing options, please call us toll free (US/Canada) at (888) 400-2149. International call 1-718-965-2318. Send Email |
| 11. Can I use your music in a phone app or game? [up] |
Use of our music in an interactive game developed for iPhone, Droid or any other phone applications, computer/video game or any other standard game usages is not covered by our Standard License Agreement pricing but can be obtained by extending the Standard License to include use in Games. To license a track for game usage, please choose the Extended License option: Extended: iPhone Game Usage, on the track's product page or call us at 888-400-2149 (toll free US/Canada) or 1-718-965-2318
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12. Can I play your CDs over my restaurant’s sound system and avoid paying ASCAP/BMI performance license fees? [up] |
| When you play recorded music in a public setting, either from a radio or from standard CDs that you own, you must have a performance license from a Performance Rights Organization (PRO) like BMI, ASCAP or SESAC
to legally do so. You can avoid these licensing fees by playing royalty free music in your restaurant. However for this to be valid, you must play royalty free music and ONLY royalty free music. If you combine both, you would still have to pay BMI or ASCAP fees. The relationship you have with UniqueTracks when playing music in your restaurant is called a direct license. A direct license is a legal agreement between you and a music publisher which negotiates and pays all performance-related fees, usually up-front as a one-time payment, without using the royalty collection services of the performance rights organizations (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC). The most popular UniqueTracks sets for restaurant background music are Pianoscapes, the Classical Masters Series, and our Classic Christmas Carols CD. |
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13. Is your music “copyright-free”? [up] |
| The term “copyright free” is sometimes used to describe royalty free music. This is in fact an error. When you purchase a royalty free music
track from UniqueTracks, you are essentially buying a license to use the music and recording in synchronization with the other media in your
own production. UniqueTracks remains the copyright holder. The purchaser of one of our recordings buys a very broad license to use the music as a tool in their production work. |
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14. Royalty Free, Buy Out, Needle Drop, Stock…What does it mean? [up] |
| Music Production Library tracks are of two types “buy-out” (also called royalty-free), and “needle-drop” (sometimes called
“laser-drop”). Needle-drop got its name from the days when you literally dropped a phonograph needle on a record track. With buy-out music you pay once for unlimited usage of several songs (buy-out music is sold by the disc or as single track downloads) with very few usage restrictions. A single royalty-free CD can cost from $75 - $250 (UniqueTracks charges $109). Needle-drop music is available by individual track. What you are charged depends on how you expect to use the music. There are different licensing rates for broadcast/non-broadcast, local/nationwide and profit/non-profit. A needle-drop license is good only for a single project (single drop license). You cannot reuse the music without purchasing a new license. If you want to use the music a number of times within the same production you are charged a higher rate (called a multiple drop license). Needle-drops run from $100 - $1,500 per track depending on the licensing you choose. If you’d like, most needle-drop libraries offer a blanket license and unlimited synchronization’s. This license entitles you to use all the music in the library as many times as you’d like. Be prepared to pay some hefty fees though. Our aim at UniqueTracks is to give you needle-drop quality at royalty free, budget-friendly prices. In the past, royalty free music has had a reputation as something made quickly by someone who had made an investment in a bunch of cheap synthesizers. The beats were lame, the sounds were boring. UniqueTracks uses whatever instrumentation is appropriate to the musical style of the track. We use synthesizers if the music calls for it - i.e. dance music, trance, techno, etc. We use acoustic instruments and real musicians to produce other styles. Though things have changed somewhat in the past few years, you still have to shop around to find quality royalty free music. We believe we offer a high quality product at an affordable price. |
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15. Can I create FLASH productions using UniqueTracks music? [up] |
| It is easy to use our music in a Flash production. Quite a few of the construction kits in our music library already include pre-cut loops (ie Groovescapes, Cafe Metro, Chilled Out, Speed Demons, Dark Forces, Ultimate Warrior) which can be used to create loop tracks in Flash. With other selections you will have to edit the tracks so that they loop just the way you’d like them. Full-Length tracks are several minutes long and most Flash music loops are relatively short, maybe 10-15 seconds. For best results pick a groove track (a track that has rhythm) and loop the groove into a 4 or 8 bar pattern. Most of our remixes and variations are chopped right at the loop point so they can be easily extended or looped. Using digital editing software like Bias Peak (our in-house editor uses Bias Peak), Audacity, Goldwave, Amadeus, etc., you will be able to cut the track into a precise segment, perfect for looping in your Flash production. We recommend using WAV versions if you are working with FLASH. The MP3 spec puts a little bit of silence at the beginning and end of each audio track. This silence ruins any chance of looping the track seamlessly. It’s better to use WAVs and then downsample to the desired file size within the Flash software. |
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16. What is a “soundtrack construction kit”? [up] |
| Most of our CD collections are arranged into what we call Soundtrack Construction Kits. A soundtrack construction kit consists of one full-length theme and several remixed, alternate variations. Also included are 60 and 30 second commercial/advertising mixes as well as other musical scoring elements like short transitions and loops. The strength of the construction kit process is the similarity of the music within the kit. The themes are linked yet varied enough that you have a package of music to score your production. You are supplied with enough related music that you can give your project a musical identity (for example, see our Filmscapes collection). The “primary” or full-length theme is the major presentation of the music in a particular construction kit. Full-length themes are often 3 to 7 minutes long and have many different sections. They are perfect for theme or introductory music and for closing credits. They may also be edited into shorter segments for underscore or transition purposes. The remixes or variations are new arrangements and textures based on the primary theme. New lead instruments may be used, instruments may be pulled out of the mix, or entirely new melodies may be added. The idea in the remixes is to give you musical options. Since the sound of the remixes is based on the primary theme, the remixes can be used throughout the production with no stylistic clash. With the remixes and transitions, you won’t be stuck using one music clip over and over and you won’t have to stick together a hodgepodge of musical styles, you can give your production its own musical “voice”. Combining the full-length themes with the remixes enables you to give your production a musical unity, this is essentially the advantage you’d get if you were to work with a composer on a custom basis. The composer would develop themes for your production and link those themes throughout the work to give your production a cohesive sound and style. Of course, hiring a composer for your production could cost you more than 100 times the cost of a single UniqueTracks disc. We feel that by using the construction kit process you can build integrated music cues for a variety of contexts. |
| 17. My client wants to hear several songs, can you provide demo tracks before purchase? [up] |
We can. We'll send you low-resolution mp3 files through email. We use a ftp service called sendspace. Click the link in the email and the demo files will download to your computer. To set this up, please send us email with your selections. You may also call us by phone at 888-400-2149 US/Can, 1-718-965-2318 International.
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| 18. I've lost my prior orders in a computer crash - can I re-download my past purchases? [up] |
Yes. Send us email or contact by phone (888-400-2149 US/Can, 1-718-965-2318 Int). Once we've located your order(s), we'll generate new download link emails and send those to you. Clicking the links in the email will begin to download your orders. There is no charge for this service. When you purchase a license from UniqueTracks that license is in place forever. Losing a track does not nullify your license. We do, however, encourage you to make back-ups of your production audio tracks. |
| 19. How do I download music files? [up] |
| Place the track you want to license in your shopping cart by clicking the Add to Cart link. Once you have placed the track into the shopping cart, go through the normal online check-out process, fill out the required data and give your credit card info. Once the credit card has been validated, you will be presented with an invoice showing your purchase details. The invoice contains download links for each of the tracks you placed in your shopping card. Clicking on these download links begins the download process to your computer. As a backup measure, an email is also sent to you with the download link information on it. In the download, you will receive a compressed .zip file. Files are compressed because you are, in most cases, receiving several MP3 and WAV files (full length tracks, remixes, 30/60 ad mixes, etc.) plus the UniqueTracks Basic License Agreement is also included in the download as an pdf file readable on any web browser or the Adobe reader utility. Once you have downloaded the compressed file you may need to use a utility program like WinZip (Windows) or StuffIt (MAC) to uncompress the digital music files. Today, most browsers will do this for you automatically. |
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20. What is the compression rate of your MP3 downloads? [up] |
| The MP3 files are compressed at 44.100 kHz, Stereo and from 192-256 kbps. This is a high resolution MP3 compression rate. Your download also includes WAV files (red-book CD quality). These can be used to create even higher resolution MP3 files if you have need for that. You will receive a compressed .zip file. Files are compressed because you are, in most cases, receiving several MP3 and WAV files (full length tracks, remixes, 30/60 ad mixes, etc.) plus the UniqueTracks Basic License Agreement is also included in the download as a pdf file readable on any web browser or with the Adobe reader utility. Once you have downloaded the compressed file you may need to use a utility program like WinZip (Windows) or StuffIt (MAC) to uncompress the mp3 files. Today, most browsers will do this for you automatically. |
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21. What are your International shipping policies? [up] |
| In order to avoid confusion due to the complexities of shipping outside the US, we calculate the total cost of the items you have selected and
the corresponding non-US shipping charge before you place your order. If you place an order online via our web store, shipping & handling charges will be calculated automatically for you However, we do not calculate or charge you for local duties or taxes on non-US shipments. You are responsible for paying any taxes, duties, or customs fees charged by your local government. Please check with your local post office for more information. UniqueTracks is required by law to declare an accurate monetary value on all non-US shipments. Non-US Destination Shipping & Handling Cost Schedule International shipping charges depend on package weight and zone location (package destination). If you place an order online via our web store, international shipping is calculated on our order form when you choose a destination shipping zone from our Shipping Calculator. We can ship our international orders via (depending on your choice): US Postal - International Priority Mail Federal Express Depending on your project timeline, it is usually faster and in the long run, more cost-effective to choose to download your music purchase. This method delivers the music files by downloading them usually within 1 hour of purchase directly to your computer. If you do not wish to order online, you may send us an e-mail with your order requirements in it. You do not have to include any credit card info, we will reply in an e-mail with the exact cost of your order. You may then send us a check (cheque) for the total amount. For our e-mail and mailing address, click here. |
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22. What Shipping Methods are Available? [up] |
| US Postal Service US Postal Service orders are shipped using the Post Office’s Priority Mail (2-3 business days). Your order will carry a shipping charge of $10 if shipped within the United States. If you place an order online via our web store, shipping & handling charges will be calculated automatically for you. Express Service Federal Express Overnight Express within the United States will be shipped via Federal Express (FEDEX). Express for shipping charges are calculated by our shopping cart depending on weight and distance from our location (Brooklyn, NY). New York State Residents An additional 8.875 sales tax will be added to all orders within New York state. If you are in New York state and place an order online via our web store, sales tax will be calculated automatically for you. |
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23. What is your contact address? [up] |
| UniqueTracks Mailing Address: UniqueTracks Inc. PO Box 150414 Van Brunt Station Brooklyn, NY 11215-0414 USA Toll Free Phone: 888-400-2149 (USA and Canada) International Phone: 1-718-965-2318 Fax: 1-718-965-1215 E-mail: info@uniquetracks.com |
This article published by the UniqueTracks Production Music Library. Quick and Easy, One-Stop Royalty Free Music Licensing from UniqueTracks. Royalty Free Background Music soundtracks for Film, TV, Video, Music On Hold, iPhone Games and Apps. |
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| UniqueTracks Production Music Library P.O. Box 150414, Van Brunt Station Brooklyn, NY 11215 USA |
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Call Us Toll Free 1-888-400-2149 |
