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  Q-Music Technical Support / Frequently Asked Questions


Technical Support / FAQ

Please read through this page in detail before sending your enquiries to us directly. If you find that the information in this page does not help you with your problem please send an email to support@q-music.co.uk and be as detailed as possible.


Here is a list of frequently asked questions. Click on a question for the answer.

1 - I cannot download and listen to your preview files, why?
2 - I cannot download the high quality MP3 files that I purchased, why?
3 - How long does it take for me to receive my music files after purchase?
4 - How do I convert your MP3 files into WAV files?
5 - What can I use you music files for, what is acceptable use?
6 - How long does my music license last?
7 - Do I get a VAT / TAX receipt?
8 - Can I resell your music?
9 - Is your site secure?
10 - What is the best deal - membership or pay per download?
11 - Your drop down menu on the music search page doesn't work, why?
12 - I need to submit cue sheets to a broadcasting organization, how do i do this?
13 - What is a synchronization license?
14 - What is a public performance license?
15 - Why do we need to fill in Cue Sheets?
16 - Where do I stand as a production company?
17 - But is your music really "Royalty-Free"?
18 - Performance Rights organizations and locations:
19 - What quality and format are the download files in the members area?
20 - Q-Music is a UK site, why are your prices in dollars?
21 - What happens when my membership expires, do I need to rejoin to continue using the music I downloaded?
22 - What styles of music do you have?


1 - I cannot download and listen to your preview files, why?
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Answer - We offer preview/demo files in MP3 and Flash format. The MP3 demos are easier to store on your hard drive for comparison purposes while the Flash demos offer faster streaming capabilities. To play the MP3 files you need to have a decent media player such as Winamp (click here for Mac version, click here for PC version). You may experience problems playing MP3 files if you are using QuickTime media player, the best solution in that case it to remove it altogether.

To play our flash demos you must have the latest flash player browser plug in installed. Click here to download the latest version.


2 - I cannot download the high quality MP3 files that I purchased, why?
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If you purchased your music files using our "music search - pay per download" service you should receive an email from us with your download key and download instructions. If you entered a false or incorrect email address during your transaction then clearly you will fail to receive these essential details.

Provided you successfully received your download key and email instructions you should easily be able to download the high quality MP3 files that you purchased. You may however need to update your version of Winzip as the files you purchase come packed into ZIP files for easier downloading. Mac users can download and use JIMZip to download and extract our MP3 files. PC users can download and install Winzip for best results.

Customers that purchased memberships to Q-music would also benefit from installing the aforementioned software applications. In addition you may wish to install the latest version of your browser for the absolute best results. Please ensure that you update your browser software, enable javascript and 3rd part cookies before contacting us with any problems. When reporting problems please try to be as detailed as possible.


3 - How long does it take for me to receive my music files after purchase?
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If you purchased your music files using our "music search - pay per download" service you should receive an email from us within a few seconds of completing your transaction. This email contains your download key which you use to log in to a secret download page. From that point its simply a case of how fast your internet connection performs and how many files you purchased.


4 - How do I convert these high quality MP3 files into WAV's?
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There are many software applications that are widely available either as freeware or trial versions of commercial software. Here are some links to sites where you can obtain software to convert our MP3 files into WAV's and other audio formats.


5 - What can I use your music files for, what is acceptable use?
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Most of our customers use our music for synchronization in such multimedia applications as TV/Radio productions, films, website background music, CD Rom, music on hold, corporate video, video games, presentations etc.

For a full breakdown of exactly how and where you can use our music please refer to our license terms.



6 - How long does my music license last?
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Your music license lasts for 100 years from the date of purchase.



7 - Do I get a VAT / TAX receipt?
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Due to the logistical nightmares of independent country tax rates we do not charge VAT/TAX on your purchase, therefore you will not require a tax receipt is no tax as charged and thus no tax can be claimed back on products purchased from Q-Music.


8 - Can I resell your music?
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Your basic license when purchasing music from our site does not allow you to resell our music, however we often negotiate individual licensing deals for a customers specific requirements. Please contact us with your requirements and we will be happy to provide you with costing's for sub licensing and reselling of our products.


9 - Is your site secure?
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During your credit card transaction your payment details are entered into 100% secure online payment forms on secure servers (https). These payment forms are held by globally trusted third parties Worldpay and Paypal depending on your preference. At no time are we in possession of your credit card details.


10 - What is the best deal - membership or pay per download?
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If you use more than a few royalty free production music tracks a year you will find that our membership options give you much better value for money, like any kind of bulk buying you can expect to pay less per unit than if you only needed to buy 2 tracks and a handful of loops. For the multimedia developer on a budget who may only need one or two pieces of music, the pay per download option is less of an investment.


11 - Your drop down menu on the music search page doesn't work, why?
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The menu works but you may find that if your browser has JavaScript disabled it will not be able to perform the task of selecting the options contained within the drop down menu. Enabling JavaScript in your browsers security settings should allow you to get the most out of using our site. In internet Explorer go to Tools> Internet Options> Security and choose to alter your custom level internet settings. Scroll down the list of options and enable "active scripting".


12 - I need to submit cue sheets to a broadcasting organization, how do i do this?
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We can do this for you. Simply fill in our online form and we will add the composers details to the cue sheet and forward it to the broadcaster that you specify.


13 - What is a synchronization license?
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This is also sometimes referred to as a "synch" license and it allows you to use a recording of a musical work in audio-visual form: for example, as part of a film, video, television program, commercial, CD-ROM or web site. The music is synchronized, or recorded, in timed relation with the audio or visual images. When you buy music from Q-Music you are buying a synch license.


14 - What is a performance license? Back to Top

A public performance license is something that a broadcaster needs in order to be able to legally broadcast copyrighted music. The term broadcaster applies to TV or Radio station/networks, music on hold systems, public exhibitions, in store music, theatres. In most cases these types of organizations already have public performance licenses in place but if your new to the industry you may not be aware of the requirement of a public performance license. These can be obtained from your local performing right society. See our list of societies nearest to you.


15 - Why do we need to fill in Cue Sheets?
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Cue sheets help to ensure that the composer of the music gets their rightful share (or royalty payment) of the broadcasting license fee paid by the broadcasting companies.

Broadcasters always pays a set monthly/yearly fee in performance royalties. When they broadcast a programme, the same monthly fee applies regardless of whether or not the composer is a member of a performing right society, and regardless of whether or not cue-sheets are filled in.

By submitting cue sheets you are helping so ensure that the correct composer gets his share of the broadcasting license fee after the paper work is processed. If cue sheets are not properly filled in, the fees are still the same but unfortunately no money ever makes it's way to the right composer. Instead, it is distributed as a generic payment into a "surplus", most of which is distributed to the more frequently played artists like Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson, etc.

This is bad news for composers that create the sort of low cost-high quality music that multimedia professionals need and rely on.

There may be some sources of royalty-free music that advertise "No ASCAP fees!" or "No PRS fees!". This doesn't actually mean anything. Broadcasting companies will still have a legal obligation to pay their monthly public performance license fee regardless of these claims.


16 - Where do I stand as a production company?
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Production companies typically create audio visual content for broadcasters such as TV Networks and Radio stations. As a production company you will never be expected to deal with public performance licenses as this is simply not your responsibility. It is the broadcasters (TV Network / radio station) responsibility.

However, as a production company you do have the responsibility of submitting correctly filled in cue sheets to your broadcaster (TV Network / radio station) when you submit your programme/production. In most cases the broadcaster may ask for cue sheets as a matter of routine. All you need to do is send us your semi completed cue sheets and we will enter the composers details for you and return the finished cue sheets ASAP.

By doing this you are helping composers to continue writing quality music at an affordable price.


17 - But is your music really "Royalty-Free"? Back to Top

You will find that most royalty free music libraries operate under the same conditions. Our music is royalty free to production companies. If we advertised "none royalty free music" then you'd be expected to pay a royalty directly to us every time it was used, this would be too complicated and expensive.

Here is an example of how it works:

A commercial production company creates a 30 second radio commercial for a famous car manufacturer. The production company use one of our tracks in the commercial and they mix it in behind the voice over and sound effects.

The commercial gets aired on 15 different radio stations at different times and neither the production company or their client (the famous car manufacturer) ever pay a royalty, therefore the music used was "royalty free music".

The 15 radio stations (broadcasters) however, are all paying monthly blanket license fees to organizations like PRS and ASCAP and if the production company submits correctly filled in cue sheets - the composer should one day receive a very small royalty payment. If the production company fail to submit cue sheets the poor composer sees no royalty payment and the already rich artists that get maximum exposure receive the money instead.

Help keep things fair - Fill in cue sheets!


18 - Performance Rights organizations and locations:
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Australia - APRA
Austria - AKM
Belgium - SABAM
Brazil - UBC, ECAD
Bulgaria - Musicautor
Canada - SOCAN
Chile - SCD
Colombia - SAYCO
Croatia - HDS
Czech Republic - OSA
Denmark - KODA
Estonia - EAÜ
Finland - TEOSTO
France - SACEM
Germany - GEMA
Greece - AEPI
Hong Kong - CASH
India - IPRS
Ireland - IMRO
Israel - ACUM
Italy - SIAE
Japan - JASRAC
Lithuania - LATGA-A
Malaysia - MACP
Mexico - SACM
Netherlands - BUMA
New Zealand - APRA
Norway - TONO
Poland - ZAIKS
Portugal - SPA
Russia - RAO
Singapore - COMPASS
South Africa - SAMRO
Spain - SGAE
Sweden - STIM
Switzerland - SUISA
United Kingdom - PRS
Uruguay - AGADU
USA - ASCAP , BMI , SESAC


19 - What quality and format are the download files in the members area? Back to Top

Our music downloads files are the best quality available using MP3 technology. The download file formats are .MP3 at 44.1kHz, 320 kbps 16 bit stereo and offer you superb audio quality equal to DVD.

Most professional audio editing packages these days offer editing directly onto MP3 but for those producers still wishing to edit in WAV format you can convert these high quality MP3's into WAV's without degrading the quality using the easy to follow tutorial in the members area.

There are also low quality MP3 previews of every single track and loop in the members area so that you don't have to waste time downloading the larger full quality files just for auditioning purposes.


20 - Q-Music is a UK site, why are your prices in dollars? Back to Top

We chose to display our prices in dollars because dollars seem to be the most globally accepted currency on the internet. However, when making your payment on our Worldpay secure payment form you will be able to choose different currencies from a drop down menu. The currency conversions are done automatically.

Whether you decide to buy the Silver, Gold or Platinum membership, members still get to download all the new tracks and loops that are added to the members area each and every month totally FREE!.


21 - What happens when my membership expires, do I need to rejoin to continue using the music I downloaded? Back to Top

The simple answer is NO. If you choose not to rejoin Q-Music for another year you can still enjoy usage of the material you downloaded during your membership. However, you'll miss out on all the new royalty free tracks and music loops that get added to the members area each month after your membership expires.

We think that once you've become a member of Q-Music you'll want to continue using our unique service for years to come.


22 - What styles of music do you have i nthe members area? Back to Top

You can listen for yourself. Every single track available in the members area can be previewd here.

The tracks in the Q-Music members area range from "Techno" to "Classical", from "Easy listening" to "Ambient". Whether your a video production company or a new media designer, the tracks we offer should be suitable for most production requirements.

Most of our tracks offer real musicians playing real instruments as well as some superb digitally sequenced tracks. Listen to our demos to hear the wide range of moods and atmospheres we have on offer.

We have everything from "Lounge Music" with smooth flutes and horns to full on "Rock" anthems with overdriven guitars and thunderous drums. We even have some superb classical music performed by live orchestras.

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