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Questions
Answers[ Back to top] [ Back to top] Basic questionsDo I need to be a Sibelius user in order to publish music on this site?No, you just need to be able to submit your music as a Sibelius or G7 file. [ Back to top] Does it cost anything to become a self-publisher on this site?No - it's entirely free! It costs you nothing to submit scores. [ Back to top] How do I get answers to questions which aren't in this FAQ list?Email webmaster@sibeliusmusic.com [ Back to top] What can I do on this site?Whether you're a composer, arranger or teacher you can 'self-publish' music on this site for others to view, play and print. You can submit scores for self-publishing right now, in Sibelius or G7 format. You can specify whether your printouts are free or for sale - we'll only charge you 50% of the sale price! You can upgrade to a SibeliusMusic Store to become a commercial publisher, allowing you to earn up to 80% of the sale price of your scores! If you choose to upgrade your account to a SibeliusMusic Store, you also have a Warehouse facility, allowing you to sell tangible items such as CD's, books and other merchandise. Anyone can view and play sheet music on this site, as well as review and vote for score they like, find out more about composers and arrangers on this site, and lots more! You can also securely purchase music from SibeliusMusic.com, and have it delivered instantly to your printer! You can also interact with the site and other users by writing reviews and joining the chat page. [ Back to top] What technology does this site use?The site is powered by Sibelius and Scorch. Sibelius is the world's best-selling software for writing music notation. Scorch is a web browser plug-in for viewing, playing, transposing, printing and selling sheet music online - and with over 100,000 users it's also the world's most popular. Together, these produce the complete solution for writing and publishing printed music on the Internet. Sibelius and Scorch have been adopted for Internet publishing by Music Sales, Europe's largest sheet music publisher, Boosey & Hawkes, and Hal Leonard, the world's largest music print publisher. [ Back to top] Why did this site change its name?SibeliusMusic.com was originally called scorchmusic.com, but in September 2001 its name was changed to avoid confusion with the Scorch plug-in, which is used on many music sites around the world. [ Back to top] Why doesn't Scorch work in my web browser?Scorch is fully compatible with Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, Firefox and Opera on Windows 95, 98, Me, NT 4.0, 2000 and XP. and most browsers on Mac OS X. If you are using Mac OS 8.6-9.2, Scorch is currently only compatible with the Carbonized version of Opera. [ Back to top] Pricing & paymentCan I specify how much my scores are sold for?Yes. You can specify whether a score is for sale or free. If you choose to sell your score, you can set the price. [ Back to top] Do you charge VAT/sales tax?SibeliusMusic is an agent on your behalf. This means that when one of your scores is sold it is a transaction between you and the end customer. SibeliusMusic.com handles the transaction for you and charges a fee for doing so. The charge we make is liable for VAT where applicable. VAT is applicable if you are in the EU. If you are outside the EU, or in a VAT exempt area of the EU, no VAT will be charged. If you are VAT registered within the EU you must supply us with your VAT number. [ Back to top] How can I tell how much money I'm making?You can check this at any time from the My scores page. [ Back to top] How do I get paid?By US check (in $), UK cheque (in £), or by foreign draft cheque in your local currency. [ Back to top] How much commission do I pay?Currently we charge you 50% of the sale price of your scores. If you have a SibeliusMusic Store we will charge you 20% - 30%. [ Back to top] How often do I receive my money?Quarterly (every 3 months) as long as the amount you are owed is more than $100, or at the start of the year (January 1st) if you are owed more than $30. [ Back to top] I'm VAT registered. What implications does this have?If you registered for VAT in the UK: If you are registered for VAT in the EU and outside the UK: You also have to account for the amount of VAT that you have received when the score was originally sold. As the transaction was between you and the purchaser, the VAT rate where applicable, is your local rate. N.B. This is provided for general information only. If in doubt, seek professional advice. [ Back to top] What are vouchers, and how do they work?Vouchers are a special code we sometimes issue to customers which can be used instead of money to pay (or part-pay) for music. We issue vouchers:
When we issue refunds, we do not pay self-publishers for that sale, because the music has not actually been printed. However, when the customer buys music with a refund voucher, we pay the self-publisher in exactly the same way as if the customer had paid by credit card. When a customer buys music with a voucher issued for promotional purposes, again we pay the self-publisher in exactly the same way as if the customer had paid by credit card. [ Back to top] What is your refunds policy?If a customer purchases a score and it fails to print correctly, we will either authorize an additional print, or issue a refund to the customer's credit card, at our discretion. When we issue refunds, we do not pay self-publishers for that sale, because the music has not actually been printed. [ Back to top] Printing & securityCan I stop people printing the first page of my scores for free?No - all scores on this site are set to print the first page for free. This provides a sample of each score for people interested in buying it, and also acts as a test so people can check their printer is working properly before buying the score. [ Back to top] Can customers print double-sided?Almost all printers are designed for single-sided printing and may jam if the pages are fed back in to print the reverse side, so at present only single-sided printing is practical. Because of this, scores of a few pages in length are preferable to very long ones. [ Back to top] How do you stop people printing lots of copies of a score or emailing it to other people?This site is powered by Sibelius Internet Edition which has sophisticated security. Every printout is individually authorized so people can't print multiple copies without permission or pass on a printable file. In addition, customers are prevented from creating PDF files of scores or printing to file. [ Back to top] How good is the print quality when printing online?It's exactly the same top publication quality as from Sibelius itself. The only constraint is the resolution of the customer's printer, but most domestic printers are more than satisfactory for music printing. [ Back to top] Self-publishingCan I link to this site so people visiting my own site can print my scores?Yes - you can set up your own personal home page on SibeliusMusic.com with a memorable address to make it easy for people to view and print your music. You can also add a special button to your own web site to link to SibeliusMusic.com - click here for details. [ Back to top] How do I find out more about Sibelius?Click here for details on Sibelius's features, pricing and dealers, and for a free demo download. [ Back to top] How much are scores sold for?Self-publishers can set the prices of their works when making them available for sale, up to a maximum of $20 USD per score. However, we do make recommendations for pricing depending on the number of pages in the score - click here to read our pricing guidelines. [ Back to top] I am not looking to make any money - can I still put my scores on this site?Yes - you can submit scores for free printing (or a mixture of free scores and scores for sale). [ Back to top] I don't have Sibelius or G7 but I want to self-publish my scores - can I?No, unfortunately not, unless you can get someone else who has Sibelius for Mac/Windows to input or convert your music for you (Sibelius can convert from Finale/Allegro/PrintMusic/Sibelius 7/MIDI/SCORE/NIFF files). [ Back to top] I teach music - can I put teaching materials for my students on this site?Yes - just submit music files for your students to print for free. [ Back to top] I want to offer scores from my own web site (without involving SibeliusMusic.com) - can I do this?If you just want people to view, play and transpose scores, you can do this with any copy of Sibelius. If you want to sell printouts of scores online, you will need a special version of Sibelius called Sibelius Internet Edition, and some fairly sophisticated web technology (e.g. the capability to charge credit cards online). Please see here for more details. [ Back to top] Is SibeliusMusic.com licensed with any performing rights organizations?SibeliusMusic.com is licensed by the PRS on behalf of ASCAP, BMI, GEMA and other performing rights societies worldwide. In addition to paying 50% for scores sold, we pay royalties to performing rights agencies worldwide for MIDI playback from this site. If you are a member of any major performing rights society anywhere in the world (e.g. ASCAP, BMI, PRS, GEMA), PRS collects royalties from us on your behalf for the right to provide MIDI playback of your music on this site. [ Back to top] What's the deal if I put my music on this site?For all scores you offer for sale, we charge you 50% of the net sale price. For scores you submit for free, we charge nothing and pay you nothing. If you have a SibeliusMusic Store we will charge you different amounts. [ Back to top] Why's this site better than offering PDF files (or TIFF/GIF/JPEG files) of scores on the Internet?
[ Back to top] SibeliusMusic Store Warehouses - Buying fromHow does delivery work?Once you have paid for an item, the seller is emailed immediately and asked to dispatch the item. You will be notified by email when the item has been dispatched and you can track the status of the item via your ?My Basket? page. Important SibeliusMusic.com is not responsible for dispatching the item. [ Back to top] What happens if an item doesn't arrive?First, you should contact the SibeliusMusic Store that your purchased the item from as they are responsible for dispatching the item If the issue can not be resolved between you and the Store holder you should contact SibeliusMusic.com by emailing info@sibeliusmusic.com. Please include your sale reference number. We can contact the Store holder on your behalf and if necessary issue a refund to your credit card. [ Back to top] What is your returns policy if I change my mind after receiving an item?In this instance, you must contact the SibeliusMusic Store that you purchased the item from, as they are responsible for item returns. [ Back to top] SibeliusMusic Store Warehouses - Selling fromCan I set different delivery prices for different areas of the world?Yes. You can decide how much to charge for delivery to specific areas of the world. You can set the delivery prices on a per-continent basis or by individual countries. [ Back to top] How do I know when something has been bought?You will be sent an email informing you of the purchase, with a name and address for dispatch. You will also be able to review sales via your MyStore pages. [ Back to top] How much commission does SibeliusMusic.com charge when I sell something from a warehouse?The commission charged by SibeliusMusic.com for items sold from a warehouse is calculated in exactly the same way as sales of digital sheet music. Currently this is 20% of the sale if the customer has come directly to your store, and 30% of the sale if the customer has accessed your store via a page on SibeliusMusic.com. SibeliusMusic.com does not charge a commission on the value of the delivery of each item. Commission is only charged on the sale of the actual item. [ Back to top] If I am only able to deliver to the country where I live, does the system cater for this?Yes. You have complete control over where you will and won't deliver the item to, whether it is to every country in the world, or just to the country where you live. [ Back to top] What does it cost to own a warehouse?There is no extra charge for owning a warehouse on SibeliusMusic.com if you already own a SibeliusMusic Store. [ Back to top] What is a warehouse?A warehouse is an optional extra available if you have signed up for a SibeliusMusic Store, where you can sell items such as CDs and other merchandise directly to customers. All the e-commerce is dealt with by SibeliusMusic.com in the same way as the existing digital purchasing system for sheet music. All you have to do is send out the items to the customer. [ Back to top] What items are prohibited on SibeliusMusic.com?You must not sell items purchased manufactured or sold by Sibelius, or any third party software or other product which competes with any Sibelius Product. Any illegal items will be removed immediately. [ Back to top] Who can sign up for a warehouse?Warehouses are exclusively for SibeliusMusic Storeholders. If you don't already have SibeliusMusic Store, Click here for further information about owning one. [ Back to top] SibeliusMusic StoresCan I make changes to my store once I've created it?You will have access to edit the look of your store at any time via the My Store button at the top of the every page on SibeliusMusic.com. [ Back to top] Can I sell other products from my SibeliusMusic Store?Yes. The Warehouse facility of your SibeliusMusic Store allows you to sell other items. [ Back to top] Do I need any extra software to create a SibeliusMusic Store?No. Scorch is the only software needed. All other aspects of your store will reside on our servers. [ Back to top] Do I need experience of HTML to sign up for a SibeliusMusic Store?No, although it might help if you wanted to add extra functionality to your store not included in our package. [ Back to top] How much does a SibeliusMusic Store cost?The monthly subscription fee is $30 (USD). The minimum period for subscription is 1 month. After this time, you can cancel at any time, although your payment will last until the end of the month. [ Back to top] What are the advantages of having a SibeliusMusic Store over a normal SibeliusMusic.com account?
[ Back to top] What commission will I receive?For direct sales, you will receive 80% commission. [ Back to top] What constitutes a direct sale or referral sale?Direct salesSales routed directly from your SibeliusMusic Store i.e. a customer goes straight to your store and purchases some music.Referral salesSales routed via SibeliusMusic.com i.e. a customer browses around on www.sibeliusmusic.com, then accesses your store, and purchases some music.[ Back to top] Will anyone else have access to my sales data?All your information is strictly protected by a password log-in system. [ Back to top] Will my SibeliusMusic Store look unique and professional?You will be able to customize the colors, fonts, graphics and advertising boxes to give your store its own unique look. Company logos and news can easily be uploaded to help your store look truly professional. [ Back to top] Will my scores be secure?Your scores are encrypted so your data is always protected. [ Back to top] Will statistics about traffic and sales be available?You can access sales information from your My Scores page, and the financial summary page available from the My Store page. Statistics about traffic to your store, are not currently available but we are planning to introduce this functionality at a later date [ Back to top] Submitting scoresCan I provide an excerpt from a piece as a demonstration of my music?Unless you have a SibeliusMusic Store we only accept complete pieces of music. [ Back to top] Can I publish other people's music on this site?You can publish your own arrangements of out-of-copyright music (e.g. a Mozart piano sonata arranged by you for strings). You cannot publish arrangements/editions of music by other living composers or by dead composers who are still in copyright. Also, we do not accept verbatim transcriptions of out-of-copyright music, only arrangements (e.g. for different instruments). If you have a SibeliusMusic Store you can publish any score that you either own the copyright to, or have been granted permission from the copyright holder. [ Back to top] Can I submit extracted parts to this site?Yes - you are given the option of submitting extracted parts after you have submitted a score. You can also add extracted parts later from the My scores page. You don't have to submit extracted parts for a score with multiple instruments, but for practical performance purposes we recommend that you do. [ Back to top] Can I tell how often people are viewing/playing/printing my scores?Yes, you can check this at any time from the My scores page. [ Back to top] Does SibeliusMusic.com get copyright on scores I submit?No - you retain all copyright. [ Back to top] How long does it take for scores to be approved?We aim to approve scores within one working day of their submission. [ Back to top] I already have a publisher - can I still self-publish from this site?Not if your current contract is exclusive. If it is non-exclusive then if you choose to you can submit scores over which your publisher does not have copyright for selling from this site. [ Back to top] I don't have a publisher but I may get one in future - can I self-publish from this site in the meantime?Yes - if you get a publishing contract in future you can remove yourself from this site. [ Back to top] I have a Mac - can I still use this site to self-publish my scores?Yes. This site is entirely Mac compatible. [ Back to top] I want to make changes to a score which I have previously submitted - how do I do this?Use the Edit option on the My scores page to supply new details about your file. You can also upload extracted parts and also supply a revised version of the original score from this page. Note that if you upload a new version of your score after it has been approved, it will then need to be re-approved. [ Back to top] My score is in several movements - how do I submit it?If your piece has several movements, each in a separate file, upload each movement separately, titling them appropriately, e.g. Sonata in C (1st movt.), Sonata in C (2nd movt.), and so on. Once you have submitted the first movement, you can 'associate' subsequent movements with the first movement when you submit them (or later on from the My scores page). [ Back to top] What are the copyright restrictions on scores I can submit?This FAQ does not apply to SibeliusMusic Stores. We only accept:
In addition, any lyrics in your score must be written by you, be out of copyright, or else you must have permission from the copyright holder. A more detailed explanation of copyright is as follows: Different people involved in creating a piece of music may own copyright in it - the composer, arranger (if it's an arrangement), lyricist (if it has lyrics), and editor (if it's e.g. an edition of a classical work). So a piece may have more than one copyright owner. Each of these people typically owns copyright in the aspect of the music they worked on until 70 years after their death. Thereafter it is 'out of copyright'. You must ensure that, for all scores you submit:
For example, you would be the sole copyright owner in the following scores:
However, you must not submit scores such as the following:
N.B. This is provided for general information only and not as legal advice. Copyright laws vary from country to country. If in doubt, seek professional legal advice. You are responsible for ensuring that you are the sole copyright owner in scores you submit (or have permission to use copyright lyrics) and you will be held liable in the event of breach of copyright. [ Back to top] What information about myself can I put on the site?Your name, contact information, web site, etc. If you self-publish on this site, you can create your own home page on SibeliusMusic.com with full contact details, together with a biography for visitors to the site who want to find out more about you. If you have a SibeliusMusic Store you can use custom boxes to add any other information that you like e.g. Photos, Biographies, Promotional reviews, upcoming events. [ Back to top] What scores can I submit to this site?Any music which complies with our submission requirements. The main requirements are:
Shorter scores (e.g. 1-4 pages) are more practical for domestic printing as they don't need binding or double-siding, but we will consider scores of any length. We do not accept all scores submitted. In particular, scores submitted for sale must be of a sellable quality. [ Back to top] Which versions of Sibelius and G7 files do you accept?You can submit files saved in any version of Sibelius or G7 for Mac/Windows. As of March 2003 we no longer accept any files saved in any version of Finale. [ Back to top] Why do scores I submit have to play back on General MIDI equipment?It's likely that customers looking at your music won't have the same sound equipment as you, so although your music might sound great on your computer, it may not play back correctly on another computer. Playback is only provided to give a rough idea of how the piece sounds, but it will be most satisfactory if your score is set to play back using General MIDI sounds, which can be played on all computers. [ Back to top] Why do scores need to be approved?Primarily to confirm that they meet basic technical requirements so that they can be played and printed successfully on any computer anywhere in the world. [ Back to top] Will customers be able to change the key or instruments of my scores?Only if you want them to - when submitting a score you can specify whether people can transpose the music or change the top instrument (e.g. for a piece for solo instrument and accompaniment). [ Back to top] |
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