Royalty-Free Music Marketplace
Buying Music
- I purchased music, but have not received my download link.
- What payment types do you accept?
- When will my download link expire?
- The usage I need is larger than your Standard or Premium licenses allow. Do you offer a more expansive type of license?
- Do you offer any specials or discounts to students or schools?
- How can I get enrolled in your Free Music program?
- If I'm using this music for my on hold system, do I have to pay ongoing fees to ASCAP or BMI?
- If I'm using this music as background music for my retail location, do I have to pay royalties to ASCAP or BMI?
- If I'm using this music for broadcast or cable television, do I have to pay royalties to ASCAP or BMI?
- In what file format is your music available?
- Why should I buy a subscription?
- Why should I subscribe to a music stream?
- What equipment will I need to play the music stream in my retail or business location, or on my website?
- What exactly am I allowed to do with this music after my purchase?
- Do I have to pay you if I use this music on another project?
- How can I find out if a song is in the public domain?
- Am I allowed to offer some of your tracks as a mini-library for my media site?
- Can I receive a physical copy of my CD?
- How can I get a copy of my receipt?
- Does MusicRevolution offer refunds?
Selling Music
- Does my music have to be approved before it's included in your catalog?
- What styles of music are you looking for?
- Are you looking for a certain track length?
- In what file formats do I need to provide the music?
- How do I upload?
- I have a large number of tracks to submit. Do you have a special program for this?
- When I submit a track do you want my entire CD or just one track?
- What is my royalty split?
- What if there are multiple writers on a track?
- How do I get paid?
- What if I want to withdraw my track from your catalog?
- Am I allowed to sell my music through other distribution channels?
- Do your customers file cue sheets with ASCAP and BMI for TV/radio broadcast?
- What happens if my track gets used in something big like a major motion picture or a TV show theme? Do I get extra money?
Other
- How do I unsubscribe to your newsletter?
- I'd like to become a 3rd party reseller of your music. Do you have a program for this?
Buying Music
I purchased music, but have not received my download link.
Our system will email you a download link and customized license agreement immediately after purchase. However, it's possible our email will be blocked by your spam filter. If you cannot find our email in your spam or deleted folder, you can log back into the site with the username you created at checkout and access your link again at My Account.
What payment types do you accept?
VISA, Mastercard, Discover, American Express and PayPal.
When will my download link expire?
Two weeks from your time of purchase or after five (5) downloads, whichever comes first.
The usage I need is larger than your Standard or Premium licenses allow. Do you offer a more expansive type of license?
We offer an Unlimited License that can be purchased by contacting us at info@musicrevolution.com. You can learn more about Unlimited Licenses at License Terms.
Do you offer any specials or discounts to students or schools?
Educational institutions can apply to our Free Music Program, but most of the good stuff is in our paid library. Click here to go to our Free Music Program.
How can I get enrolled in your Free Music program?
You can fill out our short online application form Free Music Program. We generally only provide free music to schools or non-profit organizations.
If I'm using this music for my on hold system, do I have to pay ongoing fees to ASCAP or BMI?
No. The license agreement you receive when you license our music grants you what is called "direct performance license" for all non-broadcast usage. This is an arrangement where you (the licensee) and we (licensor) choose not to use a Performing Rights Organization as a licensing intermediary, which is a practice fully permitted in ASCAP & BMI bylaws.
If I'm using this music as background music for my retail location, do I have to pay royalties to ASCAP or BMI?
No. The license agreement you receive when you license our music grants you what is called "direct performance license" for all non-broadcast usage. This is an arrangement where you (the licensor) and we (licensee) choose not to use a Performing Rights Organization as a licensing intermediary, which is fully permitted in ASCAP & BMI bylaws.
If I'm using this music for broadcast or cable television, do I have to pay royalties to ASCAP or BMI?
No, however we will request additional information about your project (after your purchase is completed) so that we may file a cue sheet on your behalf to ASCAP and BMI. ASCAP and BMI collect annual licensing fees from TV/cable networks and re-distribute these fees to their musician members. Filling out our cue sheets does not result in any additional cost whatsoever to you (the media producer), however, it helps our musicians earn additional income.
In what file format is your music available?
All of our music tracks can be downloaded in either WAV format (16 bit/44k) or MP3 format (192 kbps).
Why should I buy a subscription?
Our typical single track price is $49.99. And while our excellent CDs of pre-selected songs ($119.99 each) give you a deep "per track" discount, nothing beats an annual subscription where you can download any 50 tracks in our catalog starting at a cost of just $8.00 per track ($399.99 annually). That's a great deal! Subscribe
Why should I subscribe to a music stream?
What equipment will I need to play the music stream in my retail or business location, or on my website?
Using our Amazon Alexa Music Skill, the MusicRevolution.com Music Stream can be played on any Alexa enabled device. Also, any web-enabled device with an audio output will do the trick, such as a laptop with a 1/8" headphone output or an iPhone. That audio jack will then connect to your amplification system and speakers. It's that easy! At the time of purchase, we will provide you with access to play our music stream without the watermark. You can select the playlist for your music stream during your purchase or change it anytime afterward by logging into My Account and adjusting your settings.
What exactly am I allowed to do with this music after my purchase?
For single tracks, CDs and subscriptions, our Standard License allows you to use the music, with some limitations, in websites, TV/radio broadcasts, CD/DVDs, on hold phone systems and more. The Standard License is perfect for small to medium sized projects. For global advertisers, major film studios, television networks and similar entities, we recommend our Premium and Unlimited licenses.
Our Commercial Music Stream license allows you to stream in one location or for one application (e.g., retail, office, on hold, website). Our Personal Music Stream license provides for personal use by a single individual user only and does not allow commercial use. Our music stream does not allow you to, for example, capture a recording of one track and use that track in your company video. Your right to use the music stream terminates at the end of your stream subscription.
Go to License Terms to learn more about all of our licenses.
Do I have to pay you if I use this music on another project?
Our license agreement gives you the perpetual right to use the music in any project that was "active or in development at the time of purchase."
How can I find out if a song is in the public domain?
Generally, any song copyrighted before 1923 falls in the public domain. U.S. Copyright law allows some exceptions for songs written after 1923, but for the sake of our catalog, we prefer to keep it simple and stick with the "1923" rule. There are excellent online resources available that list and verify all songs in the public domain.
Am I allowed to offer some of your tracks as a mini-library for my media site?
Because you'd be offering the tracks as a standalone download from the Internet, this usage would require you to contact us about purchasing an Unlimited License. Contact us at info@musicrevolution.com.
Can I receive a physical copy of my CD?
We offer two types of CDs: Regular CDs for physical shipment and Dynamic Download CDs for download only. Not every track in our library is available on physical CD. You can find a list of all our physical CDs here. However, all of our tracks are available on Dynamic Download CDs for download only.
How can I get a copy of my receipt?
All of your purchase receipts, customized license agreements, and cue sheets can accessed by logging into your My Account page located here.
Does MusicRevolution offer refunds?
For downloadable tracks/CDs, subscriptions and our music stream, you may receive a full refund within three (3) days of your invoice date, provided that you have not used or otherwise retained any tracks. For physical CDs, you may receive a full refund within three (3) days of your receipt of shipment, provided that you have not used or otherwise retained any tracks, and you return the CD to us. After the respective refund periods described above, no cancellations will be accepted, no refunds will be made and you will be responsible for and must pay the full amount. Please review our License Agreement for more information on our terms of use. If you have any questions, please submit your inquiry at Contact Us.
Selling Music
Does my music have to be approved before it's included in your catalog?
Yes. Typically your track(s) will be approved by a team member within 2 to 3 business days of the time of submission and you will be automatically notified via email. If the track is not accepted, you will receive an email notification that lists the general reason your track was not accepted.
What styles of music are you looking for?
Basically anything that sounds like it belongs in a movie, TV show or video. We realize that's pretty broad so here are 3 good tips:
- Cheer Up: You can never go wrong with an upbeat, positive-sounding track using live instruments. "Angry" has its place in our catalog, but it's not nearly requested as much as something happy and energetic.
- Embrace Cliches: To help tell their story, our customers are always looking for very cleanly-produced, stereotypical renditions of niche styles such as Mariachi, Polka, Native American, Bluegrass and more. The idea here isn't to innovate, but rather pay tribute to these styles and help our customers paint an instant musical picture for their audience.
- Embrace Your Past: If you're last name begins "Mc" and you've got bagpipes in the basement, then, by golly, go record "Amazing Grace". If you've still got that djembe from your foggy drum circle days, then set up a mic and start building some percussion tracks. Grew up in church? Bring on the gospel hymns. Most musicians have at least one style of music embedded in their genes. What's yours?
Are you looking for a certain track length?
Our customers prefer tracks that are at least 3 minutes in length, but there are no specific length requirements for our library.
In what file formats do I need to provide the music?
For our customers' convenience, your tracks must be uploaded in both MP3 (192kbps) and WAV (16bit/44k) format. This also increases the opportunity for MusicRevolution to sell your music and for you to earn more royalties.
How do I upload?
Uploading music to MusicRevolution is simple and fast. Click here to get started.
I have a large number of tracks to submit. Do you have a special program for this?
Our upload page allows you to upload up to 50 tracks at one time. If you have more than 300 tracks to contribute and need assistance with uploading, email us at editor@musicrevolution.com
When I submit a track do you want my entire CD or just one track?
You can upload up to 50 tracks at a time. And it's possible your track will be included on one of our MusicRevolution compilation CDs, but we prefer to deal with your music one track at a time and prefer to not present it to our customers as your complete CD.
What is my royalty split?
We pay out 50% of every sale for each single track, CD and subscription sold. Royalties for CDs are pro-rated based on the number of your tracks on each CD. Royalties for subscriptions are based on the number of downloads of your tracks in proportion to total tracks downloaded. We pay out 25% of every sale for our music stream, which is more than double the statutory rate required by SoundExchange, the independent nonprofit performance rights organization designated by the U.S. Copyright Office. Royalties for our music stream are pro-rated based on the number of your tracks used in the music stream. All royalties are based on revenues after costs of 3rd party licensees and distributors, and PayPal/credit card processing fees.
What if there are multiple writers on a track?
Each writer will need to create their own MusicRevolution account which is totally free. MusicRevolution will allocate commission payments for up to 5 account holders per track.
How do I get paid?
Payments are issued quarterly by PayPal or by check (U.S. only for check payment) assuming your balance has reached $50 or more.
What if I want to withdraw my track from your catalog?
You can withdraw your track(s) from our catalog at any time for any reason by emailing a request to editor@musicrevolution.com. By the terms of the agreement, we must remove your music from the catalog within sixty (60) days of this request. In the event your track was included on one of our physical CD compilations, we have up to one hundred and eighty (180) days to remove your music because of required reprint time. You must honor all licenses granted by MusicRevolution to our licensees during the time your track was active in our system.
Am I allowed to sell my music through other distribution channels?
Yes. It's your music, not ours. Under U.S. Copyright law, you always have final say in how your copyrights are used.
Do your customers file cue sheets with ASCAP and BMI for TV/radio broadcast?
In most cases we file the cue sheets for them. Our license agreement requires all customers using music in TV/Radio or Cable broadcasts to complete cue sheets at the time of purchase or submit them to us later.
What happens if my track gets used in something big like a major motion picture or a TV show theme? Do I get extra money?
When our customers license your track for any kind of TV or radio broadcast, we submit cue sheets to ASCAP and BMI upon which you will be paid if you are a member of those performance royalty organizations. It is free to become a member of ASCAP or BMI (you can't do both) and we encourage you to do so.
Other
How do I unsubscribe to your newsletter?
Click on My Account at the top our home page. On your My Account page you'll see a menu of links that includes "View/Update My Account Info". Click on that link to subscribe or unsubscribe to our newsletter.
I'd like to become a 3rd party reseller of your music. Do you have a program for this?
If you represent a group of media makers that would be interested in licensing our music we would be interested in granting you “Reseller” status and granting you additional access to our website and music catalog. If interested, please email us at info@musicrevolution.com.
