SydScotch
Royalty-free Music Library
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is royalty-free music?
- What can royalty-free music be used for?
- How do I use the Library system to find music?
- What sound formats & bitrates do you offer?
- Can I sell my own music on your site?
- Do you offer custom music?
- How does song licensing work?
- Do I need an account to buy songs here?
- Do you accept credit card payments?
- Do you offer a secure payment system?
- Do you accept checks & money orders?
- My question isn't listed. How can I contact you?
What is royalty-free music?
Just as the name implies, royalty-free music is any production audio that is licensed for a one-time fee without the need to pay subsequent royalties to the original artist. Various license types exist to suit different projects.
What can royalty-free music be used for?
Royalty-free music is ideal for use in movies and films, documentaries, plays, commercials and advertisements, online videos, stores or cafes, video games, or any other project (for-profit or non-profit) requiring high quality music and / or sound effects.
How do I use the Library to find music?
We’ve designed our library system to be intuitive and simple. Use the search field at the top right of any page to find specific music. Click through the genre list on the left side of the library window to browse full categories. You can search by genre, mood, or even individual instrument. Use the page navigator below the tracks to move through pages of results.
You can adjust volume using the slider at the top right. When you click the "play" icon on any track, a seeker will appear to the left of the volume slider. Use the seeker to navigate through the song. Click "pause" to stop, or just hit the spacebar on your keyboard.
You can add (or drag) tracks into the mini shopping cart on the right hand side of the library window without leaving the page. Just click the “Add” button on any track and it will pop up in your cart. When you’re ready to order, click the “checkout” button in the mini cart to go to our secure payment page.
What sound formats do you offer?
Our default format is MP3 320 kbps (encoded by Logic Pro). For an extra $2.00 we also offer a lossless AIFF format in addition to the default MP3 320 kbps. In other words, you get both formats in one package. As you make your selections, prices will update automatically in your cart; there is no need to manually refresh. The extra fee is to account for the significantly higher bandwidth that large, lossless downloads require.
Can I sell my own music here?
Unfortunately, we do not buy or sell third party music, nor do we act as a venue for it. We take pride in the fact that everything in our library is crafted in-house. This allows for consistent quality and very clean licensing, among other advantages. If you're dying to send your music to us for review, feel free to get in touch, but please keep our policy in mind!
Do you offer custom music?
Absolutely! We love to tackle interesting requests and we can do tunes in virtually any genre or style. If you'd like to hire us for a single track or a full project, visit our custom music form and let us know what you're looking for.
We think you'll love what we come up with, but if you hate what we create, you don't have to commit (we can use what we make in our library). We do require a down payment, but our general policy is lax.
How does song licensing work?
Each song comes with a default single-use license for use in one video, commercial, game, etc. For each track, you can order several licenses for use in a fixed number of separate projects (e.g., one song used in two to five different commercials or documentaries).
Beyond five license uses, we offer an "unlimited" license, which of course means you can use the song in as many projects as you wish. If you are planning to use one of our songs as a recurring theme that will appear in multiple unique projects, please select our "unlimited" license option. As you make your selections, prices will update automatically in your cart.
Do I need an account to buy songs?
Nope! We worked hard on an elegant alternative to forced registration. We don't require you to sign up or log in -- period. Simply use your existing Paypal or Google Checkout account(s) to place a secure order with us. You'll receive an automatically generated URL via email that you can use to link to your tracks. This will serve as a pseudo account. Keep this URL safe so you can come back to it if something happens to your files. (Lost your URL? Get in touch here for help.)
Do you accept credit card payments?
Yes. We allow customers to use their existing Paypal or Google Checkout accounts so that no personal financial information is shared with us. Your purchase uses the same security offered on websites like eBay, Buy, Overstock, and other leading merchants. All we collect is your email address so we know where to deliver your music.
Do you offer a secure payment system?
Absolutely. We offer Google Checkout and Paypal so your personal financial information is never shared with us directly. Because we use the same checkout processes that virtually all leading vendors do (e.g., eBay, Overstock, etc), your payment is completely safe and anonymous. All credit and SSL processing is done on secure Paypal and Google servers.
Do you accept checks or money orders?
Yes, we do. Some customers prefer to mail their payment, and we're happy to oblige. Just select the "Mail your payment" option at the bottom of the cart checkout screen. Print the confirmation page you receive and mail it along with your payment to the address listed below.
SYD SCOTCH MUSIC
8304 LAKE CITY WAY
SEATTLE, WA 98115
We will notify you upon receipt of payment. Please note that all mailed payments are subject to a clearance period. Once your payment is successfully deposited, you will receive a URL via email with a link to your secure download. (If you need your songs shipped on physical media, please contact us for details.)