If you are experiencing problems unzipping your downloads with Archive Utility, please try Stuffit Expander (http://my.smithmicro.com/downloads/files/stuffIt_expander_12.0.2_en.dmg) or if your prefer Zipeg (http://www.topshareware.com/Zipeg-transfer-48531.htm). Both are available for free in their respective links.
- What is New Melodies? What is its philosophy? Why does it exist?
- Is New Melodies a record label? Is it a music store?
- Isn’t it illegal to download free music from the internet?
- Is the service totally free? Forever?
- How can I discover music in New Melodies? How do I use Filters and Search functions?
- Do I need to register in order to use New melodies? Is this free?
- What does it mean to be part of the New Melodies Community? Why should I invite my friends and relatives?
- How is it that my participation in New Melodies helps support UNICEF? Could I choose another philanthropic institution?
Listening to and Downloading Totally Legal and Free Music
- How do I register to download free & legal music, or tu publish my own music?
- Why is it that I can only listen to 60 seconds of a song before downloading it?
- When I download the song, will it be in its complete length?
- I was expecting a MP3 file, why do I get a ZIP file?
- How do I open the ZIP file I downloaded?
- What is the format of the New Melodies songs?
- What is the quality of the New Melodies songs?
- Where are the song and the album cover located?
- Can I use the song I downloaded in my portable MP3 player, such as my iPod®?
- How can I use the album cover I also got from New Melodies in my portable player?
- Is there a limit to the amount of free songs I can download?
- What are downloads limited to?
- What is the ‘Donate!’ option for?
- Can I use a Download Accelerator in New Melodies?
- Why should I rate the songs?
- How do I contact an artist or any other user?
Answers for Artists
- Why should I publish my work in New Melodies? What are the benefits?
- Who can publish a song? What is needed?
- How can I publish my music?
- How do I publish the lyrics of my songs?
- How do I publish a video?
- How much do I get every time one of my songs is downloaded?
- How do I know how many times my songs have been downloaded?
- What are the payment conditions?
- How do I replace a song or change its information?
- How do I unsubscribe from New Melodies?
- Do I need to work exclusively with New Melodies?
- As an artist, do I need to pay anything to be in New Melodies?
- Do I keep my freedom as an independent artist?
- Is there a limit to the duration of a song?
- How long does it take for my song to be published after I upload it?
- Why should I post the lyrics of my songs too?
- What kind of videos can I upload? Why should I?
- What is the maximum length allowed for videos?
- I’m having issues uploading my song, lyrics, or video, who can help me?
- How can I promote my music in New Melodies? What should I do?
- Does New Melodies publish my music in other media, such as the radio?
- Do I have to pay New Melodies a fee from my earnings?
- How do I create a PayPal account?
- How many songs can I publish? Is there a limit?
- How does the quality of my recordings impact the success I may have?
- Can I promote in New Melodies presentations or events I may have?
- May I bring my own sponsors? Can I negotiate my own term and conditions with them?
- Why should I recommend New Melodies to other artists?
- I am already showcasing my work in other media; can I publish it in New Melodies too? Why should I?
Proprietary Rights and Legal Affairs
- How does New Melodies protect proprietary rights?
- What happens with the proprietary rights of the songs published in New Melodies?
- If I download a song from New Melodies, what am I allowed to do with it?
- As an artist who publishes in New Melodies, am I subscribing any sort of contract or deal with a record label or publisher?
- As an artist, do I get paid for public performance of my music?
- I like a song published in New Melodies, and I want to sing it, possibly with a different arrangement, another rhythm, tone or lyrics, what should I do?
- I’d like to sing a song that has already been published. What should I do? What is a cover song?
- I have noticed that one of the songs published in New Melodies belongs to me (I’m the owner of the proprietary rights) or I am sure that it belongs to someone different than the person who claims to own it in the website. What should I do?
- As a Record Label or Publisher, I have noticed that one of the songs published in New Melodies is property of my enterprise. What should I do?
- I have noticed that a song published in New Melodies is clearly offensive due to its content (racism, discrimination, hate, etc.) What should I do?
- What happens if someone makes a ‘Report’ on any of my songs?
Karaoke
- What is Karaoke?
- How does Karaoke work?
- As an artist, why should I use Karaoke to promote my music?
- Do I earn money if someone downloads my Karaoke track and/or when they upload their own interpretation of my song?
- How do I publish my own Karaoke interpretation? What’s the point? Do I get paid?
- I am a good singer, but I’m unknown. If I showcase my interpretations, will this help me get known?
- I want to sing a song found in Karaoke, with a different arrangement, another rhythm, tone or lyrics, what should I do?
- I’d like to use a Karaoke track but with different lyrics than those wrote by the author, what should I do?
Friends, Fanclubs and Messages
- How do I find a user or an artist in New Melodies?
- What does it mean to be a member of an artist’s Fanclub?
- How do I become a member of an artist’s Fanclub?
- How do I send a message to a user or an artist?
- I have questions or comments for the New Melodies Team, how can I contact them?
My Personal Profile
- How do I modify my Profile? Why should I keep it up to date always?
- How do I change my password?
- How do I change my privacy settings?
- What is my List of Favorites for?
Sponsorships and Advertising in New Melodies
- I wish to place my ad or to sponsor songs in New Melodies, what should I do?
- Where are the prices published?
- Can I sponsor exclusively one artist or song? What should I do?
General
1. What is New Melodies? What is its philosophy? Why does it exist?
In New Melodies, our mission is to set the music free, for everybody, forever.
This is the new and largest effort to coordinate the needs of those who
create and consume music everyday. It is a new model where artists can
publish, promote and receive the fair payment they deserve for their work,
while getting total business and creative freedom.
Besides, New Melodies focuses on eradicating piracy. Illegal copying of songs
is a plague that destroys artistic work and, in essence, constitutes a robbery,
because artists don’t get the remuneration they deserve for their labor.
New Melodies puts and end to this while offering free legal songs for everyone.
New Melodies is the one and only platform that creates a brand new model
for Advertisers and Sponsors, connected to a revolutionary concept that is
changing the face of music forever.
You’re invited to visit our “About Us” section,
where you will find our mission, vision and values. Up
2. Is New Melodies a record label? Is it a music store?
New Melodies is not a record label, a publisher, nor a music store. New Melodies
is an exclusive technological platform, but above all it is a Community
and a space, which reunites artists, sponsors and general public, creating
a virtuous circle with great benefits for everyone.
New Melodies is an organization subsidiary of Swissprox GmbH, based in Switzerland.
Right from the beginning, its development has been directed with a global
perspective, seeking to fulfill its mission everywhere around the world,
to set the music free, for everybody, forever. Up
3. Isn’t it illegal to download free music from the internet?
It is illegal when you don’t have the owner’s permission and
when the authors don’t get the fair pay they deserve for their work.
Up until now, the only way to download music from the internet was in the
few existing digital music stores, and if you wanted to download music for
free, it was necessarily illegal. Now it all has changed, thanks to New Melodies.
Downloading music from this website is totally legal. It is
very important that you know this. Thanks to our worldwide sponsors and partners,
every time you download a song from New Melodies, the artists receive the payment
they deserve for creating the music you enjoy.
At the same time, each download helps support the philanthropic labor of
UNICEF. Artists don’t deserve their music to be pirated all around.
New Melodies is against any kind of piracy. Lets support those who fill our
lives with beautiful creations. Up
4. Is the service totally free? Forever?
Indeed. No one, not the general public nor the artists have to pay anything
to belong to this Community, and not even to download or upload music.
New Melodies was born to set the music free for everybody, and is not any
sort of music store. Up
5. How can I discover music in New Melodies? How do I use Filters
and Search functions?
You can use the menu located at the left of your screen. There you will find
a number of categories with which you can filter by Product (MP3, Karaoke,
Videos), by Genre (Alternative, Pop, Rock, etc.), by Region (Europe, Latin
America, etc.), by Time (this week, this month, etc.) or by Ranking (Most
listened, Most downloaded, etc.).
When you apply any filter from the left column, these ‘sum up’.
This means that every time you press a filter from a different category it
specifies more and more your search. For instance, if you choose Jazz, the
website will show every single Jazz song. Now you can press, for example,
Most Recent, and the system will order the results placing the Jazz song
that was most recently uploaded and will continue showing all of them in
a descending order. If, besides, you choose a Region, for instance Europe,
your search will show only Jazz from Europe, ordered by upload date. Also,
whenever you apply a filter, the blue Advanced Search square will show up,
where you can add very specific sub filters, such as subgenre or country.
If at any moment you wish to reset the search you have refined and get back
to seeing all results, the easiest thing to do is to select the filter ‘MP3’,
or ‘All’ under Genre, so that you get all songs, regardless of
any specification. You can always return to the starting page by clicking
the logo or the ‘Home’ link in the upper bar.
If you wish to search for a specific song, or to see the songs of a particular
artist, you can use the ‘Search’ box. There, you can write whatever
you’re looking for, and the system will retrieve all coincidences.
If you know that the artist you are looking for has his work published in
New Melodies, the easiest way to see a listing of everything he or she has
uploaded, along with all the information of his or her profile, is to use
your address bar, placing the name of the artist right after the New Melodies
location. For example, to go directly to the Profile of the artist Ari Borovoy,
you can do it by writing the following address: www.newmelodies.com/ariborovoy. Up
6. Do I have to register in order to use New Melodies? Is it free?
That’s right. Just like every other site, you must fill out a brief
questionnaire to become a part of this amazing concept. And no, it won’t
cost you a penny. New Melodies will never sell or share your private information,
we only use it to know who are you and what is that you like, so that we
can have a clear profile of our community. Thus, we can create beneficial
relationships for everyone, building contact bridges among those with similar
interests, while guaranteeing that New Melodies will only offer you what
you’re really interested in.
Besides, this way we can make sure you’ll get access to the free downloads
you’re looking for with the sponsors who have interesting spots for
you. This strengthens the virtuous circle we have and allows for the website
to always have what you like.
New Melodies’ artists can give you their music for free thanks to the
support of our sponsors. To make sure they are always here, it is necessary
that we provide them with a wide, well profiled community. We can only do
this if you fill out your registration information completely and accurately.
The more sponsors we have in our site, the more music we all will get to
share for free.
New Melodies will never send you any unwanted advertising nor will we include
you in any sort of promotional scheme. The information gathered is collected
solely with the purpose of directing the advertising correctly. This is a
great advantage, because you will only find interesting things for you within
the website. Up
7. What does it mean to be part of the New Melodies Community? Why
should I invite my relatives and friends?
In New Melodies we are not only members or another number in a list, we are
actual music enthusiasts committed to setting the music free for everybody,
forever.
We are an authentic community, because the participation of each one of us
is both in personal and group benefit. By being an active member, I discover
new music, I comment on it and recommend it, and it all strengthens the Community,
which in turn is able to grow with huge steps forward. The more it does,
the more sponsorships we’ll have and the more free music we all will
enjoy.
This is the point of our mission not only being to having free music, but
in literally setting it free, in terms of total freedom in all senses. This
means artists can freely create what they want, we can listen to it directly
and have it in our players right away, stay in touch with them and among
other members… everything going on with transparence and mutual support.
This is true freedom, it is what we are building and every time a new member
joins our community, it is a new pair of wings flying along towards the dream. Up
8. How is it that my participation in the New Melodies Community
helps support UNICEF? Could I choose any other philanthropic institution?
Every time a download occurs within the platform, an amount is added to our
permanent donation program towards the United Nations Children’s Fund
(UNICEF).
For the time being, it is not possible for each user to choose to support
a different institution, because New Melodies has decided to focus its efforts
as a Community to help protect and develop children around the world, particularly
in zones of extreme poverty. There is no doubt about the quality of the labor
done by UNICEF, which day after day changes the present of our youngest,
and their future. This way, our collaboration makes a difference, and helps
us ‘compose’ a better tomorrow. Up
Listening to and Downloading Totally Legal and Free Music
1. How do I register to download free & legal music, or to publish my own music?
You simply have to fill out a brief form. Go there by clicking on this link. If you are user or if you want to publish your music, the registration is the same. When you are done, your account will be ready instantly and automatically. Up
2. Why is it that I can only listen to 60 seconds of a song before
downloading it?
Music previews are limited to the first 60 seconds of the song because the
purpose is that you can get an idea of it, and if you decide you’re
into it, then you should click on the ‘Free Download’ button
so that you can have the complete version. This way, you’ll have it
with you for wherever you want, and you’ll be supporting the artist
who created it. Up
3. When I download a song, will it be in its complete length?
Certainly! Only previews are limited to the first 60 seconds of a song. When
you download it, you’ll get it in its full length. Up
4. I was expecting a MP3 file, why do I get a ZIP file?
When you download a song from New Melodies, the files is packed inside a
ZIP file. This package contains both the MP3 file (the song) and the album
cover (a JPG image file), so that you can put them together in your player.
New Melodies system holds a top of the line antivirus shield, so that you
can always enjoy a comfortable and safe experience, without any worries for
unwanted intruders. Up
5. How do I decompress the ZIP file I downloaded from New Melodies?
When your download is done, you will need to decompress the file in order
to see the content of the ZIP file and to extract the song and its album
cover. In order to do this, you’ll need a software to extract the
files. Every recent operating system has this function included, so it
should only be a matter of double-clicking on it to get going. If your
system doesn’t have this software included, you don’t have
to worry, you can download one for free here: http://en.softonic.com/search/winzip Up
6. What is the format of the New Melodies songs?
All the music in New Melodies is in MP3 format, and with no DRM at all. This
means you will be able to play with no limits in your computer and your
portable player, as well as making a backup copy in a CD.
Nevertheless, you must not forget that the proprietary rights of the song
belong solely to its owner, so you cannot copy it, modify it or commerce
with it in any way. If you wish to share it with your friends, the best way
to do it is to use the Share button inside the website. This is easy, fast
and safe, so that all your friends can download it just as you did. Besides,
you’ll be supporting the artist and the song you liked. Otherwise,
you’ll be doing something illegal, and worst of all, you’d be
harming your favorite artists.
Using the recommendations inside the Community means direct support for the
artists, and you must not forget that your friends won’t have to pay
for the song either. New Melodies downloads are always free for everybody. Up
7. What is the quality of the New Melodies songs?
New Melodies is not able to have a say in the quality of the recordings artists
make, but we are always encouraging them to offer the best possible quality.
However, you must no have any concerns about this, because in the Preview
you will be able to listen to a streaming conversion of the original file.
This conversion usually degrades a bit of the sound quality so that you can
listen to it without having to wait for it to load. This means that if the
preview’s quality is good enough for you, you can rest assured that
the original file will at least have the same quality, and very likely, a
better one. Up
8. Where are the song and the album cover located?
Every time you download a song from New Melodies, you will get a ZIP file,
which is a package containing both the MP3 file (the song) and the album
cover (a JPG image). Once you extract them, you can associate them in your
player. Up
9. Can I use the song I downloaded in my portable MP3 player, such
as my iPod®?
Of course you can. Every MP3 downloaded from New Melodies is pretty much
the same thing as every other MP3 song you may already have. You can use
the same method you already know in order to transfer the song to your portable
player, or if you’re beginning with this whole digital music thing,
then you should try the most popular software there is for this: iTunes®.
If you don’t have it yet, you can download it for free here: http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/ Up
10. How can I use the album cover I also got from New Melodies in
my portable player?
You can use the album cover you downloaded simply by associating it with
the song in your computer player. Doing this for New Melodies songs is no
different than from any other song you may already have done it for. If you’re
just beginning with this whole digital music thing, then you should download
iTunes® as New Melodies recommends, and if you have any doubts on how
to do a certain thing with it, just check out the extensive help located
in: http://www.apple.com/support/itunes/ Up
11. Is there a limit to the amount of free songs I can download?
Our objective is to set the music free for everybody, so we must make sure everyone gets a chance to take in on the freedom. Free downloads are subject to having enough sponsorships, and thus we are forced to limit the amount of downloads per user. This is why we have initially defined that everyone is granted 5 free songs downloads everyday, making sure everyone will have a possibility to access free music.Up
12. What are downloads limited to?
Aside from the 5 free song downloads per day every user is granted, there is no other limitation as long as there are sponsorships available. If at any given moment there are no sponsors to support the downloads, we are forced to pause this function until more sponsorships are gathered. This is the only way we can guarantee that artists will always receive a fixed, direct payment and that you can enjoy their songs for free.
However, a temporary lack of sponsorships doesn’t mean you cannot ‘fly around’ the website. Furthermore, it is a great moment to listen to as much music as you can and add it to your Favorites List. This way, when new sponsorships arrive, you’ll be up and ready to download all the songs you may have already chosen. You can also use keep using the recommendation system as well as every other amazing utility within the website.
Up
13. What is the ‘Donate!’ option for?
New Melodies permanently offers the possibility to every user to make a donation
in favor of our artistic community, which fills our lives with beautiful
creations. The total of the amount collected in terms of donations is equitably
distributed among the artists, as an addition to the fair, fix, direct
payment they all get every time a song of theirs is downloaded.
Nobody is forced to make a donation, but we are certain many users out there
love to give a little ‘extra’ to give an incentive to the music
that makes our lives so much better. Every penny in this fund consolidates
and strengthens our path towards setting the music free, for everybody, forever. Up
14. Can I use a Download Accelerator in New Melodies?
New Melodies doesn’t support any sort of Download Accelerator, so you
should turn yours off before enjoying our website. You won’t even miss
it, because the hefty New Melodies technological platform is top notch, so
you will always get the power and speed you were wishing for. Up
15. Why should I rate songs?
Rating songs helps measure their popularity, but above all it helps make
them real. What this means is that, as you know, not every song is right
for every moment. We most certainly won’t listen to the same song
while relaxing at home or while hanging out at a party. New Melodies knows
this, and this is why we have created a very innovative and unique rating
system that gives real life criteria, so that we can all find the right
song for the right moment, with ease.
When you rate a song, this little action is quite significant for the Community,
because it helps organize the songs based upon real public opinions, while
making every filter work better and allowing everybody to find the kind of
music they like.
Also, this is great for the artists, because they get real and direct feedback
on their work. You should listen to the music, write your comments and interact
with the Community. This will help you and everyone find new music and talents. Up
16. How do I contact an artist or any other user?
Inside every Preview page, you can click on the name of the artist, and this
will take you to his or her profile, where you will be able to send a message.
You can also click on the users’ pictures inside comments to get
to their profiles.
If you know the username of an artist or of anybody, the simplest way to
see their profiles is by adding the username just after the New Melodies
address. For instance, in order to see the profile of the artist Ari Borovoy,
you should go to your address bar and type: www.newmelodies.com/ariborovoy.
In the profiles you can ask to be a friend, send messages and, in the case
of artists, see the whole listing of their work. There are more answers related
to this topic in the corresponding section within this FAQ. Inicio
Answers for Artists
1. Why should I publish my work in New Melodies? What are the benefits?
There are a number of reasons as to why you should publish your work here. The most important one is that New Melodies is the only model that offers you a fix, fair, direct payment every time someone downloads one of your songs. Being a free service for everyone, just imagine how many downloads you could get! The only thing you have to do after that is to tell everyone to get your music here, and you’ll be earning money that otherwise would simply not exist or that you would lose due to piracy.
If this wasn’t enough, by publishing your work here you remain as the one and only owner of your career and your work, having total control over you business and creative decisions. You will have total independence and artistic freedom.
Besides, the New Melodies deal is non-exclusive whatsoever. You will always be able to negotiate with your music everywhere and with anyone you want. This means you can sell your ‘physical’ CD’s on any channel you wish, taking advantage of the digital era and at the same time, giving a boost to your traditional sales. New Melodies will help you impact a greater audience; we are talking about a worldwide community of millions here. You’ll be earning money and promoting yourself, which in turn means more success selling CD’s, more concerts and worrying only about that which you love the most: creating music.
You will also be part of an ever-growing Community, which will also keep you in touch with your audience and other artists. You will learn from their opinions and feedback, and you’ll have a unique opportunity to communicate with all of them at once about your new music and presentations.
Finally, you’ll keep doing everything you like, managing your career, handling deals and presentations, recording your music the way you decide and promoting it as you wish. The big difference is that now you have an outstanding tool at your service, which will give you earnings too and help you get as far as you have always dreamed. Now, it’s only up to you!
Up
2. Who can publish a song? What is needed?
Our members publish all the content in New Melodies. To become one of us,
you only need to register, and to publish a song you only need to click
on ‘Upload your own Song’ and follow the instructions. As it
is stated in our ‘Terms & Conditions’,
it is very important that you are the legitimate and rightful owner of
the proprietary rights of every work you upload. The only other alternative
is that you have been granted legal permission by the owner to publish
the song on his or her behalf. Otherwise, you would be committing a felony,
and only you will be held responsible for it. Up
3. How can I publish my music?
Publishing music in New Melodies is quite simple. First of all you must have
an account. Register and then click on ‘Upload your own Song’.
Follow the instructions onscreen. Make sure your song is in MP3 format,
otherwise you won’t be able to upload it, and make sure the quality
is at least 128 kbps, and that the recording is well done, otherwise no
one will download it!
It is really easy, and you’ll get a chance to upload your information
for the song, lyrics and album cover if you have it. If you don’t,
don’t worry, the system will give you a nice image to illustrate your
song. However, we do encourage you to post a nice picture for your work,
it will make it stand out and help your audience identify you. If you post
a picture, you must make sure that you own it; otherwise you would be infringing
the rights of its owner. Up
4. How do I publish the lyrics of my songs?
This is done at the moment of uploading a song. There’s a box in the
form for you to fill out. If you missed it and your song is already uploaded,
you can change its information –lyrics included- inside your portfolio,
in your profile. Up
5. How do I publish a video?
If you have a video clip related to your song, you can upload it just after
uploading the song. The process will take you there and give you the option,
you only have to select it if your wish, or skip if you don’t want
to do it at the moment. Your video can be in any format because the system
will convert it, but you should mind the quality of it, because if it’s
under par, people won’t appreciate it and it will be a waste. Up
6. How much do I get every time one of my songs is downloaded?
As an artist, you will earn USD$ 0.05 net each time someone downloads one of your songs. Watch the whole outlook! If you think about this figure in an isolated way it may not sound as though you’ll be moving to a Beverly Hill manor next week, but you’ll be getting a permanent, fix and direct amount, which by the way is quite fair in market terms. Your songs will have the potential of generate earnings 24/7, all around the globe. The opportunity to promote your work with an audience this large, worldwide, and to earn money at the same time is truly invaluable.
As if this wasn’t good enough, you also stay in control of your career, managing it and your creative decisions. You will always remain in control of your music and only you own it, now and forever. Additionally, you will have the possibility to receive and ‘extra’, proportional to the downloads you may have generated, coming from the fund gathered by donations.
How much you earn depends only upon the demand generated by your work. The more music you upload, the more people know you, the better you position yourself in the listings, will mean more and more downloads will add up really fast, and all of a sudden, your dream of living from making music will be true.
You must also acknowledge that what you earn under these conditions includes any sort of royalties or public performance fees that you may consider for publishing your work in New Melodies. This means you’re the only one responsible for paying whoever was involved in the creation of the work you’re presenting.
Up
7. How do I know how many times my songs have been downloaded?
This information is open to the public at any time. As an artist you can visit New Melodies whenever you like and check out this information. The number of plays and downloads appear below every song. If you want to know the total downloads your songs have generated, you won’t need a calculator, this sum appears in your Profile. Up
8. What are the payment conditions?
All artists will be paid with a money transfer made through PayPal. That’s why you need to create a PayPal account to collect your earnings. Payments are sent within the first five working days after each of the following dates: January 31st, April 30th, July 31st, and October 31st, every year. You will receive payment on every one of these dates as long as you have reached at least USD$ 100 in earnings. If the date arrives and you haven’t reached this amount, you shall not worry, because we’ll hold your balance and pay up once you reach it. A report of the earnings obtained through Sponsored Downloads will join every payment.
PayPal is present all around the globe, so you’re welcome to join in regardless of where you are. If you haven’t created your PayPal account yet, do it know, it is rather easy. Go to www.paypal.com
9. How do I replace a song or change its information?
You can replace a song or edit its information at any time inside your Portfolio,
in your Profile. Don’t worry about losing your ratings, numbers of
plays and downloads, comments, etc. because the system will hold this information
until you choose to erase a song, if you decide to do so. Up
10. How do I unsubscribe from New Melodies?
It seems unbelievable, but someone out there may actually want to unsubscribe
from New Melodies. If this is the case, artists can erase all of their
songs at any moment, no explanations needed. However, you should bear in
mind that New Melodies can only process payments under the conditions described
above, so, if whatever you may have earned between the last time you got
paid and the moment you’re unsubscribing won’t make it to your
account. Be careful to erase a song, because once you do it, it cannot
be undone, and all data –number of downloads included- will be deleted. Up
11. Do I need to work exclusively with New Melodies?
Not at all. Artists can manage their careers and their work however they
see fit. You should only mind not signing any exclusive deals with no one.
If you decide to sign an exclusivity deal somewhere else, you should delete
your music from New Melodies first. If you don’t, you’ll be
failing to fulfill your new contract from the beginning, putting you in
a legal conflict. Up
12. As an artist, do I need to pay anything to be
in New Melodies?
Not a penny. As an artist, just like every other member of the Community,
you have access to all of our services at absolutely no cost, now and forever.
You don’t have to pay to register, nor to upload or download a song.
We will never make you pay any fees, nor subscriptions or anything of the
sort. Artists not only don’t have to pay anything, but they will
be earning money here. Up
13. Do I keep my freedom as an independent artist?
Absolutely. New Melodies is the best way to reach a worldwide audience while
keeping your creative freedom and management decisions over your career
and your work. The direct feedback of your audience will allow you to know
their opinions and only you will decide what to do from this.
Artists can ‘fly around’ with total freedom, to make deals, promote
and sell their music however they want. The New Melodies philosophy is to
set the music free, and this freedom should also cover the creators. You
should only mind not signing any exclusive deals with no one. If you decide
to sign an exclusivity deal somewhere else, you should delete your music
from New Melodies first. If you don’t, you’ll be failing to fulfill
your new contract from the beginning, putting you in a legal conflict. Up
14. Is there a limit to the duration of a song?
There is no limit to the duration of a song, but the file cannot be over
10 mb. This way we make sure that the platform will operate adequately,
providing fast and effective downloads for everybody.
As for time periods, every song you upload to New Melodies will remain there
until you choose to erase it –if you decide to do so- or if it fails
to comply with our ‘Terms & Conditions’.
Careful though, if you don’t mind our rules, your account may be permanently
suspended. Up
15. How long does it take for my song to be published after I upload
it?
Songs are published right away. Publishing is automatic and your song will
be available to the audience immediately if you did the process correctly.
However, you must make sure that you are abiding by all the rules (being
the owner of the song, not infringing the ‘Terms & Conditions’,
etc.) because otherwise your song will be erased, your account may be suspended
and if you committed a violation to proprietary rights, you will be held
responsible for the law.
Make sure to have a joyful experience by being mindful of all the rules before
uploading anything to the system. Up
16. Why should I post the lyrics of my songs too?
Usually, songs with lyrics available are valued better by the Community,
and thus, are more successful. This is due to the fact the people appreciate
a good song, but they also appreciate good lyrics, and it is often easier
to do so, and learn them, if the author publishes them along with the song.
This is the same reason the booklets inside the CD boxes include the lyrics,
because they are a great a way of connecting with the audience. Take advantage
of this functionality! Up
17. What kind of videos
can I upload? Why should I?
You can publish any kind of videos as long as they are related with your
music. Just like with your music, you must be the owner of these videos
or have permission of the owner, so that you don’t infringe proprietary
rights.
We encourage you to upload video clips, interviews, ‘behind the cameras’,
and similar clips. Artists who do so are often more successful, and hence
their songs are more popular and generate more downloads.
You can also use the video function to communicate with the members of New
Melodies, so that you can promote events, give news and whatever you like.
Certainly, it is strictly forbidden to upload any sort of offensive material,
such as pornography, discrimination, hate or anything you’re not allowed
to publish here. Put simply, the same rules for songs apply for videos. Up
18. What is the maximum length for videos?
Videos may have a duration of up to 10 minutes.
As for time periods, every video you upload to New Melodies will remain there
until you choose to erase it –if you decide to do so- or if it fails
to comply with our ‘Terms & Conditions’. Careful though,
if you don’t mind our rules, your account may be permanently suspended. Up
19. I’m having issues uploading my song, lyrics, or video,
who can help me?
If after trying and reading this FAQ you still have issued for any of this
things, you should check to see if your browser is the most recent version
available. We strongly suggest you to use Firefox, Safari or Internet Explorer
7.
If you’re still having problems, we’ll be glad to help you out.
Just drop us a line at: contact@newmelodies.com Up
20. How can I promote my music in New Melodies? What should I do?
Tell everyone about New Melodies! The best way to promote your music and
increase your plays and downloads is by inviting everyone you know to visit
the website and check your work out. You can send emails to your friends,
tell the audience during a presentation, in your social network, etc. Tell
everybody that New Melodies provides free legal music downloads. You’ll
get paid and your friends will get your music for free.
Remember that a great way to promote your music in New Melodies is by using
your direct address. If people type this in their browser, they will get
directly to your profile, and they will be able to see all your information,
join your network and check out your music. You only have to place your username
right after the main address, that is: www.newmelodies.com/username. You
should let people know your personal address within New Melodies in your
presentation cards, flyers, public events, meetings, stickers, promotional
material, in your car, etc. Don’t miss a chance! Up
21. Does New Melodies publish my music in other media, such as the
radio?
New Melodies is not a publisher and has no rights over your work, so only
you can decide to promote your own music as you wish. New Melodies will never
handle or use your work in no way at all.
However, you must not forget that artists and labels invest huge amounts
of money to get themselves in the radio in order to promote their work. How
can this compete with the worldwide enthusiastic audience gathered in New
Melodies? You’re giving away your music, and people don’t have
to go to a store or pay a penny to get your music. You’re making money
without taking it from your fans! You can still do what you want to promote
your music anywhere else, but our gut is telling us you might not need it… Up
22. Do I have to pay New Melodies a fee from my earnings?
Not at all. The payment you get is a net total amount you earn per download.
We will never subtract any commission or tax. This means that only you
are responsible of informing your local revenue authorities of the income
you generate, and of paying the taxes your local law requires you to accordingly. Up
23. How do I create a PayPal account?
PayPal is the safest and best way to do transactions over the internet. This
is why they have over 150 million users around the world. Indeed, thanks
to their worldwide coverage, you can get paid no matter what country you
live in! You need to create a Premier account –the only one which
accepts payments- and don’t worry, it’s free! Go to: www.paypal.com.
We remind you that as a registered user in PayPal, you’re responsible
of handling your account with that company. You should know that New Melodies
is not related in any way with PayPal, we are just users of their reliable
system like millions around the world. You must acknowledge and abide by
their rules to use their platform. Up
24. How many songs can I publish? Is there a limit?
Not only are you allowed to upload as many songs as you want, but we encourage
you to do so. For example, when you compose a song, it is common that you
should try different arrangements, different instruments or even languages;
probably you have a remixed version or only the instrumental track to your
songs.
Well, you should publish them all! You will be giving the audience a wider
range of options to choose from, and you’ll be increasing the chances
of producing something for wider music tastes. Of course, this can only mean
more attention and more downloads.
If you have composed a number of songs and you have offered them to some
publishers with no success yet, or if you have always kept them in your drawer,
you should put them here! If after many courses and years of practice you
have finally made your first recording, New Melodies is the place where you
should make it public! It doesn’t matter if you are just discovering
a new artistic self in you, or if you have been secretly making a revolution
to the music world for years, this is the place where you can let everybody
know and acknowledge your talent!
You decide how far you want to get, but the more songs you put up, and the
more versions you create, the greater chance of success you’ll have.
However, it is important that you don’t attempt to upload the same
song more than once. This is not necessary, it affects the system’s
performance, it constitutes a violation to our ‘Terms & Conditions’,
and it could easily cause for your downloads to be lost. Also, our administrator
would delete the song and you could eventually get permanently suspended.
Don’t risk your participation. Up
25. How does the quality of my recordings impact the success I may
have?
Evidently, your song should be good for people to like it, but if the recording
is not up to par, it is very likely that they will rather not download it.
Making sure the quality of your recordings and mixes is as good as possible
will help you create a good reputation and climb in the rankings, increasing
your success.
New Melodies won’t filter out the songs based upon their quality since
the purpose is to given open scenery for the audience to make their picks.
Obviously, since everyone is able to hear a preview before downloading, a
bad recording or a poor quality will mean that no downloads will happen and
very soon your song will be buried at the bottom of the charts. Don’t
let your creativity and career suffer just for not paying attention to good
quality productions. Up
26. Can I promote in New Melodies presentations or events I may
have?
Certainly! This is one of the greatest advantages offered by New Melodies,
that not only are you allowed to do that, but that it will be as easy as
a breeze. However, before making any promotions inside the Community you
should remember that only you are responsible of the information you provide,
and hence you’re making a commitment with your audience in which New
Melodies has no part.
Sometimes, in some particular events, a certain agency or company may have
an exclusivity deal to make any promotions, so you must be careful of knowing
if there’s any such deal going on in the event you’ll take part
in before doing any sort of promotion on your own.
The website makes it really easy to send a message to all your friends and
fanclub at once, and/or to add an event to your public calendar for everyone
to see. These tools are available in your profile. Up
27. May I bring my own sponsors? Can I negotiate my own term and
conditions with them?
Of course you can, and you’re encouraged to do so if you’re actually
able to. In this case, you should contact us writing about your situation
and together we’ll work out the best way to pull it off. Our address
is contact@newmelodies.com Up
28. Why should I recommend New Melodies to other artists?
For everyone inside the New Melodies it is better when the Community grows,
and even more in the case of artists. This is because a larger number of
artists means a bigger music offer for everybody. As an artist, more musicians
publishing their work doesn’t mean competition, it means cooperation,
since more music means more attention from the public and wider audiences
for everybody. In turn, this means more sponsorships and benefits for everyone.
The New Melodies Community grows both on new talents and on experienced
artists. The more people involved in the flight, the closer we’ll
get to making sure music is set free forever. Up
29. I am already showcasing my work in other media; can I publish
it in New Melodies too? Why should I?
Of course you can and you should! Unless you have signed an exclusivity deal
somewhere, or if you have given away the proprietary rights to your songs,
you’re in total freedom to promote your music in New Melodies. We encourage
you to do so because this can only mean a greater impact, wider audiences,
more money and taking part in the Community that got here to set the music
free forever. Up
Proprietary Rights and Legal Affairs
1. How does New Melodies protect proprietary rights?
One of the main goals of New Melodies is to fairly value artistic work and
to eradicate piracy, thus, all the published works inside this Community
are protected by international intellectual rights laws at all times.
When an artist chooses to upload a song to New Melodies, he or she permanently
keeps the rights over it, and nobody is allowed to copy, modify, plagiarize,
distribute, nor commerce with it in any way. When someone publishes a song
in New Melodies, he or she is declaring that they are the rightful owners
of its proprietary rights, with the only exception being that they have been
granted permission by the legitimate owner to publish the song on his or
her behalf. Even though only the person who uploads a particular song is
responsible for it, New Melodies will never accept nor tolerate infractions
on proprietary rights. Hence, if any such violation is detected the song
will be immediately erased, the account suspended and New Melodies will do
every effort to collaborate with the authorities in bringing the felon to
justice.
Proprietary rights are no game. Claiming to be a songs author without it
being true, or exploiting any work without being the owner of without expressed
permission, as well as “composing” very similar songs (both in
sound and in lyrics) to an already published work, is not a game not a joke.
It is a felony and it is severely punished by laws everywhere. If you have
any doubt, read thoroughly our ‘Terms & Conditions’,
and remember that your local law applies to you and your actions at every
moment. Up
2. What happens with the proprietary rights of the songs published
in New Melodies?
If you upload your song, the proprietary rights to it are yours and only
yours, now and forever. You are the sole owner of the rights of your work
and no one is allowed to infringe on them in any way. International intellectual
property laws protect you and New Melodies is no the exception.
When you upload a song, you are declaring that you are the rightful owner
of its proprietary rights, with the only exception being that you have been
granted permission by the legitimate owner to publish the song on his or
her behalf. Even though only the person who uploads a particular song is
responsible for it, New Melodies will never accept nor tolerate infractions
on proprietary rights. Hence, if any such violation is detected the song
will be immediately erased, the account suspended and New Melodies will do
every effort to collaborate with the authorities in bringing the felon to
justice.
If any possible violation is detected by anyone in a song, they should click
on the ‘Report’ button and write the reason for the concern.
This will alert the administrator and action will be taken. Up
3. If I download a song from New Melodies, what am I allowed to
do with it?
Just like any CD you may have bought in a store, as a consumer you are entitled
to private execution of the song, you can also use it in your personal player
and make a back up copy in a disc for personal use.
The owner of the proprietary rights of a song is always the same, even after
you download a copy of the song. This means that you are not entitled to
using it in public performances, copy it, modify it, nor distribute or commerce
with it in any way. Any such violation is punished by international laws. Up
4. As an artist who publishes in New Melodies, am I subscribing
any sort of contract or deal with a record label or publisher?
You are not. In essence, the only thing you are declaring is that your own
the rights or have permission to publish a song, and you assume total responsibility
over it, while you authorize New Melodies to make it available to the audience
in exchange for the agreed payment and in accordance with the ‘Terms & Conditions’ of
the website.
New Melodies does not control you career, your music, or your public image.
There are no deadlines, fees, nor commissions. There is no small print. The
contract ends as soon as you take your work off New Melodies. Up
5. As an artist, do I get paid for public performance of my music?
There are no public performance payments. You shall not forget that you are
already being paid on downloads, and that payment includes all sorts of
royalties you might consider. The free preview is not an exploitation of
your work since it is limited to the first 60 seconds of the song and is
only intended as a promotion to concrete the download. If no preview were
available, there would hardly be any downloads. Up
6. I like a song published in New Melodies, and I want to sing it,
possibly with a different arrangement, another rhythm, tone or lyrics,
what should I do?
If this is your case, you should contact the artist who created the song
you like and tell him or her about your intention. The two of you can come
to an arrangement and make this real. Don’t hesitate about making such
a proposition, all of the artists in New Melodies are creative, original
people, who are always willing to try out new things, and this could make
way to a very fruitful musical relationship. Up
7. I’d like to sing a song that has already been published.
What should I do? What is a cover song?
A cover song is any redone recording of a song that has already been published
before. Any published song has, at some point, been made public, hence any
song you already know or any song included in a CD or any other media –New
Melodies included- is a published song.
If there’s a song you like to which you would like to make a cover,
you should contact the author to get him or her to grant you permission to
do so. Otherwise, you are not entitled to do so, and you would be making
a violation to proprietary rights, this is a felony and you would be held
responsible against the law. Besides, if you published such a song in New
Melodies, it would be deleted and your account permanently suspended. Up
8. I have noticed that one of the songs published in New Melodies
belongs to me (I’m the owner of the proprietary rights) or I am sure
that it belongs to someone different than the person who claims to own
it in the website. What should I do?
If the occasion may arise where you detect such a violation, you should make
a ‘Report’ on the song, simply by clicking the corresponding
button in the preview pane. The New Melodies administrator will contact the
person who uploaded the file to let him know of the situation so that it
can be solved.
You must be sure to have evidence to support that there is indeed a violation
going on before making a report, because otherwise you would be the one breaking
the law. Accusing someone of a crime he or she hasn’t committed is
a felony called defamation, and it is punished by laws everywhere.
Proprietary rights and accusations are not a game. Be careful and mindful
about your acts before doing anything in this sense. Up
9. As a Record Label or Publisher, I have noticed that one of the
songs published in New Melodies is property of my enterprise. What should
I do?
First of all you must rest assured that New Melodies doesn’t condone
nor tolerate any violation to proprietary rights. If the occasion may arise
where you detect such a violation, you should make a ‘Report’ on
the song, simply by clicking the corresponding button in the preview pane.
The New Melodies administrator will contact the person who uploaded the file
to let him know of the situation so that it can be solved. Even though New
Melodies has no part in any particular violation any subject may do, we will
do every effort to bring the involved persons to justice. Up
10. I have noticed that a song published in New Melodies is clearly
offensive due to its content (racism, discrimination, hate, etc.) What
should I do?
If the occasion may arise where you detect such a violation, you should make
a ‘Report’ on the song, simply by clicking the corresponding
button in the preview pane. The New Melodies administrator will check the
song to see if your claims are true. If indeed you are right about your report,
the song will be erased and the author will be warned. A second warning will
entail the permanent suspension of his or her account.
If, however, your claim isn’t true, you will be warned with the eventual
suspension of your account. Reporting is not a game nor is it a joke. Be
responsible about your acts. Up
11. What happens if someone makes a ‘Report’ on any
of my songs?
A Report may be done on any song it is suspected to have been stolen or if
its content is offensive in any way. Don’t worry, when a Report is
done, the administrator will check to see what is going on here. If someone
claims that you are not the owner of a song you published, you will have
to evidence that you are, and the other party will also have to evidence
that his claim is true. New Melodies doesn’t take part in any of these
situations, but it will make every effort to get the parties involved to
clear out the situation and it will take measures so that any lawbreakers
are punished, let it be for plagiarizing or for defamation.
You don’t have any reason to be worried about reports and legal affairs
if you abide by the rules explained in ‘Terms & Conditions’.
Basically, be sure to publish nothing but the work you created and that you
own, and never upload anything offensive or discriminatory. Mind this two
simple conditions and you won’t have any worries. Up
Karaoke
1. What is Karaoke?
When you choose this option inside the browse bar, you will find song tracks
that have been recorded without the lead singing. The lyrics are also available.
The point of this is that you can have fun singing the music you find here,
or if you think you are talented, you can actually make your own recording
and let the Community hear your renditions of the songs found in this section.
As an artist, putting up karaoke versions of your songs is a great way to
stand out and create a connection with your audience. Nothing better to promote
yourself and let people have fun with your music. This will certainly make
a positive impact in your success. The world is listening! Inicio
2. How does Karaoke work?
It is really simple. You search and filter for Karaoke songs just as you
do with regular songs. Once you find one you are particularly fond of,
you can download it and record a version with your singing. Then, you can
upload it to share your interpretation with the world. You can even create
your own video clip from this and publish it online. It is very fun and
pretty much like those talent contests on TV, only there are no judges,
and only the audience will pick who has really got it going on. Inicio
3. As an artist, why should I use Karaoke to promote my music?
You should do it because it is an excellent way to invite others to interact
directly with your work. It is a fun and original way to promote your music
and boost your presence and success. Your fans will love that you are giving
them this possibility! Inicio
4. Do I earn money if someone downloads my Karaoke track and/or
when they upload their own interpretation of my song?
The purpose of publishing karaoke tracks is not to directly earn money from
it, but to use it as the great promotion tool it is, which will certainly
result in a better success for your music and a wider audience for yourself. Up
5. How do I publish my own Karaoke interpretation? What’s
the point? Do I get paid?
To upload a karaoke song, you do it just like every other song, except you
will have to select that it is a karaoke song and follow the instructions
on screen. You shall bear in mind that karaoke tracks don’t generate
revenue directly, because they are offered as a promotional tool in order
to build larger audiences and have greater success with the rest of your
work. Up
6. I am a good singer, but I’m unknown. If I showcase my interpretations,
will this help me get known?
Certainly. Possibilities are unlimited. The New Melodies Community knows
how to appreciate a good voice, and once you gather enough attention, it
is a fact that all sorts of opportunities will arise, particularly because
there is a large number of composers out there who create excellent songs
but are in need of a singer. New Melodies allows you to branch out and connect,
so that you can create all sorts of great projects together. Up
7. I want to sing a song found in Karaoke, with a different arrangement,
another rhythm, tone or lyrics, what should I do?
If this is your case, you should contact the artist who created the song
you like and tell him or her about your intention. The two of you can come
to an arrangement and make this real. Don’t hesitate about making such
a proposition, all of the artists in New Melodies are creative, original
people, who are always willing to try out new things, and this could make
way to a very fruitful musical relationship. Up
8. I’d like to use a Karaoke track but with different lyrics
than those wrote by the author, what should I do?
If you wish to make any changes to a song created by someone else, you need
them to grant you permission to do that. Contact them through the website
and tell them about how you feel. Don’t hesitate about making such
a proposition, all of the artists in New Melodies are creative, original
people, who are always willing to try out new things, and this could make
way to a very fruitful musical relationship. Up
Friends, Fanclubs and Messages
1. How do I find a user or an artist in New Melodies?
Every member of the New Melodies Community has a personal profile where you
can find all of his or her information. At any moment, you can click on
the picture of any member and get to their profile. If the person is an
artist, you can click on any song of theirs and then click on their name.
This will take you to the profile. You can add any member as your friend
by clicking the corresponding button in the Profile. Once the other party
accepts you as a friend, you both will appear in each other Friends’ list.
You can also send messages through the system to any member, using the
button inside their profile.
If you wish to stay in touch with an artist, so that you know every time
he or she puts up a new song or when they are having an event you should
join their Fanclub. In order to join a Fanclub you must be accepted by the
artist, so you must begin by submitting a request. You can do this at the
bottom of any song preview page.
A great way to go directly to any user’s profile is to add their username
just after the main address: www.newmelodies.com/username. This will show
you all their info and list of songs and favorites. If you are an artist,
this is an excellent way to promote yourself, because people will be able
to see all your work in one single page, as well as your information, your
background info, news and calendar with events. Up
2. What does it mean to be a member of an artist’s Fanclub?
When you become part of a Fanclub, you make sure that you’ll receive
every notification they might send out directly in your inbox. This will
also show in your profile, making it easy for other members to track your
favorite artists, and pretty soon you’ll be connected with people all
around the world who share your taste in music. Up
3. How do I become a member of an artist’s Fanclub?
First of all you need to be a registered user. Registration is easy and free.
Once you do it, you should locate a song of the artist you like. You can
search for his or her name in the search box. Enter any of the song previews.
Once you do it, scroll down until you see Join the Fanclub. You will have
to submit a request that the artist will have to accept. Once you are accepted,
you are in! You’re now an official member of the club! Up
4. How do I send a message to a user or an artist?
To send a message, both to artists and to any other user, you simply have
to enter their profile and select the “Send a Message” option.
This will send your communication to their inbox. All messages are private. Up
5. I have questions or comments for the New Melodies Team, how can
I contact them?
If you have fully read the FAQ and the rest of the sections within our website
and still have doubts, or if you want to make a suggestion or comment, we’ll
be glad to hear from you. Drop us a line to contact@newmelodies.com Inicio
My Personal Profile
1. How do I modify my Profile? Why should I keep it up to date always?
Editing the information in your Profile is very easy. You only need to be
logged in and go into your Profile. You can edit your registration information
right there simply by clicking the corresponding button. Keeping it up
to date guarantees that you are an active member, and this allows us to
make sure that you will always find in the website what you are looking
for.
Keeping your profile with the right information and up to date helps us find
sponsors who have messages that might be of interest to you, while also making
sure that you don’t waste your time seeing stuff you are not interested
in. Remember it is thanks to our sponsorships that we all can enjoy free
music and so that the artists get the fair pay they deserve. Rest assured
New Melodies will never share or sell your personal information since we
only use it to profile our community, and your privacy is always been protected. Up
2. How do I change my password?
You can do this inside your profile, simply by clicking on ‘Edit registered
information’. Up
3. How do I change my privacy settings?
You can do this inside your profile, simply by clicking on ‘Edit registered
information’. There you will have the option to make the year of your
birth as well as your email address private or public.Up
4. What is my List of Favorites for?
Your List of Favorites includes all the songs you have selected from the
platform, and is available for you to see in your profile, but also for
everybody to look at. The point is that you can find out who has similar
tastes to yours, and make new friends while discovering new music that
you may have not know existed.
Another great function of the List of Favorites is that if for any reason
you are unable to do a download at the moment, you simply add it to your
list so that you can find it easily later and download it when you want.
Take advantage of this function!Up
Sponsorships and Advertising in New Melodies
1. I wish to place my ad or to sponsor songs in New Melodies, what
should I do?
Scroll down to the bottom of the website. Then click on ‘Advertise
with us’. This will take you to the section where you will find a contact
form in which you will be able to write to us. A representative from our
closest New Melodies Regional Office will contact you within 2 working days
after your request has been submitted. Up
2. Where are the prices published?
Scroll down to the bottom of the website. Then click on ‘Advertise
with us’. This will take you to the section where you will find a pricing
table. For your convenience, you will have the option to download the file “Price
Structure”, so that you can have this information always at hand. Up
3. Can I sponsor exclusively one artist or song? What should I do?
Of course you can. New Melodies is all about endless possibilities. Scroll
down to the bottom of the website. Then click on ‘Advertise with
us’. This will take you to the section where you will find a contact
form in which you will be able to write to us. A representative from our
closest New Melodies Regional Office will contact you within 2 working
days after your request has been submitted. Up