Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Shawn Reeder? Why did he start this site?

I am a musician, photographer, entrepreneur, and outdoor nature lover who lives in California’s Eastern Sierra. I have built this site because I wanted to make a place where I could make my music available to photographers and videographers who are looking for great music to use for their slide shows, DVDs, websites, and other media where they'll be synchronizing audio with visual media.

As a photographer, I know how important music is in the presentation of my work on the web and in slide shows and DVD’s. I also know how hard it was for me to find good music that was easy to purchase and download that came with the license that would meet my needs. So as a musician who has done lots of recording, I decided to use my own music on my website and online slideshows. And now after much feedback from the photographic community to make that music available, I’ve built this site!

I'm also contracting with lots of friends and other independent musicians, and look forward to working with many more, so this is gonna be really exciting as we continue to grow and offer great music of many styles and genres at an awesome price specifically for photographers and videographers.

What's included when I buy a song?

When you buy a song, you will download a zip file which will include a WAV and Mp3 version of the song that you ordered. It will also include the special “royalty free sync” license which allows you to be able to use the music to market your business within the accepted terms. You can find out more information about our license by checking out the License tab which details the usages allowed. Generally it allows you to use the music with your website, slide shows, videos, and a lot of the places you want to use audio in synchronization with visual media. There are however a few restrictions. The license doesn't include usages on broadcast TV, radio,or major motion picture, but we're more than willing to prepare a custom license if those are your needs. Please contact us if you'd like to learn more about a customized license.

What is “royalty free” music or a “sync” license?

The license that we're providing you allows you to use the music without any ongoing royalty obligation. This means you buy the music once, and you can use it for life (or 99 years to be completely accurate)! The original copyright owner still retains the copyright, but we're selling you a license that allows you to use the music for a wide variety of uses and you don't have to pay any additional fees. Now there are some restrictions on the music license and you can find out all the details if you go to the License tab and check out the details of the license we offer.

Does all “royalty free” music come with the same license?

No, each distributer of “royalty free” music will issue their own unique license, so make sure to read the details on the License page to make sure that the included usages in our license will meet your needs. If you are interested in a license for needs beyond the scope of what’s included, please contact us about a custom license.

Who are the musicians that are involved?

I started this site as a way to be able to offer my music and the music of a great amount of amazingly talented and diverse musician friends who are close to me. I am also contracting with many independent musicians from around the country and I’m very excited to be able to increase the amount of styles and genres and different types of music. I’m really excited for this to grow, so if you're an independent musician interested in making your music available to professional photographers, videographers, and beyond, please contact us.

Can we use the music anywhere we like?

The license will cover the usages of what 98% of professional photographers and videographers will need. There are however a few limitations, mainly in relation to broadcast. You cannot use the music for broadcast radio, broadcast TV, or major motion picture. This license was designed for the needs of most photographers and videographers, but please check the License tab for more information and the details of the license that we offer with our music. Remember, we can always negotiate a custom license, so please free to contact us if you're interested in a custom license.

Can you make us CD's of the music?

No we don't sell CD's of the music, all music will be delivered as a digital download only. This makes this really easy. You get your music right away, you don't have to wait for CD's to arrive, and this helps both of us by us by not having to charge sales tax.

In what format is your music available?

Our music is available as a digital download. It comes as a WAV and Mp3 format in a zip file.

What is the difference between WAV and Mp3 files?

WAV is a lossless uncompressed format for the highest quality sound. Mp3 is a compressed format although it still sounds great. Mp3 is much better suited for used on the web.

Can I change the length of or edit the songs that I purchase?

Yes, You may edit and/or loop the music to change the length to meet your needs.

If you have any additional questions, please contact us.