FAQ - Frequently asked questions 
Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about licencing and payment, as well as about copyright and legal issues. If in doubt, do not hesitate to contact us. We will be glad to help you personally.
Why do I need to get the activation information for my account?
If you already have an active flat rate with us, reregistration would mean that the system would not apply the flat rate because it does not recognize you. Recognition and application of the flat rate require your email address and customer number. Since many customers have more than one email address with us, we try to pick the one you usually contact us from. But often that’s not easy to do. So we ask that you request the correct data before activating the account. After activation you can naturally change all of your information, including the email address. Once your account is activated we’ll send you a password. Log on as usual, using only the email address you entered and the password. Please replace the password you get from us as soon as possible.
I can't register
If you try to sign up for a new account and see the message “You already have an account with us” then the email you are trying to register is already registered with us. That means that an online account has already been set up for you (possibly by one of our staff), or that you are already a flat rate customer with us but have not yet activated your flat rate account online. If this is the case, please request your activation information from us. Following activation, you can then log on with your email address and password as usual. We automatically generate a starting password, which you can change at any time.
Single track licence - single use (including local broadcast)
This licence lets you use a track in a single production, for example an image video.
• Valid worldwide online, including social media, YouTube and similar platforms, cross-media, on audiovisual media (DVD, BD etc.) and public performance.
• Including local broadcast on TV or radio with a reach of up to 30,000 households.
• The licence is without time limit (except for TV, radio and cinema advertisements).
• The term of the licence for TV, radio and cinema advertisements is limited to 2 years.
Any additional versions of the selected track are not covered by this licence and must be licenced separately. If you want to do this, see our “Single track licence - multiple use” model.
(Note: If purchasing a multiple use licence it may be necessary to add a broadcast level upgrade.)
Single track licence - single use (including regional broadcast)
This licence lets you use a track in a single production, for example an image video.
• Valid worldwide online, including social media, YouTube and similar platforms, cross-media, on audiovisual media (DVD, BD etc.) and public performance
• Including regional broadcast on TV or radio with a reach of up to 500,000 households.
• The term of the licence for TV, radio and cinema advertisements is limited to 2 years.
Any additional versions of the selected track are not covered by this licence and must be licenced separately. If you want to do this, see our “Single track licence - multiple use” model.
(Note: If purchasing a multiple use licence it may be necessary to add a broadcast level upgrade.)
Single track licence - single use (including trans-regional broadcast)
This licence lets you use a track in a single production, for example an image video.
• Valid worldwide online, including social media, YouTube and similar platforms, cross-media, on audiovisual media (DVD, BD etc.) and public performance.
• Including trans-regional broadcast on TV or radio with a reach of up to 5 million households.
• The licence is without time limit (except for TV, radio and cinema advertisements).
• The term of the licence for TV, radio and cinema advertisements is limited to 2 years.
Any additional versions of the selected track are not covered by this licence and must be licenced separately. If you want to do this, see our “Single track licence - multiple use” model.
(Note: If purchasing a multiple use licence it may be necessary to add a broadcast level upgrade.)
Single track licence - single use (including worldwide broadcast)
This licence lets you use a track in a single production, for example an image video.
• Valid worldwide online, including social media, YouTube and similar platforms, cross-media, on audiovisual media (DVD, BD etc.) and public performance.
• Including worldwide broadcast on TV or radio with a reach of 5 million households or more.
• The term of the licence for TV, radio and cinema advertisements is limited to 2 years.
Any additional versions of the selected track are not covered by this licence and must be licenced separately. If you want to do this, see our “Single track licence - multiple use” model.
(Note: If purchasing a multiple use licence it may be necessary to add a broadcast level upgrade.)
Single track licence - multiple use
This licence lets you use a track in any number of productions.
• Any additional or alternative versions of the licenced track are automatically included at no additional cost.
• Valid worldwide online, including social media, YouTube and similar platforms, cross-media, on audiovisual media (DVD, BD etc.) and public performance.
• Including local broadcast on TV or radio with a reach of up to 30,000 households.
• The licence is without time limit (except for TV, radio and cinema advertisements).
• The term of the licence for TV, radio and cinema advertisements is limited to 2 years.
An upgrade of the broadcast level (extension of reach to regional, trans-regional or worldwide) can be added at any time, but only for one specific production at a time. A comprehensive upgrade of the broadcast level for the multiple use licence is not possible.
5 track package licence
This licence lets you use 5 tracks in any number of productions.
• Any additional or alternative versions of the licenced tracks are automatically included at no additional cost.
• Valid worldwide online, including social media, YouTube and similar platforms, cross-media, on audiovisual media (DVD, BD etc.) and public performance.
• Including local broadcast on TV or radio with a reach of up to 30,000 households.
• The licence is without time limit (except for TV, radio and cinema advertisements).
• The term of the licence for TV, radio and cinema advertisements is limited to 2 years.
An upgrade of the broadcast level (extension of reach to regional, trans-regional or worldwide) can be added at any time, but only for one specific production at a time. A comprehensive upgrade of the broadcast level for one or all of the tracks in the 5 track package is not possible.
The tracks do not need to be selected at the time of purchase of the track. Unused licences are credited to your customer account and can be used at any time as needed.
CD licence
This licence lets you use all the tracks on the licenced (double) CD in any number of productions.
• Any additional or alternative versions of all the tracks on the licenced (double) CD are automatically included at no additional cost.
• Whether the CD is a single or double CD, any additional or alternative versions of all the tracks on CDs are automatically included at no additional cost.
• Valid worldwide online, including social media, YouTube and similar platforms, cross-media, on audiovisual media (DVD, BD etc.) and public performance.
• Including local broadcast on TV or radio with a reach of up to 30,000 households.
• The licence is without time limit (except for TV, radio and cinema advertisements).
• The term of the licence for TV, radio and cinema advertisements is limited to 2 years.
An upgrade of the broadcast level (extension of reach to regional, trans-regional or worldwide) can be added at any time, but only for one specific production at a time. A comprehensive upgrade of the broadcast level for one or more tracks of the licenced (double) CD is not possible.
musicflat Basic licence
This licence lets you use our music for the following types of productions:
• Your own productions with exclusively own content.
• Productions made for clients, with exclusively own content.
• Productions with commercial content that refer only to your own company and are used only by your own company (e.g. internal educational films, presentations of your own products, etc.).
• Productions with institutional content that refer only to your own institution (school, govt. agency, university, church) and are used only by it.
For all of these productions using musicflat Basic music:
• Valid worldwide online, including social media, YouTube and similar platforms, cross-media, on audiovisual media (DVD, BD etc.) and public performance.
• A broadcast licence (broadcast/transmission on radio or TV, or showing in cinema) is explicitly not included, but can be booked individually for specific productions.
musicflat Extended licence
The bluevalley musicflat Extended includes everything in the bluevalley musicflat Basic, plus:
• Commercial and institutional productions for third parties (e.g. as agency or film producer).
• Valid worldwide online, including social media, YouTube and similar platforms, cross-media, on audiovisual media (DVD, BD etc.) and public performance, and for local TV and radio with a reach of up to 30 K households.
An upgrade of the broadcast level (extension of the reach for TV and radio) can be booked individually for specific productions. For a comprehensive upgrade of the broadcast level, book our bluevalley musicflat Pro.
Productions using bluevalley that are completed during the term of the bluevalley musicflat Extended retain their music usage rights after termination (cancellation) of the musicflat Extended and can continue to be used as long as they are not changed. This excludes TV, radio and cinema advertisements, whose term is restricted to 2 years.
Tracks used as recurring jingles or trailers, as for the supporting programme of a broadcaster, may not continue to be used after termination (cancellation) of the musicflat Extended.
musicflat Pro licence (regional)
The bluevalley musicflat Pro includes everything in the bluevalley musicflat Extended, plus:
• Regional broadcast on TV or radio with a reach of up to 500,000 households.
An upgrade of the broadcast level (extension of the reach for TV and radio) can be booked individually for specific productions. For a comprehensive upgrade of the broadcast level, you can book our additional “trans-regional” (up to 5 million households) or “worldwide” (unlimited) options for the bluevalley musicflat Pro.
Productions using bluevalley that are completed during the term of the bluevalley musicflat Pro retain their music usage rights after termination (cancellation) of the musicflat Pro and can continue to be used as long as they are not changed. This excludes TV, radio and cinema advertisements, whose term is restricted to 2 years.
Tracks used as recurring jingles or trailers, as for the supporting programme of a broadcaster, may not continue to be used after termination (cancellation) of the musicflat Pro.
musicflat Pro licence (trans-regional)
You can add the “trans-regional” option to your bluevalley musicflat Pro booking to extend your reach for all productions:
• Broadcast/transmission on TV, radio or cinema with a reach of up to 5 million households.
Productions using bluevalley that are completed during the term of the bluevalley musicflat Pro retain their music usage rights after termination (cancellation) of the musicflat Pro and can continue to be used as long as they are not changed. This excludes TV, radio and cinema advertisements, whose term is restricted to 2 years.
Tracks used as recurring jingles or trailers, as for the supporting programme of a broadcaster, may not continue to be used after termination (cancellation) of the musicflat Pro.
musicflat Pro licence (worldwide)
You can add the “worldwide” option to your bluevalley musicflat Pro booking to get the highest broadcast level for all productions:
• Broadcast/transmission on TV, radio or cinema with unlimited reach.
Productions using bluevalley music that are completed during the term of the bluevalley musicflat Pro retain their music usage rights after termination (cancellation) of the musicflat Pro and can continue to be used as long as they are not changed. This excludes TV, radio and cinema advertisements, whose term is restricted to 2 years.
Tracks used as recurring jingles or trailers, as for the supporting programme of a broadcaster, may not continue to be used after termination (cancellation) of the musicflat Pro.
What?s the difference between single and multiple use?
The first difference between these two licence models is shown in the name. A music track licenced for single use can only be used in a single project. A track licenced for multiple use can be used in any number of projects, without time limits.
There is also another difference. A single licence can only be used for the specified version of the track. All other versions must be licenced separately. With a multiple use licence, whether for the 5 track package or licencing of an entire CD, all available versions of a track are also licenced at no extra cost.
Why is an entire CD a better deal than a 5-track package?
When you buy a 5-track package you can select from our archive the 5 tracks you want and that meet your needs best. With a CD you get much more material, but not all of the tracks may be as useful as your “Top 5” selections.
Can I buy music as a private individual?
Unfortunately, our WebShop can be used only by commercial customers. If you are a private individual or amateur film maker, please use our contact page. We will be glad to inform you of rates and terms for the private use of our music.
Bear in mind that the usage rights for private use are not the same as for commercial use. Private usage rights only let you use the music with projects that consist exclusively of your own images and/or video material. Setting music to third party material, whether commercial or private, is explicitly NOT permitted with a private licence.
The same applies to the use of completed projects. For example, you can use the music in a holiday video and show it to family and friends, or show your private travel report publicly where you live. But this cannot be in a commercial context or for advertising purposes. For example, if a travel agency wants to use your private holiday film for advertising purposes, this constitutes commercial use and requires licencing as such, even if the visual content of the video is entirely your own.
Ask us if you are in doubt about whether you need to get private or commercial licencing.
Can I resell music?
No, you cannot resell or licence music separately.
As our licensee, you can use the music for audio, visual or film productions. Depending on the licence, these can be your own private use or for your clients. You can transfer our music only as part of such a production made by your company.
But you cannot transfer it or make it available to others as separate music (not incorporated into an audio, visual or film production made by you). This applies especially to transfer to other film studios or agencies who could use our music for their own productions.
I licenced the wrong track. Can I change it?
If you bought a licence for the wrong track by mistake, we can correct it as long as you haven’t used the track and have not made a release document for it. Let us know, and we’ll block the track you licenced by mistake and link your licence to the track you want, so you can download it and make a release document for it.
See also:
Can I return a licence I already purchased?
If you purchased the licence but have not yet used it, i.e. no licence document has been made, contact us. We may be able to cancel the purchase.
However, if you have already used the licence and made a release document for and downloaded one or more tracks, we are unable to retroactively cancel those documents. Thus, licences you have already used cannot be exchanged or returned.
If you aren’t sure, please call or otherwise get in touch with us. Usually we can find a solution.
See also:
Can I resell music as telephone (on-hold) music?
If you are making a message for a phone system for a client (meaning that you record the voice and any sounds), with the appropriate licence you can use our music and provide the finished product to the client for their telephone system.
However, if you do not do the recording of the actual message but instead only provide the music, you may not use our music, as that would constitute a simple resale of our music, which you as licensee are not entitled to do.
If you specialize in the production of telephone messages, contact us personally. In some cases we can extend the licencing conditions of a musicflat somewhat, so that you have more freedom to use our music while remaining protected in borderline cases.
Can I alter, shorten or lengthen a track?
You can always change the length of a track to meet your requirements by cutting it. If you need to you can use our free cutting service. You can also combine different versions of track to make a new version. However, this does not change the fact that the track remains the copyright property of bluevalley.
However, musical alterations, as for example if you use the track as playback and sing or play other instruments over it, are permitted only with the explicit written permission of bluevalley.
Can I send tracks to a client for them to select?
Yes you can. Once you find the desired track in Music Search, click on the track title. This will take you to a detail view where the other versions of the track (if available) are listed. Copy the address line of your browser and then paste that address in an email to your client. That’s it. Repeat this for all the tracks you want to offer your client, and send them the mail.
The client will see the addresses as links. Clicking on one will take them directly to the track. They can listen to it full length and even download it as a demo with watermark.
You can also send us a list of the tracks you wish to send to your client. We will then create an individual playlist and provide you with a link to this list. You can then send this link to your client. It will take him directly to his inividual playlist on our website.
Cancellation and notice periods
The minimum term of a musicflat is 12 months. At the end of this period the musicflat automatically extends for three more months. You can prevent this automatic extension by cancelling the musicflat no later than 1 month before the end of the current licence term (before the next extension) (see "Standard Terms" §5, para. 1).
If you cancel a musicflat with the required period of notice, your productions that use our music retain their music usage rights without time limitation. That means that you do not need to redo the music to productions that use our tracks. However, this is on the condition that the productions are not altered after cancellation of the musicflat. This does not include recurring jingles, trailers and similar productions, such as are used in the supporting programme of a TV or radio station (for example, the intro jingle to the weather or news); these may not be used after cancellation of the musicflat, but must be taken off the air (see "Licence Agreement" §4, para. 3 under our Standard Terms).
Cancelling a musicflat is very easy. Log on to your bluevalley account. Go to “Settings / My contract information” and scroll down to the bottom. There you will see a “Cancel musicflat” button.
How do I change the mode of payment for my musicflat?
Log on to your bluevalley account. Go to “Settings / My contract information” and scroll down to the bottom. There you will see a “Change mode of payment” button.
Payment by PayPal
You can use a PayPal account with our WebShop, for one-time as well as regular (monthly) payments for a musicflat.
Payment by credit card
Currently we accept VISA and MasterCard.
Payment by SEPA direct debit
If you want we’ll debit payments from your account by SEPA direct debit. This is especially practical for recurring payments, like with a musicflat. The monthly amount is automatically debited from your account. Naturally this also works for one-time payments.