General

• Is mTraks a legal music site?

  Yes! mTraks is a legal digital music provider. Music for sale on mTraks is licensed from the licensor/artist . When you purchase music on mTraks you can rest assured that it is a legal purchase that has been authorized in-writing by the content owners, their representatives or their record labels.

Listeners

• Why does it say, "This record is not available in your country"?

  "Error adding this item to your cart."

  "Sorry, but that item is not licensed for distribution in your country."

  You may see an error box pop-up that warns the record is not licensed for distribution in your country. This is because certain recordings can only be sold to Canada, or the USA. As of right now mTraks only sells music to those who reside in the United States or Canada. Some recordings are only for sale to Canada, or to the USA.

  Why? Artists and their record labels allow their music to be sold via license to countries of their own choosing. mTraks licenses music recordings for sale over the Internet from distributors and also direct from artists and record labels. To know which recordings are available for sale in your country, please see the availability notice on each record page, like this; "Availability: Canada, USA".

• What does DRM-free mean?

  mTraks song files are DRM-free. DRM stands for Digital Rights Management technology. DRM-free files are not restricted from playback or copying. Music downloads with DRM have devilishly tricky digital instructions that are embeded by the recording's owners (the MAJOR record labels) into their song files to restrict certain types of playback or copying. Remember boys and girls that file sharing over P2P websites is still illegal! The Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) protects the rights of music copyright owners.

  Update: To be fair we should note that several major labels have recently decided to offer their catalogs in DRM-free format to selected music services.

• I keep getting this error message when I try to play my songs. Can you help?

  "The Player might not support the file type or might not support the codec that was used to compress the file." (or something like this...)

  Almost all desktop applications will play mp3 files. Our songs are mp3 file types. If your player does not have the necessary codec installed, you will need to get that codec from the manufaturer of that player. If you want a good application that will play our files easily, we recommend using the Winamp desktop player. Understand that if you choose to download this player you must contact Winamp if you need help installing or getting it to work. But it’s pretty easy and a great player. To download the Winamp player please go here for the free player.

  http://www.winamp.com/player

• Who is mTraks anyway? How do I reach mTraks?

  mTraks, Inc. is a digital music services provider to labels and original music content owners. mTraks is a Delaware Corportation with our principle business facility being located in San Diego, California. Check the About Us link at the bottom of each page for complete contact information.

• What is the quality of the songs I download on mTraks?

  What's the quality of the songs I download on mTraks? What are the file types that mTraks sells? What format do the downloads come in?

  mTraks offers it's music files for download in high-quality MP3 audio, variable bit rate (VBR), stereo format. MP3 is a compressed CD quality format designed to maintan optimum sound quality and to keep the file size down.

  Specifically; each mTraks recording is encoded in format MPEG-1, Layer 3; 192kbps (VBR); Joint Stereo; sample rate is 44.100 kHz. The vast majority of the MP3s that mTraks sells are Lame encoded. Each song you download comes with ID3 tag and album artwork embedded (unless the album art is not provided by the distributor).

  MP3 files play on almost all digital handheld music players and computers including PCs, Macintosh, and Linux. So you'll need to check to see if your device plays mp3s. For a complete understanding of mp3 vbr files you can go to Wikepedia and read up here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MP3

• Will mTraks downloads play on my iPod?

  Yes. The iPod plays mp3 VBR files. You can purchase music from us and play those songs on your iPod. Here is the web address to iTunes FAQ where you can verify that your iPod will play mp3 VBR files.

  http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=61476

• How do I change / update my email address?

  You can easily change / update your email address in your Listener backend like this:

  log into your account
  click on My Account button in top right of mTraks website page
  choose Preferences in the pane on your left
  Update your email in the box provided

• What digital music players will mTraks downloads work with?

  mTraks files come in unrestricted MP3 variable bit rate (VBR) format. mTraks downloads will work on any player that supports MP3 format. The iTunes and Windows Media Players on your computer will play mTraks downloads. The MP3 VBR format is also compatible with almost all handheld digital music players. If you're still not sure, then check with your device manufacturer to find out if yours can rock MP3s.

• I would like to license music I found on mTraks for a project. Can mTraks help me obtain a license?

  If you have a project in need of an original recording, be it a movie or television production and need clearances, permissions and licenses for use, mTraks will act as your representative and contact the appropriate publishers, copyright owners and mechanical license holders for you. mTraks charges a 15% fee for this service which is always paid out of the license fee taken by the publisher. Please call (858) 764-6910 and ask for Dey Martin.

• What? No Paypal? Whasssup?

  We gladly accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover cards to purchase music for download on mTraks. We do not use Paypal. Sorry.

• What countries does mTraks sell to?

  mTraks only sells music to residents of the USA and Canada. You must also use a US or Canadian credit card to pay for your purchase.

• When I try and play my song, it cuts out half way through...

  "It may be that the songs that sound like they're getting cut off are actually songs that bleed into the next song. You may even have a few songs on your disc that are supposed to flow seamlessly together, but when they're separated, they sound cut off. Make sense?

  If you listen to the song(s) in iTunes or some other player that allows playback with 'no gaps' set between songs, you may find that it plays back correctly."

• I can not hear any of the audio samples. What should I do?

  The mTraks music samples can be played by clicking on the arrow button to the left of each song listed. Our samples are designed to work on every browser type and operating system.

  If you cannot hear the sample, first make sure your volume is turned up. DOH!

  Check to see that you have the most recent version of adobe flash. The player on mTraks.com uses a flash player for mp3 samples. The current version of adobe flash can be downloaded here: (we do not offer help with flash installation)
  
  

  Known issues: If you are using Internet Explorer Version 6, you may need to verify that you have the most current version of flash installed. Flash version 10 is needed for IE6 to work.

  If you still cannot hear the playback let us know by sending us a notice on our Send Us Feedback page http://www.mtraks.com/support/feedback.

• I downloaded music from mTraks but can't find it on my computer! Where can I find it?

  Find Downloaded Music on Your PC
  Windows XP or Vista
  When a song has completed downloading, you can find it in the default location "Downloads" folder in your "My Music" folder in "My Documents" or in the Windows Media Player Media Library. If iTunes is installed on your computer, the music you download will also be listed in your Music playlist in iTunes.
  
  Find Downloaded Music on an Apple / Macintosh computer
  OSX Operating System or OSX Leopard
  When a song has completed downloading, you can find it in the default location "Downloads" folder in your "iTunes" folder under "Music" on your computer or in the Windows Media Player Media Library. If iTunes is installed on your computer (if it's a Mac it will be), the music you download will also be listed in your Music playlist in your iTunes application.

• Can I re-download the songs I purchased on mTraks for free?

  Yes. All of your purchased music history can be recalled in your My Account > Music Downloads area. There you will be able to re-download from any computer at no additional charge. You will also find any un-downloaded songs you have purchased there.

• Windows Media Player won't play my song!

  The Windows Media Player is designed to play a wide variety of audio files including the .mp3 files that we sell here on mTraks.com. If you are having difficulty playing our files on the WMP, please consider following this url to the Windows/Microsoft knowledge center that discusses possible problems with this issue http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/knowledgecenter/mediaadvice/0071.mspx

Music Subscriptions

• Why does it say 'Cash Only' for some songs?

  We have certain recordings on mTraks that are not available for subscription purchase. This is because the label that owns the record only wants to sell it under our cash purchase option, for example, at 99 cents per record. The records you want to purchase can be added to your cart, but you won’t be able to checkout and download them under the 30 free trial or as part of your subscription plan. You will have to purchase them for cash only.

• Is my credit card and personal information safe?

  mTraks is a SECURE WEBSITE. The mTraks.com shopping cart uses Authorize.Net® Payment Gateway to process all credit card purchases. AuthorizeNet is a server-based transaction processing system that enables businesses with approved merchant accounts to authorize, process, and manage credit card and electronic check transactions in a real-time, online environment and uses 128 bit secure sockets layer (SSL) digital certificate technology to connect securely and directly to the Payment Gateway—achieving the highest security for the Internet connection between a merchant and the gateway.

• How do I cancel my subscription? When does my subscription end? Can I upgrade? Can I downgrade?

  You will find complete information about the status of your subscription plan and can easily upgrade, downgrade and, yes, even cancel your subscription in your My Account area.

  Here's how you access your My Account area:

  After logging in, simply click on the My Account button at the top right of the mTraks website page to access the My Account area. Then choose Billing & Subscriptions and select My Subscription. There you will find several options to upgrade, downgrade or cancel your subscription account.

  You can also call us by telephone in the USA at (858) 764-6910 to cancel and we will respond as soon as possible during normal business hours of 9:00AM - 5:00PM Pacific Standard Time Monday through Friday. If you need to cancel right away we recommend using the option to cancel yourself online given above.

• Can I purchase a la carte songs and albums without a subscription?

  Yes. You can purchase individual songs or albums on a cash basis either with or without a subscription plan. Please find the "switch to cash" or "switch to credits" options in your shopping cart area.

• Can I have multiple accounts on mTraks?

  If you wish to create multiple subscription accounts on mTraks, you will simply need to create each account with a unique email address. There is only one free trial subscription allowed per household.

  You can sign up for multiple free Artist and or Listener accounts, but you must use a different email address for each account you set up.

• 30 Free Downloads Trial? Is this offer really free? Will my credit card be charged?

  The 30 Free Downloads offer is a free 14-day trial subscription to check out the mTraks service. The songs you download during the trial are yours to keep even if you cancel before the trial ends. You can cancel your monthly subscription at any time.

  To get started you will need to sign-up, choose a plan, and then enter a valid credit card. Your credit card will need to be able to accept a $9.99, $14.99 or $19.99 USD authorization. The authorization is a hold on those funds. It is not a charge. The authorization may show up on your credit card statement as a pending charge of either $9.99, $14.99 or $19.99 (depending upon which plan you chose during sign-up). This authorization will drop-off after 14 to 30 days, depending upon your credit card company's policy, unless you continue with service. Cancel at any time prior to the 14 day trial period ending and your credit card will not be charged. Plans are paid in full in advance each month. There are no partial month refunds.

  If you do not cancel, we will assume that you want to continue with the monthly music plan. Thank you very much! From then on your card will be charged each month on the same date that your trial ended for the amount you chose during sign-up until you decide to cancel. If you have any questions about this offer, please refer to our 'Terms of Sale' document that fully explains the details of your obligations under the subscription plan. You may also contact us at service [at] mtraks [dot] com, or call (858) 764-6910.

• I would like to upgrade to a subscription account. How do I do that?

  If you signed up for a Listener account and have since decided to upgrade to a paid monthly subscription account which includes a free 14 day trial, you will need to follow these directions:

  Log into your mTraks Listener account
  Click on My Account button in top r.h. corner of the mTraks page
  Click on the Billing & Subscriptions tab
  Choose a monthly plan
  Enter your payment info
  Submit your payment info
  That's it!

  Thanks for subscribing to mTraks!

• Why was my card charged for the free trial?

  This is explained to you in writing before you sign up. You also should have gotten an email explaining this after you signed up. But we'll explain it now again in case you missed it...

  In order to prevent abuse of our free trial offer, we place an authorization hold on your credit card for the subscription amount. This authorization will drop-off if you should decide not to continue with our service.

  Exactly when the temporary authorization will drop-off is up to your bank. Usually within 1 - 30 days.

  Enjoy the Music! Thanks for choosing mTraks.com.

• What are the monthly plan options on mTraks?

  mTraks offers music under a monthly download to own plan. We have three options available. Each option comes with a one-time per household free 14 day trial of 30 song credits.

  $9.99 - 30 song credits per month *

  $14.99 - 50 song credits per month *

  $19.99 - 75 song credits per month *

  * (Unused credits will expire at the end of each month.)

  Click the link below to start today.

  http://www.mtraks.com/listeners_new

• How are LPs, EPs, and multi-albums priced for credit purchase? How will I be charged?

  mTraks is a hybrid retail platform which allows for cash and credit purchases of most every album in our catalog. Each album is marked with a cash or credits option. You can easily switch between cash or credits in your shopping cart prior to checkout. Some albums can only be purchased with cash.

  In the case of EPs with varying numbers of songs (1 to 6), you are charged one credit per song unless the songs are longer; in which case that song could be up to 5 credits for really long tracks.

  Multi-albums with many tracks can be added to your cart, but if you don't have enough credits available you will have the option to pay with cash or to purchase more credits. The credits can be added by upgrading your subscription, however, the additional credits will not be available until your next month's renewal time. Also, you do not have an option to separate multi-albums, i.e., "one click" purchase only one album from a double album. But you can purchase individual tracks off that multi-album without restriction unless the track is listed as "album only" purchase.

  So, in the event that you only have, for example, 25 credits and wish to purchase a 30 credit album, you may want to add only 25 tracks from that record - adding them to your cart one track at a time - instead of "one click" adding that record to your shopping cart.

  Whew!

Refunds

• Can I re-download my song or album? My song or album download won’t work, was interrupted, or will not play.

  If you are having difficulty playing your song, or you think that the download was interrupted or corrupted, you can go into your listener backend and re-download at no additional charge. All songs that you purchase on mTraks can be re-downloaded for any reason at no additional charge. To re-download you will first need to find the song in the history of your purchases by following these directions:

  1. Sign into your mTraks Listener account.
  2. Click on the My Account button in the top right hand corner of the mTraks website page.
  3. Click on Music Downloads.
  4. Look through the Music Library for your artist > album > song
  5. Click on your song to re-download.

• Returns Policy questions: Can I return my music for a refund? Can I get my money back?

  All sales are final on mTraks. If you need to re-download please see “Can I re-download my song?” in FAQ. If you believe your credit card was erroneously charged please contact us at support [at] mtraks [dot] com.

Artists

• How do I upload my original music recordings to mTraks?

  mTraks invites all music creators from anywhere in the world to upload music. You can easily sign-up for a free mTraks account then create an artist profile. In your artist area you will be able to upload your original music in mp3 format for streaming. Please submit your mp3s in 192kbps stereo format (other file types will not work). You will also be able to add a picture and bio. You can also include a link to your MySpace page, or personal band or artist website. We are working on getting unsigned artists hooked-up with the ability to sell direct right here on mTraks too. We'll keep you posted on that.

• Can I sell my music on mTraks?

  Unsigned bands: mTraks is going to launch our online artist-direct music sales option really soon. We'll let you know when it's ready. You'll be notified if you have a free mTraks account. We would definitely like to have a listen to your music for now. And the best way to do that is to create a free artist hosting account and upload your orignal music, pic, and bio onto the mTraks platform.

  Distributed catalog: Yes. We can make your catalog available for sale on mTraks. We can also provide full digital distribution to the major players in digital retail, including iTunes. Please contact us for details. busdev [at] mtraks [dot] com.

• Will mTraks distribute my music? I want digital distribution for my music.

  Yes. mTraks can distribute your music in digital format. If you are an artist, or label, or content represetative, then please give us a shout-out. We will set you up with full digital distro to the major players in digital. That includes having your music sold on mTraks.

  If you are now with an aggregator, then we can just set you up to sell on mTraks. There is a one-time set-up fee of $100.00 if your current annual digital sales are less than $1,000.00 - Soundscan. You will also need to sign our Licensing and Reseller Agreement. We will send you our agreement, and the delivery specs and xml schema for you to upload your content to our servers via ftp. Please contact us by email for details. busdev [at] mtraks [dot] com.

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• Listeners
• Artists