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Conditions of Use

These conditions apply to any content published by Michael Ghelfi Studios (and its artists), and aim to allow the Consumer maximum liberty while shielding our work against intellectual property theft.

Contact us by email if you have any further questions which were unanswered by this document. We generally answer within 12 hours.

General Notice

Our content is sometimes royalty free, but NEVER copyright free. Please read the FAQ down below to find your use case. You may not need to purchase anything, depending on your use case.

The Consumer may enjoy the Studios’ content for personal use freely, such as for entertainment, gaming or relaxation, amongst others. Naturally, that also applies to your tabletop games with friends, as well as family videos, free private parties and such. Enjoy!

The Consumer does not acquire any permission to distribute, publish or reupload after purchasing the Studios’ work, e.g. buying a track is different than buying its license.

You can purchase the licenses for any of our tracks here. The standard license can be read at the bottom of this page. That’s the one you get when you purchase a license. Please keep reading.

Licenses FAQ

YouTube & Twitch

It's royalty free. Just purchase the tracks and credit us correctly. Please refrain from ripping the audio from our YouTube.

Exception : We never allow users to reupload our content in a way that competes with us (ambiences/music videos).

Our team only asks that you donate or support us on Patreon if you generate some revenue.

 

On YouTube, always credit us as explained below. Otherwise your video will be claimed. If you want to know the reasons, we made a video about it. Please credit us like this :

(elements in parenthesis can be changed, and the parenthesis deleted)

 

(Audio by) Michael Ghelfi Studios

https://michaelghelfistudios.com/

https://dscryb.com/MichaelGhelfi

 

OR

 

(Audio by) @MichaelGhelfiStudios 

https://michaelghelfistudios.com/

https://dscryb.com/MichaelGhelfi

 

On Twitch and such, do as you see fit. A “shout out” is an excellent way of supporting our work, suggestions include writing a post about the Studios, linking our pages (Bandcamp, Patreon, Spotify and YouTube) or explaining the impact of our work on yours, amongst other means. Basically, just credit us!

The Studios’ official images, logos, and other media, plus informational documents, can be accessed via Google Drive.

YouTube: can I monetize the clip by allowing ads?

Yes.

Just make sure to credit us properly (see the other questions about YouTube) or your video earnings will be claimed by our system. If you credit us properly, you can keep 100% of the earnings.

My video has been claimed: What can I do?

You didn't credit us properly. Please see the YouTube question above, correct the credits and simply fill this form:

Click here

Professional Dungeon Masters​

Consumers that are paid gamemasters, such as working for companies like StartPlaying or for themselves, must either have a specific Patreon tier on the Studios’ page, or a dScryb Sonic Library active subscription. The Patreon tier is called “Sage” and it only provides commercial use rights to this specific activity.

This does not concern gamemasters paid by viewers for streaming on Twitch or YouTube.

TTRPG Content Creators & Patreon

If you create content within the TTRPG industry that isn't entertainment and video based, such as maps, FoundryVTT modules and such, you profit from an exception regarding distribution rights. This applies especially to Patreon-based creators. See this page.

How to legally download a track?

You can do that on our Bandcamp, from Patreon or directly from our store for music and for ambiences.

What does royalty free mean?

Royalty free means you just need to pay for rights to use the item once per end product. You don't need to pay additional or ongoing fees for each person who sees or uses it.

Am I allowed to modify the item that I purchased?

Yes to some extent. You can crop, loop, change the volume and do other minor alterations to the tracks.

What does non-exclusive mean?

Non-exclusive means that you are not the only person with access to the item. Others will also be licensing and using the same item.

What is a single application?

A single application means one unique end product (which can be copied and made available to end users of that product). The end product depends on the nature of the item - for an item like a logo template, the end product is the final, unique logo, which can be used in unlimited ways.

Do I need a separate license each time I use an item in a series?

Depends on the case. Please contact us to make sure.

My end product will be distributed via multiple mediums. Do I need one license for each medium?

No. As long as it's all the same end product, you can distribute it via different mediums without having to purchase new licenses.

I'm a freelancer/agency. Can I use the item for an end product I'm doing for a client?

Yes. You're essentially buying the file on your client's behalf. You are allowed to charge your client for creating the End Product. Once you transfer the end product to the client (eg giving them source files for the item), be sure to link your client to our licenses and delete the item itself from your computer.

Do I need to protect the items within my end product from being re-used?

You should not permit end users of the end product to extract an item from the end product. You should do this by technological means if feasible, or by other means, like in the user terms for your end product.

Is my license transferable?

Generally, your license is not transferable. There are a few exceptions:

  1. If you are a freelancer / agency using the item for a single end product for one client. The license would in effect be transferred to the client.
  2. If you sell the single instance of an end product, such as a website installation. The license would in effect be transferred to the new owner.
  3. If you are using the item as part of an on-demand "create-your-own" service where you purchase a separate license on behalf of the customer for each individual end product they make. Each license would in effect be transferred to the customer.
  4. If you are a 3rd party purchasing a license to use as a prize / giveaway. The license would in effect be transferred to the recipient of the giveaway.

In all of these cases, be sure to point the client / customer / recipient to the license terms and delete the item from your own systems.

Can I use a track in a stand-alone music track? What about ambiences?

You may not use music in stand-alone music tracks, but you could use ambiences in a music track.

Can I use audio in an audio-only end product such as an audiobook or guided meditation?

Yes, as long as the audio-only end product is larger in scope and different in nature than the audio itself. As a rule of thumb, the audio alone must not comprise the primary value of the end product, and should have speech overlayed and interspersed throughout. You can never distribute the music track as-is or with superficial modifications.

You'll need to purchase a license for this use.

Accidents And Theft​

Consumers that may have committed an accidental mistake, such as applying the Studios’ content on a commercial project without a license, must send us an email to discuss any further actions.

Consumers that inform our team about any person or persons using the Studios’ content without crediting or licenses may contact us to get rewarded.

Exceptions

We may make some exceptions for non-commercial projects. They are defined as any non-profit production, such as free educational content, college projects, family videos or local charities, amongst others. Keep in mind a business that isn't profitable is still a business.

Send us an email.

Standard purchased License

SYNCHRONIZATION AND/OR MASTER USE LICENSE TERMS

In consideration of the sum specified on the invoice page and upon receipt of payment thereof, Michael Ghelfi Studios hereby grants the Licensee named on the invoice page (“Licensee”) the non-exclusive right, license, privilege and/or authority to use the musical composition(s) and/or master recording(s) as specified on the invoice page, all in accordance with the terms, conditions and limitations set forth hereafter and on the invoice page.

The License terms and conditions are as follows:

  1. The invoice page designates whether a synchronization license, master use license, and/or both licenses are being granted pursuant to this agreement. If a synchronization license is designated on the invoice page, then Licensee is granted the non-exclusive right to synchronize the identified composition in timed relation with the Production, and does not authorize the use of the related master recording or its copyright in any manner whatsoever. No performance rights, sound reproduction rights, or any other rights not expressly identified, are granted herein.
  2. The license(s) granted extend only to the specific production designated on the invoice page (the “Production”).
  3. If nothing particular is stated, the exploitation territory covered by the license(s) is the world. Specific contracts may specify other terms, but will be discussed and agreed on by both parties.
  4. Unless expressly limited herein, any synchronization license shall be in perpetuity or otherwise for the life of the musical composition copyright, and any master use license shall be in perpetuity or otherwise for the life of the sound recording copyright.
  5. Credits must be given, if the media allows it with normal efforts. Failing to credit the Licensor properly represents a breach of the present contract. Proper credits require the Licensee to properly display informations regarding the Licensor, allowing Licensee’s clients and/or users to find out with minimum efforts who made the audio. Required informations are the name of the Licensor and what was done, such as : “Ambiences composed by Michael Ghelfi Studios”.
  6. The license(s) do not authorize or permit Licensee to make any changes to the composition(s) or master recording(s) other than to shorten the same as contemplated hereunder utilizing a contiguous portion thereof. The license(s) permit Licensee to make copies of the Production containing the compositions and/or master recordings licensed hereunder in the form of negatives and prints necessary for distribution, exhibition, promotion, and exploitation of the Production in all media now known or hereafter devised (but excluding trailers, promos, or other advertising, unless the agreement expressly permits Commercial/Promo Spots,)
  7. Licensee shall provide Michael Ghelfi Studios with all cue sheets in respect to the Production, if applicable. Should Licensee fail to do so, then at Michael Ghelfi Studios option and upon giving written notice to Licensee, this license shall become invalid.
  8. Licensee shall pay any “new use” or similar payment or other fees required under applicable collective bargaining agreements, if any, with respect to Licensee’s use of any master recording. Licensee shall also pay any and all additional amounts required by any third party relating to Licensee’s use of any composition or master recording.
  9. The license(s) and obligations hereunder shall run to Licensee, its successors, and assigns, provided that upon any assignment or other disposition of the Production or this agreement, Licensee shall remain liable for the performance of all the terms and conditions of the license(s) and shall be subject to all the terms hereof. Licensee further agrees that all persons, firms or corporations acquiring from Licensee any right, title, interest or in possession of the Production shall be notified of the terms and conditions of the license(s) and shall agree to be bound thereby.
  10. Michael Ghelfi Studios warrants only that, as the administrator of such licenses on behalf of the copyright owners, it has the legal right to grant the license(s), and the license(s) are given and accepted without other warranty or recourse. If said warranty shall be breached in whole or in part with respect to a selection, Michael Ghelfi Studios total liability shall be limited either to repaying to Licensee the consideration theretofore paid under the license(s) with respect to such selection to the extent of such breach or to holding Licensee harmless to the extent of the consideration theretofore paid under this license with respect to such recorded selection to the extent of said breach.
  11. The license(s) shall take effect only when full payment for such use is received by Michael Ghelfi Studios.
  12. The license(s) shall be governed by and subject to the laws of Switzerland.