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ARTIST / CONTENT PARTNER FAQ

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(and we will most likely add it to this list of questions! NOTE: Search functionality for FAQ is in development)

GENERAL QUESTIONS:

Q: What is 9 Star Media & What do you do?

A: 9 Star media is focused on showcasing the Best in Bahá’í inspired media. Never before have artists had an opportunity to get their media promoted globally among the Bahá’í community… nor has there ever been a resource for Bahá’is around the world to find the best media available all in one place. 9 Star is aiming to change that and to transform the face of Bahá’í media distribution by being part CD Baby™ for Bahá’í inspired media with the added benefit of handling worldwide wholesale distribution to Bahá’í communities, bookstores, distribution services, seasonal schools, regional schools, houses of worship, conferences, and any other Bahá’í venues where high quality media is desired. We handle retail and wholesale distribution to the worldwide Bahá’í community so you can concentrate on creating great new media.

Q: What types of Media does 9 Star Distribute?
A: We currently distribute music, audio books, and video/film both digitally and as physical media.

Q: Can any artist sign up?
A: Any artist who creates music, audio books, or film/video that is Bahá’í inspired can sign up to sell their media.

Q: What can 9 Star do for me that I can’t do for myself?
A: Create more time for you. The truth is, you can do most of what 9 Star Media does for yourself if you are willing to put in many hours of work to promote, email, create ads, go to the post office, perform customer service, do accounting and create the contacts and relationships that we have with the various and numerous Bahá’í communities and bookstores around the world. The trouble is that all takes lots of time, and most creative people we know want to focus on being creative rather than being administrative. Also… we are the ONLY source for Bahá’ís around the world to find all the best of Bahá’í Inspired media in one place… so you can have your music discovered by individuals and communities that you my never have run into on your own.

Q: My media isn’t overtly Bahá’í… but it is Bahá’i inspired… could 9 Star distribute it?
A: Absolutely! We are not focused on simply sharing ‘devotional music’ or overtly Bahá’í Media but rather the full spectrum of media which is Bahá’í inspired and is a reflection of the creators experience. Got a great pop record you have been selling to the secular community but it is inspired by your experience as a Bahá’í? How bout a sitcom based on Bahá’í themes but which never directly mentions the Faith? How about an instrumental album that doesn’t mention the Faith, has no references to the writings, and no overtly Baha’ titles for the songs… but I was meditating when I came up with the songs? Absolutely.. they are all great. We are interested!

Q: How do I submit my media for your consideration?
A: Currently 9 Star Media is by invitation only… but if you feel your media has what it takes we want to hear from you… perhaps we already emailed you and it ended up in your spam filter! Either way, simply visit http://members.9starmedia.com/invite-request-form/ and fill out the form to request an invitation. We will get to you as soon as we have had a chance to review application.

Q: I want to do my own wholesale sales. Can 9 Star simply offer my media from its website and I handle the wholesale side?
A: Absolutely. Some content creators already have a system going which they enjoy. In that case 9 Star can be used simply as an additional sales channel. We will offer your media from our website to customers, but will not add it to our wholesale catalog or actively promote it to any of our wholesale accounts. That said… you may want to consider the amount of communities we are in touch with and the potential sales that could occur if we were to promote your media wholesale… just food for thought.

Q: Can I choose to only sell the physical format of my media on 9 Star?
A: No. (with the exception of audio books) We are actively promoting your material with an emphasis on being able to get the content the customer wants instantly. ‘Physical only’ sales are not instant. And with all things media moving to digital instant formats, we would be silly not to insist on being able to offer your media digitally as well… and we ain’t silly!

Q: Can I choose to only sell the digital format format of my media on 9 Star?
A: Yes, this is possible… however you are missing the percentage of customers who are actively purchasing physical media. (think Grandma & Grampa.. or someone who just want to touch a physical format.. you ever tried to touch an MP3? Weird! (for more info see the next question)

Q: Can I do a “digital-only” release if I don’t have any physical copies to sell?
A: You can sell digital only (you decide how you would like us to distribute when you submit your media). However you are missing a big opportunity to get your media in the hands of Baha’is and communities around the world who still primarily rely on physical media. If replication/duplication is a concern for you, we offer on-demand duplication services so you never have to duplicate/replicate your media again. When an order comes in for your media, we duplicate however many copies were ordered and ship them out. Your royalty is reduced by the amount the duplication cost… but the days of shelling out a couple thousand $$ for boxes of CDs/DVDs are over. If you are interested you can visit our ‘More Services‘ tab via the navigation bar above.

Q: Can I sell Vinyl Albums as well?
A: You sell vinyl!? AWESOME! Yes you can… but we would also need your music in digital format as well for selling from the site.

Q: How many CD’s / DVD’s / Audio Books should I send you?
A: Once you have signed up and sent us your media in digital format, we will review it for the site and send you a letter with an initial order request, That initial order will be for 10 copies of each product you submitted.

Q: How should I mail my CD’s / DVD’s / Audio Books to you?
A: Your choice. You are responsible for the shipping charges and insurance (if you choose to get it) so we recommend as cheaply as possible. We tend to find Media Mail from the USPS is the most cost effective. (at least within the United States)

Q: Who pays for shipping?
A: You pay for shipping your product to us. We take care of fronting the costs of shipping to our vendors.

Q: What format are your downloads in?
A: Currently our delivery formats are:
– MUSIC: 320 kbps stereo MP3 files
– AUDIO BOOKS: 128 mono (or stereo) MP3 files
– VIDEO: H264

Q: What is a UPC / EAN barcode? Do I need one?
A: A UPC Barcode (or EAN in Europe) is a standardized barcode which is specific to your product… no other barcode will be alike. It allows our retail outlets to scan and sell your products fast and effectively. They require it… so we do too.

Q: Why can’t I just re-use or change the barcode on my media?
A: Did you read the last FAQ? Because it is unique to your product. If you reuse it, it will no longer be unique.

Q: How long does it take before my media will be live on the 9 Star Site?
A: Once we receive your media from your account dashboard, it can take anywhere from a couple days to 1 week to review your media for compliance with our standards. Once we approve it you will receive an email and your media should go live on the site within 72 hours. (barring any unforeseen circumstances)

Q: Do you have an affiliate program?
A: Yes we do… but it is still in development. As soon as it launches you will be able to refer your friends, fans and family to our store via banners, unique links and social media and receive a percentage of ALL sales that they place on our site for 30 days! ALL SALES… that includes your media as well as any other media they purchase. We will be announcing this feature to all artists who have signed up for 9 Star artist accounts as soon as the program goes live.

Q: How much am I paid for digital sales?

A: See our pricing sheet via this page: but currently it is set at 65% of the retail price.

Q: Do I need to own all the rights to the music / video / audio books that I am selling?
A: You either need to own all the rights, have licensed all the rights, or be an authorized representative of the artist/author/creator who does own the rights. When you read the terms and conditions you will see the types of rights you need to possess. If you are worried because you did a cover song from another artist, you just need to make sure you have obtained a mechanical license for the song. For most people this is a non-issue.

Q: How can I sell an album that has cover songs?
A: It is actually a fairly simple process. you simply need to obtain a mechanical license from one of the licensing agencies (Harry Fox, Rightsflow, Limelight) or if it is another Baha’i you simply contact them and get their permission and agree on the rate per song duplicated/replicated (physically or digitally). The ‘statutory rate’ (established by the US government) is 9.1 cents per cover song which is under 5 minutes and 1.75 cents per minute for songs over 5 minutes. (i.e. a 4.75 minute song would be 9.1 cents, a 6.5 minute song would be 12.25 cents. (6:01-7:00 = $.1225 (7 x $.0175 = $.1225) Don’t worry .. the math isn’t as hard as it looks. See this article for a clear explanation: http://www.harryfox.com/public/StatutoryReports.jsp If you need help, we offer that as an additional service. See our ‘More Services’ tab via the navigation bar above.

Q: What IS a cover song?
A: A ‘cover song’ is a song written, recorded, AND released by another artist prior to your recording of it. Once they have recorded it, anyone has the right to ‘Cover’ the song by obtaining a mechanical license or compulsory license.

Q: Can I set my own price for my media?
A: When you submit your media to us we ask for your current retail price for the physical media. We base our pricing on that. Your sales royalty is also based on that price. For digital media we have our own pricing formulas. We reserve the right to modify the prices on all formats as we need, but you will always receive your wholesale price for your media. See the pricing page for details.

Q: Your site mentions “reviewing media” before it gets on the site.. what is that about?

A: You can imagine the wide variation in quality and content that is submitted for consideration. We are focused on profiling the best in Bahá’í inspired media, and as such we cannot accept everything into our catalog. We have a team of reviewers who consider aspects such as professional presentation, quality, and content when deciding if media is accepted onto the site.

Q: What do you mean by reviewing ‘Content’?
A: We listen to make sure there is no questionable content such as profanity, misogyny, pornography, or most other words that end with “phy”. It is really about making sure that we can feel completely comfortable presenting all the material on the site and associating it with the name of the Faith. (i.e. the best in BAHÁ’Í inspired media) Not everyone will agree with our choices, but we use a committee approach to attempt to be as democratic in the approval process as possible.

Q: What do you mean by reviewing ‘Quality’?
A: Our reviewers review the material to make sure it lives up to some minimum standards. It should be recorded decently, mixed, & mastered (to some degree). Many people achieve the quality standards in their own home setups. An iPhone recording from the back of a conference hall of a song your band played over a broken sound system might not fulfill our quality standards. Does your audio book have more hiss than voice?… might not pass. Do we have to turn our speakers up to 100% to hear the faintest sound from your CD? Does your video have visual static running through the whole film which is not part of the aesthetic vision? These things might not pass. We are looking for some basic industry standards with the material submitted. If for any reason your media might fall short in one of these areas we might be able to assist you. See our ‘More Services‘ page for details.. or send us an email.

Q: What is your definition of professional CD / DVD / Audio Book?
A: That is a multi-part answer: (1) Professionally duplicated or replicated, shrink-wrapped, barcode. Barcodes are necessary for wholesale sales from our site. (It is what most vendors use) If you don’t have one of these aspects taken care of we can help you get it in proper shape. See our ‘More Services’ tab via the navigation bar above. (2) Professional recording quality. If it sounds like a 10th generation recording on a cassette and has more hiss than music that would not qualify as professional. Mixed and Mastered. This specification varies widely but we make sure it is in the ballpark with pro standards.

Q: Are there any technical requirements for 9 Star to sell my media?
A: Of course we are seeking to have the best experience and standard of quality for all media on our site so there are some technical requirements that must be observed when submitting media. Here are the basics:
FOR UPLOADING TO US:
– Audio: WAV or AIFF files (16bit, 44.1khz, Stereo)
– Video: H.264 files
– Images: JPEG, TIF, PDF, or PSD files. (at least 650 x 650. The bigger the better)
FOR PHYSICAL SALES (RETAIL AND WHOLESALE)
– Physical media must be professionally reproduced (replicated or duplicated)
– Shrink wrapped
– Bar Code (necessary for wholesale distribution)
– If your physical media doesn’t meet any of these standards then we can help. See the ‘More Services‘ page for details

Q: Does my media need to have a barcode?
A: Yes. The retail outlets we wholesale to require a barcode to be able to sell your merchandise. If you don’t have one for your media, 9 Star can provide you with one for a small fee. See the ‘More Services‘ page for details.

Q: Does my media need to be shrink-wrapped / over-wrapped?
A: Yes. (one or the other) Many of the retailers we ship to use fulfillment services or work with their media in such a way that shrink wrapping your media is a requirement. Almost all physical duplicators/replicators offer this shrink-wrapping service.

Q: Can I submit my material to you online rather than a physical copy?
A: Yes. You can submit via one of the media submission forms which you will find on your ‘Account‘ page after you sign up. For any physical sales though, we will need physical copies to sell. After you submit your content digitally, and it has been approved for distribution in the 9 Star Media store you will be requested to send us an initial batch of 10 copies of each title you wish 9 Star to sell/distribute for you.

Q: Can I submit my artwork to you via email/uploading?
A: Yes. The Content Submission Forms have artwork specific upload fields with details about formatting and file size.

Q: What format do you sell audio and video in?
A: Audio: Downloadable 320 kbps MP3 files
Video: Downloadable H.264 files, 24 Hour Rental Streams (coming soon)
Physical Media: Whatever format you have! CD, DVD, Blu-Ray, Vinyl, 8-Track!

Q: What format do you need to receive the audio in?
A: We need to receive audio as WAV or AiFF files formatted 16 bit 44.1 khz stereo
Physical Media: Whatever format you have! CD, Vinyl, 8-Track!

Q: What format do you need to receive the video in?
A: We need to receive your video formatted H.264.
Physical Media: Whatever format you have! DVD, Blu-Ray, Beta-Max, VHS, Etc.

Q: Where do I find the terms of service / artist agreement?
A: The terms of service are available here: http://members.9starmedia.com/9-star-media-licensing-and-distribution-agreement/

Q: Something is wrong with my products listing… can you change something?
A: Absolutely! We want to make sure your product listings are accurate. Please send us an email via the contact page and we will try to make the corrections as soon as possible.

Q: What countries do you distribute to?
A: Worldwide.. yes.. everywhere.

Q: What Baha’i Communities?
A: We have over 500 communities we are in contact with worldwide

Q: How did you get in contact with so many Baha’is communities?
A: We have spent the last 4 years developing contacts with communities, schools, houses of worship and distribution services. We worked full time and spent literally weeks online looking for publicly available contact information and then getting in contact.

Q: What happens if I run out of CD’s to send to 9 Star?
A: Please let us know when you are running low so that we can monitor the orders more carefully. If you run out there are a couple options.
1. You Replicate/Duplicate more!!!
2. Let us duplicate them for you. Sign up for our on-demand duplication service and once you are set up you never need to replicate/duplicate your media again. In fact we can sell you your own duplicated media in as few or many quantities as you would like. There is a fee for this service, but it is per unit duplicated and comes out of your sales royalties for all sales to customers and if you want us to send duplicated media to you we can do that via credit card or PayPal.

Q: Who pays for shipping to the buyers?
A: This is one of the great benefits of having 9 Star take care of your wholesale orders. We cover the shipping charges to the retailer and then bill them for it. They will reimburse us for the charges, but sometimes it takes months for that to happen. (literally) You don’t have to worry about tying your money in shipping charges, we take care of that.

Q: I already do my own wholesale distribution.. so why should I put my media on 9 Star?
A: Great! 9 Star is a non-exclusive distributor. You can do as much or little of the work as you want. If you allow us to sell your media wholesale as well it will just be more opportunities to get your media into more stores, in more locales then before. Also.. some bookstores will not deal with individuals because of the large amount of work and communication it takes to keep in contact with many individual artists who are selling 1 or 2 products each. That is why 9 Star is a great service for the retailers as well… 1 stop shopping.

Q: What if I want you to distribute everywhere in the world except the Baha’i Distribution Service of XYZ?
A: Unfortunately we either distribute everywhere (non-exclusively) or sell retail from our store only. If many people request this feature, it may be something we integrate into our roadmap for future updates… but you can imagine the layers of complexity this would add if only certain artists let certain of their products, be sold at certain stores… very very complicated.


TERM OF AGREEMENT:
Q: Is there a time commitment to let 9 Star distribute my media?
A: Initially it is for 6 months.. then it renews monthly indefinitely until you or we decide to send written notice of cancellation. That notice can be provided at any time and will take effect 60 days from the date of delivery.

Q: Is the artist agreement exclusive? (i.e. I can’t sell my media elsewhere.)
A: NO. The agreement is NON-EXCLUSIVE.. You can sell your media both physical and digital however and wherever you like. We are just an added sales channel.

Q: Will you own my media?
A: No. You are simply granting us the rights we need to sell, distribute, and market your music. At no time, do we ever own your media in any way, shape or form.


ONLINE SALES:
Q: Does my media have to have been reviewed by the NSA before it is sold on 9 Stars site?
A: Not necessarily. It is a good idea to have your media reviewed by the NSA’s review committee prior to selling it on 9 Star because many of our retailers will only purchase and sell media that has passed review by the NSA. If your media is not overtly Baha’i or does not mention the faith or quotes anywhere, you are not required to have it reviewed… but once again.. you may want to send it in for review just so that the retailers can stock it. If you want help submitting for the review process CLICK HERE.

Q: My Media hasn’t been reviewed yet.. could 9 star help me get my music reviewed?
A: Yep! If you want help submitting for the review process CLICK HERE.


PRICING:
Q: How are the prices for wholesale and physical sales set?
A: Physical prices are based on the retail price you submitted on the content submission forms. Wholesale prices are based on our negotiated rates with the various retailers.

Q: Are there any fees which come out of my share of income?
A: No… unless you opt to sign up for one of our ‘Additional Services’ which states clearly that the charge for the service would come out of your sales royalties. (on-demand CD Duplication would be an example)


PAYMENT:
Q: How much do I get paid for online digital sales?
A: See our pricing page for up-to-date details… but it is currently set at 65% of the retail

Q: The 35% of the money you take is a huge cut… How dare you!?
A: It may seem like a lot, but when you consider our credit card charges, web and media hosting, bandwidth, fulfillment services, shipping costs, workers, web coders, administration, accounting, etc. as well as the smallness of the Bahá’í media selling and buying market…. the price is actually quite reasonable. It is only 5% more than iTunes charges and we offer significantly more services with a lot more niche audience.

Q: How much do I get paid for online physical sales?
A: See our pricing page for up-to-date details… but it is currently set at 50% of the retail price.

Q: 50% thats outrageous! Who do you think you are!?
A: 50% does seem like a lot until you realize that many of our wholesale clients regularly require 35-50% discount off of retail. BDS typically requires a 50% discount from artists. Because of our streamlined approach and large catalog we have been able to negotiate better rates which enables us to make money on the difference between the discount to wholesale clients and the 50% we retain. All wholesale discounts come out of our 50% of the income. If they demand 45% off we make 5%. On a $15 cd that equals $0.75 per CD. You can imagine that with such slim margins there is no way for us to cover the manpower, storage, shipping, credit card processing, etc. That is why we look at the combined sales from all formats as our source of revenue. We get paid more when we sell a physical CD from our site to a consumer, but that helps offset the losses we may experience on the wholesale distribution side.

Q: I see that someone can instantly download an MP3 of the album if they purchased the physical format of that same album.. why?
A: Customers want instant satisfaction, yet some want to purchase physical media. The option to download a copy of the CD that they have just purchased means more engagement by the customer as well as a feeling of receiving added value. Numerous music distribution sites around the web have started using this model with great success and it seems only fitting that we attempt to try it as well. In addition, 9 Star may choose to charge a small fee for the added benefit of providing an instant download and when it does this income is split according to the sales royalties calculations for digital downloads. EX: ‘Artist X Physical CD = $14.99’ we add an instant download of the same album they have just purchased and the product becomes ‘Artist X Physical CD + Instant Download = $15.99’… notice the extra $1? We split that according to the digital downloads sales royalties calculations.. i.e. you receive $.0.65 and 9 Star receives $0.35. Extra income for Artist & 9 Star + Added Value for the Customer = Everyone wins! NOTE: This ONLY applies when they have purchased the physical copy of the same album.

Q: I have a million likes on Facebook but have only sold a few songs… what gives?
A: Unfortunately we cannot guarantee sales. What we do guarantee though is that your music and artist profiles are a great representation of your media and that you are being presented to Bahá’í communities everywhere. We are also offering customers the chance to ‘like’ and ‘follow’ your social media accounts regardless of whether they purchase.. this is a benefit to you. Also.. if you really have a million Facebook likes, they are most likely from a web robot.. and web robots don’t purchase music.

Q: What if I have a feel that there was an error in my accounting statement?
A: Send us an email immediately and we will get to the bottom of it ASAP. You can also reach us via the ‘Contact‘ form above.

Q: Can you purchase my media upfront rather than it being consignment?
A: Imagine having to purchase 100 different artists CD’s.. each have 2 titles, and each title is 10 copies at a wholesale price of $7.50… well you can imagine! We run a tight ship, and much like CD Baby, the only way we can offer these services is to keep our upfront expenses down… so unfortunately not.

Q: How do customer returns factor into my sales numbers?
A: We rarely have returns on physical media from individuals… but if/when we do that return would count as a debit on your sales royalty statement for the month the return took place in.

Q: Why haven’t I seen any sales reports yet you are ordering more of my media?
A: We report sales on the 15th following the month we receive payment. Sometimes when there a lot of wholesale orders we will order a lot more media from you before we have even received payment for the first batch. But don’t worry.. the money is on its way.. remember, we don’t get paid either if we don’t collect the money.. and we front the shipping costs to the wholesale clients.. so we need our money too! So we will get the payment from the retail outlets.

Q: Why does it take so long to get reports and payment for my wholesale sales?
A: This is just a fact of doing business in a pseudo corporate environment. Retail outlets have 30 days to pay us from the time they RECEIVE the media. that 30 days starts when they get the shipment. that shipment may take 1-3 weeks to get there. (sometimes longer with customs) if it falls in an odd place in the month they may roll the accounting over to the next month and issue a check 30 days after the accounting period… sad but true. We follow up with our retailers.. but it sometimes take 45-90 days from the time we ship till we get paid. Once we get paid.. you get paid the 15th of the month following the income being received.

Q: How does 9 Star help promote my media?
A: We promote your media in various ways. We may create ads which feature your media which we put up on YouTube, we may take Facebook ads or google adwords, your media is displayed on our site so that people can stumble on it even though they may not have been looking, We reach out to all our retail outlets and send them our catalog while suggesting particular products which may meet their needs, we are also going to be rolling out Podcasts and blog interviews with some of the artists whose media is featured on 9 Star. We also make an effort to have our catalog featured at various bahai conferences around the country. We are also always looking for unique promotions for the site and the media. Have an idea? Send us an email!

Q: How can I become a featured artist?
A: The featured artist category are reserved for those who have a compelling reason to be featured. If you have an article coming out about you in the American Bahá’í in month X please let us know well in advance so we can feature you! Did you win an award… Featured! If we see your media selling a lot then… Featured! If your media is unique and compelling enough… Featured! There are so many ways and reasons… just figure out why we should feature you and send us an email via the contact form above and make your case. And remember, we can’t make everyone a featured artist.. there is no guarantee, even with the criteria mentioned above, that we will feature your media… but we do rotate that banner frequently.. so in time it is quite possible for your media to be featured.

Q: Could you do a giveaway with my media?
A: We do promotions on the site at our own cost… but if you are interested in partnering with us to plan some sort of giveaway or promotion of your media please get in contact via the ‘contact‘ form above and we would be happy to hear your thoughts or proposal.. if you don’t have a specific proposal, just let us know you are interested and we can add you to the list and reach out when the time is right.

Q: When you do promotions with sale prices do I receive less for each sale?
A: No. Any loss incurred by a promotion is 9 Star’s liability. You will still receive your standard sales royalty per unit. Even if we give it away.. you will get your standard rate.

Q: Why only 10 CD’s for the initial order?
A: We are not sure which particular titles will sell quickly and what will be harder to move. Therefore 10 copies allows us to start with a manageable quantity and see which media are the most popular without taking up all our shelf space.

Q: What if you get orders for more than 10 CD’s?
A: Then we order more from you. If it appears that there are going to be a lot of sales then we may order in larger quantities from you.

Q: Can I send you a box of CD’s?
A: No. Unless we order a whole box, please do not send a whole box.

Q: Do you sell other merchandise aside from music, audio books and video?
A: Not at this time… but we may offer bundles with the media. i.e. a collectors edition of a dvd set including a t-shirt and poster.

Q: What is the purpose of Bahá’í review?
A: The Bahá’í review process checks for accuracy and dignity of the use of the sacred writings, texts, and representation of the Faith.


WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTION:

Q: Can you distribute to a few of the Bahá’í schools and bookstores and leave the rest for me?
A: Right now it is an all or nothing scenario as making it only certain stores for certain albums from certain artists would make it significantly more complicated. That said.. there is nothing that stops you from contacting bookstores etc on your own and selling to them directly. The bookstores will buy from whomever they feel inclined.. that said, why do all that extra work when you wont make any more money? Don’t you need to be recording the sequel to your masterpiece?

Q: My CD hasn’t been pressed up in years… can 9 Star Still sell my music?
A: Absolutely. Digital is easy & we offer on-demand printing for physical CD’s. What is On-Demand you say?… Well.. you upload us all the artwork and we format it for our printers.. then when an order comes in we tell our printer to run off enough copies to fill the order.. no more no less. Interested? See our ‘More Services‘ page above.

Q: Wow! On-Demand printing sounds amazing! Can I have 9 Star print them on demand for my own use as well?
A: Absolutely.. you can purchase your own printed CD’s directly from us for the cost of printing. We will ship them directly to you once they arrive. Good thinking by the way… no need to fill your closet with boxes of CD’s! See our ‘More Services‘ page above.

Q: I don’t have artwork yet… but the music is done.. Can 9 Star still help?
A: Yes… we have some great additional services that can help you finish all the missing elements from your album including graphic design, photography, barcodes, printing, etc. See our ‘More Services‘ page above.

Q: How often will I get paid?
A: We issue payment on the 15th of each month for all monies received from the beginning to the end of the previous month. i.e. you made a sale on Oct 20th you can expect a statement and payment being issued on Nov. 15th.

Q: Do I receive reports? What will they show?
A: Yeppers.. along with the payment we issue we send you a detailed report showing which albums sold, in what format, and how many of each as well as itemizing your account sales royalties.

Q: Why don’t you stream the whole song instead of a short sample?
A: We decided to go with a moderate approach.. 90 second samples allows enough time for the buyer to decide they like the music, but doesn’t allow them to simply visit the site to listen to all the Bahá’í media they want without paying. We based this on the model employed by all the large retailers including the Apple iTunes Store.

Q: Why are individual track prices so high?
A: You are an artist.. we are artists too. When you craft an album you are presenting an experience to the listener. We want the listener to experience your work the way you intended it. (i.e. A Complete Album) So we make prices on individual tracks a little higher (still well within industry standards) so that it encourages them to purchase the full album.

Q: Why are digital album prices set at 9.99?
A: This is the industry standard pricing and it appears to be what most consumers are willing to pay. It affords a decent profitability for the artist at a price point which encourages more buying from the consumer.

Q: Can 9 Star duplicate my CD for me?
A: Yes.. we mentioned it above already in “Wow! On-Demand printing sounds amazing! Can I have 9 Star print them on demand for me as well?” but the short answer is yes.. you can order them from us at the same cost as on-demand printing for the customers. See our ‘More Services‘ page above.

Q: I have a bunch of old audio book recordings my friend, mother, father, grandparent, child, or sibling did and they left them to me to do with as I please.. can 9 Star put them online?

A: First off… that is awesome!… and there are probably a few audio gems in there.. but the answer is MAYBE. Each situation is different (i.e. copyrights, quality, master rights etc.) Send us an email via the  Contact Page and provide us with as much detail as possible and we will get in touch with you to see how we can best work together.

Q: The Audio book I created is on tape.. can 9 Star still sell my music?
A: Yes! But the audio tape will need to be transferred to digital to offer it for download and may require some noise reduction to minimize the tape hiss. Send us an email via the Contact Page and provide us with as much detail as possible and we will get in touch with you to see how we can best work together.

Q: Can I use the 9 Star Music Player on my site and use it to sell to my fans?
A: We are currently working on that. It is a great option for artists to get running and not have to worry about fulfilling any of their orders themselves… so the answer is ‘Not Right Now’… BUT SOON!


ADDITIONAL SERVICES:

Q: Can 9 Star help me master my album? (COMING SOON)
A: Yes. We have several mastering options available including packages for all budgets ranging from indie project to full on Pop master which we send off to one of the Top Mastering engineers in the world! (it pays to have good friends!) See the ‘More Services‘ page above.

Q: I don’t have artwork yet… but the music is done.. Can 9 Star still help? (COMING SOON)
A: Yes… we have some great additional services that can help you finish all the missing elements from your album including graphic design, photography, barcodes, printing, etc. See the ‘More Services‘ page above.

Q: CD Duplication/Replication
A: We offer both on-demand duplication of your CD’s which can be done with no cost to you for sales happening on the site. We also offer replication services through one of our 3rd party relationships. See the ‘More Services‘ tab in the navigation bar above.

Q: DVD Duplication/Replication
A: We offer both on-demand duplication of your DVD’s which can be done with no cost to you for sales happening on the site. We also offer replication services through one of our 3rd party relationships. See the ‘More Services‘ page above.

Q: Mixing (COMING SOON)
A: Yes. We have several mixing packages to meet the needs of your project. These package range in very minimal mixing for indie projects to full on radio-ready pop mixes just like the big boys. See the ‘More Services‘ page above.

Q: Basic website (COMING SOON)
A: We have web designers who can help you design, tweak, update, or repair your website. See the ‘More Services‘ page above.

Q: Hosting (COMING SOON)
A: Need a web host? We got you covered. We are preparing to offer web hosting plans at some of the most competitive rates through our 3rd party hosting platform. The hosting accounts will all have a dedicated 24 phone, chat, and email support staff to answer any questions which arise. We use them for 9 Star Media as well as our other sites.. now so can you! Send us an email if you are interested.

Q: Production (COMING SOON)
A: Got an idea/songs for an album project but need someone to produce it? We have several producers we work with and we can refer you based on your specific needs and budget requirements. Click on the Production tab on the More Services page and send us a note about what you are looking for.. please include a sample of anything you have demo recorded to give us a better idea.

Q: SEO (COMING SOON)
A: S…E…What? S.E.O. means Search Engine Optimization… which is nerd-speak for making it so you get found on Google before anyone else. There are lots of details and options in this category… so best for you to just check out the SEO services page on the More Services tab above. FYI: this is one of the best investments you can make in promoting your career if you are pursuing music professionally.

Q: Social Media (COMING SOON)
A: Yep.. thats right.. we can do that for you too! Need to build your audience? Need more followers? Want to attract John Mayer’s fans? Need someone to tweet for you? We can do all of that and more… check out our Social Media packages in the ‘More Services‘ page for more details.

Q: Transfers
A: Got your master recording on a player piano roll? 8-Track? Reel to Reel? We can help. We do transfer services for you in one of several transfer houses. We can help you salvage your masterpiece and bring it up to date. Check out our ‘Transfer services’ page via the More Services tab above.

Q: Barcode
A: Yep.. you need em. We got em. Click barcodes on the ‘More Services‘ page to get em.

Q: Marketing and promotional strategy (COMING SOON)
A: We help secular artists launch their products, careers, and media… we can also help you. Click here to check out the details on our More Services page.


MISC:

Q: Who is Next Movement Records, LLC?
A: Next Movement Records LLC is a Bahá’í owned company which is the parent company of several Bahá’í inspired endeavors including 9 Star Media and HearTheWritings.com

Q: Who is Jon Rezin?
A: Good question! I’m Jon! Well.. most of the stuff you read on the site and most customer and artist service issues will be dealt with by me directly. You can read more about me here: jonrezin.com

Q: Is 9 Star Media a Bahá’í institution?
A: No. 9 Star Media is owned by Next Movement Records LLC which is a individually owned Bahá’í company. 9 Star media is not sponsored by any institution of the Faith.

Q: I found some media on 9 Star that is questionable or a copyright violation.. how can i report it?
A: Please send us an email immediately via the contact form above and include the URL (web address) as well as the track number (if applicable) of the product with the offending material. We review everything carefully before posting it.. but it is possible something slipped through. Please let us know so we can make sure the site stays true to its standards.


CANCELATION:

Q: What if I want to cancel?
A: That’s unfortunate! But if there is no way we can resolve the issue which is making you want to leave us we understand. 🙁 Essentially you just need to give us the appropriate amount of notice (see the most recent version of the content provider agreement for details) and you will need to tell us how you wish to handle any remaining inventory you sent to 9 Star. i.e. Do you want us to sell the rest of the CD’s we have and send you a check or would you prefer to pay postage so that we can ship it back to you?

Q: What happens to unsold merchandise?
A: If you need to cancel and we have some of your physical media in stock you can either choose to have us sell the rest of it and send you a check or you can pay the postage to have us ship the media back to you.