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Frequently Asked Questions
The Sound Store prides itself on providing the best possible customer service, experience, and support. If you have questions or need help, we recommend you first take a look at our comprehensive FAQ below for the quickest answers. If you can’t find the answers you are looking for in our FAQ, please email us with your question(s) at:
support@thesoundstore.com
A member of our Support Team will get back to you as soon as possible.General Questions
- What is The Sound Store?
- What formats are your sound libraries available in?
- What type of media do your products come on?
- Can I audition libraries before I purchase?
- What does Royalty-Free mean?
- What are Sound Effects?
- What are Imaging Elements?
- What is Royalty-Free Music?
- What is Foley?
- Do you sell sound effects downloads?
- What Sound Publishers do you offer?
- Do you sell sound libraries on hard drive?
- Does The Sound Store have a Privacy Policy?
- I can’t find the sound effects I need. Can you help me?
- How am I allowed to use the sounds I buy here? What is Synchronization?
- Can I use the sound effects on my Web site?
- Can I use the sound effects in my music?
- Can I use the sound effects in my computer game?
- I am making a video game for release in retail stores. Can I use your sound effects in it?
- Do I have to pay more if I include these sound effects in a production that will be broadcast on radio or TV?
- Can the sound effects I buy be used for live theatre productions?
- Can I transfer the libraries I buy to computer hard disk myself, or have it done for me?
- Can I copy sound effects or music on to my computer hard drive in order to create a production?
- What methods of payment do you accept?
- Are your transactions secure? What do you do to insure the security of my personal and financial information?
- Where do I redeem my discount code?
- What are your shipping policies?
- Do you ship anywhere in the world?
- What is your sales tax policy?
- Can I track my shipment?
- Do you provide discounts for educational institutions such as training centers, high schools, colleges, and universities?
- Are your products compatible with both Macintosh and PC computers?
- How do I audition libraries?
- What is a .pdf? How can I view a .pdf file?
GENERAL QUESTIONS
What is The Sound Store?
Click here for the full About Us. Here is the short version:
The Sound Store is a one-stop resource for royalty-free sound effects, sound editing software and hardware, sound mixing, and sound playback equipment. We cater to audio professionals and enthusiasts who are serious about their sound..
What formats are your sound libraries available in?
Almost all of the libraries we carry are published in pristine Red Book CD Audio format. Also, many of the libraries and products we carry are available as pre-edited .wav, .bwav, .aiff and MP3 files.
What type of media do your products come on?
We offer sound library products on DVD, hard drive, USB drive, and digital download. If you have specific needs that you don’t see as available on our website then email support@thesoundstore.com and we will work with you to fulfill your requirements.
Can I audition libraries before I purchase?
Yes, almost all of our libraries have high-quality audio demos in MP3 format. Your computer’s default media player (Windows Media Player, QuickTime, iTunes) will allow you to preview the MP3’s.
What does Royalty Free mean?
All of our products are sold as royalty free (or buyout) products. Royalty Free means that there are no additional fees owed for commercial use of a sound file as it is incorporated into any audio or multimedia production. Once you have purchased a sound you have the license to use that sound as often as you like, in as many projects as you like and you will never be required to pay another fee of any kind. Sounds cannot be copied, resold, or distributed as individual files. They can only be resold and distributed as incorporated into a complete production.
What are Sound Effects?
Sound effects can be single isolated sounds, special effects, and background ambiences. Examples of everyday sounds include doorbells, car horns, and telephone rings. Examples of specialty sounds include comedy, fantasy and science fiction FX, and musical accents. Background ambience tracks make the listener really feel like they are in places like a courtroom, a church, a train station, a thunderstorm, or a jungle.
What are Imaging Elements?
Imaging Elements (also called Production Elements) are audio clips used to sweeten a recorded production usually for radio broadcast intros, promos, transitions, and attention grabbers.
What is Royalty-Free Music?
Buyout Music (also called Royalty-Free Music) is a specific kind of stock or production music produced for unlimited use in an unspecified number of applications and productions.
What is Foley?
Foley recording is a specialty technique designed to produce simulated everyday and extreme sounds for synchronization and audio sound replacement usage in motion pictures. Without the magic of Foley you would never hear someone's footsteps in a film. These and many other sounds must be dubbed in again on the film's soundtrack in order to be heard by the audience.
Do you sell sound effects downloads?
Yes, some of our catalog is available via download.
What Sound Publisher(s) do you offer?
Currently, The Sound Store offers the Blastwave FX sound effects catalog. We hope to offer additional publishers in the future.
Do you sell sound libraries on hard drive?
Yes, we sell certain sound libraries on hard drive.
Does The Sound Store have a Privacy Policy?
Yes, click here to view our Privacy Policy.
I can’t find the sound effects I need. Can you help me?
Yes, email support@thesoundstore.com and we will do our best to help you.
USE OF PRODUCTS:
How am I allowed to use the sounds I buy here? What is Synchronization?
Synchronization is the term that describes the way in which the sound effects you buy at The Sound Store can be utilized in productions that you create. A sound can be synchronized with a visual presentation (i.e. the sound of a creaky door timed perfectly to be heard when a door opens), or with other audio material such as a voice over (as in the case of a radio commercial). A sound can be synchronized for use in many different media such as television, radio, film, multimedia and audio-visual presentations, Web sites, computer games, and music. All of our products are royalty free and are sold with their synchronization rights.
The rights to re-sell, re-publish, or otherwise distribute sound effects and music is not obtained with your purchase. When you use the sound effects and music, they must be synchronized within a multimedia presentation, film, Web site, game, audio-visual production, or broadcast.
Can I use the sound effects on my Web site?
Yes, you can synchronize sound effects for playback only on your Web site. This type of use is absolutely legal. But you are not allowed to distribute the sound effects in any way whether you intend to give, trade, loan, or sell them. You are not permitted to present the sound effects in any way that would allow access to the sound effects or sounds as downloadable audio. This would be a violation of proprietary property rights and is therefore unauthorized without express written permission.
Can I use these sound effects in my music?
Yes you can.
Can I use these sound effects in my computer game?
Yes you can as long as the sounds are embedded in the code of your game and are not available for an end-user to access or download.
I am making a video game for release in retail stores. Can I use your sound effects in it?
Yes you can.
Do I have to pay more if I include these sound effects in a production that will be broadcast on radio or TV?
No not at all. All of the products we carry are sold as royalty-free products. This means that you do not need to pay any additional money to the sound publisher if a production is going to be broadcast or performed publicly.
Can the sound effects I buy be used for live theatre productions?
Yes, our sound effects can be incorporated into a live theatre production.
Can I transfer the libraries I buy to computer hard disk myself, or have it done for me?
Yes, you are allowed to transfer the libraries yourself. However, if you decide to sell your hard drive at a later date ALL audio files MUST be removed from the disc before you transfer ownership. You are not authorized to sell copied versions of our audio files under any circumstances as this practice is an infringement of copyright.
Can I copy sound effects or music on to my computer hard drive in order to create a production?
Yes, the synchronization license that you obtain with your purchase of sound effects and music allows you to copy the files onto your computer hard drive for the purposes of creating audio and/or visual productions or applications.
ORDERS, SHIPPING & SUPPORT
What methods of payment do you accept?
The Sound Store accepts the following credit cards and online payment accounts for orders through our website: Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, and PayPal. All sales on The Sound Store website are made in U.S. currency.
Are your transactions secure? What do you do to insure the security of my personal and financial information?
The Sound Store incorporates Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption technology with 128-bit encryption to ensure the security of your personal and financial data. See www.ssl.com for further detail.
Where do I redeem my discount code?
To redeem any discount offer please add the product you want to your cart first and then proceed to checkout. You can redeem any offer for discount by entering the code in the field provided on the checkout page. This field will be on the same page where you enter your payment and credit card information.
What are your shipping policies?
Physical sound effects products will ship within 1-3 business days depending on the library. All other products will ship within 1 business day.
Do you ship anywhere in the world?
At this time, The Sound Store ships merchandise only to locations within the United States and U.S. territories, including Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands.
What is your sales tax policy?
The Sound Store charges sales tax for merchandise ordered on this Web site based on the applicable state sales tax rate and the location to which the order is being shipped.
Can I track my shipment?
Yes, you will receive notification of shipping status including tracking number.
Do you provide discounts for educational institutions such as training centers, high schools, colleges, and universities?
Yes, we will work with educational institutions to deliver customized, cost effective packages designed to meet any requirement. If you represent an educational institution interested in purchasing sound libraries, email info@thesoundstore.com with your telephone number, a description of your needs, and the best time to reach you.
TECHNICAL/WEBSITE
Are your products compatible with both Macintosh and PC computers?
All sound effects products are designed to work perfectly with Mac and PC computers.
How do I audition libraries?
Almost all of our libraries have high-quality audio demos in MP3 format. Your computer’s default media player (i.e. Windows Media Player, QuickTime, iTunes) will allow you to preview the MP3’s.
What is a .pdf? How can I view a .pdf file?
A PDF file (PDF stands for "portable document format") is created by Adobe's Acrobat software. It displays text in a reader-friendly format and is available for free via Adobe’s web site.
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