FAQ
Riffseekers is the marketplace for selling guitar and bass Riffs at a song component level From Intro to Verse – Chorus to Bridge – Solo to Outro
A riff as it’s known in the guitar world is when a guitar player hammers out a short repetitive phrase. It’s usually the backbone of any rock, metal or pop song that can be percussive, hypnotic and highly addictive…Think Paranoid by Sabbath Or Back in Black by AC/DC !
What can I Sell at Riff Seekers ?
All stringspeeps can sell Original riffs , solos, hooks, chord progressions, grooves & any kind of guitar oriented song parts.
The objective being to help short circuit the barrier of writers block and be a kind of virtual song assistant to those seeking Riffspiration
We are mainly aimed at sellers who are guitarists and bass players, but even if you’re a shredder of the banjo or ukulele , you are welcome to join and make use of the platform and the various tools to create more income streams.
Made as a song starter kit to fuel inspiration
Made for songwriters suffering from writers block
Made for producers wanting to kick start a new project
Made for Dj’s looking for original hooks to sample
Made for online collaborations & live streaming gigs
Made for freelance jingle musicians seeking original ideas
Naturally this is an audio driven marketplace so you will be uploading wav / mp3 files and midi Files such as:
- Hooks /Arrangements / Song Parts / Intro’s / Outro’s
- Licks-Solos-Basslines-Chord Progressions
- ToneX & NAM Amp profile captures
- Singles & Albums
- Video lessons as Mp4 files
License Uses & Limitations Explained
Apologies in advance for the legalese talk but it’s kind of important to your digital wellbeing.
We have two main licenses, Commercial and Universal.
*These licenses are attached to all audio products and are specific to their uses in accordance with the licensing terms below.
A Commercial license is for singles & albums sold perpetually. It can be for personal or business use on socials like tiktoks, twitch and youtube videos.
A Universal Artist License is a copyright transfer sold to the buyer which can be registered as a new song and submitted to any digital platform such as Spotify, Tidal or Apple.
Lets break it down into two categories…
Whether you intend to sell your original music to be used on other digital platforms like Youtube, Twitch and Tiktok OR you are selling song parts / riffs and arrangements, you can sell:
- Full original produced songs with the attached Commercial license
- Song parts–Hooks–Chords-Arrangements–Solos with a Universal License
Our shop model is set up to allow the following configuration:
- A ONE OFF sale on Riffs and Song Parts that includes a copyright transfer.
- Sell your original recorded songs perpetually.
Option 1: Riffs are sold one time only and the buyer will own the music forever.
Option 2 : Songs & Albums are sold 24/7/365.
Note: If you dont agree with OPTION 1 to sell the copyright you should not upload riffs and only upload your full songs !
Sell Songs ?
The commercial license allows a buyer to use the recorded audio “works” in a single project only. The music can be sold as a service in one end product only. The music cannot be repackaged, sold or distributed as a new song or as part of a sample library.
Just like other digital marketplaces, This is a standard non exclusive license that authorises the buyer to use the material for personal or business use on YouTube videos, TikTok or any web based media application on the internet.
This license extends to broadcasting so the buyer can use the song for radio advert or TV placements.
Sell Riffs ?
A Universal license assigns the copyright from the seller/original composer to the buyer who will then have the rights to use and reproduce all of the recorded song parts and arrangements as a new musical creation under their name.
The buyer / riffseeker can create a single song and monetize it on streaming, Film, Tv shows and performances.
*The buyer can edit, re-mix and re-purpose the audio material / riff and resell the audio as part of an album or song or any other media application on the web.
NB! For this option the buyer must choose to buy the copyright outright for a flat fee.
In order to make this legally binding the buyer & seller need to sign the copyright assigment form. SAMPLE-Copyright-Assignment-Agreement
Is there an echo in here…
So Copyrighting your music is solely your responsibility and at the very least watermarking your audio previews is highly recommended.
Regardless whether you uploaded a complete song as a single product or sold a custom service like fiverr you are not eligible to collect royalties because the commercial license is made for use by a third party and is essentially royalty free music.
Note: If you have uploaded the same song to another service you may be eligible to collect royalties or streaming revenue.
For example: If your song is used in a t.v commercial and already registered with a digital distribution service, a publisher such as songtrust or a P.R.O ( performance rights organisation ).
When Sellers set up their store and activate this option, interested buyers can enter any price on the product page within the range you have set up. Example: ( 10-$100)
Commercial
License
Single Use
- Editing
- Remixing
- Youtube
- No Re-Sale
Universal
Forever License
Unlimited
- Full Access
- Rebrand it
- All Socials
- Monetized
Show License Types
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When Can I Download my files ?
As the buyer, you will receive a Download link to your account dashboard after checkout and will be notified by email immediately after purchase.
Riff Credits are the main currency of the site.
Sellers just pick a credit pack or pay as you go option that suits you.
After you purchase you will be directed to to the upload form where you can proceed to upload your audio products.
Checkout the credit page to learn more Here
How Do I Accept Custom Orders as a seller ?
One of the coolest features at Riff Seekers is the ability for sellers to accept custom orders, and you dont need to have a paid membership either.
Buyers who have heard and are impressed by your work can send you a custom inquiry which will kick off the process. As long as you stick to the rules of engagment and keep all negotiations on site we’ll all get along.
How Do I Create A Custom Order as a Buyer ?
If you are using our platform as a buyer, you can view the How to tutorial on how to initiate a custom order on this page.
As musicians and creators ourselves we are hyper aware of the importance surrounding music licensing.
That said, Riffseekers are not in the publishing business and do not copyright music.
So to keep things indiependent, we decided to leave that up to the Sellers to do their due diligence.
We recommend our parter SongGaurd.com who offer this specialised service on the cheap.
For less than a cup of coffee they will timestamp your audio tracks or lyrics with a digital signature storing the encrypted private key securely so that you alone can access it anytime as proof of ownership.
Once the key is verified, come back here and upload the audio product to your riff store.
Watermarking is another layer of protection that you can deploy to give you extra peace of mind.
We provide a free tool for Windows and Mac on the upload page that does this expertly. In this case you only need to make a 5-10 second clip of audio so the free version is all you need.
We think all online musicians, composers and producers will find it indispensable for any application where your’e sharing or selling your music online.
*We have a watermarking feature in development that will automatically watermark your tracks in the future.
The Song Starter Companion For…
- Recording Artists
- Music Producers
- YouTube Musicians
- Intro & Jingle Writers
- Freelance sound designers
- Artists suffering writers block
Riff Seekers 101
Buying 101
Riff Seekers
Buyers Tips
Riff Seekers
Downloading
Riff Seekers
Buyer Etiquette
Riff Seekers
A Riff Seeker is someone who may be a little stuck in the songwriting process.
Example: You may be a songwriter wrestling with a bridge, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, or all of the above.. in that case you may find a bundle the better option.
*To purchase a riff or bundle simply choose the audio product from the store page & select the license that covers your projects needs.
Note: When viewing products you will likley see the protected by songaurd tag on each audio product.
This simply means the audio track has been verified and the seller has 100% proof of ownership of the recorded material.
As a Riffseeker there may be occasions when you cant find what exactly your looking for in the Riff store.
If you have a specific requirement, check out sellers who may be more suited to your projects genre.
Also check out the sellers reviews or send them a request to discuss a custom order to get the collaboration ball rollin.
No need to tap and go ! Feel free to make some new musical connections and hangout in the group of your choice or post on the social wall. You may even meet your future bandmate or songwriting partner.
The electrifying moment that you purchase a riff or pack you will receive a download link and confirmation by email.
You can find all your downloadable audio files in your ‘my account’ dashboard with attached PDF licenses to each product.
NB! Make sure to read the sellers refund and store policy before completing your order to avoid any nasty surprises or issues.
As the buyer we ask you respect the following guidelines.
* Please Do Not request music that is already released and labeled as licensed material.
* Do ask sellers if they can create something that sounds like it or similar for you and that will keep you off the radar of the copyright police.
Tip: To hear an example of a soundalike copy, go to the store and search soundalikes
Riff Makers 101
Selling 101
Riff Makers
Seller Tips
Riff Makers
Uploading
Riff Makers
Etiquette
Riff Makers
Copyrights
Riff Makers
NB! Each downloadable product is available for sale one time only and your’e in charge of pricing. PRO members keep 100% of all sales and there’s a flat 10% fee for the casual kids 😉
It’s no secret it’s extremely difficult to prevent unauthorized copying online, but this way makes it much easier to control. The idea is that a single audio file is available to one buyer only and can be used by one artist on a single project.
Simply attach the relevant license options when you upload an audio product and once sold, the buyer can use it in accordance with the appropriate license. The buyer can offer to buy it outright too. For more details on buyouts, visit the tutorials tab in your seller dashboard.
There really are no major restrictions here, but it’s the interweb… so there are a few key guidelines in place to prevent headaches that we ask you follow to get the best out of the platform
You can sell as many products per month as your membership plan allows.
To make an audio package more attractive, sellers can create bundled riffs with multiple product variations to offer buyers more options to choose from.
Upload example: An audio product could be 1 x D.I and Wet Stereo guitar rhythm track, 1x Guitar solo, 1x Bass line and 2x extra power chord Hooks structured in a [ Intro/ Verse/ Chorus/ Bridge/ Outro ] format.
The Golden rule when uploading audio is to ONLY include a 5-10 second WATERMARKED sound clip of your riff.
Example: If you are uploading a bundle with 3-5 tracks then each track can have its own preview file or you can upload a single clip of the entire riff progression.
*Mp3 File quality should be 128kbps minimum and Wav files can be 16bit or 24bit.
Once published the preview files will be loaded to a playlist on your final product. It’s up to you which part of the Riff you provide, but obviously it should showcase the main hook teaser for those who are riff seeking.
ACHTUNG-IMPORTANT !
Please Only Upload:
*Your own Original Material
*High Quality Downloadable Files
*All Audio Preview Clips MUST be slightly lower quality and Watermarked
*All recorded Audio & Midi tracks you deliver as downloadable files should each contain a D.I copy and a copy with pedal or plugin FX printed if applicable.
*Do Not sell duplicates of the same product or they will be deleted within 24 hours.
All Sellers should strongly consider using Songaurd.com to time stamp your recordings.
This service gives you a layer of protection that captures the date of creation and stores a unique digital signature that you will recieve as proof you are the owner. You can read more on that Here
*Once thats done, the audio will be tagged protected by songaurd as proof you are the original owner of the material.
*Whether you sell song ideas or fully produced songs, it is recommended you do so before uploading your music. Again, it’s entirely up to you !