General Questions
Q: What is SNOCAP?
A: SNOCAP is the trusted solution powering the global marketplace for digital media. Through the SNOCAP Digital Registry, all rights holders (large, medium, and small) can register their content and manage its distribution by placing their SNOCAP Store on any website as well as by selling tracks through a variety of online retailers. Online retailers also gain easy access to content they wish to sell.
Q: Why SNOCAP?
A: Our mission is to bring more music to more people through more outlets. By signing up with SNOCAP, you are in control! You can sell your music on any website where you place your SNOCAP Store, and you decide which SNOCAP retailers you'd like to work with!
Q: Is my relationship with SNOCAP Exclusive?
A: No. Registering your songs with SNOCAP does not inhibit your ability to get signed to a label or sign distribution deals with digital retailers. Once registered, you have complete control over where you place your SNOCAP Store and which SNOCAP retailers sell your music.
Product Questions
Q: How do I add my content to your database?
A: Independent artists and smaller labels can use SNOCAP’s Digital Registry to register and upload your content from your computers. If you own too much content to upload through our Registry, contact us and we'll get in touch with you.
Q: How does SNOCAP protect content? Which DRM are you using?
A: Rights holders choose whether they want to sell their content in MP3 format, or using Microsoft's Windows Media DRM technology. The SNOCAP Store currently only supports tracks sold in MP3 format.
Q: Is my bank account information safe with SNOCAP?
A: Yes. We only use your bank account information to electronically transfer money owed to you or money due to us. We will notify you when such a transfer occurs. We use industry standard security practices, with all information stored behind our firewall and never share that information with third parties, unless required by law.
Q: What is a SNOCAP Store?
A: You can create your own SNOCAP Store when you sign up with SNOCAP. Your SNOCAP Store is a simple HTML grab that allows you to sell your content all over the internet (artist page, community sites, blogs, etc.)
Q: Who are SNOCAP’s retailer partners?
A: Our first retailer to launch is InRadio. You can find out more about them at www.inradio.net. We will be announcing new partnerships as they come along.
Q: How does SNOCAP differ from other aggregators and distributors?
A: In many ways. For one, you can create your own store and sell your tracks on it ANYWHERE you can edit html (that’s pretty much everywhere these days)! Secondly, we introduce you to our retailer partners and you decide which you'd like work with. You are in control of everything!
Q: Where do I manage my SNOCAP Store and relationships with your retailers?
A: When you sign into your account, you will land inside the SNOCAP digital registry. It's all right there!
Q: Do copyright holders maintain full control of content within the SNOCAP registry?
A: Yes. SNOCAP doesn't own the content in its registry. SNOCAP merely provides tools for content owners to manage their catalogs.
Q: Who handles accounting and royalty distribution?
A: SNOCAP handles the SNOCAP Store back end and collects money from retailers who sell your content, provides you with the ability to track your sales online, and pays you when the content is sold.
Q: Beyond music, does your model work with other types of media?
A: Currently, SNOCAP only supports the sale of music. In the future, SNOCAP may apply its vision and technology to other forms of content such as films, books, software and games.
Q: I live outside the USA, can I still sign-up for a SNOCAP account?
A: Today, only sound recording copyright owners who are residents of the United States can use SNOCAP's Digital Registry. To apply for a SNOCAP account, go to http://www.snocap.com/join/. If you currently reside out of the United States or do not have a US Social Security Number, just hold on. We are working hard everyday to offer this service for you, so stay tuned.
Q: What does SNOCAP charge for a SNOCAP Store?
A: SNOCAP charges a transaction fee of $.39 per download that includes all the costs of providing the SNOCAP Store: the bandwidth, storage, audio fingerprint license, PayPal and payment management costs, customer service, etc.
Q: What does SNOCAP charge for sales on SNOCAP-powered retailers?
A: SNOCAP’s fee for sales through a SNOCAP-powered retailer, like InRadio, is the greater of $.10 or 15% of the wholesale price set by the artist.
Q: What is the difference between the SNOCAP Store and the SNOCAP Retailer transaction fee?
A: There are different costs associated with each – that’s why the fee is different. You are only charged one transaction fee for each service – the fees you see in the chart below are unique to each offering.
Q: What are the available account types for sound recording copyright owners?
A: SNOCAP offers three account levels to accommodate various types of sound recording copyright owners – from individual artists to independent labels and aggregators to major labels. If you are part of a large organization, contact your organization’s SNOCAP administrator to find out what level of account you have with SNOCAP. The following table gives a brief summary of each account level:
| Features & Fees | Unsigned Artist | Indie Label / Aggregator | Major Label |
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| Annual Network Fee for Basic Service | Free | $100/year (First year Free) |
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| SNOCAP Store Transaction Fee Per Track | $0.39/download | Contact Us | Contact Us |
| SNOCAP Store Transaction Fee Per Album | Greater of 30% of retail price or $0.20/track | Contact Us | Contact Us |
| SNOCAP Retailers Transaction Fee | Greater of $0.10 or 15% of the wholesale price | Contact Us | Contact Us |
| Maximum Tracks | 1,000 | 100,000 | unlimited |
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| Batch Import Tracks | |
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| Back to Product Overview | Contact Us to Sign Up |
Contact Us to Sign Up |
Sign-Up Questions
Q: I only want to use SNOCAP to block and filter my content. Is that possible?
A: You can sign up for a blocking account with SNOCAP that allows you to register your content with SNOCAP for the purposes of blocking and filtering only. You will not have the ability to make your content available for sale through the SNOCAP Store and through SNOCAP-enabled Retailers. There are no costs associated with a blocking account.
Q: Why do I have to provide my personal information such as date of birth and credit card number?
A: Information that we gather during the online sign up process is used to verify the personal identity of the applicant. We want to make sure that no one is claiming themselves to be you, and receiving the royalties and claims that are duly yours. We do not actually charge your credit card, but just make sure that all of the information matches. And rest assured we do not distribute this information.
Q: How often do I get paid by SNOCAP?
A: You, the rights holder, will be paid after you have earned $20 or more and SNOCAP has received payments for the tracks sold. We deposit your sales dollars on a monthly basis into the bank account you provide us. If your earnings do not exceed $20, the balance will be rolled over to the following months until you reach the $20 minimum.
Q: Must I have commercially available audio recordings to sign up with SNOCAP?
A: No. You can sign up with SNOCAP as long as you own or control the right to distribute the sound recordings you want to register with SNOCAP.
Q: What if I am already signed up to an aggregator?
A: First, ask your aggregator if they have a deal in place with SNOCAP. If not, if your agreement with your aggregator is exclusive, tell them about SNOCAP! If it's non-exclusive, sign on up with us!
Q: What if I sign with a record label in the future?
A: If you retain the rights to any of your master recordings, you will not need to make changes on those tracks. For masters that fall under your new label, those tracks would have to be registered with SNOCAP by your new label. If your new label is one of the 2,300+ labels working with SNOCAP, tell them to send us your content! If your label's not currently signed up with SNOCAP, get them on board!
Q: What if I start my own label?
A: Good for you! If you start your own label, just add the label name information to your account.
Q: What if my content is already being distributed by other retailers, such as iTunes, Napster and/or others?
A: No problem. SNOCAP’s contract is non-exclusive, so you can work with whomever else you like! Like you, we want your music everywhere!
Q: Do I need to be registered with ASCAP, BMI or SESEAC to join SNOCAP?
A: No. You can sign up with SNOCAP as long as you own and control the right to distribute the sound recordings you want to register with SNOCAP.
Q: What if I am part of a musical group or band with more than one songwriter owning the recording rights, can I still sign up?
A: You can complete SNOCAP’s Independent Artist application, available at http://www.snocap.com/join/ and apply as a Group Artist. You will have to include the name of your group, or band, that you wish to register, and all of the rights holders in your group will need to consent to you, as their authorized representative.
Q: Must I have a UPC and/or an ISRC for the audio content I intend to register with SNOCAP?
A: You only need a UPC code if you intend to distribute your sound recordings as an album (rather than individual tracks). For individual track registration SNOCAP does not require a UPC or an ISRC.
Corporate Questions
Q: Who founded the company?
A: SNOCAP was founded by Shawn Fanning, Jordan Mendelson and Ron Conway. Shawn was the creator of the original Napster. Jordan was an early employee of the original Napster and was the architect of much of Napster’s key infrastructure. Ron is a seasoned angel investor whose company, Angel Investors LLC, was an early investor in Napster.
Q: Who owns SNOCAP?
A: SNOCAP was acquired by imeem in April 2008. For more information, check out this FAQ.