Frequently Asked Questions

On this page are answers to the most commonly asked questions about how to get the most out of using the SOUNZ website. If you can't find the answer you are looking for then please email us and we will do our best to help.

I have a question about:

• Joining SOUNZ
• Searching for Music, People and Events
• Borrowing music
• Buying music
• Samples and downloads
• Using information on the SOUNZ site
  

Joining SOUNZ

Q:  Do I have to login to use the website?

A: No, the website is available to everyone to search. However if you wish to buy some music or take advantage of other membership benefits then you will need to set up a username (your email address) and a password.

Q: If I set up a login will you send me lots of unsolicited emails?

A: No, we won't. However you can request our monthly Enews Update (see an example) or SOUNZnews (April and October).

Q: What is the difference between an online membership and a library membership?

A: Library members have access to borrowing physical items (currently about 7,000) from the SOUNZ library. There is more information here about library membership. Online members have special privileges on the website including discounts and access to purchase by download. Find out more about Online Membership here .

Q: What is a contributor member?

A: Contributor members are all those composers, performers, commissioners, funders, publishers, record companies, presenters, venues and promoters who bring NZ music alive and contribute to the SOUNZ community. You can find profiles of them in the People Search and other links to them all over the site. Contributor Membership is free and you can find out more about it here.

Q: I submitted a contributor profile, but I can't find it on the site?

A: Before contributor profiles are published to the website they are verified by SOUNZ staff, and any new information such as your contribution to music by NZ composers, photos or links are gathered. If we need more information we will be in touch with you to gather that.

Q: I am a New Zealand composer and I want to lodge my works at SOUNZ. How do I go about it?

A: The first thing to do is carefully read the brochure which can be downloaded from this page. If you believe you have written works which fit the criteria outlined there, then you will need to contact us to arrange your contributor membership and lodgement of works, biography and other materials. You can start by completing a contributor form which can be found at the bottom of the Community Page. 

TIP: Make sure you log in first.

Searching for Music, People and Events

Q: How does the list on the left hand side of the screen work?

A: On the Music, People and Events pages you can browse through the results and refine them by using the categories (also called 'facets') on the left hand side of the page. Clicking on one of the list will reveal further categories and the number in brackets indicate the number of relevant results. You can combine the different categories to get to a very specific list of works you are interested in. The results are listed below the search box.

Q: When I put a word into the search box, what is being searched?

A: In a music search, you see results where the search term appears: in the title of the music, the composer/s' or author/s' name, the programme note, the title of the scores, recordings or resources related to that work.

In a people search, you see results where the search term appears: in the name of the person or organisation or in their profile.

In an event search, you see results where the search term appears: in the title of the event or in the notes about the event.

TIP: If you are doing a lot of searches, it is a good idea to 'reset' the search after each one.

Q: What are 'selected results'?

A: On many of the search results you will see a link saying, "Add to selected results". Clicking on this will create a link in the box on the left of the screen which means you can easily return to that result later. This is a great way to sort through lots of interesting music and find what most suits you.

Q: Why have my 'selected results' disappeared?

A: Unless you are an Online Member, 'selected results' will only remain for the duration of your current session on the website. When you are a logged in Online Member you will be able to see the results from your last visit. Online Members can also save searches which assists further in researching and identifying suitable repertoire.

Q: What are  quicklinks?

A: The Quicklinks on the Music Search page are a shortcut to finding some of our most popular items. For example we have many teachers using our services. Using the Quicklink to Education Resources (with or without a search term in the box) they can quickly find materials they need for their classes.

Q: I am looking for a particular CD and can't find it in the music search?

A: When you are searching for music, you are primarily searching for works, that is, the works that appear on that CD. There are two ways you can find the CD itself:
1) try using the quicklinks below the simple search. By selecting 'CDs and DVDs' (together with a search term in the box) you will see matching results of CDs and DVDs that are either for sale or can be borrowed;
2) after doing a simple music search by writing a term in the search box, click on the availability link of a music search result. The CD you are looking for will appear in the list of available materials associated with that particular work.

Q: Is there an advanced search for music?

A: Yes there is an advanced search for music which can be found by clicking on the link at the top of the Music Search page. This is a more traditional search where you tick boxes and select paramenters to refine results and find the music you want.

TIP: Unless you are looking for works with a particular solo instrument or voice, we advise not using the tick boxes. Using the 'Type of music' dropdown is the correct way to find particular instrumental or vocal categories.

Q: I am a composer and I want to find composition opportunities on the SOUNZ website.

A: SOUNZ lists all opportunities that are specifically for New Zealand or Australasian composers. They can be found in the Events Search and have a 'Event Type' called 'Opportunity'. Here is a link to that particular search. International opportunities can be found on the CANZ site.

Borrowing Music

Q: Who can borrow music from the SOUNZ Library?

A: To borrow music you will need to become a Library Member of SOUNZ.

Q: What can I borrow?

A: Membership allows you to borrow scores, recordings, periodicals, books and other resources for up to two months. We do not usually lend parts to works, as the library is intended to assist with the selection and perusal of repertoire prior to purchase or hire. There are nearly 7,000 items in the library available for loan.

Q: What is a resource?

A: Resources refer to all the materials in the SOUNZ Library that are about music by NZ composers or about NZ music. They can be books, CDs, periodicals, DVDs, education resources, kits or magazines. The resource library at SOUNZ currently holds over 650 resources. Many of them can also be purchased.

Q: How do I order items from the library?

A: When library members are logged into the website, where something can be borrowed it will be accompanied by a blue 'borrow' button. Clicking on this adds it to your shopping cart. When you check out a special order will be sent to SOUNZ for your library items.

You can also order items by email, phone or by visiting the Centre.

Q: Something I want to borrow says "Reserve" rather than "Borrow". Can I still borrow it?

A: "Reserve" means that the item is currently being borrowed by another Library Member. If you click on "reserve" a message will be sent to SOUNZ staff who will be able to let you know when the item will be available.

Q: The organisation I work for or study at is a member of the SOUNZ Library. Can I still borrow items using the website?

A: Yes you can, in theory. However there is only one login assigned per membership and you will need to approach the contact in your organisation regarding using this to order online, as they may prefer to make the order on your behalf. If you contact us we can tell you who in your organisation looks after the Library Membership.

Buying Music

There is general information in the Terms and Conditions of the SOUNZ website about buying goods from SOUNZ.

Q: Is the ecommerce facility on the SOUNZ website secure? Can the staff see my credit card details?

A: SOUNZ uses DPS for ecommerce orders. DPS is one of New Zealand's largest suppliers which has been developing and providing innovative and robust payment solutions for the Australian and New Zealand markets since 1997. The card details are encrypted and never available for SOUNZ staff to see.

Q: Who makes money from the sales at SOUNZ?

A: SOUNZ sells about 3,500 unpublished scores on behalf of composers. For hard copy sales the composer receives 15% of sales and for downloads they receive 20%. The remaining amount covers the administrative and production costs of the music. SOUNZ also acts as a distributor for self-published composers  and many small recording companies and music publishers releasing music by NZ composers. You can be sure that when you buy music from SOUNZ you are directly supporting the artists who created and performed it.

Q: Why are some 'buy' buttons grey and others blue?

A: Unless you are logged in, all the 'buy' buttons will be grey. Once you have logged in, then all the scores, recordings, books etc available for purchase as hard copy versions will have blue 'buy' buttons. All other items are for purchase as downloads and therefore will not become 'blue' until you are an Online Member.

Q: Can you send me a tax invoice?

A: We send a tax invoice with all orders for goods which are posted out. You will also receive a tax invoice with the confirmation of your online order.

Q: Can you invoice me or my organisation for purchases if I order online?

A: It is possible to do this, by selecting the shipping option of 'Walk In' and noting your preference for an invoice in the comments. However unless you have contacted us beforehand to arrange an invoice we cannot guarantee that we will despatch the goods with an invoice, particularly if the order is from outside New Zealand.

Q: How do I delete an item from my shopping cart?

A: All Items in the shopping cart are followed by a blue cross. Clicking on this will delete that item from your shopping cart. You can do this while preparing your order and also during the checkout process.

Q: I want to buy a large number of one item. How can I do that?

A: Beside the 'buy' button for products you will see a box with the word 'quantity' beside it. Write in the box how many items you wish to purchase. When you purchase scores or recordings by download you are also able to order more than one of these too. For example, if your choir wants to perform a work, then you will need one copy for each member of the choir. Buying the required number of copies means that you have permission to make copies from the downloaded score for the members of the choir. This also ensures that the composer receives a return for all the copies of this work that are being made and used.

Q: I want to make a large order (more than 15 items) and processing seems to be very slow.

A: It is possible to make a large order but you will have to be patient. We recommend buying or borrowing no more than 10 items at a time. This means you may have to split your order into several batches.

Q: How is freight on an order calculated?

A: Freight is automatically calculated by the weight, size and destination of the items you have purchased up to 2 kilos. Within New Zealand this varies from $2.50 to $10.00. Overseas destinations range from $4.00 to $60.00.

Q: I seem to have made a 'special order'. What is that?

A: A 'special order' is raised for one of two reasons:
1) the items you have purchased weigh more than 2 kilos;
2) you have ordered an item which is an unusual size or requires special packing.

Our staff will be in touch to confirm your order and give you information about the freight costs and options.

Q: Can I return an item I have bought from SOUNZ?

A: SOUNZ will meet its obligations under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993. There is more information here about your rights. We usually cannot accept a return if you change your mind about the purchase.

Samples and Downloads

Q:  What happens when I buy a score or recording by download?

A: All Online Members can choose from about 1,000 items available as downloads. Scores come as pdfs and recordings come as mp3s at either 128kps or 192kps. When you have been through checkout and purchased the download you will have three chances over three days to download the item. Links to downloads will appear in your online account (which can be accessed from the link in your shopping cart), and also in the email confirming your order.

Q: What are the samples on the SOUNZ website?

A: There are three types of samples on the SOUNZ website: score (pdf), audio (mp3) and video (.flv). With permission from composers and publishers, samples of scores, recordings and performances are linked to the works and materials they refer to. Wherever you see the icons below there is a link to a sample of that kind.

Score	Audio	Video

 Score samples: are usually up from 1-8 pages of a score. These are pdfs and you will need to have a programme such as Acrobat Reader installed on your computer to see them. You can download it free here .

Audio samples: through a special arrangement with APRA we have audio samples of up to 1 minute on the website. These are prepared as mp3 files and you will need software such as iTunes or Windows Media Player to play these.

Video Samples: these short samples are in .flv format and should play in most browsers without downloading any special software. SOUNZ also has a channel on Youtube where you can see full performances of a selection of piano works.

Using Information on the SOUNZ website

Q: Can I use the programme notes on the SOUNZ website?

A: If you wish to reproduce the programme notes for a work for any public purpose you need to get permission from the author. Nearly all the programme notes on the SOUNZ website have been written by composers themselves. Please contact SOUNZ for more information.

Q: Can I give a public performance of the music I buy from SOUNZ?

A: We recommend that you always contact the composer when you are planning to perform his/ her works. Not only does this mean that they can report the performance to APRA, but they are usually very pleased to know about your performance. Where a score is published you are able to perform the work. For some works you may need to hire parts. You may also have to arrange an APRA licence. You can check this with the venue, with APRA or with your local copyright licensing organisation.