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buyer-faq
From Bitmunk
General
How does the buying process work on Bitmunk?
There is a good introductory article on how Bitmunk works on this wiki.
How much is the artist getting when I buy something from Bitmunk?
You can see exactly how much the artist is paid on every media page on Bitmunk in a section titled Royalties. Typically, the artist gets 65%-85% of the total sale price on Bitmunk. It's a great deal for small artists, who normally don't even get a measly 10% of digital content sales, if they are operating under a traditional music label.
Is this like the Apple iTunes store?
The WebBuy portion of the Bitmunk website is somewhat like the iTunes store, except that it's generally cheaper to buy from Bitmunk.
The PeerBuy portion of the Bitmunk website is like no other service on the Internet. It allows you to buy and then sell your music collection to other people on the Internet. The artist is guaranteed to get paid when you sell files from your computer.
As an added bonus, you get to set your file distribution fee - which earns you real money. You can then use that money to buy more digital content or transfer it into one of your bank accounts.
Do you guys hate the RIAA/MPAA?
As much as the RIAA and MPAA have done to alienate their customers, we don't hate them. We are trying to help them find a way to build trust between their artists and their fans by enabling the fans to take part in the wonderful world of media distribution.
Bitmunk allows many people that had no option to trade files legally in the past to do so now, with the agreement of the artists. The people behind Bitmunk have spent years perfecting the system to make sure that it is fair to everybody that brings value into digital file distribution. This includes the artists, writers, bloggers, music labels, and you.
Logging In
What is my password used for?
Bitmunk uses a unified login mechanism, which means that you can use the same password to log into the Bitmunk Website as well as your Bitmunk Personal Edition software.
This also means that you should be very careful not to share that password with anybody. If you have any money in your account, anybody that uses your password to log into your account could spend your money.
Use a strong password on Bitmunk - passwords consisting of random letters, numbers and symbols are best.
Searching
How do I search for files?
You can search for music by entering the artist name, album name, song name, or any phrase that might show up in the artist's bio. To perform a search, enter the text into the Search box at the top of this window and press the Enter key.
I did a search, but I didn't find what I wanted!
Try narrowing your search by the artist's last name, or album name. Try using fewer common words like blue, love or song. More specific words, like the artist name "Ingrid Michaelson" will give you better results.
Buying
How do I buy something?
You must first sign up for a Bitmunk account and deposit money into your account by using a credit card.
You can then browse or search for content on Bitmunk. When you find what you would like to purchase, you can click on the WebBuy button to purchase the item on the screen.
What is the difference between WebBuy and PeerBuy?
WebBuy buys the digital content directly from Bitmunk. You can use WebBuy when the Bitmunk Personal Edition software isn't available to you. WebBuying digital content can be more expensive than PeerBuying digital content.
PeerBuy downloads the digital content from a number of people on the Bitmunk network that have already bought the digital file. The files are transferred much like a regular P2P software. Unlike most P2P software, the entire transaction is legal, authorized by the artist, and royalties are collected and automatically distributed for you.
Once you PeerBuy digital content from somebody else on the Bitmunk network, you can then re-sell the content as well.
What software do I need to buy stuff on Bitmunk?
For WebBuy, all you need is a regular web browser such as the one that you are using to read this web page.
For PeerBuy, you will need to install the Bitmunk Personal Edition software.
What if somebody sells me a corrupted file?
Every purchase you make on Bitmunk is guaranteed. If the file you receive is corrupted in any way, Bitmunk will deliver a non-corrupted file to you for free.
Do I get a refund if something bad happens during the transaction?
Yes, absolutely. If you purchased something and you don't get your file for whatever reason, we will replace the file at no cost to you.
What happens if a download fails?
If a download fails, you can retry the download until it succeeds. If you are having technical difficulties, you can contact Bitmunk Customer Support and we will make sure that you get the file that you are trying to download.
What happens if a seller tries to rip me off?
We take sellers misbehaving on Bitmunk very seriously. The Bitmunk technology prevents or restricts many bad behaviors on the network. If we find that a seller has been using rogue software or lies to trick buyers into buying from them, we can find, fine and banish those sellers from Bitmunk.
You are always protected as a buyer on Bitmunk. If you purchase something, you are guaranteed to get the file you purchased.
How do I log a complaint against a seller?
You can send an e-mail to Bitmunk Customer Support. Please include all of the information you have for the seller, the contract number, the date and time the issue occurred and a brief summary of the problem.
File Formats
What sort of Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology does Bitmunk use?
Bitmunk does not use any sort of Digital Rights Management technology that prevents you from using your files on a variety of standards-based audio, video and book players.
For music we use standard MP3s that have been watermarked in a way that does not degrade sound quality and that allows the MP3 to be played in any device capable of MP3 playback.
Why do you watermark the files that I buy?
We watermark files for two reasons:
- So that you can prove that you own a file.
- So that you have an incentive to not place your files on an illegal file trading network.
If the files are watermarked, can I play them in my car?
Yes, absolutely. None of our watermarking technology interferes with the quality of the file nor the the ability for players to play the files.
Selling Content
Can I sell stuff on Bitmunk and make money?
Yes. With the release of the Bitmunk 3.2 Personal Edition Software, you will be able to sell files on the Bitmunk network and charge money for each download.
How are artist royalties distributed?
When artists register files on Bitmunk, they set a base royalty for songs and albums. Every time a song or album is sold on Bitmunk, the artists royalty is automatically distributed to the artist.
You can see exactly how much the artist is paid on every media page on Bitmunk in a section titled Royalties. Typically, the artist gets 65%-85% of the total sale price on Bitmunk. It's a great deal for small artists, who normally don't even get a measly 10% of digital content sales, if they are operating under a traditional music label.
Financial Management
Why do you charge sales tax if I am in the state of Virginia?
The company that created Bitmunk, Digital Bazaar, is based in Blacksburg, Virginia. We are compelled by the Commonwealth of Virginia to collect sales tax on all purchases.
Royalties and Fees
Who sets the royalty for a song or movie?
The royalties for digital works are set by a number of people including the artist, cinematographers, music label, publishers, writers, technicians and everybody else that goes into producing the final piece of digital content that you buy. You can see a break-down of who gets paid what under the Royalties section on each media page.
How much is Bitmunk's Fee?
Bitmunk charges 15 cents or 15% (whichever is greater) of the sale price of an item. This fee goes towards all of the operational costs of running the network, new software development, infrastructure costs, employee salaries and a variety of other costs incurred as a part of running this network.
This page was last modified on 30 June 2009, at 19:31. This page has been accessed 1,467 times.