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F.A.Q.

These are the answers to the most frequently asked questions about OBT Music. If you have a question that isn’t answered here, please email us at info@obtmusic.com or call us at 508-366-9585.

1. Who Are We?
OBT Music is Tom Phillips and Tom Martin, two composers who have scored award-winning documentary films for national network and cable television for the past 30 years. We have also scored feature films, corporate films, commercials, and museum multimedia shows. The experience obtained in scoring these projects — diverse subjects needing equally diverse scores — is reflected in the content of this library. All of the music presented here is film music, written and produced for films.

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2. What Does It Cost to License Music?

Our licensing tool calculates the cost of licensing our music based upon your needs and the format of your film. We know film budgets never leave enough for music, so we believe in keeping our rates extremely affordable. We want you to use our music because we believe our music can help make your film better. If you have any questions or would like to discuss custom licensing rates, please contact us.

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3. What Makes OBT Different From Other Music Libraries?
All of our music was written and produced for real films with exacting producers and editors. We know the difference between film music cues and songs. We think like film producers and editors: music is an integral part of many different levels within a film. Our music leaves room for narration, and has visual and emotional quality that other libraries just don’t have.

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4. Why Do I Have To Join OBT?
As professionals in the film business, you know that there are costs and risks involved in presenting all of the benefits that we provide. Anyone can access our MP3 files and by doing so have a treasure trove of rough-cut music. By charging a one-time, nominal fee to access and download our high-quality WAV files, we can maintain the quality of the music and website, and assure fellow professionals that only serious producers of film can legally use our music.

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5. Do I Need to Renew My OBT Music Membership?
No. Once you or your production company is a registered member, your information stays on file with us (see our privacy policy for details) and you have perpetual access to all of our high-quality WAV files. We simply ask that you keep your address and contact information current.

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6. What Are Your Licensing Terms?

The license you purchase is specific to the film that you have applied for. The licensing tool on our site guides you through the license selection process for your film’s specifications and use. Licenses takes effect within 24 hours of a successful electronic web payment, or, if you pay by check, when the check clears. If your film is for broadcast, you must file a cue log with ASCAP within a reasonable amount of time. All of the information needed (composer and publisher) for the music is embedded within the WAV file.

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7. Why Do You Offer MP3s and WAVs?
We want you to download and try the full-length MP3 versions of our music. These MP3s are created for quick download, and although they are not of broadcast quality, they are certainly good enough to see how they work in your film. MP3 files take up 1/10 of the memory that WAV files do, so they are easy to work with. When you find what you like, you can download the WAV files for your final project if you are a registered member of OBT.

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8. What Am I Allowed To Do With the MP3s?

You are permitted to download MP3 files from our site and try them in your in-progress production. You can edit them to fit your film or effect them in any manner that reflects the personality and style of your project. The only restriction is that you are not permitted to use them in your finished product. Become a registered member of OBT Music to replace the low-quality MP3s with high-quality WAV files and apply for the appropriate synchronization license.

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9. Can Your Music Be Altered To Fit My Film?

We can alter the majority of our music to your specifications. In some cases, the alternation may be very simple; others may be more involved. Music cues with live instrumentation can only be altered with creative editing and/or remixing. Please contact us to discuss your needs. There is a charge for alterations, but we will try to work within your budget.

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10. Can I Add My Music to OBT’s Library?
No. Our library reflects who we are as composers scoring for film, and the library would not be OBT Music if we included other composers.

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11. Where Did All This Music Come From?

We have scored films for 30 years and have built up quite a resume of credits. We negotiated the rights to much of that music in order to make it available to you for your film. Since we are active film composers, we continually add new music cues to the library.

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12. I Need a Paper Copy of My License. How Do I Get One?
Everyone who purchases a license from OBT receives a PDF electronic copy of the license as soon the license payment clears. A paper copy of your license will be sent to you via USPS first-class mail within 3 business days of your license payment clearing.

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13. Can I Get the Library On DVD or On a Hard Drive?

In registering with OBT, you are entitled to have the library of our 48k 16- bit WAV files sent to you on DVD at no charge. After you’ve successfully logged in, order your DVD by clicking View Profile to the right of your user name and then clicking the DVD request link. Alternatively, you may have the library sent on a hard drive or other format, though we will bill you for the cost of the drive. Contact us at info@obtmusic.com for more detail about this option.

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14. What Criteria Can I Use to Search the Music Library?

In order to make your search for the right music cue easier, our website offers a number of different ways to search the music cue database. With all search methods, you can hit VIEW MATCHES whenever you like, and the cues that match your criteria up to that point in your search will be displayed.

BY CATEGORY:

Search by film genre categories, some of which have multiple subcategories enabling you to locate specific attributes of those genres. For example, Americana -> Period -> Civil War would yield music cues relevant to that specific era.

You can select VIEW MATCHES at any point or make further refinements based on description of mood, instrument, and tempo.

BY SPECIALITY:

Search by specific musical attributes that we feel are useful to film producers. These are pieces that feature GUITAR, PIANO, VOCALS, or PERCUSSION. Cues found through this method can have multiple instruments, but feature these instruments at their core. You can then refine your search by CATEGORY and all the other search options.

Also available in through this method are THEME, ENDING, and ID/LOGO —fast ways to find pieces that can fill those requirements.

BY SOLO INSTRUMENT:

Search for pieces that are solo instruments. After you choose an instrument, you can refine your search by CATEGORY and all the other search options.

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