Questions and Answers (FAQs)

What problems can our changeable codes solve for you?

Your cards aren't locked to a single event, project, website, or product so you can take advantage of our lower bulk pricing and let associates use your codes for different projects. Code scan data can be turned into inciteful charts showing your customers preferences.

Performing musicians can’t legally sell recordings of their shows because the performances unless they purchasing the required mechanical license for each song from the respective owners, which is both complicated and prohibitive. We've taken care of this for you, so long as the video performance you upload contains your performance of a song in our licensed ASCAP/BMI library.  

This takes the complexity out of selling merchandise with links to your performances and content.  Order custom products from our web store with QR codes for sale at your future performances. Our cards are the same size as a credit card and can be sold much like a small CD. Coin-Jar™ Cards are an easy way for musicians to carry an always relevant for-sale product, increasing their ability to profit and expand their brand. They’re a unique merchandise item for any performing act.

How Can I secure the content?

Before the sale, Coin-Jar™ cards feature an optional scratch-off holographic security sticker that obscure the codes until purchased.  When scratched with a coin the cards reveal it's absolutely unique QR code.  Then the purchaser uses their their smartphone to scan the revealed code, and will be presented with a preprogrammed content until the performance you're selling has been uploaded to our website and cleared licensing.    Once each song in the performance is cleared, that unique video is approved and the video’s signature is sent to Youtube along with the video, so it won't be blocked.  You can then redirect the QR codes for sold cards to their corresponding legally cleared content making the cards scan to the newly released video on Youtube.

Since our codes are unique, use statistics can identify shared codes and shut them down individually, or direct them elsewhere.

What happens when the band or a fan uploads a video of a performance to a public streaming service without a license?

These are unlicensed and considered illegal.  In early days of the Internet, not much would happen because it was difficult to police this volume of data for copyrighted content.  But, given time the owners of these song catalogs (who are large corporations) found the technology to demand that they be paid for catalog of songs when companies like Google used it.  As such uploads to video sharing services are now scanned for unlicensed content and are can be blocked entirely when posted or later. 

How long does it take to have material cleared?

This usually happens very quickly, but depends on the length of the performance and number of songs.   Most times, within a few hours, or overnight.

How do we have a license?

ASCAP/BMI controls a large percentage of the popular music catalog.  We work with a licensee that has purchased their entire catalog.  Our contract stipulates we act as an agent for your band with the song licensee.

What about music that is outside of ASCAP/BMI’s catalog?

If you publish it, the video may be blocked, removed, of edited by Youtube.  We recommend quickly searching the ASCAP/BMI online catalog to identify any outliers before including them in your video.

Is this infallible? Are there risks and limitations?

Music licensing is complicated.  For example, a performer may sample the original recording from the artist’s song your uploading.  Even though your content has been identified as licensed with ASCAP/BMI  by Coin-Jar to Youtube that doesn’t stop others from filing complaints.  An example of a reasonable attempt might be a third party which purchased permission to use a licensed performance of the author’s music as a sample.  Copyright holders can still identify that sample and file a complaint that your video uses a sample from their song.  This has happened on rare occasion and we were successful getting the content cleared and no videos were removed or made unavailable when the video was flagged.   You should be aware the terms with which Google has permitted this currently don’t stipulate the number or length of advertising they can place with the playback, so non-youtube subscribers can expect advertising interruptions in an attempt to persuade them to subscribe to Youtube.  Also, the license stipulates the band must appear in the YouTube video performance, so Coin-Jar™ licensed audio-only productions are prohibited from Youtube.

Do I need to link to video content?

No, the products works equally well forwarding to the band’s merchandise page on their website, or a Spotify account.  Authors have linked to their books on Amazon, and used the re-redirectable QR codes to provide updated product information on their websites.  

How long does it take between upload and publishing permission?

Typically overnight.  The content switchover service can be automated and you’ll receive notifications during the process.

What stops people from scanning the codes without buying the card?

An easy method to prevent this is to have display card codes link to some other content.  We can also protect your content before the sale with scratch-off holographic security stickers. Scratching the sticker with a coin reveals the unique QR codes.  

Will I get paid per play for my content on YouTube.

No, when you have Coin-Jar™ license your music you forgo a small share of the pay-per click advertising royalties from Google. Unless the pay per click rates change significantly in the future, your card clicks shouldn’t amount to any significant amounts unless you sell many millions of cards (please do and we can talk), so we’re saving a tree by not including you in the share and therefore having to report this tiny income to the IRS.  

What is unique about our product?

Quick and affordable solid plastic card with your custom graphics and up to 4 QR codes.  Available with holographic security- scratch-off stickers.  Easy online ordering and production, free online music licensing, and quick access to other similarly branded merchandise for resale. 

How does my band get started?

You’ll need original or licensed artwork. For each side of the plastic card supply one image.   The card dimensions are a standard credit card 85mm x 65mm.  The file should be in .png format at a minimum of 150 dpi. Orders for packs of 5 cards from $30+ shipping. ($/6 card) W

Artwork considerations: open spaces around the edges and corners work better for QR code placement with most designs.  Bright designs are preferable to dark since the plastic card is white and has white edges. QR codes are printed at .65 inches x .65 inches at a minimum of 150dpi  (97.5 pixels by 97.5 pixels)

To sign up for an account and start ordering cards you should have a url for the landing page if your content won’t be immediately available when the card is sold.  The band’s website is a great alternative to a professional video, but a quick shout out video on a cell phone from the band to the fans can serve equally well.