1. User's Acknowledgment and Acceptance of Terms

SmithMusic.com LLC ("Us" or "We") provides the smithmusic.com site and various related services (collectively, the "site") to you, the user, subject to your compliance with all the terms, conditions, and notices contained or referenced herein (the "Terms of Use"), as well as any other written agreement between you and us. Also, when using particular services or materials on this site, users shall be subject to any posted rules applicable to such services or materials that may contain terms and conditions in addition to those in these Terms of Use. All such guidelines or rules are hereby incorporated by reference into these Terms of Use.

BY USING THIS SITE, YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THESE TERMS OF USE. IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO BE BOUND BY THE THESE TERMS OF USE, PLEASE EXIT THE SITE NOW. YOUR REMEDY FOR DISSATISFACTION WITH THIS SITE, OR ANY PRODUCTS, SERVICES, CONTENT, OR OTHER INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON OR THROUGH THIS SITE, IS TO STOP USING THE SITE AND/OR THOSE PARTICULAR PRODUCTS OR SERVICES. YOUR AGREEMENT WITH US REGARDING COMPLIANCE WITH THESE TERMS OF USE BECOMES EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY UPON COMMENCEMENT OF YOUR USE OF THIS SITE.

These Terms of Use are effective as of January 1, 2021. We expressly reserve the right to change these Terms of Use from time to time without notice to you. You acknowledge and agree that it is your responsibility to review this site and these Terms of Use from time to time and familiarize yourself with any modifications. After such modifications, your continued use of this site will acknowledge the modified Terms of Use and agreement to abide and be bound by the modified Terms of Use.

As used in these Terms of Use, references to our "Affiliates" include our owners, subsidiaries, affiliated companies, officers, directors, suppliers, partners, sponsors, and advertisers, and includes (without limitation) all parties involved in creating, producing, and/or delivering this site and/or its contents.

 

2. Description of Services

We make various services available on this site, including, but not limited to, business to business, business to customer services for digital media storage, presentation, distribution, and other like services ("services"). You are responsible for providing, at your own expense, all equipment necessary to use the services, including a computer, modem, and Internet access (including payment of all fees associated with such access).

We reserve the sole right to either modify or discontinue the site, including any of the site's features, at any time with or without notice to you. We will not be liable to you or any third party should we exercise such right. Any new features that augment or enhance the then-current services on this site shall also be subject to these Terms of Use.

 

3. Registration Data and Privacy

To access some of the services on this site, you will be required to use an account and password obtained by completing our online registration form, which requests certain information and data ("Registration Data"), and maintaining and updating your Registration Data as required. By registering, you agree that all information provided in the Registration Data is true and accurate and that you will maintain and update this information as required to keep it current, complete, and accurate. You must be 18 years or older to use the site. By using and/or registering for an account on the site, you represent and warrant that you are of age 18 years or older and that you can understand, agree to and comply with the Terms of Service.

The information we obtain through your use of this site, including your Registration Data, is subject to our Privacy Policy, which is specifically incorporated by reference into these Terms of Use.

 

4. Conduct on Site

Your use of the site is subject to all applicable laws and regulations, and you are solely responsible for the substance of your communications through the site. By posting information in or otherwise using any communications service, chat room, message board, newsgroup, software library, or other interactive services that may be available to you on or through this site, you agree that you will not upload, share, post, or otherwise distribute or facilitate distribution of any content -- including text, communications, software, images, sounds, video, data, or other information -- that:

1. is unlawful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, libelous, deceptive, fraudulent, invasive of another's privacy, tortious, contains explicit or graphic descriptions or accounts of sexual acts (including but not limited to sexual language of a violent or threatening nature directed at another individual or group of individuals), or otherwise violates our rules or policies;
2. victimizes, harasses, degrades, or intimidates an individual or group of individuals based on religion, gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, age, or disability;
3. infringes on any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright, right of publicity, or other proprietary rights of any party;
4. constitutes unauthorized or unsolicited advertising, junk or bulk email (also known as "spamming"), chain letters, any other form of unauthorized solicitation, or any form of lottery or gambling;
5. contains software viruses or any other computer code, files, or programs that are designed or intended to disrupt, damage, or limit the functioning of any software, hardware, or telecommunications equipment or to damage or obtain unauthorized access to any data or other information of any third party; or
6. impersonates any person or entity, including any of our employees or representatives.

We neither endorse nor assume any liability for the contents of any material uploaded or submitted by third-party users of the site. We generally do not pre-screen, monitor, or edit the content posted by users of communications services, chat rooms, message boards, newsgroups, software libraries, or other interactive services that may be available on or through this site. However, our agents and we have the right at their sole discretion to remove any content that, in our judgment, does not comply with these Terms of Use and any other rules of user conduct for our site or is otherwise harmful, objectionable, or inaccurate. We are not responsible for any failure or delay in removing such content. You hereby consent to such removal and waive any claim against us arising from such removal of content. See "Unauthorized Use of Materials" below for a description of the procedures to be followed if any party believes that content posted on this site infringes on any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright, right of publicity, or other proprietary rights of any party.

You are solely responsible for your interactions with other site users. We reserve the right but have no obligation to become involved in any way with disputes between you and other site users.

You may also not use your account to breach the security of another account or attempt to gain unauthorized access to another network or server. Not all areas of the site may be available to you or other authorized users of the site. You shall not interfere with anyone else's use and enjoyment of the site or other similar services. Users who violate systems or network security may incur criminal or civil liability.

Also, by way of example, and not as a limitation, you agree NOT to:

1. Defame, abuse, harass, stalk, threaten, or otherwise violate the rights (such as rights of privacy and publicity) of others;
2. Use other Members' data for purposes other than establishing contact that is reasonably expected to be welcomed by such other Members;
3. Use the site in any unlawful manner or in any other manner that could damage, disable, overburden or impair the operation of the site;
4. Modify, adapt, translate, or reverse engineer any portion of the site, or use any robot, spider, site search/retrieval application, or other devices to retrieve or index any portion of the site;
5. Reformat, embed or frame any portion of the web pages that are part of the site without permission;
6. Remove any copyright, trademark, or other proprietary rights notices contained in or on the site;
7. Harvest or collect email addresses or other site members' contact information, including usernames, from the site by electronic or other means.
8. Reproduce any image or photograph posted on the site without permission from the content owner.

You agree that we may at any time, at our sole discretion, terminate your membership, account, or other affiliation with our site without liability and prior notice or explanation. Also, you acknowledge that you will cooperate fully with any investigations of violations of systems or network security at other sites, including cooperating with law enforcement authorities in investigating suspected criminal activity.

5. Third-Party Sites and Information

This site may link you to other sites on the Internet or otherwise include references to information, documents, software, materials, and/or services provided by other parties. These sites may contain information or material that some people may find inappropriate or offensive. These other sites and parties are not under our control, and you acknowledge that we are not responsible for the accuracy, copyright compliance, legality, decency, or any other aspect of the content of such sites, nor are we responsible for errors or omissions in any references to other parties or their products and services. The inclusion of such a link or reference is provided merely as a convenience. It does not imply endorsement of, or association with, the site or party by us or any warranty of any kind, either express or implied.

6. Intellectual Property Information

For purposes of these Terms of Use, "content" is defined as any information, data, communications, software, photos, video, graphics, music, sounds, and other material and services that users can view on our site. This includes message boards, chat, and other original content.

By accepting these Terms of Use, you acknowledge and agree that all content presented to you on this site is protected by copyrights, trademarks, service marks, patents, or other proprietary rights and laws and is the sole property of SmithMusic.com LLC and/or its Affiliates. You are only permitted to use the content as expressly authorized by the specific content provider or us. You may not copy, reproduce, modify, republish, upload, post, transmit, or distribute any documents or information from this site in any form or by any means without prior written permission from the specific content provider or us, and you are solely responsible for obtaining permission before reusing any copyrighted material that is available on this site. Any unauthorized use of the materials appearing on this site may violate copyright, trademark, and other applicable laws and result in criminal or civil penalties.

We do not claim any ownership rights in any content created by or owned by you that you submit, post, or display on or through the site. By submitting, posting, or displaying any content on or through the site, you hereby grant Us a limited, non-exclusive, fully-paid, worldwide license to use, modify, publicly perform, publicly display, reproduce, and distribute such Content solely on and through the site for purposes of providing site's services. The license does not grant Us the right to sell your content, nor does the license grant Us the right to distribute your content to a third party without your permission.

You represent and warrant that: (i) you own the content posted by you on or through the site or otherwise have the right to grant the license outlined in this section, and (ii) the posting of your content on or through the site does not violate the privacy rights, publicity rights, copyrights, contract rights or any other rights of any person. You agree to execute any document necessary to ensure that We do not have to pay royalties for using any content you create and post to the site. You agree to pay for all royalties, fees, and any other monies owing to any person because of any content posted by you to the site.

Neither we nor our Affiliates warrant or represent that your use of materials displayed on or obtained through this site will not infringe the rights of third parties. See "User's Materials" below for a description of the procedures to be followed if any party believes that content posted on this site infringes on any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright, right of publicity, or other proprietary rights of any party.

The following are registered trademarks, trademarks, or service marks of SmithMusic.com LLC or its Affiliates: Smith EntertainmentLLC, Smith Music Group LLC, Rick Smith Publishing LLC. All custom graphics, icons, logos, and service names are registered trademarks, trademarks, or service marks of SmithMusic.com LLC or its Affiliates. All other trademarks or service marks are the property of their respective owners. Nothing in these Terms of Use grants you any right to use any trademark, service mark, logo, and/or the name of SmithMusic.com LLC or its Affiliates.

7. Unauthorized Use of Materials

Subject to our Privacy Policy, any communication or material that you transmit to this site or us, whether by electronic mail, post, or other means, for any reason, will be treated as non-confidential and non-proprietary. While you retain all rights in such communications or material, you grant us and our agents and affiliates a non-exclusive, paid-up, perpetual, and worldwide right to copy, distribute, display, perform, publish, translate, adapt, modify, and otherwise use such material for any purpose regardless of the form or medium (now known or not currently known) in which it is used.

We respect the intellectual property of others, and we ask you to do the same. If you or any user of this site believes a posting has infringed its copyright, trademark, or other property rights on this site, you or the user should notify our Designated Agent (as identified below) immediately. To be effective, the notification must include:

1. Identify the copyrighted work in sufficient detail that you believe has been infringed upon or other information sufficient to specify the copyrighted work being infringed).
2. Identify the material that you claim is infringing the copyrighted work listed in item #1 above.
3. Provide information reasonably sufficient to permit us to contact you (email address is preferred).
4. If possible, provide information sufficient to permit us to notify the owner/administrator of the allegedly infringing webpage or other content (email address is preferred).
5. Include the following statement: "I have a good faith belief that use of the copyrighted materials described above as allegedly infringing is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law."
6. Include the following statement: "I swear, under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notification is accurate and that I am the copyright owner or am authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed."
7. Sign the paper.
8. Send the written communication to the following address:

Designated Agent for Claimed Infringement:

Contact: SmithMusic.com LLC
Address: 131 E Exchange Ave. Ste 102 Fort Worth TX 76164

If you are unsure about your rights in respect of your copyright material or whether there has been an infringement of your rights, we suggest that you take legal advice before sending a notice to Us. This 'notice and takedown process is regulated by statute. There may be negative consequences if you falsely allege copyright infringement or send a notice to Us in bad faith.

You acknowledge and agree that upon receipt of a notice of a claim of copyright infringement, we may immediately remove the identified materials from our site without liability to you or any other party and that the claims of the complaining party and the party that originally posted the materials will be referred to the United States Copyright Office for adjudication as provided in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

If We remove your content for infringing someone else's copyright, and you believe We have removed it in error, We will provide you with an opportunity to appeal.

8. Disclaimer of Warranties

ALL MATERIALS AND SERVICES ON THIS SITE ARE PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR THE WARRANTY OF NON-INFRINGEMENT. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, WE MAKE NO WARRANTY THAT (A) THE SERVICES AND MATERIALS WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS, (B) THE SERVICES AND MATERIALS WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, TIMELY, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE, (C) THE RESULTS THAT MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE USE OF THE SERVICES OR MATERIALS WILL BE EFFECTIVE, ACCURATE OR RELIABLE, OR (D) THE QUALITY OF ANY PRODUCTS, SERVICES, OR INFORMATION PURCHASED OR OBTAINED BY YOU FROM THE SITE FROM US OR OUR AFFILIATES WILL MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS OR BE FREE FROM MISTAKES, ERRORS OR DEFECTS.

THIS SITE COULD INCLUDE TECHNICAL OR OTHER MISTAKES, INACCURACIES, OR TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS. WE MAY MAKE CHANGES TO THE MATERIALS AND SERVICES AT THIS SITE, INCLUDING THE PRICES AND DESCRIPTIONS OF ANY PRODUCTS LISTED HEREIN, AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. THE MATERIALS OR SERVICES AT THIS SITE MAY BE OUT OF DATE, AND WE MAKE NO COMMITMENT TO UPDATE SUCH MATERIALS OR SERVICES.

THE USE OF THE SERVICES OR THE DOWNLOADING OR OTHER ACQUISITION OF ANY MATERIALS THROUGH THIS SITE IS made AT YOUR DISCRETION AND RISK AND WITH YOUR AGREEMENT THAT YOU WILL BE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE TO YOUR COMPUTER SYSTEM OR LOSS OF DATA THAT RESULTS FROM SUCH ACTIVITIES.

Through your use of the site, you may have the opportunities to engage in commercial transactions with other users and vendors. You acknowledge that all transactions relating to any merchandise or services offered by any party, including, but not limited to the purchase terms, payment terms, warranties, guarantees, maintenance, and delivery terms relating to such transactions, are agreed to solely between the seller or purchaser of such merchandize and services and you. WE MAKE NO WARRANTY REGARDING ANY TRANSACTIONS EXECUTED THROUGH, OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS SITE, AND YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT SUCH TRANSACTIONS ARE CONDUCTED ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. ANY WARRANTY THAT IS PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH ANY PRODUCTS, SERVICES, MATERIALS, OR INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON OR THROUGH THIS SITE FROM A THIRD PARTY IS PROVIDED SOLELY BY SUCH A THIRD PARTY, AND NOT BY US OR ANY OTHER OF OUR AFFILIATES.

Content available through this site often represents the opinions and judgments of an information provider, site user, or other person or entity not connected with us. We do not endorse, nor are we responsible for the accuracy or reliability of, any opinion, advice, or statement made by anyone other than an authorized Smith Entertainment LLC spokesperson speaking in his/her official capacity. Please refer to the specific editorial policies posted on various sections of this site for further information, which policies are incorporated by reference into these Terms of Use.

You understand and agree that temporary interruptions of the services available through this site may occur as normal events. You further understand and agree that we have no control over third-party networks you may access in the course of this site's users. Therefore, delays and disruptions of other network transmissions are completely beyond our control.

You understand and agree that the services available on this site are provided "AS IS" and that we assume no responsibility for the timeliness, deletion, mis-delivery, or failure to store any user communications or personalization settings.

SOME STATES OR JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN WARRANTIES, SO SOME OF THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

9. Limitation of Liability

IN NO EVENT SHALL WE OR OUR AFFILIATES BE LIABLE TO YOU OR ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ANY SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THOSE RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE, DATA OR PROFITS, WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OF THIS SITE OR ANY WEB SITE REFERENCED OR LINKED TO FROM THIS SITE.

FURTHER, WE SHALL NOT BE LIABLE IN ANY WAY FOR THIRD-PARTY GOODS AND SERVICES OFFERED THROUGH THIS SITE OR FOR ASSISTANCE IN CONDUCTING COMMERCIAL TRANSACTIONS THROUGH THIS SITE, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION THE PROCESSING OF ORDERS.

SOME JURISDICTIONS PROHIBIT THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

10. Indemnification

Upon a request by us, you agree to defend, indemnify, and hold us and our Affiliates harmless from all liabilities, claims, and expenses, including attorney's fees, that arise from your use or misuse of this site. At our own expense, we reserve the right to assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter otherwise subject to indemnification by you. In this event, you will cooperate with us in asserting any available defenses.

11. Security and Password

You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your password and account and for any statements made and acts or omissions that occur through the use of your password and account. Therefore, you must take steps to ensure that others do not gain access to your password and account. Our personnel will never ask you for your password. You may not transfer or share your account with anyone, and we reserve the right to immediately terminate your account if you do transfer or share your account.

12. E-mail, Messaging, Blogging, and Chat Services

We may make email, messaging, blogging, or chat services (collectively, "Communications") available to users of our site, either directly or through a third-party provider. We make available separate supplemental agreements characterizing the relationship between you and us that, except expressly noted or contradictory, including these Terms.

We will not inspect or disclose private communications contents except with the consent of the sender or the recipient or in the narrowly-defined situations provided under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, or as other required by law or by a court or governmental order. Further information is available in our Privacy Policy.

We may employ automated monitoring devices or techniques to protect our users from mass unsolicited communications (also known as "spam") and/or other types of electronic communications that we deem inconsistent with our business purposes. However, such devices or techniques are not perfect, and we will not be responsible for any legitimate communication that is blocked or for any unsolicited communication that is not blocked.

Accounts may have a limited storage capacity. If you exceed the maximum permitted storage space, we may employ automated devices that delete or block messages that exceed the limit. We will not be responsible for such deleted or blocked messages.

13. International Use

Although this site may be accessible worldwide, we make no representation that materials on this site are appropriate or available for use in locations outside the United States. Accessing them from territories where their contents are illegal is prohibited. Those who choose to access this site from other locations do so on their initiative and are responsible for local laws compliance. Any offer for any product, service, and/or information made in connection with this site is void where prohibited.

14. Termination of Use

You agree that we may, in our sole discretion, terminate or suspend your access to all or part of the site with or without notice and for any reason, including, without limitation, breach of these Terms of Use. Any suspected fraudulent, abusive, or illegal activity may be grounds for terminating your relationship and may be referred to appropriate law enforcement authorities.

Upon termination or suspension, regardless of the reasons, therefore, your right to use the services available on this site immediately ceases, and you acknowledge and agree that we may immediately deactivate or delete your account and all related information and files in your account and/or bar any further access to such files or this site. We shall not be liable to you or any third party for any claims or damages arising out of any termination or suspension or any other actions taken by us in connection with such termination or suspension, except as otherwise provided in a written contract between you and Us. Our proprietary rights, disclaimer of warranties, licenses under this and any other agreement, indemnities, limitations of liability, and miscellaneous provisions shall survive any termination of your account.

15. Governing Law

We control this site (excluding any linked sites) from our offices within the State of Texas, United States of America. It can be accessed from all 50 states, as well as from other countries around the world. As each of these places has laws that may differ from those of Texas, by accessing this site, both of us agree that the statutes and laws of the State of Texas, without regard to the conflicts of laws principles thereof and the United Nations Convention on the International Sales of Goods, will apply to all matters relating to the use of this site and the purchase of products and services available through this site. Each of us agrees and hereby submits to the exclusive personal jurisdiction and venue any court of competent jurisdiction within the Southern District of the State of Texas concerning such matters.

16. Notices

ll notices to a party shall be in writing and shall be made either via email or conventional mail. Notices to us must be sent to Customer Service's attention at contact@smithmusic.com, if by email, or at SmithMusic.com LLC, 131 E Exchange Ave. Ste 102 Fort Worth TX 76164 if by conventional mail. Notices to you may be sent to the address supplied by you as part of your Registration Data. Also, we may broadcast notices or messages through the site to inform you of changes to the site or other matters of importance, and such broadcasts shall constitute notice to you at the time of sending.

17. Legal Compliance

You shall comply with all applicable domestic and international laws, statutes, ordinances, regulations, contracts, and applicable licenses regarding your use of the site and related services.

18. Entire Agreement

These terms and conditions constitute the entire agreement and understanding between us concerning this agreement's subject matter and supersede all prior agreements and understandings of the parties concerning that subject matter. These Terms of Use may not be altered, supplemented, or amended by using any other document(s). Any attempt to alter, supplement or amend this document or enter an order for products or services subject to additional or altered terms and conditions shall be null and void unless otherwise agreed to in a written agreement signed by you and us. To the extent that anything in or associated with this site is in conflict or inconsistent with these Terms of Use, these Terms of Use shall take precedence.

19. Miscellaneous

In any action to enforce these Terms of Use, the prevailing party will be entitled to costs and attorneys' fees. Any cause of action brought by you against us or our Affiliates must be instituted one year after the cause of action arises or be deemed forever waived and barred.

You may not assign your rights and obligations under these Terms of Use to any party, and any purported attempt to do so will be null and void. We may free assign our rights and obligations under these Terms of Use.

You agree not to sell, resell, reproduce, duplicate, copy or use for any commercial purposes any portion of this site or use or access it.

In addition to any excuse provided by applicable law, we shall be excused from liability for non-delivery or delay in delivery of products and services available through our site arising from any event beyond our reasonable control, whether or not foreseeable by either party, including but not limited to, labor disturbance, war, fire, accident, adverse weather, inability to secure transportation, governmental act or regulation, and other causes or events beyond our reasonable control, whether or not similar to those which are enumerated above.

If any part of these Terms of Use is held invalid or unenforceable, that portion shall be construed in a manner consistent with applicable law to reflect, as nearly as possible, the original intentions of the parties, and the remaining portions shall remain in full force and effect.

Any failure by us to enforce or exercise any provision of these Terms of Use or related rights shall not constitute a waiver of that right or provision.

20. Contact Information

Except as explicitly noted on this site, the services available through this site are offered by SmithMusic.com LLC, located at 131 E Exchange Ave. Ste 102 Fort Worth, TX 76164. If you notice that any user is violating these Terms of Use, please contact us at help@smithmusic.com.

This exclusive distribution agreement (“Agreement”) by and between SmithMusic.com LLC (“Distributor”) and Artist/Band/Individual/Label/Distributor (“Client”) (Distributor and Client are referred to herein individually as “Party” or collectively as the “Parties”) is effective as of the date of Client’s consent to the same through Distributor’s website (the “Effective Date”).

The Parties hereby agree as follows:

1..         Definitions. The following capitalized terms shall have the following meanings for the purposes of this Agreement:

(a) “Album Units” means the units of the Album manufactured in any audio format.

(b)   “Authorized Territory” means the entire Universe.

(c) “Content” means the collection of sound recordings, both individually (a “Single”), and collectively as released in a single musical album by the Client (an “Album” or “Albums”), including, by way of example and not limitation, the musical works embodied in such sound recordings, any related artwork, photos, liner notes, metadata, and other material related to the Content.

(d) “Copyright Management Information” means the digital information conveying information regarding a Digital Master, including, by way of example and not limited to, the title of the applicable Album, the name of the song or Single, the International Standard Recording Code (ISRC), the Universal Product Code (UPC), the marketing label, and the record company name.

(e)  “Digital Master(s)” means the original Content in digital form and any copy or copies of the same, whether created by Client or Distributor.

(f)  “Direct Digital Download Distribution Service” means the online services operated by Distributor for the sale, distribution, marketing, streaming, licensing, or other means of digital transmission of the Content and other media.

(g)  “Net Profits” means the gross proceeds received by Distributor after the deduction of the distribution fee, any applicable administration fee, and pre-approved advertising costs and chargebacks.  For the avoidance of doubt, any marketing and advertising expenses (per Section 14) are not reimbursed to Distributor prior to the calculation of Net Profits.

(h)  “Service(s)” means the sale, distribution, marketing, or streaming (including but not limited to digital downloads or streams) of the Content pursuant to this Agreement.

(i)    “Single Units” means the units of any individual song or Single included as Content manufactured in any audio format.

(j)    “Third Party Licensee” means any third party licensee that Distributor may authorize to carry out the sale, distribution, marketing, streaming, licensing, or other use of an Album or Single pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, including, by way of example and not limitation, Apple iTunes, Amazon Music, Spotify, Sound Exchange and others that Distributor may choose in its sole and absolute discretion.

2.             Distribution of Product. This Agreement is for the digital distribution of the Content uploaded by Client to any Smith Music portal (portal.smithmusic.com) and Distributor’s Services related to the same, through all forms of media distribution, whether now known or hereinafter devised, including, for the purpose of example and not limitation, online streaming, digital downloads, public performance, content ID and all other forms of electronic media transmission. Digital Masters, graphic art, and all other Materials described in Paragraph 20 below and all materials related to the Content herein must be delivered to the Distributor no later than 2 weeks (14 days) before the set release date of the content.

3.     Exclusive Grant of Rights.  Through the uploading of any audio or visual Content via any Smith Music portal (portal.smithmusic.com) by Client, Client hereby appoints Distributor as the sole and exclusive digital distributor of the Content to perform the Services set out herein, within the Authorized Territory for the Term of this Agreement as set out in Paragraph 4 herein. Client shall neither allow nor permit any other person, company, or entity to distribute the Content or perform the Services within the Authorized Territory during the Term without express written permission of Distributor.

            a.  Client retains the right to grant individual track master use licenses, including for premiums, endorsements, games, samples, theater, film, television, videos, advertisements, commercials compilation albums, Internet productions, merchandising, promotions and the like. Client may also stream the Content solely for promotional purposes through Client’s own website and/or social networking or social media platforms.

4.            Term: The term of this Agreement shall begin on the Effective Date and shall remain in effect for a period of one (1) year (the “Initial Term”). This Agreement cannot be terminated without cause during the Initial Term.  The term shall automatically renew each year on the anniversary of the Effective Date, for additional one-year periods (each a “Renewal Term”) unless terminated in writing by either Party at any time during any Renewal Term with 30 day advanced notice to the other Party.  The Initial Term and any Renewal Term are collectively referred to herein as the “Term”.  A final accounting will take place within One Hundred and Twenty (120) days of the end of the month during which the Agreement is terminated.  Such final accounting will include a report detailing total digital revenue received related to any Content from a Direct Digital Download Distribution Service or Third Party Licensee, and an itemized list of all authorized discounts, advertising, marketing and other authorized charge backs. All monies due from either Party at the time of the final accounting for any Content shall be paid within sixty (60) days following Client’s receipt of such final accounting. Payment may include monies due to Client for Content sold or downloaded, or reimbursements from Client to Distributor for any over-payments previously made by Distributor.

5.     Compensation. Digital Distribution Fees. For the Services provided by Distributor pursuant to this Agreement, the Distributor will be paid Ten Percent (10%) of Net Profits for each Album Unit, Single Unit, or Video Unit that is streamed, sold, paid for, and not returned. 

 6.     Authorization.  Through execution of this Agreement, Client hereby appoints the Distributor as Client’s exclusive authorized representative for the sale and digital distribution of the audio and visual Content uploaded to any Smith Music Portal (portal.smithmusic.com, smithmusicportal.audiosalad.com). Accordingly, Client hereby grants to Distributor the exclusive right, during the Term and throughout the Authorized Territory to:

(a) Reproduce and create derivative works of the Content by converting the Content, or any portion thereof, into Digital Masters, including less than full-length versions of sound recordings (“Clips”) that can be used for promotional purposes as authorized in this Agreement and, if necessary, reproducing the Content, or any part thereof.

(b) Publicly perform, publicly display, communicate to the public, and otherwise make available the Content, any portion thereof, and portions thereof as embodied in Clips, by means of digital audio transmissions (on an interactive or non-interactive basis) through a Direct Digital Download Distribution Service or Third Party Licensee, or any person authorized by the Client to place on any website, identify the availability of the Content for license, sale, or distribution and promote the Content, on a through-to-the-listener basis, without payment of any fees or royalties by Distributor to any of the following:

(i)            the songwriters, composers, or music publishers owning any rights in and to any Album or additional Content therein;

(ii)          (ii) any performing artist(s) (including non-featured vocalists and musicians) on any Album or Content therein;

(iii)         (iii) any other person involved in the creation of or owning any portion of any Album or Content therein, including, but not limited to a record label, and

(iv)         (iv) any agents for any of those individuals or entities listed above, such as performing rights organizations (“PROs”) and unions or guilds, whether U.S. based (such as ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, Sound Exchange, AFTRA, and/or AFM) or foreign (e.g. PRS for Music, PPI, CMRRA, CSI, GEMA, etc.);

(c) Use and distribute Copyright Management Information as embodied in a Digital Master of the Content;

(d) Use the Content and metadata that may be reasonably necessary or desirable for Distributor to exercise its rights under this Agreement;

(e)  Authorize Distributor’s Third Party Licensees to perform any one or more of the activities specified in this Agreement.

7. Name and Likeness; Promotional Use and Opportunities.

 

(a)           Name and Likeness of Client and Songwriters. Client hereby grants to Distributor during the Term the right to use, and authorize Third Party Licensees to use in any marketing materials for the sale, promotion, and advertising of the Content, which is offered for sale or other use under the terms of this Agreement: (i) the names and approved likenesses of, and biographical material concerning, the Client and any artists, bands, producers and/or songwriters, as well as track, Single, and/or Album name; (ii) all artwork related to the sound recordings or audiovisual works.

b) Promotion. Client hereby grants to Distributor the right to market, promote, and advertise the Content as available for purchase in any and all media, whether now know or hereafter devised.

8.  Reversion of Rights. All rights granted hereunder to Distributor revert to Client on proper termination of this Agreement.

9.  Sale of Rights in Content Prohibited. Client may not sell or assign any rights in and to the Content during the Term of this Agreement to any entity, person, company, or third party without the express, advanced written permission of Distributor.

10.  Earnings Statements. Distributor will render to Client monthly digital statements related to the Content within 90 days of the conclusion of each month (i.e. statements reflecting January sales/downloads will be provided to Client by April 30th), indicating the actual number of Album Units and Single Units sold or streamed and paid for (and not returned), the wholesale sales price (if applicable in the calculation of Net Profits) and gross receipts (if applicable in the calculation of Net Profits) received by Distributor in connection with Distributor’s performance of the Services related to the Content.

11.   Accounting Records and Audit Rights. Distributor will keep full and complete records of all transactions relating to the Content.  No more than once per year, and upon reasonable notice, the Client may, at its own expense, audit Distributor’s records in order to verify earnings statements rendered hereunder.  Any such audit will be conducted by a certified public accountant and during Distributor’s normal business hours and Client shall provide the results of any such audit to Distributor for review, following which the Parties shall attempt to negotiate a resolution to any discrepancy in good faith. Any statement not the subject of an audit and subsequently questioned by Client by written notice to Distributor within two (2) years from the date of such statement will   be   deemed   accurate, final, conclusive, and binding on the Parties and their respective heirs, successors, and assigns.   Client’s   right   to   examine Distributor’s records will be limited to only those books, records, and accounts applicable and relevant to this Agreement.  The audit process as outlined herein constitutes Client’s sole, exclusive right with respect to challenging any earnings statement.  If Client does not conduct an audit as set forth herein for a given earnings statement, Client waives any right to challenge any such statement in any fashion, including through an audit or court proceeding.

12.  Further Actions and Chain of Title Verification. Client will execute and deliver to Distributor, promptly upon reasonable request by Distributor, any other instruments or documents reasonably considered in good faith by Distributor to be necessary or desirable to evidence, effectuate, or confirm this Agreement, or any of the terms and conditions hereof, including but not limited to Client’s “chain-of- title” verification in and to the Content.

13.  Content Ownership.  Subject to Distributor’s  rights explicitly granted hereunder,  all right, title, and interest in and to the Content, including the Digital Master Recordings, the Clips, all copyrights and equivalent rights embodied therein, and all Materials furnished to Distributor by the Client related to the Content shall remain with Client.

14.  Marketing and Advertising. All advertising and marketing materials must be approved by Client and Distributor.  All costs and expenses initially incurred by Distributor related to the same are 100% recoupable by Distributor from first monies due to Client from any Net Profits until such costs and expenses are fully recouped.

15.  Promotions. Any promotions with respect to the Content must be pre-approved by Client.  All costs and expenses initially incurred by Distributor related to the same are 100% recoupable by Distributor from first monies due to Client from any Net Profits until such costs and expenses are fully recouped. 

 

16.  Representations and Warranties.

 

(a)           Mutual Representations and Warranties. Each Party represents and warrants to the other that it:

i.     Is authorized to enter into this Agreement on the terms and conditions set forth herein;

ii.     Will not act in any manner that conflicts or interferes with any existing commitment or obligation of the other Party, and that no agreement previously entered into by the Party will interfere with the performance of its obligations under this Agreement;

iii.     Shall perform its obligations hereunder in full compliance with any applicable laws, rules, and regulations of any governmental authority having jurisdiction over such performance.

(b) Client’s  Additional Representations and    Warranties.  Client further represents  and warrants to Distributor that:

i.     Client has the full right, power, and authority to act on behalf of any and all owners of any right, title, or interest in and to the Content, including, but not limited to, all musical works embodied in the Content, and that the Client is authorized to provide the Content to the Distributor for the uses specified in this Agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, if Client is acting on behalf of a band, group, or corporation, Client hereby represents and warrants to Distributor that Client is fully authorized to enter into this Agreement on behalf of that band, group, or corporation and to grant all of the rights and assume and fulfill all of the obligations, covenants, and representations and warranties set forth in this Agreement;

ii.     Client owns or controls all of the necessary rights in the Content in order to make the grant of rights, licenses, and permissions herein, and that Client has permission to use the name and likeness of each identifiable individual person whose name or likeness is contained or used within the Content, and to use such individual’s identifying or personal information (to the extent such information is used or contained in the Content) as contemplated by this Agreement;

iii.     The use or other exploitation of the Content, including but not limited to, any musical works embodied in the sound  recordings, by   Distributor   and   Distributor’s Third Party Licensees, as contemplated by this Agreement, will not infringe or violate the rights of any third party, including, without limitation, any privacy rights, publicity rights, copyrights, contract rights, or any other intellectual property or proprietary rights;

iv.     To the extent the Client is the songwriter of any or all of the musical works embodied in the Content, whether in whole or in part (e.g., as a co-writer), Client has the full right, power, and authority to grant the rights set forth in this Agreement notwithstanding the provisions of any agreement Client may have entered into with any PRO, whether based in the United States or elsewhere, or any music publisher, and that Client is solely responsible for taking all steps necessary to inform such PRO or music publisher of Client’s grant of a royalty free license to Distributor and any Distributor Third Party Licensees for the public performance and communication to the public of the Content, including as Clips, and that no fees or payments of any kind whatsoever shall be due to any PRO or music publisher for the use of the musical works in the Content when publicly performed, communicated or otherwise transmitted Distributor and its Third Party Licensees;

v.     Client has not assigned any of the rights in and to the sound recordings embodied in the Content to any third party (e.g., a record label) that obtained exclusive rights in and to such sound recordings.

17.   Indemnification. Client agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold Distributor harmless from and against any and all damages, claims, liabilities, costs, losses, or any and all other expenses (including, but not limited to attorneys’ fees) (collectively “Claims”) arising out of any breach or alleged breach of any of the warranties, representations, covenants, or agreements made by the Client in this Agreement, including but not limited to, any Claims made by a PRO or music publisher with respect to any public performances or communications to the public of any musical works embodied in the Content, including claims from any unions, guilds, background musicians or vocalists, engineers, etc., or any party for any use or misuse of any other forms of intellectual property or proprietary rights in the Content, including but not limited to, trademark rights and invasions of the right of privacy or publicity. Client expressly agrees to be liable to Distributor for any payment made by Distributor at any time with respect to any Claims to which the foregoing indemnity applies. Pending the resolution of any claim, demand, or action, Distributor may, at Distributor’s   sole   discretion, withhold   payment   of   any   monies otherwise payable to Client hereunder in an amount which does not exceed Client’s  potential liability to Distributor pursuant to this Section.

18.    Distributor Responsibilities. Distributor will provide the Services contemplated herein to the best of its skill and ability and in any event in no less favorable fashion than that provided to any other client for which Distributor performs the Services.

19.     Client Responsibilities.

 

(a) Specific Responsibilities. Client, either itself or through its agent, will be responsible for obtaining and paying for any and all clearances or licenses required in the Authorized Territory for the use of any musical works embodied in the Content.  For the avoidance of doubt, any such costs are not reimbursable expenses to Client.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Client shall be responsible for:

i.     any royalties and other sums due to artists (featured and non-featured), authors, co-authors, copyright owners and co-owners, producers, engineers, and any other record royalty participants from sales or other uses of the Content;

ii.     all mechanical royalties or other sums payable to music publishers and/or authors or co-authors of musical compositions embodied in the Content from sales or other uses of the Content;

 iii.     all payments that may be required under any collective bargaining agreements applicable to Client or any third party (e.g., to unions or guilds such as AFM or AFTRA); and

iv.     any other royalties, fees and/or sums payable with respect to the Content or other materials provided by Client to Distributor. Client agrees that the amount payable to Client is inclusive of any so-called “Client-royalties” that might otherwise be required to be paid for sales or exploitations pursuant to the applicable laws of any jurisdiction for any public performances, public displays or communications to the public of the sound recordings and musical works constituting the Content.

(b) Parental Advisory Labeling Responsibility. Client will be responsible for complying with the Recording Industry Association of America’s (“RIAA”) Parental Advisory Logo (“PAL”) Standards, as applicable, for the Term of this Agreement.

 

20.     Delivery. Contemporaneously with the upload of any Content, Client agrees to deliver to the Distributor via the SmithMusic.com portal all of the materials described below (the “Materials”). Preparation and delivery of the Materials shall be at Client’s expense. Client understands and agrees that all Materials delivered to Distributor are pre-approved for use and distribution by Distributor in performance of the Services:

(a)           Metadata, which must include complete song title, the music publisher(s), song run-times, and all appropriate credits (including the complete names of the songwriters and composers);

(b)   Hi-Resolution cover art and Artist Photos

(c)    Audio and/or Video Files

(d)   Artist Biographies

21.     No Representations and Warranties with Respect to Sales and Distributions. Distributor makes no guarantees regarding the minimum number of unit sales, downloads, streams or uses of the Content. In addition, Distributor makes no guarantees that Third Party Licensees will perform under any agreement into which they enter with Distributor for the sale, distribution, or licensed use of the Content, including by paying the royalties Third Party Licensees owe Distributor for the distribution of the Content. Should a Third Party Licensee refuse to pay Distributor for the use and/or distribution of the Content, Distributor will use its commercially reasonable best efforts to collect any payments that may be due from such Third Party Licensees for any sale, distribution, or licensed use of the Content

22.     Content Returnable. All Content is 100% returnable to the Distributor and Client. Client recognizes that no sales are “final” and, even though Distributor has reported a “sale” of the Content and paid the Client accordingly, such product may be returned in accordance with Distributor’s return policies. In the event of a return, or returns, the Client shall be obligated to reimburse Distributor the compensation paid to the Client for such Content. All returned Content shall be credited to the Distributor in the Earnings Statements provided by the Distributor to Client. In the event any statement reflects that returns for the period exceed sales, then such balance shall be carried forward from statement to statement until the final statement. Should the final statement reflect that applicable returns have exceeded sales, then the Client shall remit to the Distributor within thirty (30) days of such statement the amount reflected thereon.

23.  Default and Breach. In the event either Party violates any of the material terms and conditions of this Agreement and such default remains uncured for a period of thirty (30) days after written notice has been delivered to the defaulting Party, the other Party shall have the right to terminate this Agreement by delivering written notice to the defaulting Party. Should Client breach any representations and warranties set forth in the Agreement, and Distributor exercises its termination right hereunder, Client agrees to immediately reimburse Distributor any and all Advances paid and expenses incurred by Distributor in connection with the Services. Nonperformance of any obligations of either Party required herein based on acts of God and matters traditionally considered beyond the control of a Party (e.g. riot, weather, governmental edict) shall not be considered a default or breach under this Agreement; provided, if Distributor cannot render services due to a force majeure event for a period in excess of ninety (90) days, Client may terminate this Agreement and distribute the Content through a third party.

24.  Choice of Venue. All disputes arising between Client and Distributor under this Agreement shall be subject to the sole and exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Tarrant County, Texas, and Client and Distributor hereby submit to the personal jurisdiction and venue of these courts.

 25.  Construction of Contract. This Agreement has been drafted in whole or in part by Distributor and Client. In the event a court is called upon to construe this Agreement, the same shall not be construed in favor or against either Party as this Agreement has been drafted for and on behalf of each of the Parties to their mutual benefit. This Agreement shall be construed according to the spirit and purposes of this Agreement taking into consideration the four corners of this instrument together with industry usage and custom.

26.  General Provisions.

(a) Relationship of the Parties. The Parties agree and acknowledge that the relationship between them is that of independent contractors. This Agreement shall not be deemed to create an agency, partnership, or joint venture between Distributor and Client, and Distributor shall not have a fiduciary obligation to Client as a result of this Agreement.

(b) Entire Agreement. This Agreement contains the entire understanding of the Parties relating to the subject matter contemplated herein. This Agreement, including all Addenda, supersedes all previous agreements or arrangements between the Distributor and the Client pertaining to the Services. This Agreement cannot be changed or modified except as provided herein.

(c) Waiver and Severability. A failure to act upon any breach of default by any Party of of any term or condition of this Agreement will not be deemed as a waiver of such breach, default, term or condition, or of any subsequent breach or default thereof. If any provision of this Agreement is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be unenforceable, such determination shall not affect any other provision of this Agreement, and the unenforceable provision shall be replaced by an enforceable provision that most closely meets the commercial intent of the Parties.

(d) Notices. All notices hereunder will be in writing and sent by certified or registered mail (return receipt requested),  messenger (with receipt of delivery), or email if receipt of such notice if confirmed by the recipient to the addresses set forth below:

To Distributor:            SMITHMUSIC.COM LLC

131 E. Exchange Avenue, Suite 102

Fort Worth, Texas 76164

To Client:                    Address provided on W-9 or other address provided to Distributor for notification purposes

Any such notices sent hereunder will be deemed served or received upon delivery, except notices sent by email which shall be deemed received upon notice of confirmation by the recipient.  Each Party may designate in writing such other place or places that notices may be given hereunder; provided however, that any notice of change of address will only be effective upon actual receipt thereof by the other Party.

(e) Binding Effect. This Agreement and the terms and conditions set forth herein will be binding on the Parties as well as their respective assigns, heirs, executors, estates, affiliates, agents, personal representatives, administrators, and successors (whether through merger, operation of law, or otherwise)..

(f) Governing Law; Dispute Resolution. This Agreement is governed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas applicable to agreements entered into and to be wholly performed in Texas, without regard to conflict of laws principles.  In the event of any dispute related to this Agreement, the Parties shall first attempt to negotiate a resolution in good faith.  If such negotiations are unsuccessful, the Parties shall the attempt to resolve the dispute through mediation, with a mediator agreed upon by the Parties.  If such mediation is unsuccessful, any claim or cause of action shall be brought pursuant to the venue provision set forth herein.

(g) Cumulative Rights. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the rights and remedies of the Parties provided under this Agreement are cumulative and are in addition to any other rights and remedies of the Parties at law or equity.

(h) Headings. The titles and headings used in this Agreement are for convenience only and are not to be considered in construing or interpreting this Agreement.

(i) No Third Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement is for the sole benefit of the Parties to this Agreement and their authorized successors and permitted assigns. Nothing herein, express or implied, is intended to or shall confer upon any person or entity, other than the Parties hereto and their authorized successors and permitted assigns, any legal or equitable right, benefit or remedy of any nature whatsoever under or by reason of this Agreement.

(j) Assignment. Except with respect to assignments by either Party to a parent entity which acquires or succeeds to all or substantially  all  of  the  assigning  Party’s  assets  or  voting stock, the rights and obligations pursuant to this Agreement cannot be assigned without the written consent of the other Party provided, however, that such consent is not unreasonably withheld.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Client has agreed to the terms and conditions set forth herein and the Parties hereto have executed this Agreement upon Client’s submission of any applicable Content through any Smith Music Portal.