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Frequently Asked Questions What is LightningCD? LightningCD is an online music store unlike any other. We use your computer and your CD-writer, along with our patent-pending software, to create actual music CDs you can play on your home stereo, in your car, on your boom box at the beach, or on your portable disc player. You can even play them from your computer's DVD or CD-ROM drive. And because we eliminate manufacturing and distribution costs, we pass that savings on to you with discounted prices. We also provide many ways to select your music: you can purchase albums or individual tracks, or build your own CDs containing your favorite songs! How does this work? Simply click on a menu item above. Everything explains itself as you go along. What is the difference between LightningCD and other downloadable music sites? Other sites let you download files in formats like MP3 or WMA which will only work on your computer. There are many places where taking a computer along just isn't convenient, but taking a CD or two is a great idea. At LightningCD you use your computer and your CD-writer, along with our patent-pending software, to create actual audio CDs - just like you would buy at your local music store. And we use the industry-leading high-fidelity format, for superior sound quality. We deliver cover art, liner notes, jewel case, and of course the audio CD as well! We have recently added the ability to also deliver enhanced CDs, which include special bonus content viewable on your computer - check the album pages for the "Enhanced!" logo to see if this CD comes with bonus content. So don't just download your music, make it a LightningCD! How much does music from LightningCD cost? That depends on the particular album, of course. Usually, we offer the same CDs you would buy at a store for less. You can also build your own "greatest hits" mix album for 99 cents per track plus a one dollar processing fee. How do I pay for the music I want to buy? We currently accept payment via Visa and Mastercard credit cards, as well as debit cards. We are exploring the possibility of expanding this to include other credit cards or electronic checks. Please let us know if this would be useful to you. How do I buy a specific CD? Click the "Choose a CD" tab and either use the search or browse functions to locate the CD you want. Once you find the music you're looking for, click the "buy it now!" link. We will ask you some questions in order to enable your payment. Then we download the necessary files to your system in order to create the CD, and create the audio disc using your CD-Writer. How do I make my own mix CD? Click the "Build Your Own CD" tab and either use the search or browse functions to locate the music you want. Once you find the music you're looking for, click the "add it to CD" link. Once you have identified the songs you want, click "Ready to Buy!" We will ask you some questions in order to enable your payment. Then we download the necessary files to your system in order to create the CD, and create the audio disc using your CD-Writer. Is this legal? Yes! We are an authorized distributor of every title we sell. We have created an environment that protects the interests of the artists and labels. Do musicians and labels get paid for the music I buy from LightningCD? Of course! And in some cases much better than they would if you were to buy the same CD at a local music store. Labels, and artists who sell directly through us always make at least 50% of the price of music sold through LightningCD and can make as much as 60% on any given sale. Help support your favorite artists, make it a LightningCD! How do you protect against piracy? Though audio files are downloaded to your system in order to create your CDs, these audio files are not available for redistribution. These files are kept encrypted while your CD is being generated and are removed thereafter. We've created an environment that helps protect the interests of labels and artists. How can I sell my music through LightningCD? If you're an indie musician, and you haven't signed over the copyrights on your music to a record label nor granted someone else an exclusive distribution agreement, we can help you right away. Please shoot us an email at distribution@lightningcd.com and we will get right back to you! If you're already on board with a record label, we'll have to have a deal with them, but it will help greatly if you encourage them to sign with us. New! We've got a whole FAQ dedicated to artist questions, such as the very important "how do I sign up" and "how do I get paid" sorts of questions. Please follow this link to read the details. I don't have a CD-writer, can you guys just mail me the CDs? Unfortunately we can't. But CD-writers are relatively inexpensive these days, which is one reason we decided to specialize in enabling end users to make their own CDs. It's what we do best, and it's how we bring the cost of CDs down. To see our CD-Writer recommendations, click the "Order Supplies" tab in the menu above. Do you sell MP3s or other digital music files? There's no need to. The format used on LightningCDs produces superior sound quality, while the LightningCDs themselves work in any CD-playing device. What if I want other music that you don't yet have? Well, we don't yet have everything, but we're working on it! Please let us know what you'd like to listen to. You can do so by clicking this link or by emailing us at music-request@lightningcd.com. Can I listen to it before I buy it? Yes, we provide samples of every song we sell. You can hear brief snippets of the music in streaming format on the site. If there is a quality issue with one of the CDs I made, can it be repaired or replaced? We will replace the CD for up to a week after time of purchase. Technical Questions What equipment do I need to listen to these CDs? The audio CDs provided by LightningCD should play in any CD player, whether in your computer or otherwise. However, some DVD players have trouble playing audio recorded on CD-Rs, and some older CD players will not play "mixed mode" CDs (ones which contain both audio and multimedia content). What equipment do I need to create CDs on my computer? You need an internet connection - the faster the better, this process requires you to download a lot of data - and a CD-Writer (CD-RW drive) in your computer. Currently, our software runs only on Windows machines. You also need at least 800 megabytes of free space on your hard disk. Will my CD-Writer work with your system? In general, most CD-writers built since 1997 should work. But here is the list of CD-Writers that our software is tested with. Do you recommend any particular CD-Writers? Actually, we do. Our software is tested with a number of different systems and some have been found to be more reliable than others. If you're in the market for a CD-Writer, we have a number of recommendations listed here. How do I download music from LightningCD? First, you'll need to install our software, then select the content you want to download. Use the menu above. How long does it take to create a CD? It is possible to create CDs very quickly, if you have a fast internet connection and a high-speed CD writer. Download time for a complete CD depends on the speed of your internet connection, as follows:
What happens if the CD doesn't play on my car stereo? Car stereos in particular can be finicky, due to the need for error-correction if you're driving on anything bumpier than smooth pavement. We have several suggestions:
Privacy Questions What information do we collect and how do we use it? When you order a LightningCD, we ask for the minimum information needed to process your order. We need to know to whom and where to send the order, and what account to charge (and the credit card's expiration date). We also ask for your email address, so we can notify you of your order status. When you download free promotional content, we need to know your name and certain demographic information (like age, zip code, etc.). Our preview content is supported by advertising revenue, which enables us to provide this service to you for free, very much like radio. When you sign up for services like the Weekly Bargains Newsletter, we need only your email address -- to send the information you requested. When you enter a contest or other promotional feature, we ask for your name, address, and email address so we can notify you if you win, and to send you the prize! LightningCD Corporation may host promotions and sweepstakes sponsored or administered by outside parties:
We may also use the information we collect to occasionally notify you about important changes to the web site, new LightningCD services, and special offers we think you'll find valuable. If you would rather not receive this information, visit "My Account" to change your preferences. Make sure to change your preferences for each account or email address you have left with us. When you send a Lightning Gift, we ask for your email address and that of the recipient in order to complete your request. LightningCD Corporation does not disclose the nature of the gift or send promotional email to the recipient address you provided. |
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