ORDERING HELP
How to Order Sheet Music from Abbie Betinis Music Company
1) Fill out my
2) I will process your order as soon as I can. It's just me in my office, so it usually takes 3-5 days. (If for some reason you have not heard from me within that time, please feel free to send me a gentle nudge over email: .)
3) When your order has processed, I'll email you your invoice and an estimated ship date. If you chose to receive Digital Edition scores, you will receive a second email with your score(s) attached in PDF format. For help opening a PDF document, click here.
4) Send me your payment. Your payment is due 30 days from the date your order was processed. Please pay your invoice in whichever way you indicated on the original order:
| Check |
If you chose to pay by check, please make it out to "Abbie Betinis Music Company" and send it to: Abbie Betinis Music Company PO Box 4842 St. Paul, Minnesota 55104 USA |
| Credit Card | For your safety, I do not take credit card numbers through my order form, over the phone or through email. If you chose to pay by credit card, I'll send you an email that says, "Please click here to pay your bill." Clicking on that link will allow you to pay quickly and securely using Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, your bank account, or PayPal. note: Please manually type in your invoice amount on that link above before sending payment. Thank you! |
COMMON QUESTIONS
Can I order your music through a dealer? (Click to view/hide)
The short answer: Yes.
The medium answer: Yes, but I don't make as much on the sale.
The long answer: Each link in a healthy supply chain must make a profit. Right now at least, while the sheet music industry is in so much flux, the self-publisher/composer is often taking the hit, and my company is no exception. Dealers can be very helpful to self-publishers in certain circumstances (All-State Choirs, Reading sessions). But the publisher is expected to offer the dealer a drastic discount. Even my dealer discount, which is lower than most, has me just breaking even on the sale of my scores. So when you order my music through a dealer, I actually make little to no profit. I hesitate to raise my prices because I want my sheet music to be competitive in the market. I often also lose another important source of revenue: the performance royalty. It's a very difficult balance: I want you to have my music, but I also need to survive financially. If at all possible, I would prefer to do business with you directly through my online order form.
The medium answer: Yes, but I don't make as much on the sale.
The long answer: Each link in a healthy supply chain must make a profit. Right now at least, while the sheet music industry is in so much flux, the self-publisher/composer is often taking the hit, and my company is no exception. Dealers can be very helpful to self-publishers in certain circumstances (All-State Choirs, Reading sessions). But the publisher is expected to offer the dealer a drastic discount. Even my dealer discount, which is lower than most, has me just breaking even on the sale of my scores. So when you order my music through a dealer, I actually make little to no profit. I hesitate to raise my prices because I want my sheet music to be competitive in the market. I often also lose another important source of revenue: the performance royalty. It's a very difficult balance: I want you to have my music, but I also need to survive financially. If at all possible, I would prefer to do business with you directly through my online order form.
Do you have a dealer discount? (Click to view/hide)
Yes, I offer a small discount to dealers. Dealers who can supply me with the customer's name and/or organization receive an additional 8% discount on top of my standard dealer discount. Please place your order through my online order form , note your PO number (if necessary) in the box at the bottom, and, finally, in the message box, write a little note to me requesting the dealer discount and noting the customer's name if possible.
I will google you to make sure you are a dealer, but I will not contact the customer. Knowing the name of the customer simply helps me keep track of state and regional premieres. Please note: I do not have a FAX machine.
I will google you to make sure you are a dealer, but I will not contact the customer. Knowing the name of the customer simply helps me keep track of state and regional premieres. Please note: I do not have a FAX machine.
What is a Digital Edition and how can I use it? (Click to view/hide)
A Digital Edition is a paperless alternative to traditional paper scores. If you choose to receive your order as a Digital Edition, I will email your sheet music to you, attached as a PDF. This PDF score will have a Limited Copy License printed on it so you can legally duplicate the number of copies you've ordered.
What does a Digital Edition cost? (Click to view/hide)
Digital Editions are 40% off the regular (i.e. paper edition) retail price, plus a flat digital licensing fee per title. The regular digital licensing fee is $5 per title. The 'rush' fee is $25 per title.
The fee covers my time adding your customized license to each score page. This 'percentage-plus-flat-fee' structure rewards honesty by making large orders of choral sheet music affordable, while encouraging customers to buy traditional paper copies for single perusal scores.
For instance, my piece "Be Like the Bird" lists for $1.00/octavo. If you have a chorus of fifty people, you need to buy fifty scores. Fifty printed scores will cost ($1 each x 50) = $50 plus shipping. Fifty digital editions will cost ($0.60 each x 50) + $5 flat licensing fee = $35.
The fee covers my time adding your customized license to each score page. This 'percentage-plus-flat-fee' structure rewards honesty by making large orders of choral sheet music affordable, while encouraging customers to buy traditional paper copies for single perusal scores.
For instance, my piece "Be Like the Bird" lists for $1.00/octavo. If you have a chorus of fifty people, you need to buy fifty scores. Fifty printed scores will cost ($1 each x 50) = $50 plus shipping. Fifty digital editions will cost ($0.60 each x 50) + $5 flat licensing fee = $35.
What does the Limited Copy License cover? (Click to view/hide)
Your license permits you to print (or digitally distribute) the quantity of scores you've ordered, and no more. You may also keep a single perusal copy of the licensed PDF on whatever device(s) you personally own. Any further duplication, printing, forwarding to singers or colleagues, uploading, or any other dissemination of the copyrighted file is prohibited. Tampering with the license is illegal.
What is a PDF and how do I open it? (Click to view/hide)
PDF stands for Portable Document Format, and it offers higher-quality printouts than other formats. To open these files, you will need Adobe Reader software on Macintosh OS 8/9 or Windows systems. Additionally, you can open PDF files with Preview on Macintosh OS X. If you do not have Adobe Reader already installed on your computer, you can download the installer and instructions free from the Adobe Web site by clicking here.
How exactly does the Limited Copy License read? (Click to view/hide)
Generally, your license will read:
The license may be worded slightly differently based on your order. If, for instance, there is no organization name listed, it may be licensed to the person placing the order. If you like, you may specify the Licensee in the message box at the bottom of the order form.
Digital Edition licensed [DATE] for duplication of [QTY] copies for the sole use of [ORG'N NAME], [CITY, STATE, COUNTRY].
Further dissemination of this copyrighted work is illegal. Thank you for supporting my art and livelihood. -Abbie
Further dissemination of this copyrighted work is illegal. Thank you for supporting my art and livelihood. -Abbie
The license may be worded slightly differently based on your order. If, for instance, there is no organization name listed, it may be licensed to the person placing the order. If you like, you may specify the Licensee in the message box at the bottom of the order form.
I think I might have an illegal score. What should I do? (Click to view/hide)
If you think you might have been given an illegal copy of a piece published by Abbie Betinis Music Co., please contact me right away. Anyone can contact me -- a chorus member, a parent, a colleague. I will preserve your anonymity if you wish, but please include all the details you can, including the title of the piece, performance date, the name of the person or organization who gave you the score, and any contact information you have for them.
DIGITAL EDITIONS: All my legal Digital Editions have a license on the first page of music (see above). If the license on your score (PDF or paper copy) has been removed or tampered with in any way, please contact me. Your identity will be kept strictly confidential.
PAPER COPY: My paper scores are printed with black ink on white or cream 11 x 17 paper, folded in half, and stapled on the fold (saddle-stapled). If you are performing from single sheets of WHITE letter-sized paper and there is no license on the first page of music, chances are your score is ILLEGAL and I really need to know about it. Please contact me. Your identity will be kept strictly confidential.
I need your W9 and Federal Tax ID to set you up as a vendor for my school. (Click to view/hide)
Please send me an email to request a copy of my W9 form and Federal Tax ID. I can even create a mock-up of your invoice if you need an amount to fill in. Better yet, send me the actual order through my online order form and don't forget to fill in the Purchase Order number. Leave any instructions for me (where to send my W9) in the message box at the bottom of your order.
Are you a 'woman-owned business'? (Click to view/hide)
Vender forms often want to know if Abbie Betinis Music Co. is a Woman-Owned Business. Oddly enough, though I am a woman and I own and control my own business, I am not designated a 'Woman-owned Business' because of the expense to become certified and the hefty annual renewal fee. (So you'll just have to take my word for it.)
Who needs to fill in the tax exempt number? (Click to view/hide)
Only organizations with a billing address in Minnesota need to fill out the tax exempt number. Out-of-state orders are not taxed, but if you do happen to fill it in, I will keep it on file here so, in case I am selling music in your state someday (at a conference, for instance), I'll have it.