Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to the most common questions we get here at SingSnap.
Blocking Members
- A friend tells me I have blocked them but I haven't, how do I fix it?
This is likely because when you block someone we also block all accounts on that IP address. Your friend is probably on the same IP address as someone you have blocked.
The only way to fix this is to unblock everyone. Then re-block the ones you absolutely need blocked one by one while making sure your friend is not put on block because of it.
- Can I block someone by their IP address?
This is done automatically for you actually. When you block someone's account we will make sure that all other accounts on that IP address are blocked as well.
- How do I block someone?
Click on "Account", "Miscellaneous" and then on "Blocked Members". On this page you can now add/remove members from your blocked list.
- How long does it take for a block to take effect?
The block will be in effect the next time the blocked member visits SingSnap.
If they are currently on SingSnap when you block them they will be able to comment/rate recordings etc until their session expires (which it does after 20 minutes of inactivity or when they log out).
- What effect does it have when I block someone?
Members you have blocked will not be able to comment on or rate your recordings. They also won't be able to send you private messages or sign your guestbook.
- Why can blocked members view my recordings?
When you save a recording as Public anyone logged in or not can view your recording. The main reason for this is because we have no way of knowing who actually views your recordings since SingSnap is a public site and anyone can view recordings on it.
If you save your recordings as "Members Only" this will prevent members who are blocked from listening/viewing your recordings. Also Members who are not logged in to Singsnap will not be able to view your recordings.
Chat
- Can I create my own private chat room?
Yes, you can!
This is done through the use of "Inner Circles". All you have to do is select "Yes" next to "Chat Activated" when editing your inner circle.
Note that creating inner circles is a Gold only feature.
You can read more about inner circles in general in that section of the FAQ.
- Do I have to be 18 to chat?
Yes, to access the public SingSnap Singing Chat Room you have to be 18.
- I'm a Gold member, why do I see advertisements in the chat?
The chat room service is not operated by us and we have limited control over advertisements displayed in the chat room unfortunately.
- I'm new to this, can someone tell me how to get started in the SingSnap Singing Chat Room?
Absolutely, we have a great page that will introduce you to all the important features of the room. Click on this link.
- There's a chat room?! Where can I find it?
Yes, we do have a public chat room :)
You can find it by clicking on this link and then click on the link that says "SingSnap Singing Chat Room" and you're in!
There are also plenty of inner circle chat rooms but those are private and you need to be a member of the inner circle to access them.
- What rules do I have to follow in the SingSnap Singing Chat Room?
The existing SingSnap Terms of Use / Code of Conduct regarding member behavior apply equally in the chat room but there are some additional rules to follow as well which are outlined on this page.
- Why do I get a screen saying "You could not be authorized..." when I try to enter?
If you are trying to enter the SingSnap Singing Chat Room, there could be two reasons for this; you are either under age (the minimum age in the chat is 18) or you have been banned from the chat.
If you get this message and you need clarification you can contact lisamarie who is the lead on the chat-admin team.
If you are trying to enter a private inner circle chat and get this message it likely means the owner of the inner circle has removed you from it.
Comments
- Can I disable comments completely on my recordings?
Yes, when you record you can select "No" in the field that says "Allow Comments". You can also do this on recordings you've already saved.
- How do I stop someone from commenting on my recordings?
If you block a member they won't be able to comment any more on your recordings.
You can read more about blocking under the section titled "Blocking Members".
- I can't submit a comment, can I fix this?
Sometimes the creator of the recording has simply disabled commenting on the recording and in this case there is nothing you can do of course.
If that's not the case, meaning others are leaving comments but you are unable to (and you're not blocked) then it could be a problem with Javascript on your computer.
Make sure Javascript is enabled in your browser. If you're using Internet Explorer you can do this by clicking on "Tools" and selecting "Internet Options". Then click the "Security" tab and set it to default. If you're using another browser please refer to its documentation.
An easy way to fix this problem if you keep getting it is to just upgrade your browser to a new version or switch to another browser (Firefox is recommended).
- I get very few comments, what's wrong with me?
It sounds serious... go see a doctor immediately!
;)
Ok, to get serious... this is normal if you're new on SingSnap. Just because your recordings get posted on the site it doesn't mean people will magically find them and start commenting.
The most effective way to get comments is to comment on others recordings, they will likely return the favor...
- If I delete a comment, does it get deleted from the recording page as well?
Yes, it does.
- Where do I view comments I've received on my recordings?
You can of course view them on the recording pages themselves but you can also find them if you click on "Community" in the top menu and then on "Comments" in the sub menu.
Creating Recordings
- Can I go back to the old way of recording just mono?
Absolutely, mixing the voice track with the music track requires a little more work to get recordings out the door than the old system and if you want to go back to the old way there is nothing stopping you from doing that...
Just change your sound card settings to "What U Hear" or "Stereo Mix" and uncheck "Enable Music" when previewing. If you are a gold member you also need to uncheck "Stereo Backing Track" when recording.
Now the sound on your recordings will be exactly the same as it was before, although once you have heard stereo your ears might have a hard time adjusting back to the mono sound ;)
- Can I improve the video quality on my recordings?
Make sure you have nice, bright lighting for recording video. Also, you can try running the Setup Wizard again.
- Can I record using Windows Vista?
Yes, our recording system is fully compatible with Windows Vista.
- Can I use a USB microphone to record?
Yes, you can. When you record with SingSnap you have the option to "Enable Music" in the preview step of the recording process. When "Enable Music" is checked the voice track from your USB microphone will be mixed in with the music track.
- Can you explain why I get "Dropout Detected" and why the sync gets gradually worse?
Sometimes, the "sync" cannot be corrected with the "Adjust Timing" option, here's why...
Sometimes, when you are recording, the voice track suffers small "dropouts", where a tiny part of the recording goes missing. You can replicate this by opening another program or web page while recording. What it happening is the recorder doesn't get enough of your computer's time, and just doesn't record a few moments of the sound.
With "Enable Music" unchecked, you'd probably never hear this. But when you check "Enable Music", you will hear both the voice and the music side by side. Since your voice track is missing some small parts, the track will actually be shorter than the music track.
So, at the beginning of the song the sync might be OK, but as the song goes on (and as the dropouts occur) the sync will gradually get worse and worse. Unfortunately at this time there is nothing that can be done about this. You'll have to try recording this song again.
Here's what you can do to help prevent this:
Most of the time, this can be stopped by closing all the unnecessary programs that are running on your computer. Obviously, it's easy to close all the programs in the bottom bar, but did you know that for every icon in the System Tray (by the clock) there is a program running too? So if you have a lot of icons down there, you have a lot of programs running. You can right click on each icon and see if an exit option exists.
You shouldn't need to close your antivirus or firewall software, but you can try to close them for troubleshooting purposes.
Once all the unnecessary programs are closed, close your browser and reopen it. In one single window and tab, go to SingSnap.com and try to record a song again.
Another culprit could be a program that loads when your webcam is in use. WebCam Max, ManyCam, or the tools that come with Logitech cams can all take a LOT of computer time away from the recorder.
- Can you help me find "Stereo Mix" / "What U Hear" on my sound card?
Sure, click "Start" -> "Control Panel" -> "Sounds and Audio Devices" -> "Audio" -> Click the "Volume" button under "Sound recording" -> "Options" -> "Properties" -> make sure everything is checked -> click "OK".
You should now see the "Stereo Mix" or "What U Hear" line if it's supported by your sound card.
- Do I have to check "Enable Music" to get stereo quality recordings?
Yes you have to check "Enable Music" in the preview step and you also have to be a Gold member to get stereo quality recordings.
Also make sure "Stereo Backing Track" is checked when recording.
- How do I get effects on my vocals?
There are two ways to accomplish this:
The first method:
If you record using "What U Hear" or "Stereo Mix" you can just use your sound card or mixer to apply effects if that feature is available.
If you record using "Mic" it's a little more complicated... while most sound cards have built in effects you can hear, most do not add effects to input devices. This means you can hear the effects but they will not record. To use effects from a sound card you will need to purchase a sound card that offers live mic/input effects. These cards add the effect directly to the mic/input and will be recorded in the SingSnap recorder.
You can also purchase a mixer device that has onboard effects to achieve the same thing. A lot of SingSnap members have purchased Behringer or Alesis mixers for this purpose.
The second method:
If you are a gold member you can apply the MMSB "Make Me Sound Better" feature during the recording preview process. This adds a small amount of reverbriation and compression to your voice. By nature of the process your vocals will become louder so be sure to move the recording slider to the right a bit to compensate for this.
- How should my sound card be configured when "Enable Music" is checked?
When "Enable Music" is checked it means the voice track from your computer will be mixed in with the music track from our server. For this reason your sound card settings should be set to record "Mic" and not "What U Hear" or "Stereo Mix" so that only your voice is recorded.
Here's a step by step guide on how to do this in Windows XP:
- Click "Start", (possibly "Settings") and "Control Panel"
- Double Click "Sound And Audio Devices"
- Click the "Audio" tab at the top
- Under "Sound Recording", click the "Volume" button (about half way down)This brings up a new box, likely titled "Record Control" with some sliders on it. You need to look for "Mic", "Microphone" or "Input". If you don't see this, look for something that is similar or means the same thing. If you still don't see anything:
- Click "Options" (in the menu at the top of this window)
- Click "Properties"
- In the white box, check "Microphone" or anything similar
- Click OKNow try to select the microphone (or whatever it is called on your machine).
If you are using a Webcam or USB microphone or mixer, you don't need to do any of this. Just run the wizard and select your webcam or USB mic from there.
- I can't get the "Preview Accuracy" light to go green, what can I do?
If the light will not go and stay green for any length of time, you may need to close other programs on your computer. Mixing the voice track with the music track is very processor intensive, and requires your computer to be dedicated to recording at that moment and doing nothing else.
In addition to closing down all applications we also recommend you close down any other tabs you have open in your browser.
- I ran the Wizard and now the sound is all messed up, what do I do?
If you're having problems with sound quality after running the Wizard, run it again and select a different microphone in the microphone selection box.
Please keep in mind that the Wizard only creates settings for the SingSnap website, your computer settings for your camera and microphone are not altered.
You can clear the settings made by the Wizard and use your computer settings if you feel these settings worked better. To do this, click on the "Sing & Record" tab then select click on the button that says "Run the SingSnap setup wizard...". When the Wizard opens, click on "Clear Settings".
- My music is much louder than my voice, how can I correct it?
If you find the music too loud or the voice too low, the microphone level needs to be adjusted. You need to Open the Record Control. Here is how you do this on Windows XP: go to "Start"-> "Control Panel" -> "Sounds and Audio Devices" -> "Audio" -> Under "Sound Recording" select "Volume".
Here, the microphone should be selected as the recording device. Now raise the level of the microphone all the way to the top. While you are doing this you should have the SingSnap recorder open and watch the meter bounce up and down. Ideally it should stay near the top while you are singing in full voice.
If you have raised the microphone level all the way to the top but the meter does not move much, you may have an option to boost the mic level. If there is an advanced button on the microphone line, push it and enable Mic boost. If the meter is still not moving high enough, raise the Record Level on the SingSnap Recorder until the signal is strong and the meter is staying near the top, while you are singing in full voice.
- My voice isn't in sync with the music, what can I do to fix it?
If you have checked the "Enable Music" box sometimes the recording starts a little earlier or later than usual, which causes your voice to sound a little early or late in the final mix. Check "Adjust Timing" and slowly adjust the timing one way or another. Typically, you should wait until the "Preview Accuracy" light goes green before judging whether the "sync" is good or not.
- Playback is breaking when I record, any way to fix it?
Yes, always make sure the song is completely loaded in the player before playing (the gray bar should have turned all black).
Also make sure no other programs are running including communication programs like MSN messenger, anti-virus software, other tabs in your browser etc.
You can also disable any firewalls that are running temporarily to see if they are causing some interference.
- What does "Enable Music" mean and what are the benefits of checking it?
This option enables you to record only your voice on your computer and then mix in the music track afterwards (which is done by checking "Enable Music"). For this to work properly you need to make sure that only your voice is recorded by setting your sound card to "Microphone" (may differ slightly depending on what sound card you have).
The main benefits of recording this way is that you get stereo quality recordings (if you are also a Gold member), you can easily adjust the level of your voice and you can record using a USB microphone and with all types of Windows Vista sound cards.
When you mix in your voice with the music you sometimes need to correct the "sync" on the recording. By "sync" we mean the synchronization of the voice to the music. If this is confusing to you, let us explain some basics. You'll need to understand what's happening and how to fix it.
When you record, you are making an audio track containing your voice only. If you have recorded something, then un-check the "Enable Music", what you will hear is only this voice track.
When you check "Enable Music", you hear a second track, the music track, that is played along with the voice track. The music track is simply the same music you heard when you recorded. It is being played back a second time.
You can think of it as a tape recorder (voice track) and a CD (music track). When "Enable Music" is checked, the CD and the tape is being played back at the same time.
Now, imagine you pressed "play" on a tape and a CD at the same time. What if you pressed play a fraction of a second late on the tape? Well, then the voice track would play slightly behind the music track. It could go the other way too, with the music behind the voice.
Starting to make sense, huh? :)
Now, to correct this, you use the "Adjust Timing" function. This delays or advances the voice track so that the two tracks sound aligned, or synchronized. On many computers, you don't need to adjust this, but there may be times you might have to. Other computers requires an adjustment every time.
- What's the purpose of the "Preview Accuracy" light?
When the "Preview Accuracy" light is green, it means that what you are hearing is what your recording will sound like when you save it. Essentially, it means that the preview is accurate at that moment. If it turns yellow or red, wait until it goes back to green before judging whether it sounds good or not.
- Why do I get "Connection Failed" or get stuck on "Sending Recording..."?
These messages have to do with your internet connection.
If you get the "Connection failed" problem every time you try to record it's likely that a firewall is blocking your connection to our servers (this can be firewall software, the Windows firewall or a built-in firewall in your router). Try disabling the firewall temporarily and see if you can connect. If you have determined that the firewall is the cause then make sure that it is allowing outgoing traffic on ports 1934 and 1935 (this is usually not necessary in most firewalls though).
If you get stuck on "Sending Recording..." it means it's taking too long to send your recording to our server.
Here are some tips to improve your connection to our recording servers:
1) If you're recording with video, unplug the camera - reboot the computer - and try a recording without the video.
2) Re-run the Wizard and choose a lower computer speed and upload speed.
3) Close ALL programs running on your computer that may use your internet connection. This includes anti-virus software, messengers, open browser tabs etc.
4) Right click on the Flash player and select "Settings", then in the new window, select "Advanced". You should now be on the Adobe website. Click on the link "Website Privacy Settings Panel", select www.singsnap.com and choose "always allow".
- Why do I get a message that says "There was an error mixing this song"?
This happens when our mixing system encounters something it can't handle when mixing a recording. We're notified of the problem and we're going through all of the recordings to correct the mixing system to better handle these problems. The BEST thing to do is to set this song to private and DO NOT delete it. It will help us determine the problem. If we correct the problem, you song will appear!
- Why do I get a message that says "This recording is being mixed"?
It normally takes only a few moments to mix a song after saving. If this appears for a long time, contact us and we'll correct it for you.
- Why do I only hear my voice and no music on my recordings?
You can remedy this by clicking "Enable Music" on the preview step to mix your voice and the music track together.
- Why does the Setup Wizard keep appearing even though I've saved my settings?
You may have to update the global settings for Flash. Please go to this page and make sure that "Allow third-party Flash content to store data on your computer" is checked.
- Why is my recording scratchy, noisy or quiet?
You can fix this by redoing your recording and setting the "Record Level" higher.
Also, unless you plan on mixing in the music track afterwards by checking "Enable Music", you should also verify that your computer's sound card is set to record both the music and your voice at the same time (i.e. "What U Hear" or "Stereo Mix").
- Why is my voice is distorted and loud?
You can fix this by redoing your recording with the "Record Level" set lower.
- Why is the music doubled when I preview my recording?
There could be two reasons for this:
1) Your sound card is set to record "Stereo Mix" or "What U Hear". This means that the music exists on your voice track and when you check "Enable Music" it will be mixed in once again causing the double track. Fix this by setting your sound card to record "Mic".
2) You have set your sound card correctly but the music is being fed in to your microphone too loudly. This can be fixed simply by turning down the music volume when you record or better yet, use headphones.
- Why is the timing of the voice and music wrong after I've saved a recording?
Once you save your record and you've listened to it, you might find that the timing or volume levels are a little bit different than you expected from the preview.
As long as you checked "Enable Music" when you did this recording, you can remix it any number of times. Just go to "Account" -> "Recordings", and click the edit icon beside the song you wish to remix. You'll see the link to remix the song there.
General
- Can I change my screen name?
Generally speaking, no, we won't allow this. If we did people would be quite confused on the site by all the screen names being changed :)
However if you have personally identifiable information in your screen name that you wish to have removed (such as your birth date for example) we can arrange that.
We can also make minor corrections if you made a typo when signing up for example.
Sometimes we get requests to change screen names because a member wants to hide from another member that is stalking them or being abusive towards them. Please note that changing the screen name is not a solution to this problem since if the other member has them flagged or just remembers a previously left comment they can just go their to view the new screen name.
If you have had your screen name changed you need to delete all your cookies and then log back in to SingSnap (using your new screen name of course) otherwise you may get an error message.
- Can you close my account?
We don't have an automatic process for deleting accounts. Simply follow these steps if you want to leave SingSnap.
- Delete all your recordings.
- Remove all personal information from your profile.
- Turn off all email notifications.When this is done, simply log out from SingSnap.
We hope that you reconsider and come back of course :)
- Do I need to download anything to use SingSnap?
Yes, you must have the Adobe Flash Player installed on your computer. The Flash Player is a free download and can be found on this page.
- How do I change my password?
You can change your SingSnap password by going to "Account" and then "Settings" (or just click here).
- How do I find a member by screen name?
To find a SingSnap member by screen name click on the "Watch & Listen" tab. In the sub tabs select "Members". Enter all or part of a screen name to see a list of similar names to choose from. Select the screen name you are looking for and click "Search".
- How do I flag a member/artist/song?
To flag a member, song, or artist you must be viewing a song first. As the song is playing you will see on the right of where it says song, member, and artist a little flag for each heading. This will allow you to set this as your favorite, to uncheck it click again.
- How does the online/offline status work?
If you are a gold member everyone can see your status and you can see everyone else's status. If you are a blue member you will only be able to see the status of gold members (and your own).
You can also choose to hide your status completely on your "Account" page. This option is available for both blue and gold members.
If you have activated this feature (i.e. "Show Online Status" is set to "Yes" in your account) you will appear online as soon as you login to the site and offline as soon as you log out. Your status will also automatically be switched to offline after 20 minutes of inactivity (i.e. you have not loaded any new pages).
- I am being stalked or harassed by another member, what should I do?
First of all, block the member if the stalking or harassing is not of any serious nature.
If the abuse is of more serious nature (i.e. illegal) then you should take yourself out of danger immediately. You should do this by changing your password, avoid using the site entirely or at least avoid communication on the site (including recordings, comments, chat or PM). Your safety is the first order of importance, and avoidance is the best defense against Internet crime and bullying. If you feel laws have been broken in your jurisdiction, you should contact your local police force. We will not do this on your behalf.
If we see members abusing the system or other members via direct communication, we will at our discretion, remove them from the site. However, we are not in the business of passing judgment, therefore if you do not remove yourself from danger by avoidance, you are contributing to the problem, and we will have no option but to remove all parties involved. This underscores the importance of avoidance in such cases.
- I can't login to the site, what can I do to fix it?
You could be getting knocked off because the web browser you're using is set to not allow Internet cookies. In this case, you should reduce the security level to normal in your browser.
The Internet cookie from SingSnap could be corrupt. In this case you should delete the Internet cookies and log back into the site. You can find out how to delete Internet cookies on this page.
Another reason you can't login could be that the date/time is not set correctly on your computer. Set this correctly and try logging in again.
You can also try a different browser. If you don't already use Firefox you can download it from here.
- What browsers are supported?
You should be using one of the following browsers (or one with a higher version number) to meet the minimum browser requirements for SingSnap:
- Firefox 1.0
- Google Chrome 1.0
- Internet Explorer 6.0
- Safari 3.0We strongly recommend upgrading to the latest version of your preferred browser though.
That means (at the time of this writing) that you should be using Firefox 3, Google Chrome 2, Internet Explorer 8 or Safari 4.
- Why didn't my recording show up on the featured page?
The featured page updates approximately once every 5 minutes so check back and your recording should show up eventually.
If it still doesn't show up and you have confirmed that you chose the correct song (listed on the "Featured Songs" page in the "Sing & Record section) then you can take a screenshot to us and we'll look into the problem.
Take the screenshot where the recording was supposed to appear on the page (so we can see the two "surrounding" recordings). Also give us a link to your recording that should have been on the page. Email it to us at support@singsnap.com and we will hopefully be able to track this down and fix it.
Gold Membership
- Can I get a refund?
No, all sales are final and no refunds will be given regardless of any technical problems and/or service downtime you may experience. No exceptions to this rule will be made.
- Can I purchase without creating a PayPal account?
Yes, you can do a "One Time Payment" for 6 months or 1 year directly on SingSnap via your VISA or Mastercard.
First, go to the payments page and select an amount on the right under "Choose One-Time Payment". Then select "Pay SingSnap Directly".
Note that if you want a subscription, you'll need to use Paypal. Don't worry, Paypal is 100% safe and very effective and we highly recommend them.
- How do I cancel my subscription?
You can cancel your subscription through your PayPal Profile. Here's how:
1. Go to the PayPal website and log in to your account.
2. Click "Profile" at the top of the page.
3. Select "Pay List" under the Financial Information column.
4. Click on the subscription you would like to cancel.
5. Click the "Cancel" link next to Status.
6. Click "Yes" to confirm cancel - How do I update my credit card information?
Log in to your PayPal account and click on the "edit profile" link on the "My Account Overview" page. Choose "Credit/Debit Cards" under the "Financial Information" heading. From this page you can change the expiration date on your current card (just click on the "edit" link for the card you use for SingSnap payments) or add new credit cards.
When you have made changes here it is important that you also verify that the funding source for your current subscription is set correctly.
To do this go to the "History" subtab of the "My Account" tab. Choose "Subscriptions" from the pull-down "Show" menu and press the "Search" button.
If nothing shows up then change the date in the form to include older transactions as well (by default it will only return transactions made the last 30 days).
Choose the SingSnap Gold membership subscription and click on its "Details" link. You will be taken to a transaction details page on which you can verify that everything is correct in the "Subscription Funding Source" area.
- How many songs are exclusive to gold members?
Around 12,000 songs in our library are currently available only to gold members.
- How much does it cost?
Here are our current pricing for a Gold membership (all prices in US dollars):
1 month = $12
6 months = $66
1 year = $120For customers in Ontario, Canada, the following pricing applies (5% GST & 8% PST added):
1 month = $13.56
6 months = $75.58
1 year = $135.60For customers in other Canadian provinces, the following pricing applies (5% GST added):
1 month = $12.60
6 months = $69.30
1 year = $126.00 - I paid for gold but I'm still blue, what do I do?
If you paid with an eCheck or bank transfer instead of a credit card PayPal may take up to 8 days to clear the transaction. The gold membership will not be active until this is cleared. You may receive an email stating your subscription is "active", however, you should verify in your Paypal account that the payment status is "Completed". If it is "Uncleared", we haven't received the money yet. We can't do anything to speed this process up, unfortunately.
If you paid with a credit card and your account did not turn gold, then contact us and we'll look into it.
If you are an existing subscriber and your account turned blue unexpectedly we advise that you login to your PayPal account to see why it was cancelled. Sometimes PayPal will cancel your subscription if you change credit card information for example.
If PayPal states that the payment was made, then contact us and we'll look into it.
- What do I get as a Gold member?
You'll get additional songs and a bunch of cool features including stereo recordings and a key changer for example. Click on this link to get all the details.
- What forms of payment do you accept?
We primarily use PayPal for payment processing. PayPal accepts all major credit cards including VISA, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. Debit cards (also called check cards, ATM cards or banking cards) are accepted if they have a Visa or MasterCard logo.
If you don't have a credit / debit card you can connect your bank account directly to your PayPal account, please refer to PayPal's website for more information about this.
Please note that a PayPal account is required when purchasing subscriptions but not required when making one-time payments (which are available for 6 month and 1 year Gold memberships only).
When making one-time payments for 6 month and 1 year memberships we accept VISA and MasterCard directly on the site without going through PayPal.
You can also call us and give us your credit card details over the phone. Our toll free number is 1-888-942-6465 (1-888-9 I AM GOLD). If no one answers please leave a message and a telephone number where you can be reached.
If you prefer you can also send us a bank money order for $120 USD, payable to EatSleepMusic Corp. Take special note that any money order must be negotiable in Canada otherwise we will have to return it (a United States Postal Service - postal money order, is not negotiable in Canada for example).
Send the money order to the following address:
EatSleepMusic Corp.
Suite 101
301 Moodie Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
K2H 9C4
CanadaBe sure to include your contact info and the screen name you want to be gold.
When ordering over the phone or sending money orders we only accept payment for 6 month or 1 year memberships.
- Why am I receiving multiple charges from you?
It's likely that you purchased your Gold membership as a subscription. As such, we automatically charge your credit card at the end of each term unless the subscription has been cancelled.
- Why did PayPal cancel my subscription and what can I do about it?
This could happen for a number of reasons but the most common one is that you updated your credit card information on PayPal without setting the subscription to use the new information. Please see this FAQ for more info.
Once a subscription has been cancelled on PayPal there is no way to "un-cancel" it unfortunately. Simply wait until you are Blue and then subscribe again. If you subscribe within 10 days of turning Blue no changes will be made to your account (all recordings will stay) and you will be able to subscribe at your old rate.
Hall Of Fame
- Can I nominate a recording that is already in the Hall Of Fame?
Yes, you can but not directly from the Hall Of Fame itself (if you click on a recording listed in the Hall Of Fame there won't be a link that says "nominate recording for the Hall Of Fame").
This might seem stupid but the reason is simply to level the playing field a little and not give an unfair advantage to recordings that are already in the Hall Of Fame.
- Can I see if one of my own recordings is listed in the Hall Of Fame?
No, unfortunately there is no search function for the Hall Of Fame so the only way to see if you are in there is to browse through it and check manually.
- How do I nominate a recording?
When you play a recording you will see a button that says "nominate recording for the hall of fame". Simply click this to submit your nomination.
- How do I view and/or remove my current nominations?
Go to "My Account", "Miscellaneous" and then click on the link that says "Hall Of Fame Nominations" or just click this link.
- How many recordings can I nominate?
You can nominate 50 recordings. You have to be a Gold member in order to nominate though.
If you have nominated recordings as a Gold member and then turn Blue, those nominations won't be counted. The nominations will remain in your account though so as soon as you turn Gold again they will once again be counted.
- What does it take to get listed on the Hall Of Fame?
The SingSnap community determines which recordings get listed in the Hall Of Fame by nominating their favorites. The 1,000 recordings with the most nominations are displayed in the Hall Of Fame (in order of most nominations to least).
Inner Circles
- Can blue members create or be added to inner circles?
Blue members can not create their own inner circles, this is a gold only feature.
However, blue members can be added to inner circles.
- How do I create a chat room for my inner circle?
If you have an existing inner circle you can activate a private chat room for it.
To do so, just go to the edit page for the inner circle and set "Chat Activated" to "Yes". When done, the inner circle chat will show up on the Community -> Chat page to the members of the circle.
If you, or any member of the inner circle, can't see the chat room you can try logging out from the site and back in and it should show up. You may also have to wait a few minutes after activation since some pages on our site are cached.
- How do I create a forum for my inner circle?
If you have an existing inner circle you can activate a private message board folder for it.
To do so, just go to the edit page for the inner circle and set "Forum Activated" to "Yes". When done, the inner circle message board folder will show up on the Community -> Message Board page to the members of the circle.
If you, or any member of the inner circle, can't see the message board folder you can try logging out from the site and back in and it should show up. You may also have to wait a few minutes after activation since some pages on our site are cached.
- How do I create and add members to an inner circle?
Start by going to "Account" and then to "Inner Circles". Once there you will see a form in which you can enter a title for your new inner circle (you can name it "My friends" or whatever you want). Give your circle a name and click on the "Proceed" button.
The next step is to add members to the inner circle. You can type in the name of the member or choose one from your list of favorites and fans. Click the "Add" button at the bottom of the page to add members to the list.
- How do I make recordings viewable only to members of my inner circle?
When you're about to save a recording you will see a field called "Sharing". Change the selection in the drop-down here to "Selective (only selected lists can view it)".
When you have done that a checkbox (or many) will show up right beneath it with your inner circles. Check the box for the inner circle you want this recording shared to.
That's it, when you save this recording only members of the inner circle can view the recording!
You can also do this on recordings you have already saved by going to "Account", "Recordings" and then clicking the edit button on the recording you want to change settings for.
- What exactly is an inner circle?
An inner circle is a list of members you have created. The main purpose of an inner circle is to allow you to share recordings you have made with selected members only (i.e. to a specific inner circle).
You can also create a chat room and a message board folder that is only viewable to members of your inner circle.
Listening To Recordings
- Can I make the video larger?
Yes, if you are a Gold member you can make make the video go full screen by clicking on the "FS" button in the player.
- Can I see the song lyrics?
Yes, just click on the "A" button located at the far right in the player.
- I don't see the player at all when I try to listen, what's going on?
Something is wrong with the Flash installation in your browser. Try downloading / installing Flash again from this page.
Sometimes simply rebooting your computer might help too.
- Why does the song skip or stop/start all the time?
There could be two reasons for this:
1) Your internet connection is not good enough at the moment so sometimes the song stops while waiting for more data to be downloaded.
To see if the problem has to do with your internet connection you can look at the gray bar right above the control buttons in the player. If it doesn't turn black fast enough then your internet connection is too slow.
If you have a high-speed connection this is probably just a temporary problem.
To avoid skipping in this case simply click "Stop" on the recording, let it buffer all the way through (wait until the gray bar is black) and then press "Play" again.
2) You have too many things running on your computer or your computer is just too slow in general.
The Flash player that plays the recordings require a certain amount of resources on your computer to be able to play the song without skipping. If you have other programs open or even other tabs open in your browser this takes away from the amount of resources available to the Flash player and can cause the song playing to skip.
Glitter graphics, submitting a comment/rating and loading a new page of comments can also cause this skipping problem.
To avoid this problem as much as possible we recommend that you close down all other programs on your computer and also all any other tabs you have opened in your browser.
You can also try using Firefox as your browser as it doesn't cause as much skipping as Internet Explorer for example.
Managing Recordings
- As a Blue member, why do I need to remove recordings?
As a Blue member you can store 100 recordings in your account (this number includes both public and private recordings). If you have less than this, everything will be fine, but if you have more than this, you will have to make a decision:
- Upgrade to a Gold subscription
- Reduce the number of recordings you have to under 100Subscribing means you're supporting SingSnap moving forward and gives you lots of other great features!
- Can I change the photo on a recording?
If you took a photo when you saved your recording this cannot be removed or changed.
If you did not take a photo your default profile picture will appear on your recordings (which can be changed on your profile page).
- Can I make changes to several recordings at once?
Sure, just click on the two blue arrows at the bottom left of the recordings table to select all recordings at once. Then select an option in the drop-down and click "Submit".
- Can I search or sort my own recordings somehow?
You can't search your recordings but you can sort them by clicking on the headers on the page located at "Account", "Recordings". If you want to sort by song title for example just click on "Song title" at the top of the table.
- How do I link to my recordings?
Look for the line that says "Link:" to the right of the player on one of your recording pages.
Click in the box that contains the link and copy it to your clipboard (by pressing CTRL+C if you're using Windows).
Once you have the link in your clipboard you can paste it in an email, on the forum, in a private message etc (by pressing CTRL+V if you're using Windows).
- How many recordings can I store in my account?
If you are a Gold member you can store an unlimited amount of recordings in your account, so go nuts :)
If you are a Blue member you can store 100 recordings.
- I deleted a recording, can I get it back?
Yes, if you deleted the recording in the last 10 days you can get it back.
When you delete a recording it goes to the Recycle Bin from which you can restore it to its original state if you wish to.
When a recording has been in the Recycle Bin for 10 days it is deleted permanently.
- My recording is incorrectly marked as "potentially offensive", how do I get that removed?
Please contact us using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of the site and we'll remove the offensive flag for you (unless we actually find it offensive of course).
- Someone made a duet using my recording, can I delete it?
No, only the member who created the recording has the power to delete it. If you want it deleted, simply ask that member to delete it for you.
If you can't do that you can contact us (use the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of the site) and we'll delete it for you if there is a good reason for it.
Don't forget to turn off the duet capability on your recordings if you don't want people duetting your recordings in the future.
- What does "lic" mean?
This means that the song has licensing restrictions in certain regions (or globally). You can read more about this in the section titled "Song Library".
- Where do I go to change settings for and/or delete recordings?
Click on the "Account" tab in the top menu and then on "Recordings" in the sub menu. On this page you can delete recordings by clicking on the trash can icons or edit recordings by clicking on the edit icon (which takes you to another page for editing).
Message Board
- Can I delete a topic I've created?
No, sorry, you cannot delete topics you've made.
- Can I edit my topics / replies?
Yes, you can edit your own topics and replies for 30 minutes but not the title of the topic that you have created.
- Can I use HTML?
No, only BBCode is allowed on the message board. The following tags are supported: [b] [i] [url] [img] [color] [quote].
Here is an example of making a word bold:
[b]bold[/b]Here is an example of posting a link:
[url=http://www.singsnap.com]link[/url]You can find more information about BBCode on Wikipedia.
- How do I apply to create a contest on the message board?
There is no approval process for this, simply create your contest topic in the "Contest - Auditions" folder.
The contests on the message boards are run entirely by the community and there are no rules as to how you run your contest. To make your contest enjoyable for everyone it's a good idea to browse the threads in these areas first though to give you an idea of what the community wants to see in a contest.
- How do I flag a topic as a favorite?
You can flag a topic as a favorite in one of two ways. You can either find it in the list of topics and click on the gray flag so it turns red. Also, when you reply to a topic you will always have the option to flag it by selecting "Yes" in the field the line that says "Flag As Favorite:".
All the topics you have created yourself are flagged by default.
To find a topic you have previously flagged you just click on the "View Favorite Topics" button found at the top on the page that lists the message board categories.
To unflag a topic you just click the red flag so that it turns gray.
- How do I post images?
To post images on the message board you have to use BBCode, here's an example:
[img]http://www.singsnap.com/images/singsnap.gif[/img] - How do I report something for being against the terms of use?
Use the "Contact Us" link found at the bottom of the site.
Please include a link to the topic and specify what you think is against the terms of use. If you're reporting a reply and not the entire post then don't forget to tell us on what page it is, what member posted it and so on.
Thank you.
- How do I use the permalink function?
Permalinks are useful when you want to give people a link directly to a specific reply you have made.
To do this you first have two options, either click on the permalink and copy the URL from your browser's address bar or right click on the link and copy it to your clipboard that way.
Then you can paste the link in an email, a private message, on another forum thread etc.
- I can't seem to reply to some threads, what am I doing wrong?
You need to be on the last page of the topic to reply to it. If you are and you still cannot see a reply form then it could be that the thread is for informational purposes only and no replies are allowed.
- I don't know what category to post in, what do I do?
If you can't find a suitable category for your topic then just go ahead and post it in "General Discussion" and someone will move it for you eventually.
- I have lost my thread, how do I find it?
It is possible that your thread was moved to a different category folder. Turning on your email notifications will ensure you are informed of such changes.
If you started the thread yourself it is likely listed under your favorite topics, so look for it there.
In rare cases your thread could also have been deleted because it was (or replies to it were) in violation of the terms of use.
- What does "sticky" mean?
Sticky means the thread is being kept at the top of the
forum page in order to be seen, a staff announcement for example.Making a topic sticky is not an option that a member can set on their topic.
- What rules do I need to follow in the message board?
The existing SingSnap Terms of Use / Code of Conduct regarding member behavior apply equally on the message board.
While not being hard and fast rules the following guidelines are also appreciated when followed:
- Do not post the same topic in different categories (post it in the most suitable category instead).
- Do not spam a topic with multiple similar replies
- Do not go off topic intentionally, respect that others might be interested in discussing the given topic. - Why do I get "No Access" when I try to go to a topic?
The reason for this is because the thread has been removed from the message board, either temporarily or permanently. If it's a temporary deletion it should be back in a day or two at the most so just give it a try again.
Playlists
- Can blue members create or listen to playlists?
No, sorry, this is a gold only feature.
- Can I re-order the songs on my playlist?
Yes, go to edit page for your playlist first; "Account", "Playlists" and then click the edit button for the playlist you want to change.
Now click on the arrow icon found to the left of each recording and drag it up or down. Drop it in the spot you want it.
- How do "shuffle" and "repeat" work?
When playing a list you have the option to put it on repeat. This simply means it will play forever.
If you turn shuffle on the songs will play in random order.
You can decide whether repeat and shuffle is on or off by default on your own playlists but this can always be changed by the member who is listening to your playlist.
- How do I add recordings to my playlist?
If you're listening to a recording you will see a button that says "Add recording to a playlist". If you are browsing recordings (i.e. you see multiple recordings on a page) you can use the checkboxes next to each recording and then click on the button at the bottom left that says "Add selected recordings to a playlist". You can also add all recordings on this page without having to check them all individually by clicking the button that says "Add all displayed recordings to a playlist."
Once you have clicked through to add a recording to a playlist the next screen will give you the option to add the recording(s) to an existing playlist (if you have any) or to a brand new playlist.
To play the playlists you have created you can go to Account" and then "Playlists" and click play on the one you want to play.
If you have made your playlist public it will also show up on the "Playlists" page in the "Watch & Listen" area.
- How do I listen to playlists?
All public playlists are listed under "Playlists" in the "Watch & Listen" area. If you want to listen to your own playlists you'll find them in "Account", "Playlists".
- How many playlists can I have in my account?
You can add 100 playlists in total to your account.
- How many songs can I add to a playlist?
You can add 100 songs to a playlist.
- What's a playlist?
Using playlists is a convenient way to play back your favorite recordings, simply add a few recordings to a list, save it, click "play" and the recordings will be played back to you continuously and without interruptions.
Private Messages
- Can I delete all my messages at once?
No, sorry, you cannot do this. You can however select all messages on one page by clicking the two blue arrows at the bottom left of the message display. This will at least be faster than deleting them one by one :)
- How can I stop someone from sending me messages?
If you block a member they won't be able to send you any more messages.
You can read more about blocking under the section titled "Blocking Members".
- How do I flag a message and what does it mean?
When you click on a message you will be able to flag it by clicking the link below it that says "flag".
The only thing this means is that the message will appear on the "Flagged" page in the menu. It has no effect on other private messaging functions so if you for example delete a message it doesn't matter if it's flagged or not, it will get deleted anyway.
Profile Page
- Can I hide my real name and age somehow?
Yes, click on "Account" in the top menu and then scroll all the way down to the bottom. Now select "No" on "Show Real Name" and "Show Age/Birthday" and click on "Update".
Once done your profile page will no longer display your name and age.
- How do I make my profile page pretty?
This is done by adding HTML code to the field that says "Personal Info" on your "Account" page.
There is an entire area on the message board devoted to this where you can get tips and ask questions.
- I just uploaded a new profile picture, why do I still see the old one?
The old profile picture is likely cached in your browser. Just empty your browser cache and reload the page and it should show up (pressing CTRL+F5 will do the trick on most browsers).
Ratings
- Can I turn ratings off?
Yes, when you record you can select "No" in the field that says "Allow Ratings". You can also do this on recordings you've already saved.
- How can I improve my ratings?
The best way to improve your ratings is to comment and rate the songs of other members. When doing so these members will hopefully come back to rate and comment on your songs.
Of course it also helps if you can sing like Celine Dion ;)
- How does the rating system work?
The rating system is pretty simple. First of all you need to get 5 ratings before an average is calculated. Once you have 5 ratings the average will be displayed on your recording and the stars will light up (hopefully all 5 of them!).
We also exclude any anomalies when calculating the average. This includes members voting significantly different than other members, members voting from the same IP address etc.
- I'm being downrated, can my average be corrected?
No, all member rating submissions are respected and upheld, positive or negative.
What you may not know is that it takes a lot more than one user to change your rating since we do not include any anomalies when calculating the average, i.e., if 10 users rate you a 5 and then one user comes a long and gives you a 1 that won't be counted.
- Why don't I have a rating yet?
You need 5 ratings in total before an average is calculated.
Song Library
- Are these the original music tracks?
No, our Karaoke songs are not the original artist's recordings. Artists and publishers generally will not allow their original recordings to be distributed in Karaoke format. Instead, each song has been arranged and recorded by a Professional Karaoke Producer using studio musicians to duplicate the original hit recordings you love so much! We have several Karaoke Producers to choose from. Each Producer uses a slightly different song arrangement than the others, so be sure to preview songs available from multiple producers.
- Can I make a song request?
Absolutely, please post the song titles in the request section of the message board found here. Please keep in mind that due to license restrictions some songs may take a while and others may be impossible to acquire.
- Can you explain licensing restrictions ("lic") and why some songs are missing?
SingSnap is proud to maintain legal agreements with all parties involved in the music publishing and recording businesses. Regularly, special considerations with regard to a song's availability must be made to respect the copyright holder's wishes. Also, some producers may have specific requirements concerning their songs' availbility. Each of these issues are unique and quite complex, and typically vary by region. Therefore, at any given time some songs may not be available to play or record in a specific locale. Rest assured that we'll always have tons of great songs available to sing!
- How many songs are in your library?
We currently have over 17,000 songs on the site and we are continuously adding to it.
Sponsorship Program & Patron Status
- Can I turn off my Patron status?
Yes, you may turn it off which will restore your original color (blue or gold).
Go to "Account", then "Settings", then scroll down the page and you will see the form in which you can make this change.
Once you have made the change it will take up to 15 minutes before it comes into effect on the site.
- I donated / sponsored but I'm not green yet, what gives?
The Patron status for all members updates every 15 minutes so check back a little later and you will hopefully be green. If your status is still not updated after waiting this time then contact us and we'll sort it out for you.
- What does it take to qualify as a Patron?
You will be recognized as a Patron on the site and get your name in green if you have sponsored or donated:
- $14 or more in the last month.
- $70 or more in the last year.Both directly sponsoring other members and donating to the Gold Fund count towards the Patron status. The amount paid for your own membership does not count though.
Patron status would last for either a month or year depending on donation.
- What is the SingSnap Sponsorship Program?
The Sponsorship Program is a way for our members to further help SingSnap and our Blue members by donating money to the Gold Fund. We'll use these funds to directly sponsor one month of Gold for Blue members who can't afford to pay for their own subscription.
- When are the Blue members sponsored?
A new batch of Blue members will get sponsored on the first day of every month. The number of Blue members that will get sponsored is based on how much that was paid to the Gold Fund during the preceding month.
- Where do I make my donation?
If you are a Gold member you will see a banner at the top of the site that you can click on to get to the donation form. You may also go to this site address:
- Who can get sponsored through the Gold Fund?
You can nominate Blue members that you feel should be considered for sponsorship. You can nominate anyone who is currently a blue member, it can be a friend, someone you just heard or even yourself. Just give us a reason why you think that person should be sponsored with a Gold membership.
Submit your nominations by sending a private message to the SingSnapGoldFund account.
Note: Private Messages sent to this account won't be answered.We'll select members based on many criteria, including their standing and involvement in the community and how they align themselves with the spirit of SingSnap. This selection process will be private.
