FAQs
- How long will my order take?
If the item is available from stock, it will usually be dispatched within 2-3 working days. If out of stock, it will usually be dispatched within 10-14 working days.
- Do you charge extra for postage & packaging if order is split?
UK customers - If only part of your order is available from stock, this will be dispatched with the total contribution to postage & packaging charge applied at this time. Any outstanding items will be sent without further charge. Overseas customers – We make every endeavour to dispatch your order complete. If this is not possible, exact postage only is charged on any completion order.
- How can I tell if a Band publication is suitable?
We offer a free perusal service to conductors/music teachers. We send the scores on a perusal invoice for a limited period. You then have the option to (a) return the scores and the invoice is cancelled or (b) confirm your wish to purchase the full item and we will cancel the invoice and dispatch the parts with a new invoice. There is a limit of 3 perusal scores per customer at any one time.
- What does the Band Grading mean?
As a distributor for several overseas American Band publishers, the gradings we have adopted throughout our site refer to the American Band grading system (Grades 1 to 6). The following is an approximate guide:
- Grades 1-2 (Very Easy to Easy)
- Grades 3-4 (Medium to Advanced)
- Grades 5-6 (Very Advanced to Difficult)
- Can I photocopy extra parts/extra scores?
We are not able to give permission to photocopy extra parts. However, extra parts and/or scores from works still in print can be ordered. As these may have to be specially produced, please ensure you order well in advance, particularly if the work is published overseas. Extra parts cost approximately £3.50 each and scores approximately £10.00 each. If a work has gone out of print, we will endeavour to seek permission for extra copies to be produced.
- Can I write out additional parts or adapt/re-arrange a work in any way?
We are members of the Music Publishers' Association and, in order to protect the livelihood of composers/arrangers, we would require confirmation in writing of any proposed alterations, before any adaptations or extensions are made. Consent can sometimes be given without charge. If the work is a non-Studio Music publication, we would seek permission, on your behalf, with the copyright owner.
Product Questions
- I have noticed the same item listed with different product codes. Are they the same or different?
To enable us to display some items in different (associated) areas of our website, we have duplicated products and extended the product code with an additional letter on to its end. For example: ALF29551 has been deployed within our site in more than one position, so the product code applied to these are: ALF29551a & ALF29551b. The item in question is identical in every respect and is simply a means of ease of allowing multiples of the same item to appear within differing areas of our website.
- Is the price shown inclusive of VAT?
The majority of our products are VAT free, but should an item be VAT eligible then the price shown will be inclusive of all applicable tax charges.
- How can I use the WishList?
The WishList is provided to give you the means to create a list of items you are interested in, but don't want to order straight away. You can login to your wishlist from any computer with an Internet connection by visiting the Studio Music website and using your account credentials. Once you have created your account, your WishList items will be added and can be viewed at any stage.
- Can I see similar items from the same Publisher/Series/Composer/Arranger?
You can use the filters in the Refine Results to find more pieces by your favourite Composer and/or Arranger, or Publisher and Series.
Product Duplication Questions
- I have noticed the same item listed with different product codes. Are they the same or different?
To enable us to display some items in different (associated) areas of our website, we have duplicated products and extended the product code with an additional letter on to its end. For example: ALF29551 has been deployed within our site in more than one position, so the product code applied to these are: ALF29551a & ALF29551b. The item in question is identical in every respect and is simply a means of ease of allowing multiples of the same item to appear within differing areas of our website.
Search Questions
- What is the easiest way to search?
Our search facility (located at the top of every page) has been designed to find words not only in the title of the work, but also the composer, arranger, publisher, series and description of the work. If you know the exact item you are looking for, you can use a combination of the title and composer/arranger/publisher/series.
- How can I increase the relevancy of results?
Relevancy is based on using more precise or multiple words in your search term. For example if you searched for 'concert', then this would list thousands of results, but if your search phrase contained 'concert brass band' then it would only show results which had ALL of those words in one or more items of our site.
NOTE: Our search is not sentence based, but word based, so a search for 'solo with flute' would bring up all items which contains the 3 words 'solo', 'with' and 'flute' regardless of the order in which the items has those 3 words.
- Within the search results?
In addition to being able to filter the searched results, you can also change the sort by Relevance, Name, Newest, Price and Top Sellers.
Please contact us if you still cannot locate the title you are after.
Checkout Questions
- Is your checkout secure?
Our checkout is fully secured using a standard Internet SSL certificate that is used to encrypt the connection from your PC to our website for the secure receipt of your order and payment details. When an order is received by us it is encrypted on our systems and can only be reviewed by staff within our systems.
- What cards do you accept for payments?
We currently can process Visa, MasterCard, JCB, Maestro and Visa debit cards. We can also accept account orders from recognised educational institutions and some other organisations. Please contact us for details and whether this facility is available to you.
- Do I have to have an online account to order?
We provide an online account facility for our customers if they wish to avail themselves of it. It is not a requirement to have an online account with us to use the website or to place orders, but those who place orders with us regularly will benefit from using our online account facility as once you have logged in it will use your previous details (that are held securely encrypted on our website) to speed your future checkout processes.
- How do I create an online account with you?
To create an account for future orders, first of all select the items you wish to purchase and add them into your shopping basket. When you are ready then click on the Checkout button located in the top right hand corner of our site and this will provide you with checkout options. Just beneath the overview of your shopping basket is an option for existing online account customers to 'Login' or a checkbox to create an account with us. Select the checkbox and provide the password you would prefer to associate with the account with us. The remainder of the normal checkout details for name and address will then be gathered from the remaining inputs and then used as your account information for future visits and orders.