House Rules

Welcome! My policies are here to protect both you and me. The purpose of this page is to help you understand my rules quickly and without hassle while you’re considering working with me.

For your convenience, I made a video going through everything on this page right below. This is by no means a full summary of my T&C nor a legal substitute for it in any way. It’s simply to quickly communicate all the rules of my business that are relevant to clients for their projects.

Please read the T&C before working with me. You can read it here: https://www.philomathstudios.com/terms-and-conditions/.

To use my services, you must agree to follow these rules. Keep in mind that I may update them at any time, but you can always stay informed by checking in with me. I want you to have the best experience possible, so please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

General Rules

Operating Hours

My operating hours are from 10 AM to 6 PM Central Standard Time (Chicago Time), Monday through Friday. During these hours, all communications and services will be provided.

Work outside of these hours will have an additional fee. Though, there are times when I may make an exception for rehearsals and recording sessions. That’s at my discretion on a case-by-case basis.

Archiving Files

When you use our services, I will keep a copy of the files created as part of the process. I’ll make sure that you can easily request a copy of those files for up to one year. However, after that time period, I can’t guarantee that I’ll still have the files in my archive.

My Right To Share My Work

I want to let you know that I will most likely share the work I do for you on my site, other websites I control control, on social media, with publications, and even submit it for awards (specifically for my contribution only of course).

But don’t worry, if you have any confidentiality requirements, just let me know before we finalize and sign any agreement.

I can’t guarantee secrecy if you don’t give me a heads up. So, please don’t hesitate to let me know if there’s anything you need me to keep confidential.

Conduct

When we work together on a project, we both need to behave in an appropriate manner. If either of us engages in inappropriate conduct, the other has the right to reschedule or cancel a meeting or session.

For example, if I had a nightmare client, I would have to deal excessive micromanagement, a lack of trust, or lying that interferes with my party’s work from that person.

Additionally, repeated or excessive absences or tardiness, impairment due to recreational drug use, harassment or violent behavior, and property damage are all considered inappropriate conduct. Any illegal activity as defined by state or federal law is also inappropriate conduct.

As the client, you are responsible for the behavior of your team members and guests, and I reserve the right to limit the number of guests or exclude them from meetings if they interfere with my ability to do the work you hired me to do.

Lastly, if either of us engages in inappropriate conduct, the other has the right to terminate the project.

Property Damage

I want you to know that if there is any damage to property caused by either of us or anyone involved in the Project, the party responsible will be responsible for all costs associated with repairing or replacing the damaged property.

It’s important to note that normal wear and tear, as well as factors outside of our control, are excluded from this liability.

Additionally, please be aware that you and your team members and guests are not allowed to touch any equipment that you don’t own unless specifically instructed to do so. If you do that, then we’ll never have an issue!

Rules On The Project

Communication

Just a heads up that outside of our operating hours, I may not be able to get back to you right away if you reach out to me about your project through calls, emails, or texts. However, as soon as the next business day begins, I’ll make sure to respond to your communication.

During your project, we’ll keep all communication centralized through email, so please make sure to follow my directions to send updates, feedback, and revision requests. Also, keep in mind that the timeline of your project may change based on how promptly I receive your feedback. In case of delayed feedback, I won’t be held responsible for any resulting delays.

Finally, just a heads up that my preferred methods of communication may change from time to time. But if they do, I’ll make sure to let you know.

Scope

When we work together, we’ll stick to what’s outlined in the agreement we both sign. If you want additional services beyond what we initially agreed on, I may be able to provide them at my discretion, but they will come at an additional cost.

Any scheduled sessions, meetings, or calls will end at the appointed time, unless we both agree to extend them. If we do extend a session or meeting, there will be a convenience fee that you’ll be notified of in advance, and you can decline if you’d like. The fee will be added to your invoice or due at the time of delivery.

Revisions

I want to make sure that you’re happy with the work I do for you. That’s why I offer up to three rounds of revisions for each type of production, arrangement, edit, mix, and mastering.

So, if you’re not completely satisfied with something, we can work together to make it right. However, if you need more than three rounds of revisions, there will be a convenience fee to cover the extra work.

I just want to make sure we’re both on the same page and that you’re aware of any additional costs that may arise.

Material Ownership

Until you’ve paid for everything in full, I will retain ownership of all materials we’ve worked on. This means that I won’t release any portion of the materials to you until you’ve made the final payment.

I want to assure you that I take great pride in the work I create for you, and I understand how important it is for you to own the materials you’ve paid for. This policy simply protects me from the 1% of people who will take advantage of the situation and scram.

Once you’ve paid in full, only the agreed-upon materials will be delivered to you or become your property under our agreement.

However, it’s important to note that I retain full ownership of all unused/rejected intellectual property that I create while working with you (like arrangements, lyrics, tracks, etc.). This simply allows me to get mileage out of my creativity like I’m sure you’d want as well.

Rescheduling & Cancellation Of Sessions/Meetings

I understand that life can be unpredictable, which is why I’ve outlined my policy for rescheduling and cancellation.

If you need to cancel or reschedule a meeting or session, please give me at least 72 hours notice. This will allow me to adjust my schedule accordingly and avoid any unnecessary expenses.

However, if something comes up that’s out of your control, such as an illness or family emergency, please let me know as soon as possible and we can work together to find a solution.

If you fail to give sufficient notice for a cancellation or reschedule, you will be responsible for the expenses incurred. For example, if you cancel a studio session without proper notice, you will forfeit the original payment and be billed again for the rescheduled session.

Payment Rules

Billing

I offer flexible payment options through Stripe or other methods that I choose. If I make any changes to the billing method, I’ll let you know ahead of time.

To ensure a smooth payment process, please provide complete and accurate billing information, including your full name, address, state, zip code, telephone number, and valid payment method information.

Please note that if there are any issues with authorization or inaccurate billing information, it may cause a delay in services, which is not my responsibility.

Deposits

When we agree to work together on a project, I’ll ask for a deposit as the first payment based on our agreement. This deposit is important because it secures your spot on my schedule and shows your commitment to the project.

Once you pay the deposit, I’ll fully schedule the project and begin work. Please note that if you pay the deposit after the agreed-upon start date for the project, we’ll need to adjust the timeline accordingly.

Automatic Billing

When we work on a project that has payments split into three or more installments, you’ll need to sign up for automatic billing. This doesn’t apply to installments that depend on specific milestones in our project timeline.

If for some reason the automatic billing doesn’t work, I’ll send you an electronic invoice with a deadline to pay the full amount according to the terms of our agreement.

Refunds

Once you make an initial deposit for a project, it’s non-refundable. I won’t issue any refunds for payments made if the project is suspended or terminated, except if I fail to complete the work due to my incompetence/neglect or factors outside of my reasonable control (like illness, bereavement, injury, or family crisis).

In those cases, I may grant a partial refund at my discretion based on the work completed, remaining services, amounts paid and outstanding, and vendors/subcontractors paid. If I do issue a partial refund, it’s up to me to decide whether or not to deliver any further materials to you.

If I anticipate any issues that may interfere with the project, I’ll communicate with you and work on finding solutions. If I fail to communicate and complete the work, you may request a partial refund.

Please note that refunds will not be granted if you simply don’t like the results of my work. While I always strive to ensure your satisfaction with the Project outcome, I’m not responsible for how you feel about it.

Late Payments

I understand that life happens and things can get tough financially. If you’re having trouble making a payment, please let me know as soon as possible. I’m willing to work with you and offer a suspension if needed.

Just know that as soon as a payment is late, then all work will stop until it’s fulfilled. If it is not made within five (5) business days or we haven’t agreed upon a different date within twenty (20) business days, I reserve the right to suspend or terminate the Project at my discretion.

So, it’s best to communicate openly and promptly about any payment issues to avoid any unnecessary interruptions to our work.

Convenience Fees

It’s important for me to be upfront about any additional charges that may apply to the services you request. If you require services that go beyond the scope of our agreement (work outside of my operating hours, extending sessions/meetings, extra work/deliverables), then a convenience fee will apply.

Don’t worry though, I’ll always let you know beforehand how much the fee will be and why it’s being applied. You can choose to accept or decline the fee, but if you decline, I won’t be able to provide the extra services. If you choose to accept, I’ll need your written confirmation via email — this is for documentation purposes.

How you pay convenience fees will vary depending on the service requested and is at our discretion. Sometimes the fee will be added to your invoice for later payment, while other times it may be billed upon delivery. Since each service and need is unique, I’ll provide a quote for the convenience fee in advance.

Rules On Pausing & Ending A Project

Suspension (Pause) & Termination (End)

I just want to make sure we’re on the same page regarding the possibility of suspending or terminating a project. If you decide to end a project, any payments you’ve made are non-refundable.

There are a few reasons I might suspend a project, including if you request it for personal or financial reasons (for up to 12 months), if you violate any of my rules, or if you fail to pail for the work.

If a project is suspended and we haven’t been able to resolve the issue within 60 business days, I may terminate the project and any payments made will be forfeited. However, if we agree on a date to resume the project within 60 business days, we’ll pick up where we left off.

To avoid any surprises, we’ll give each other at least 10 business days’ notice if one of use needs to suspend or terminate a project, giving us a fair chance to try to resolve any issues first.

No-Communication, Lack Of Action, & Failure

I want to assure you that if I am unable to stick to the timeline we agreed upon for your project due to circumstances beyond my control such as illness, injury, bereavement, or family crisis, you have the right to terminate the project after 20 business days.

However, if I foresee any factors that may affect our timeline, I will discuss it with you first to find a possible solution before you terminate the project. So, if I fail to communicate with you while not meeting the project timeline, you have the right to terminate the project.

On the other hand, if you don’t communicate with me for 20 business days, I may need to suspend the project until we both agree on a date to resume. In case your lack of effective communication or inaction slows down the project, I will do my best to correct the issue, but if it persists, I will suspend the project. Rest easy though that I will make every effort to work with you and complete your project in a timely manner.