your questions answered
We’ve put together some commonly asked questions to give you more information about the Clarinet Institute and the music we offer.
CHECK YOUR SPAM FOLDER NOW! – We respond to every inquiry. If you wrote to us and didn’t hear back, that’s because our response landed in your spam folder.
Yes! This site is completely legal! The editions of music presented on this site were either
written recently and published here with permission of the author, or
published long enough ago, so their copyright has expired.
We can therefore copy them and distribute them freely. For recently written music, the copyright owners give permission for you to print, play and perform the music, but not to sell or distribute the music.
Many of our scores were either written or arranged by modern composers who have donated their music to us. Others featured in this archive are from pre-1923 music editions. These are all old enough to be out of copyright in essentially all countries. We can therefore distribute them on-line without royalty, and users can legally download them. They may not be distributed or sold. There are also many works by our arrangers and composers. These are under copyright and may not be distributed without our permission
There are many potential reasons why your disk may not work. First of all, please understand that our disks are all digital copies and we check each disk for readability before we send it out. It is very unlikely that you received a “bad” disk. Here are some things to consider that may solve your problem:
If you tried to play your disk in a standard CD player or a video DVD player, it won’t work. Our disks are data disks. They are designed to work with your computer.
While some of our disks are on CD’s, many are on DVD’s. All computers produced in the past 5 years have disk drives that can read both CD’s and DVD’s. If you have an older computer, you may have a disk drive that cannot read a DVD. If you suspect this is the case, try loading a video DVD in your disk drive to see if it plays. If you have a really old computer (and can’t bring yourself to throw it out the window and get a new one) please write to us and we can recommend a low cost external DVD disk player.
Try taking the disk to a library or a friend’s computer and see if it plays. If it does, you may have some technical problems with your computer.
Whether you have a mac or a PC, you will need the latest version of Adobe Reader. It is a free program and safe for all computers to use. You can get it here: https://get2.adobe.com/reader/
After you have the latest version of Adobe Reader installed, you may still have problems printing the right size. That’s because our library consists of scans of music of all shapes and sizes. Also, the U.S. uses “letter” size paper and Europe uses “A4” paper. With all these different sizes, there are bound to be (small) problems.
When you click on “print,” a box will open that has various options to select. These are determined by your printer’s driver. Look through the box for “scaling.” Every printer we have encountered has a “scaling” option, so yours’ should have either that or something similar.
There will be a drop down box where you can make a selection. Most common options are “none,” “shrink to printable area,” and “fit to printable area.” Play around with these settings to find the one that is right for you. We prefer using “fit to printable area” for our printer.
A full cache can effect how any store’s shopping cart works. Clearing out your browser’s cache can fix shopping cart and checkout problems. If you don’t know how to clear your browser’s cache, check out these instructions.
If you are having trouble checking out with PayPal, you are not alone! Here is a site that may help you with PayPal headaches.
An older version of Internet Explorer may also effect how shopping carts work. Microsoft no longer supports Internet Explorer. We recommend using Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or any browser other than Internet Explorer.
Popup blockers cause all kinds of problems for shopping carts. Try disabling your popup blocker. Here is an article that describes how to do it for most browsers.
It can take anywhere from 3 to 20 days for mail delivery in the United States. We don’t know why there is this huge variation. Chalk that one up to the mysteries of the post office. Don’t panic if your order doesn’t arrive right away. We are musicians just like you. We want you to get your music!
Your order will likely arrive in a plain business envelope delivered by normal mail delivery. It is easy for these envelopes to get lost in amongst the junk mail flyers that clog our mailboxes. Please sift through your mail carefully.
If you are worried about your order, please write to us. We always respond to messages within one or two days. If you don’t hear from us, please check your spam folder. Lots of important mail ends up in our spam folders and your spam filter is probably at least as aggressive as ours.
Mail outside the U.S. takes anywhere from 6 to 25 days from delivery. We deliver our packages directly to the main postal facility the day after you place your order. After that, it takes a few days to actually get shipped to your country. Then it sits in your country’s customs department awaiting processing. Most of the time it gets processed quickly. However, sometimes the mail gets backed up and it takes longer.
Check to make sure you have the latest version of Adobe Reader installed. You can get it here: https://get.adobe.com/reader/
Dirt, dust and gunk floats around in the air and eventually it will all land on the connections in your USB port. Try plugging and unplugging the flash drive into the port several times. This will scrape it up a bit and remove some of the gunk, allowing that all-important connection to be made. If that doesn’t work, try it on a friend’s computer. If THAT doesn’t work, then contact us. We are here to help!
Most flash drives that people generally see have a little band of metal around the part that plugs into the computer. Our flash drives are exactly the same as every other flash drive except they don’t have that little band of metal. We figure that it serves no real purpose and can get bent during shipping, so we don’t include it. If the flash drive doesn’t fit into your USB port, just flip it around and try it again. Take a good look at the USB port on your computer and you can see how the flash drive fits.
Back it up immediately! Flash drives do not last forever. We warranty our flash drives for 2 weeks after you receive them. That gives you plenty of time to make a back up copy. We do this because flash drives are very sensitive to many different environmental factors that can cause them to fail. We cannot control what you do with your flash drive after you get it, so we cannot guarantee that the flash drive is going to work months later.
We have people write to us saying, “I bought a flash drive six months ago and now it doesn’t work…..” Our response is always the same, “Please access the backup copy you made when you first received the flash drive.”
Back it up immediately!
Believe it or not, CD and DVD discs do not last forever. These kinds of disc are different than the music or movie discs that you may be accustomed to. Our archives come on data discs and they have a life span of from 2 to 20 years. We warranty our discs for 2 weeks after you receive them. That gives you plenty of time to make a back up copy. We do this because discs of this kind are very sensitive to many different environmental factors that can cause them to fail. We cannot control what you do with your CD or DVD disc after you get it, so we cannot guarantee that the disc is going to work months or years later.
We have people write to us saying, “I bought a CD 3 years ago and now it doesn’t work…..” Our response is always the same, “Please access the backup copy you made when you first received the disc.”
Check you spam folder! We reply to all emails within 1-2 days of receiving them. Your response is very likely sitting in your spam folder. Spam filters have become very aggressive lately and we have found that a lot of important messages end up there. Check yours now. You may find a lot of important emails!
No. We do not provide purchase orders or W-9 forms. We sell only through the shopping cart on our web site. We don’t make special side deals or volume discounts.
Yes! You may use our music for auditions, festivals, performances and to post online for non-commercial purposes. We have prepared a “Festival Letter” for you to show those who don’t take your word for it. You can see, download, and print it HERE
The short answer is “no.” We don’t insure our archives. Once you download an archive, it is yours and it is your responsibility to back it up properly. We understand that disasters do happen. That’s why we tell our customers to back up everything to at least two different locations. We highly recommend uploading your archives to the cloud. There are lots of free cloud storage options out there.
We ship all orders the day after you place your order. We are able to offer free shipping in the U.S. because we use the USPS first class mail. We have found that it is the fastest and most cost effective way to ship.
Returns Policy
Because our products are digital information, they are non-refundable. Here are some specifics:
1. Flash Drives – When you receive a flash drive, back it up immediately! Flash drives do not last forever. We warranty our flash drives for 2 weeks after you receive them. That gives you plenty of time to make a back up copy. We do this because flash drives are very sensitive to many different environmental factors that can cause them to fail while in your home. We cannot control what you do with your flash drive after you get it, so we cannot guarantee that the flash drive is going to work months later.
We have people write to us saying, “I bought a flash drive six months ago and now it doesn’t work…..” Our response is always the same, “Please access the backup copy you made when you first received the flash drive.”
2. CD and DVD data discs – Believe it or not, CD and DVD discs do not last forever. These kinds of disc are different than the music or movie discs that you may be accustomed to. Our archives come on data discs and they have a life span of from 2 to 20 years. We warranty our discs for 2 weeks after you receive them. That gives you plenty of time to make a back up copy. We do this because discs of this kind are very sensitive to many different environmental factors that can cause them to fail. We cannot control what you do with your CD or DVD disc after you get it, so we cannot guarantee
that the disc is going to work months or years later.
We have people write to us saying, “I bought a CD 3 years ago and now it doesn’t work…..” Our response is always the same, “Please access the backup copy you made when you first received the disc.”
3. Damaged discs or flash drives – If you receive a damaged disc or a flash drive that doesn’t work, please contact us immediately. Keep in mind that what appears to be a faulty disc or flash drive may actually be a software issue on your end. We will work with you to try to identify what the problem is and solve it. If the problem can’t be solved then we will mail a replacement disc or flash drive to you.
Problem Checking Out?
A full cache can effect how any store’s shopping cart works. Clearing out your browser’s cache can fix shopping cart and checkout problems. If you don’t know how to clear your browser’s cache, check out these instructions.
An older version of Internet Explorer may also effect how shopping carts work. Microsoft no longer supports older versions of Internet Explorer. We recommend updating Internet Explorer to its latest version. Better still, we recommend using Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or any browser other than Internet Explorer.
Shipping in the U.S.A.
Domestic shipping takes between 3 days and 3 weeks for delivery. Why? Nobody knows for sure. Sometimes the post office does their job very well and sometimes (we think) a package gets routed to the wrong city, or state, or country or galaxy.
International Shipping Disclaimer:
We do ship internationally. Unfortunately, if you do not live in the United States there is a chance that you will be responsible for additional custom charges imposed in your country. We cannot predict what these might be so you may want to contact your local customs office to find out more.
There are a few things to be aware of, however: You, the buyer, are responsible for any VAT, tariff, duty, taxes, handling fees, customs clearance charges, etc. required by your country for importing consumer goods. We do not collect this beforehand, and cannot give you an estimate of the cost, because it varies widely around the world. Please do your research so you are ready to get your package cleared through customs, and have an idea of what the additional cost will be. Orders may end up being returned for various reasons including: non-payment of tariffs, incorrect address, unclaimed at post office, etc.
International Shipments can sometimes take anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks.
If you have any questions, regarding shipment and/or shipment of orders, please email us
PayPal for International Orders
If you want delivery to Italy, Russia, Hungary, Bulgaria or South America and you want to pay with PayPal, there is a $13.50 surcharge. PayPal requires a special tracking number for these countries and we are simply passing the cost along. However, if you do not want to pay with PayPal, then there is no surcharge.
Standard Worldwide Delivery
We cannot accept responsibility for packages which get held up by customs offices.
Please allow up to 21 days for delivery for most countries
Customers ordering from Brazil or Italy should allow up to 45 days for delivery.
Customers ordering from Mexico should allow up to 56 days for delivery.
If you live in Mexico, Brazil, Korea, Singapore, or China, please understand that mail delivery is inconsistent in those countries. If you have a friend in Western Europe or the U.S. who can take delivery for you, please use that person’s address if possible.
Unfortunately we don’t ship orders to the following countries: Belarus, Congo, Cote D’Ivoire, Cuba, Egypt, Eritrea, Guinea, Iran, Iraq, Liberia, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia and Zimbabwe.
Shipping to Korea and Japan
Addresses in Korea and Japan are different than anywhere else. We want to make certain that your order gets to you with as little delay as possible. That’s why we will not ship until we get an email from you confirming your address format EXACTLY the way it should look on your envelope:
Please tell us what should be on the first line.
Then tell us what should be on the second line
Then tell us what should be on the third line, etc….
Each line has a specific and very important part of the address. If any part of the address is on the wrong line, your local post office WILL get confused and your order may not arrive. Trust us, we’ve been down this road before.
We ship according to the Universal Postal Union Guidelines.
Damaged Disks
If you receive a damaged disc, don’t panic. Our packaging is designed to resist almost all of the rigors of international travel, but sometimes a truck will drive over a bag of mail or some other horror will befall a package. 999 out of 1000 packages get delivered with no problem. If your disc is damaged, simply email us and attach a jpg or pdf picture of the damage and we’ll be happy to send another out to you.