In this document, the following terms are defined as:

1. Ringmasters. The music production group, including all of its organization, management, and staff.
2. Orchestra Share. The studio services including the studio itself (either Studio Ritem or Sofia Session Studio), all players and staff booked by the studio or Ringmasters.

Booking

To ensure that the booking and scheduling process run in an effective and timely matter, please review the booking and payment policy before submitting your booking request.

• Session slots are 30 minutes in duration. This is a net recording time of 25 minutes and a 5 minutes for the session players and staff to break and set up the next session.
• Regardless of how many slots you have booked, a 5 minute break will occur following the end of each half hour block to comply with union regulations for session players and staff.
• The Session Share Orchestra consists of one of the following set-ups:
  A. PREMIUM 100 players: 74 Strings (18 Violin I, 18 Violin II, 12 Viola, 16 Cello, 10 Contrabass), 16 Brass (4 Trumpet, 6 Horn, 4 Trombone, 2 Tuba), 8 Winds (2 English Horn/Oboe, 2 Clarinet, 2 Flute/Piccolo, 2 Bassoon), and 2 Percussionists. 

1. SYMPHONY 70 players: 42 Strings (12 Violin I, 10 Violin II, 10 Viola, 6 Cello, 

4 Contrabass), 16 Brass (4 Trumpet, 6 Horn, 4 Trombone, 2 Tuba), 8 Winds, (2 English Horn/Oboe, 2 Clarinet, 2 Flute/Piccolo, 2 Bassoon), 2 Percussionists.

1. ORCHESTRA 50 players: 30 Strings (8 Violin I, 6 Violin II, 6 Viola, 6 Cello, 4 

Contrabass), 12 Brass (4 Trumpet, 4 Horn, 3 Trombone, 1 Tuba), 6 Winds (1 English Horn/Oboe, 2 Clarinet, 2 Flute/Piccolo, 1 Bassoon), 2 Percussionists.

• Adding additional players or instruments to the orchestra set-up for the session is considered an add-on feature and will incur an extra fee, which will be determined depending on the type of instrument and number of additional players. 
• Because the session is shared between multiple bookings, there will be no discounted fee if you wish to use less players than specified in the set-up during your booking time. All players have been booked and paid for the full session.
• Ringmasters handles booking of all musicians and staff for the Orchestra Share sessions. 

Contracts

• Once the booking request has been received, Ringmasters will contact you within 24 hours to begin the contracting process.
• A contract or non-disclosure agreement must be created and agreed upon prior to two weeks before the session date. Should you require assistance, Ringmasters can help in the creation of this agreement, at no extra charge from the studio fees.
• Any request for a release form from the orchestra will incur an additional €200 fee for translation, unless you prepare English release forms. Please inquire during the contracting stage if you wish to request releases.
• If you do not respond within 48 hours of Ringmasters’ initial contact regarding contracts, you will forfeit your time slot. The time may be requested again, by the original client or another company, up to two weeks before the session date.
• Add-ons not included in the booking request MUST be added and discussed during the contract drafting. Following contract agreement, no more recording services may be added to the booking.

Payment

• Once the contract has been finalized, a non-refundable* deposit of 50% of the total studio service fee must be sent within 48 hours of confirmation of contracting. If this upfront fee is not paid, you will forfeit your session time. 
• All remaining payment must be received at least 10 days before the session takes place.
• The prefered method of payment to Ringmasters is via bank transfer. Upon contract agreement, account details for this transaction will be supplied to the client. 

*please refer to the last item of Cancellation

Cancellation

• Please use email to notify Ringmasters of any cancellation. Contact us at hello@ringmasters.cc.
• If you must cancel your booking, you will incur a fee. If cancellation occurs more than one week before the studio time, you will lose the 50% non-refundable deposit collected following contract finalization. The other 50% will be returned to you upon confirmation of cancellation. 
• If you cancel within the week before the session, no refund will be given. Because players must be paid before the session, Ringmasters is unable to issue any refunds after the week cut-off.
• In an Orchestra Share setting, at least 6 out of the 10 total slots must be filled and payment received from all parties at least two weeks prior to the session date. If these conditions are not met, the shared session will be cancelled. Ringmasters reserves all right to cancel shared sessions up to two weeks before the session date.
• If a session must be cancelled, you will receive notification two weeks before the session date.
• *If a cancellation occurs on Ringmasters’ end, all parties will be reimbursed 100% of their booking fee, including the 50% non-refundable deposit given following contract.

Session Policies

In order to ensure confidentiality and smooth production flow, please follow these procedures should you be attending the remote recording session at the Ringmasters office in Tokyo:

• In a remote recording session, you may either visit Ringmasters in Nakano, Tokyo to oversee the recording, or use a remote video and audio feed from your home studio. Please specify which location you would prefer at least one week before the session.
• If you are visiting the Ringmasters office in Tokyo, you must arrive at the office no more than 15 minutes before your session slot. As there may be others viewing their recording from the office, we ask that you remain in our waiting area until we call you in 5 minutes before your scheduled time, to ensure privacy of other companies and their recording.
• If you arrive at the office later than 5 minutes before the start of your session slot, please enter very silently, as recording may have already begun.
• No recorders of any type (audio/video, phones cameras/recorders, handheld devices, etc.) are to be used in the studio during your session time unless permission has been granted before the session begins.
• If you wish to take a photo during your session time of the office setup, please ask for permission before the session begins.
• It is recommended that only individuals essential to the recording process are present during the recording time. If you plan to bring more than 5 people with you, please notify us at least one day beforehand. 
• If you are viewing the recording session remotely from your home studio, a test of the audio feed will be conducted the day of the session to ensure that the connection is stable.
• If viewing from your home setup, please log on at least 5 minutes before your scheduled studio time. Your live feed will begin 5 minutes prior to your scheduled time slot.

Receiving Assets

• All assets (session files, audio bounces, video, etc.) from the session will be distributed via secure FTP server.
• An email containing an invoice for completed session and the credentials to the FTP server will be distributed within 24 hours of the completed session
• Please download the assets from the FTP within a week of the session and ensure that you have multiple backups of the assets on your personal system. Ringmasters does not keep copies of all session files and assets.

Disclaimer

The client confirms that he/she or the company represented is the rightful owner or assignee of material to be recorded or reproduced. Ringmasters and Orchestra Share players and staff are not responsible for copyright violations, talent or creative royalties, mechanical reproduction licenses, or any other liabilities for such material. The client also agrees to indemnify Ringmasters and Orchestra Share players and staff for any and all claims, costs, losses, detriments, and expenses of any kind. This includes, without limitation, attorney’s fees and cost incurred by Ringmasters and Orchestra Share players and staff by reason of breach or alleged breach of any representation, warranty, or agreement made by the client.

Prior to submitting booking, the client agrees to having read and confirmed all information included in this document. Checking “YES” in the studio booking form is equivalent to a signature or sealed agreement by the client as a formal agreement to adhere to all policies as stated here by Ringmasters.

Orchestra Share FAQ

Q. Will I be required to wait outside the studio until my booking slot?

A. Yes. To protect the privacy of other composers and their recording sessions, we will call you 5 minutes before your time to enter the studio. You may remain in the studio for the whole duration of your booking.

Q. How many minutes of recording do I get for each slot?

A. Each slot is 30 minutes, which includes 25 minutes of recording and a 5 minute break for the players at the end.

Q. Is it possible to view the recording session remotely?

A. Yes. You can view your session via Skype or GoogleHangouts from your home studio. Each studio is equipped with a camera that gives a top-down view of the orchestra. There may be some latency between the audio feed provided and your video service.

Q. If all of the time slots are not filled, does the shared session still take place?

A. No. The session does not take place unless at least 6 out of the 10 slots are filled at least two weeks before the recording session. You will be notified two weeks before the session and reimbursed the full amount of your session booking, should a cancellation on Ringmasters’ end occur.

Q. What happens if I need to cancel my booking?

A. There will be a fee if you must cancel your booking. If you cancel within the week before the session, there will be a 100% fee for the booking time. If cancelled more than a week before, the fee will be 50% of the booking.

Q. Ringmasters offers to help in preparation of an NDA/contract – is there an additional fee for these services?

A. The preparation of an NDA or contract with the help of Ringmasters is free with the studio booking. Any request for a release form from the orchestra will cost 200 Euros for translation fee, unless you prepare English release forms on your end.

Q. What are the required materials to be submitted before the recording session takes place?

A. PDF file of full score and each instrument’s parts in a .zip file should be submitted through GoogleDrive (this link will be given to you upon contract agreement).

Q. Does Ringmasters supply/organize travel and lodging accommodations if I want to visit the studios for recording?

A. No. Ringmasters does not arrange travel or lodging for Orchestra Share recording sessions.

Q. What is the preferred method of payment to Ringmasters?

A. The preferred method of payment is via bank transfer. Account payment information will be given out once contracts have been agreed upon.

Q. When do I provide payment for the orchestra recording services?

A. All payment must be received at least two weeks before the session takes place.

Q. Does Ringmasters coordinate the entire session (hiring players, conductor, engineers, etc.)?

A. Yes. We will handle hiring of all musicians and staff for the recording session.

Q. How long after the recording is finished and mixed will I receive the file?

A. You will receive the email containing credentials to the secure FTP server to download your recordings within 24 hours of the completed session.

Q. How do I use the FTP server to download my finished tracks?

A. We will give you a username and password to the FTP server so that you may log-in and download your finished tracks. We can also distribute through DropBox.

Q. Do you provide sound-to-picture recording?

A. Yes. It is possible to do recording sync with video during the shared session. Please inquire about video sync two weeks before to allow setup time.

Q. Is it possible to receive a video recording of my session?

A. Yes. Please enquire at least two weeks in advance of the session so that additional preparations may be made to record video.

Q. How many tracks am I able to record per half hour slot?

A. This depends on the amount of time per track. You are guaranteed at least 8 minutes of music to be recorded. Please consult with Ringmasters if you need more than this amount of time, and we can determine the playability of additional tracks based on difficulty and length.

Q. What are the sizes of orchestra (number of players) available to use for my session?

A. The standard size of the session share orchestra is 100-players. This includes: 74 Strings (18 Violin I, 18 Violin II, 12 Viola, 16 Cello, 10 Contrabass), 16 Brass (4 Trumpet, 6 Horn, 4 Trombone, 2 Tuba), 8 Winds (2 English Horn/Oboe, 2 Clarinet, 2 Flute/Piccolo, 2 Bassoon), and 2 Percussionists. Additional players or other instruments may be hired as an add-on item, for additional cost.

Q. Do I receive a bounce of the recording or the session file?

A. Yes. You receive a bounce of all track recordings and the ProTools session once the session has been completed.