Frequently asked questions
This is the short operational handbook for how LoftwahFM works: licensing, delivery, access, streaming, and what changes once a project is underway.
If the question is really about fit rather than policy, the faster path is usually to send the use case through Contact and we will tell you whether this format makes sense.
The basics people usually ask before they enquire
The short version before you read the rest
LoftwahFM is an Australian business music and audio service. Venue plans cover the eligible LoftwahFM catalogue supplied by the service; custom music, branded announcements and music on hold add a sound that belongs to your business. Personal Spotify and unrelated third-party music stay outside the LoftwahFM licence.
Accounts and access
A listener account opens the public catalogue and standard streams. Private releases still need to be assigned to your account.
How do you handle account recovery?
Your listener email is your account. You can use the account page to change your password or request a reset link.
If the account email needs to change, we verify ownership in layers:
- Same email: if you contact us from the address already on the subscription, we can action the request.
- Same domain, different address: we may ask you to CC the original address or complete DNS TXT verification.
- Lost access: we can issue a DNS TXT challenge to prove you control the domain before changing account access or stream URLs.
- Edge cases: if DNS is genuinely outside your control, we handle it case by case with manual checks.
DNS TXT is a hard proof signal used by services like Google Workspace, AWS SES, and Let's Encrypt. It is the cleanest fallback when inbox access is gone.
Do I need an account to use the streaming URLs?
Yes. A free listener account opens the public catalogue and standard routes such as /stream/all, /stream/safe, and public album streams.
You can play a few tracks without an account. Managed venue and custom business streams are separate paid services.
How do I subscribe to new releases by RSS?
Use the Release RSS feed. The direct feed URL is /rss.xml.
The feed has the same tracks you can play without an account. Sign in to browse the full catalogue.
How are monthly plans billed?
Monthly subscriptions are billed quarterly upfront to unlock better pricing. You pay for three months at the start of each quarter and can cancel before the next quarter renews.
Business use and licensing
LoftwahFM gives your business permission for the eligible LoftwahFM content supplied under its plan. It does not grant rights to unrelated music services or songs.
Can staff play their personal Spotify account in the shop?
Spotify says its service is for personal, non-commercial use and cannot be played publicly from a business. See Spotify's public and commercial-use guidance.
An Australian public-performance licence can be a separate question for protected mainstream music. Paying for one does not override the terms of the music source itself.
Does a OneMusic licence make personal Spotify a business service?
No. OneMusic explains that its licence does not override the terms of a personal digital music service. The public-performance permission and the source's own terms are separate layers.
Can I use LoftwahFM during business hours?
Yes, when the content is eligible LoftwahFM business catalogue or commissioned content supplied under your active plan. Venue background music, a managed stream and music on hold are core business uses.
Your LoftwahFM permission does not authorise unrelated third-party songs, customer-supplied audio or personal streaming services.
What licence proof do I receive?
Business plans include the applicable versioned LoftwahFM business licence and certificate for the eligible content supplied under that plan. The certificate states its content boundary rather than pretending to cover every song from every source.
Will commissioned music be unique to my business?
Yes. Commissioned tracks are built from your brief and are not resold as a shared client asset. The current shared LoftwahFM catalogue is a separate product: it provides ready-to-play business music without waiting for a custom commission.
Delivery and production
Most production questions come down to what gets delivered, how it fits the stream, and how much revision room is included.
How do podcast-style radio segments fit into my stream?
With Custom Stream, we can interleave your custom music, branded radio-style segments, and any other audio you are licensed to use into one continuous playlist.
If you want to hear the format, listen to the podcast demo.
What is Radio Segment Premium?
Radio Segment Premium doubles the quality stack with ElevenLabs premium voice models and a human script quality check before production. It is available as a one-off upgrade or as a higher-tier monthly option.
Can you include lyrics or business messaging?
Yes. We can write songs with brand-specific lyrics, or keep the track instrumental and move the messaging into separate spoken segments. Which option works better depends on where the audio will play.
Can I request specific genres or styles?
Yes. Mood, tempo, genre, and reference points all help. The more concrete you are about the environment and the audience, the easier it is to land the right result.
What file formats do you provide?
Music on Hold includes a standard MP3, a full-quality WAV, and mono telephony WAV presets: 8 kHz PCM, G.711 mu-law, G.711 A-law, and 16 kHz PCM. Your PBX vendor may impose its own encoding, duration, or file-size limits, so we confirm its current specification before delivery.
Will the hosted on-hold stream work with every phone system?
No. The private hosted loop suits PBXs that can maintain or reconnect an authenticated HTTP audio stream. We only call a system compatible after testing it or checking a reliable current vendor specification.
The downloadable files remain available when hosted playback is disabled or unsupported, so the phone line does not depend on a streaming feature the PBX may not have.
What happens if the streaming service has dropouts?
Custom Stream packages include downloadable backup files for local playback. If streaming drops out, you can switch over cleanly instead of leaving the room or phone system silent.
How many revisions do I get?
Most one-off music packages include up to 3 revision rounds per track. Radio segment work usually includes up to 2 rounds. If the brief changes substantially after work starts, we scope that separately.
Billing and policies
The commercial rules are straightforward: clear billing cadence, no fuzzy cancellation terms, and no fake refund promises after production begins.
Do you offer refunds?
No refunds are offered on one-off packages once production has started. That is standard for creative work where time, iteration, and delivery effort cannot be reversed. Revision rounds are included so the work can be refined before sign-off.
What is your cancellation policy?
Subscription services can be cancelled before the next quarterly renewal. You keep the rights to music already delivered. One-off packages cannot be cancelled once the work has begun.
Still unsure?
Send the use case, where the audio will play, and what has to be delivered. That is usually enough for us to point you to the right package or tell you if something simpler would do.