Frequently-asked-questions

WHAT IS GENERO.TV?

Check out the About page for a bit of info on who we are and what we’re about.

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WHAT DOES ‘GENERO’ MEAN?

It’s a latin word meaning to create or produce.

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WHAT KIND OF MUSIC VIDEOS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?

We’re all about creativity and pushing the boundaries in terms of what music video is and what it can be. There are no real guidelines on what we’re looking for, but make it creative, innovative, high quality and entertaining. The winning video becomes the official music video for the song so keep that in mind when making your video.

We don't want lip syncing videos or travel/family/stock footage set to music, in fact we probably won't publish them. Make sure your video is also shot in 16:9 or wider so it can be used across all of today's media platforms.

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WE DON’T HAVE ANY FOOTAGE OF THE ARTISTS; HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO MAKE A VIDEO FOR THE SONG?

Some of the best videos don’t use any footage of the artists. So use the fact that no footage has been provided as an opportunity to have complete creative freedom for your music video.

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I’VE GOT A GREAT VIDEO OF ME LIP-SYNCING TO ONE OF THE FEATURED SONGS. WHAT ARE MY CHANCES OF WINNING?

Even though your friends would probably find it funny to watch you, basic lip-syncing videos aren’t what we’re looking for. So apart from not winning it probably wouldn’t make it past our moderators because we’re really focused on quality videos, not quantity.

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HOW DO I UPLOAD A VIDEO?

Go to the page for the Artist/Song you've made your video for and click on the ENTER button on the right hand side. You'll then be taken to an Upload form - browse to find your video and upload it, fill out the forms and click SUBMIT. If there is no ENTER button on the Artist page it means that either it's not open for entries yet or it's closed so make sure you check the dates.

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WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I’M HAVING PROBLEMS AND NEED HELP?

Firstly, have a read through these FAQ to see if we’ve already covered it here. If not, Contact Us and we’ll get back to you to help sort it out.

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WHY SHOULD I REGISTER?

There are some things we only allow registered users to do like upload videos, comment on videos and download our featured tracks. So if you want to do any of those things then you’ll need to register, if not though feel free to have a look around, watch some videos and enjoy Genero.tv!

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HOW CAN I KEEP UP TO DATE ON ALL THE STUFF HAPPENING WITH GENERO.TV?

The short answer is to come back often – hell, why ever leave? But if you do have other stuff going on in your life you can also Subscribe to the Blog/News RSS feed. In your Profile you can also opt-in to receive email updates from us. Finally, if you’ve got a Facebook account you can also become a fan to get updated via your Facebook News Feed - www.Facebook.com/Genero.tv.

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HOW MANY TIMES CAN I VOTE ON EACH VIDEO?

Each user is limited to one vote per video, but you can vote for as many different videos as you like.

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WHAT FILE FORMATS DO YOU SUPPORT?

Here are the file types supported and common extensions:

• video/mpeg: .mp2, .mpa, .mpe, .mpeg, .mpg, .mpv2
• video/quicktime: .mov, .qt
• video/x-msvideo: .avi
• video/mp4: .mp4
• video/x-ms-wmv: .wmv (some audio codecs within .wmv are not supported, so please avoid .wmv if possible)

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WHAT ASPECT RATIOS DO YOU SUPPORT?

We only support 16:9 format (widescreen) or wider so please don't upload any 4:3 videos. The aim is for the winning video to be used as the official music video so it needs to be compatible with the standards of all today's media platforms, which is currently 16:9 or wider. For more help about aspect ratios, this Wikipedia page is a good source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspect_ratio_(image).

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WHAT ARE THE RECOMMENDED SETTINGS FOR VIDEOS?

Export and compression settings vary depending on what software you are using, and it can get tricky! We've tried to simplify the key settings though that you should be aware of, to make it as easy as possible! Look for the following settings in the software you use, they may appear under the "Advanced", "Settings" or "Options" tabs.

Codec
• Select H.264 for the video codec and AAC for the audio codec.

Frame Rate
• This should usually be set to 25.

Keyframes
• Refers to how often the compressor references your uncompressed video, set it to every 30 frames.

Data Rate
• 1,000 Kbits/second for widescreen standard definition, or 5,000 Kbits/second for widescreen high definition.

Resolution

• 608x342 for widescreen standard definition, or 1280x720 for widescreen high definition. Don't upload 4:3 videos as they may not be published.
• Upload a high definition file and we'll automatically create the standard definition version as well, no need to upload 2 files.

Deinterlace
• Yes, otherwise strange horizontal lines might appear in your video.

Sound Sample Rate
• 44.1 KHz or 44,100 Hz

Audio quality
• Select a bit rate of at least 128 Kbps, increasing the audio quality (bitrate) won't increase the file size too much!

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WHAT IS THE LIMIT ON FILE SIZES?

Please ensure your video upload is less than 300MB.

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WHAT IS HD?

HD stands for “high definition”, which is the highest quality form of video available today. HD video is richer, clearer, and more life-like than standard TV and even DVDs. We support and encourage HD quality videos to give video producers the best format available for showcasing their work as well as giving viewers the best possible viewing experience.

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HOW DO I CHANGE SOME OF THE SUMMARY INFO FOR MY VIDEO LIKE THE TITLE, DESCRIPTION, TAGS ETC.

First log in so we know which videos you've uploaded. Then just go to PROFILE and under each of the videos you've uploaded you'll see an UPDATE link. That will take you to a page where you can update the Description, Other Credits and Tags for your video.

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HOW DO I CHANGE THE PREVIEW THUMBNAIL FOR MY VIDEO?

At the moment you can't so you'll have to stick with the thumbnail that's automatically generated. We'll introduce this soon though so hang tight.

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HOW CAN I EMBED A VIDEO FROM GENERO.TV ON ANOTHER WEBPAGE?

When you roll over the video player you'll see a <E> in the top right corner. If you click on that you'll see a light box with the Embed code. Grab it and you're away!

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WHY DO SOME VIDEOS GET REJECTED?

Before you get started, make sure your video content is suitable. Here are the main reasons for videos not getting approved;

- creatively or conceptually, there is not much of an idea (eg. family/travel/stock footage set to music)
- the overall production or editing quality level is too low
- your video has racist, violent or defamatory content

Creativity is very subjective, for that reason we often can't give specific reasons why your video has been rejected. Remember we're looking for videos that could potentially be used as the official music video for the artists and songs we feature.

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HOW DO I GET MY VIDEOS FEATURED ON THE HOMEPAGE?

In short: make great videos! We choose the videos to showcase on the Homepage based on the quality of the video and the appeal to our audience. We’ll also take into account the videos that are getting rated the most highly and watched the most. No amount of lobbying or money (well maybe a really large amount!) will improve your chances so just keep trying to improve the quality of your videos.

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HOW CAN I UPLOAD AN HD VERSION OF MY VIDEO?

To upload a HD version all you have to do is upload a clip that’s 1280×720 resolution or better. We will then create the HD version as well as an SD (Standard Definition) version

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CAN I UPLOAD A NEW VERSION OF MY VIDEO?

You can upload an updated version of your entry and you’ll keep all of the votes, views and comments your previous version had.

Just follow these simple steps;

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CAN I DOWNLOAD THE ORIGINAL FILE I UPLOADED?

At the moment we don't allow downloads of original videos so make sure you keep your own copies of any of your videos you've uploaded. If you've lost your version though let us know and we should be able to get it to you.

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HOW LONG SHOULD MY VIDEO BE?

Your video should be at least as long as the song you're creating it for if you want to be able to win. Obviously a video can't be used as the official video for the song if it doesn't use the whole track, but it's not against the Competition Terms to create a video which is shorter (especially for some of the longer tracks we feature). You can also include footage before and after the track starts if you think it adds to the overall music video.

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WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH FILMING IN PUBLIC? DO I NEED A PERMIT?

The laws for filming in public differ between countries and even cities so we can't give you a complete answer on this. You'll need to check with your local film commission or similar body. Here are a few resources though that might help as a starting point.

• UK Film Council: http://www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/publicspaces
• Paris Film Office (in English): http://www.parisfilm.fr/uk/guidelines.html
• Australian Copyright Council: Filmmakers and Copyright infosheet
• New York: http://www.nyc.gov/html/film/html/permits/shooting_home.shtml
• California: http://www.film.ca.gov/Permits/index.html
• Seattle: http://www.seattle.gov/filmoffice/film_permits.htm

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SHOULD I ADD TITLES OR CREDITS TO MY VIDEO?

No, please don't add any credits or titles in your video. You can use the Description and Other Credits areas to provide any further details about your video and other contributors. If there are titles or credits appearing in your video you'll be asked to remove them and resubmit it.

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MY VIDEO HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED BECAUSE IT HAS BLACK BARS, OR IS THE WRONG ASPECT RATIO

If your video has not been approved, it is probably due to one of the following reasons;

Aspect Ratio
We need your video in 16:9 or wider so that we can use it in all media types if selected as the official video. If you want to check your aspect ratio, you can divide the width by the height, eg. our recommended SD resolution is 608x342, and for HD it is 1280x720. Dividing the width by the height gives you 1.7778, which is 16:9 (16 divided by 9). Remember, don't include black bars in the resolution width or height though. Read more about aspect ratios here.

Black Bars
Horizontal or vertical black bars are not acceptable. Sometimes, exporting a 4:3 movie to 16:9 simply adds black vertical bars left and right of your footage, this is still a 4:3 video, and therefore won't be approved. If your video is wider than 16:9 (eg. 1.85:1 or 2.39:1) then our transcoding process will add top and bottom black bars so that it plays within our 16:9 player. Never add any black bars, regardless of what resolution you are uploading.

Titles/Credits
Sorry, but we don't allow any titles or credits to appear on the video. There is space on your video's page (when uploading) where you can put credit and extra information. Titles are added by the media outlet that ends up playing the winning video (eg. MTV).

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HOW DO COMPETITIONS WORK ON GENERO.TV?

Head over to the Competitions page for a more detailed explanation, but here are the basics; The competitions on Genero.tv are based around individual artists and songs. 6 finalists will be selected and at the end of each competition the artist/label will then choose their favourite video which will become the official music video for the song.

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HOW ARE FINALISTS CHOSEN FOR EACH ARTIST/SONG COMPETITION?

The aim for each competition is to choose 6 finalists made up of 2 receiving the most votes from the Genero.tv user community, 2 selected by Genero.tv and 2 selected by the judging panel. The judging panels for each competition will feature representatives from the respective artist and/or label and the judging panel details for each competition can be found on the individual artist/song pages.

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HOW ARE THE WINNERS FOR THE ARTIST AND SONG COMPETITIONS CHOSEN?

The winner will be selected from the 4 finalists for each Artist/Song competition by the judging panel for that Artist and Song competition.

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WHO IS ON THE JUDGING PANEL?

Each Artist/Song competition has different judges but they’re usually made up of Genero.tv staff and the Artist or their representatives. To see who is on the judging panel just go to the individual Artist/Song page that you’re interested in.

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HOW MANY TIMES CAN I ENTER?

As many times as you want so go nuts.

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WILL THERE BE OTHER ARTISTS AND SONGS FEATURED?

Sure will. Each competition round will feature a new line-up of Artists and Songs. The next round will launch when the current one finishes. We’ll release details of each Artists and Song as they’re confirmed so make sure you opt-in via your Profile to receive email updates or Subscribe via RSS to be the first to hear.

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I AM HAVING TROUBLE REGISTERING OR RECEIVING THE ACTIVATION EMAIL

If you are having trouble registering, or haven't received the activation email, please follow these steps;

1. First, check your spam or junk folder for an activation email.  Unfortunately legitimate emails are sometimes classified as spam.

2. If that doesn't help, please send us the following;
- operating system, browser & version you are using (eg. Windows 7, Google Chrome, 4.0.249.89 (38071), the version can be found in the About menu of your browser
- your IP address by going to myIPaddress.com, it will show you a series of numbers separated by dots, just copy and paste those back to us

3. It is always best to make sure you have the latest browser version installed, please use one of the following;
Apple Safari for Mac or PC
Mozilla Firefox for Mac or PC
Google Chrome for Mac or PC
Internet Explorer for PC

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HOW DO YOU CHOOSE THE ARTISTS & SONGS FEATURED ON GENERO.TV?

We want to make sure we always feature a range of talented musicians from around the world whose music lends itself to creativity in the music videos so we always have that in mind when selecting the artsists and songs we feature.

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CAN ANYONE DOWNLOAD THE TRACKS FEATURED ON THE WEBSITE?

No. The tracks available on Genero.tv are specifically there for people to use in the music videos they make for Genero.tv. To download tracks you’ll need to be registered and logged in - and as part of our Terms you agree that you are ONLY downloading the track to use in a music video for Genero.tv.

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I’M AN ARTIST, MANAGER OR LABEL AND WE’D LOVE TO HAVE OUR MUSIC FEATURED ON GENERO.TV?

Great! We’re always looking for new, interesting music so get in touch with us and we’ll have a chat about how we can possibly work together.

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WHAT ARE THE PRIZES?

For each of the Artist/Song competitions the prizes vary so visit the Artist/Song page you’re interested in to see the prizes

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ONE OF THE PRIZES LISTED IS BECOMES THE OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO - WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

It's the intention of the Artist/Label to use the winning video as the official video for the song. That means that it will be distributed to other media channels like official music videos are today. If they decide that the winner isn't up to the level they need though, or they decide they want to make an alternate version later on to use as the official music video they may decide to do that.

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WHAT ARE THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR ENTERING THE COMPETITION?

You can see the Competition Terms & Conditions here. You should make sure you read them and understand them, along with the general website Terms and Privacy Statement. This section of the FAQ will also try to explain the key points for you but if at any stage you need anything clarified just Contact Us and we’ll be happy to answer your questions.

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WHO OWNS THE VIDEO AFTER I SUBMIT IT?

When you upload a video to Genero.tv you're granting us an exclusive license for the duration of the competition. After the competition finishes it automatically reverts to a non-exclusive license for all videos except the winning video. We retain the exclusive license fro all winning videos and in most cases this is transferred to the artist/label so they can use it as the official music video.

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