On this page you will find answers to frequently asked questions - in the usual alphabetical order.
There are very specific questions about our new option to purchase sheet music, mp3s and additional material as digital download products before, during and after the purchase. We have therefore created a separate, detailed FAQ area especially for this purpose.
You can find it at the bottom of this page - or you can go directly from here to the FAQ on download products by clicking here.
FAQ - from A to Z
Abbreviations
Here you can find a list of abbreviations used at Carus.
Advice
You can contact us with enquiries or special orders on Mondays to Thursday from 09.30 to 16.00 and Fridays from 09.30 to 14.00 by telephone at +49 711-797 330-0 or by e-mail at sales@carus-verlag.com. Our musically trained team will be pleased to assist you further.
Are you looking for suitable works for your choir, or would you like further suggestions? You can create an initial overview of suitable pieces by using our filter options under the heading "All choral music publications". Once you have made an initial selection, we will happily advise you by phone or e-mail.
If you are uncertain whether you have found the right edition, or you do not know how many singers you will have in your choir for your project, let us advise you about orders with the option to return.
Billing and delivery addresses
To avoid misdeliveries, please enter the exact billing address and, if applicable, a different delivery address directly with your order. It is best to clarify in advance with those responsible for authorising payment what information the invoice(s) should contain. During the ordering process, please also indicate clearly whether you would like us to deliver by standard or express delivery. Here you will find an overview of the shipping costs and the expected delivery times.
Buying download products
As there are very specific questions about purchasing sheet music, mp3s and additional material as digital download products, we have created a separate, detailed FAQ area for this purpose.
carus music, the Choir Coach
Answers to frequently asked questions about our choir app can be found here. If you cannot find the answer to your question there, please contact us by e-mail directly at support@carus-verlag.com.
Closing your customer account
Would you like to delete your online customer account with us? Please write to sales@carus-verlag.com. Please note, however, that we will continue to store your order and invoice data within the framework of the statutory retention periods.
Copyright
As a publishing house, we are committed to the fair treatment of our customers with our sheet music - whether it be printed versions or download purchases. Copyright law expressly forbids the copying of scores. Important information on this topic can be found here.
Data protection
Protecting your data is very important to us. Here you can read our privacy policy.
Difficulty levels
At Carus we use the following levels of difficulty:
1 easy
2 easy to medium
3 medium
4 medium to difficult
5 difficult
Discounts and prices
The Fixed Book Price system in force in Germany prohibits any special prices or discounts when selling books and sheet music to private customers. The legislator has enacted this law for good reason: It is essential for the preservation of an intact book and music retail landscape throughout Germany. Time and again we are asked whether we offer discounts for teachers, for example. Here, the regulation is clear: we can only offer authorised persons a school examination copy on request for our volumes designated as educational books for school.
We can only offer special promotions for items that are generally not price-fixed (e.g. CDs) or that we have removed from the price fixing.
Download area for catalogs and forms
Fliers and catalogs, forms, rental score requests etc. can be found here.
Errors
We go to great lengths to ensure that our scores are free of errors. But scores are very complex documents and, unfortunately, there always remains some risk that errors may remain. Our work is not finished once a score is published; we are always interested in optimisation after publication. So, if you have found an error or even a questionable point, please write to us at info@carus-verlag.com! Thank you very much for your help.
General Terms and Conditions
Here you will find a link to our General Terms and Conditions.
Manuscripts
Would you like to submit one of your own compositions or arrangements for consideration by Carus? Or to submit a work by a third party? More information can be found here.
Marketing
We will be delighted to keep you regularly informed about our new publications in various ways. You can receive information on current topics and new products via our monthly Carus newsletter by e-mail or by post with our CARUS Magazine. Of course, you can unsubscribe from receiving this information at any time.
You can also find our latest magazines and catalogs in the "Service - Catalogs & Forms" section of our website. We are also happy to send you catalogs by post if you wish. Just send us an e-mail to sales@carus-verlag.com and we will add you to our distribution list!
Would
you like to use the cover image of a Carus edition in your marketing?
Cover images of sheet music editions or images from the Carus-Verlag
website may not be used for advertising purposes without the publisher's
consent. However, for many of our works we can provide you with a
graphic suitable for advertising free of charge or for a small fee.
Please send an e-mail to sales@carus-verlag.com!
Newsletter
You are welcome to subscribe to our monthly newsletter. You may unsubscribe at any time : just send an e-mail to newsletter@carus-verlag.com with the subject "Unsubscribe".
Orders
Important information about placing online orders and ordering through your local specialist shop, options for ordering single editions, delivery times, delivery costs, our prices, and much more can be found here.
Payment
You can pay for your order conveniently by credit card, instant bank transfer or PayPal.
Please note: for credit card payments, the secure procedure is often used. Depending on your bank, at the end of the payment process, you must authorise the payment either by means of a PIN sent by SMS to your mobile phone registered with the bank, or with a fixed Secure ID password received from your bank. This procedure is controlled individually by the banks and we have no influence on it.
If you are an institution, church, school, society, etc., would you like to order on account? In this case please contact us by e-mail at sales@carus-verlag.com and we will send you an advance payment invoice with your first order. Delivery will follow receipt of your payment.
Performance Rights
Questions about the performance of theatrical and non-theatrical works are answered here.
Practice CDs (Carus Choir Coach Audio only)
We offer our practice CDs Carus Choir Coach (Audio only) for your own, individual voice part as mp3-CDs. Mp3 CDs can only be played on mp3-compatible devices and mp3-compatible CD players. This usually includes any PC or laptop as well as newer (car) CD players. In any case, please check before buying whether the mp3 format is suitable for your music system.
Rental material
Our digital offering is being expanded to include loan materials. Some works for hire are already available digitally. The offer is constantly being expanded. You will find details of this with the respective item on our website.
If you wish to hire orchestral scores, please use our Performance Portal. To reach the portal go to the detailed information page for the relevant piece of music, click on Proceed to purchase and then on More information. In the portal simply fill in the details about the performance and the scores you require. You’ll then receive a tailor-made offer from us to assist you in calculating your budget. If you have any questions at all, we’re here to help. Just email us at performance@carus-verlag.com.
Returns from third countries
For returns from third countries (countries outside the EU), the following customs documents must be attached to the outside of the returns parcel in a shipping bag:
- Completed customs declaration (CN23)
- Copy of the original commercial invoice as proof of the returned goods status
If this information is missing, the parcel may be refused.
Scholarly and first editions
Scholarly and first editions are copyright according to §70 and §71 of the German Copyright Act (UrhG). You can find further details and background information at VG Musikedition.
Search
Using the search field at the top of each page, you can find our products quickly and easily using a full text search. Enter the appropriate search text and press the Enter key. In order to limit the number of hits further, for example by genre, instrumentation or product type, you then have the option of using the filters on the left.
In addition, you can also use the links above the search hits to display only category or person hits that match your search entry instead of matching articles.
As an alternative to the classic full-text search, we recommend a few entry pages for exploring and browsing. From these, using the many filter options, you can work towards what you’re searching for, step by step:
If you already know the Carus article number of the edition you are looking for, you can enter it in the search field (do not use a full stops or slashes - i.e. "4000100" instead of "40.001/00"). Or you can simply append the article number to our URL and thus go directly to the page of the work you are looking for (e.g. carus-verlag.com/4000100).
Separate editions
You can also conveniently order economical single editions from our Carus choral collections - where we have the rights to these - from our webshop: On the web page for the choral collection you are interested in, under "Product information" click on the "content" tab, then click on the title of your choice. You have the choice between purchasing PDF downloads or choral movements printed on our high-quality Carus music paper.
Special offers
The Fixed Book Price system does not allow for special prices and discounts for price-fixed books and sheet music editions. We can only offer special promotions for items that are generally not price-fixed (e.g. CDs) or that we have removed from the fixed price system. Our selection of sheet music and CDs, some of which we only have in stock in small quantities and which we currently carry as special offers, can be found here.
FAQ about download products
1. Questions before buying download products
Which works are available as digital products (PDFs, mp3s, ePUBs, MOBIs, HTML documents)?
In our webshop you will now find:
- over 3,000 individual editions from our choral collections (where the rights are held by Carus) - with attractive bulk discount prices.
Format: PDF - over 600 scores of major choral works by Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Haydn, Mozart, Puccini, Schütz, Verdi and others - ideal for studying and getting to know a work on PC, tablet or even on your smartphone while on the move.
Format: PDF - over 110 works in the app carus music, the choir coach. Orders for the whole choir are possible.
- over 50 Carus Choir Coaches – ideal for practising at home
Format: mp3 tracks + PDF booklet in one zip-file - over 50 recordings of choral works available as digital CD albums.
Format: mp3 tracks + PDF booklet in one zip-file - a series of text files with song texts and introductory texts in the original language and English translation - to our renowned standard and with a single, non-exclusive right of use, e.g. in program booklets.
Format: HTML - in preparation: our eBooks will also be made available in the stores of established eBook retailers. Thus, the purchase of the desired eBook – as with the purchase of other books – can take place directly on the e-book reader.
Tip:
Our range of digital products is constantly being expanded. For example, vocal sets are being planned. So it's definitely worthwhile checking back regularly, or keeping an eye on the newsletter. The "Digital choral music publications" page is an ideal starting point for exploring and browsing through our digitally available editions. With the help of numerous filter options (e.g. by instrumentation, genre, type of product, composer, etc.) you can work towards what you’re searching for, step by step. An "eBooks" page, which will also be searchable by numerous fliter options, is still under development.
Why can't I buy all editions digitally?
There can be several reasons for this. We are successively expanding our digital catalogue. Due to the large volume, we were not able to provide all items for download at once at the launch of our new range. Some editions - such as choral collections - contain works from other publishers for which Carus does not have the digital rights. We will therefore only be able to offer these in printed form. Vocal scores and choral scores of choral symphonic works are also generally only available in printed form on music paper produced specially for us and with high-quality binding.
I already have the printed edition of a work. Why do I have to pay extra for the digital edition?
Digital editions at Carus are not supplements to existing products, but independent products.
Can I mix printed editions and PDF editions when I order?
Mixed orders are generally possible. However, different minimum order quantities and graduated prices apply for the physical and download editions.
If, for example, you need 40 printed and 60 digital copies for your choir, you have various options:
- You can order 40 printed editions of the chorus score and 60 digital chorus scores for download.
- You can order 100 digital chorus scores for download. You then print 40 copies yourself and distribute them to the choir members concerned. 60 copies are sent by e-mail as PDF files to the choir members who either sing from the tablet or print out their own copies.
Are there bundled offers (e.g. printed score incl. sheet music PDF)?
At the moment we only offer printed editions and PDFs separately.
What technical equipment do I need to use the digital products offered (PDFs, mp3s, ePUBs, MOBIs, HTML documents)?
To open the PDF files we recommend the current version of Acrobat Reader, which you can download here free of charge. Of course you can also use another PDF reader of your choice.
We provide audio files compressed in mp3 format. mp3 files can be played back on many devices such as PCs and laptops, portable audio players and DVD players, newer car radios, TV sets or mobile phones. Newer operating systems allow mp3 files to be played back using standard integrated programs. In any case, please check whether the mp3 format is suitable for your end device before purchasing.
We always combine the mp3 files into one ZIP file for delivery. To access the mp3s, you must first open and unzip the ZIP file. There are various programs available for this purpose, of which newer operating systems usually have a corresponding tool pre-installed. For Windows and Mac we recommend WinZip, for example, which you can download here free of charge. To open ZIP files on an Android device, you need a file manager, on iOS devices you can open them with the "Files" app installed by default. If downloading on an iOS mobile device, we recommend using Google Chrome as your browser. Downloading with Safari has previously led to problems.
We supply text files as HTML files. These can be opened in all common web browsers and saved locally. They are suitable to insertion into a Word document - for example, into your program booklet - using copy & paste. The texts can then be formatted there as required.
eBooks can be opened on all common readers (e. g. tolino, kindle), via reader apps, or on a PC, tablet or smartphone. Depending on the device, however, the three different file formats work better or worse, sometimes not at all. kindle devices work best with MOBI files, tolino devices prefer to use ePUB files, while reader apps for smartphones or tablets access different formats. For use on a PC, smartphone or tablet, PDF files are recommended. The advantage of the PDF format is that it works in general on all devices - i.e. if you don't know exactly which format your readers or app uses, you can always falls back on the PDF. However, in this case you have to expect some loss of comfort, as the fixed layout of the PDF format might seem odd to habitual eBook users.
To find out where the download files are saved after purchase and download, please read more here.
Why is the additional material (introductory texts, song texts etc.) subject to a charge?
Carus stands for quality and scholarly, up-to-date editions. This also includes the introductory texts and the quality of our singing texts, which have been created and developed by our editors to our usual high standards. So you not only save time by downloading the additional material, but you can be sure that you are using reliable material, for example in your program booklets. And you can be sure that you are acting in accordance with copyright law, as you officially acquire a single, non-exclusive right of use for the additional material.
2. Questions about the purchase of download products
How do I order digital products (PDFs, mp3s, ePUBs, MOBIs, HTML documents)?
In principle, the ordering process for our download products does not differ from that for physical editions. Only the payment methods offered (only immediate payment) and the shipping method (download link) differ slightly.
It is planned that our eBooks will also be made available in the stores of established eBook retailers in the future (probably from summer 2022). Thus, the purchase of the desired eBook - as with the purchase of other books - can take place directly on the reader.
To show you how easy it is to order download products in the Carus web-shop, we've made a short explanatory video which you can watch here:
Note: If you don't see a video at this point, it's because you've only accepted the necessary cookies, but not marketing cookies, that are required to play YouTube videos here on the site. To see the video, you will need to adjust your cookie settings.
Can I purchase digital products and normal print editions in one purchase transaction?
You can purchase digital and printed editions or CDs in the Carus webshop in the same order process. You will receive a total invoice for each order or purchase transaction. For mixed orders, the invoice will be sent by post with the delivery of the physical products. For purely digital orders, you will only receive the invoices by e-mail.
Can I specify a separate billing and delivery address for download products?
You can of course specify your church, choir or other institution as the billing address as usual. Regardless of this, the link to your download products will always be sent to the e-mail address with which you registered and logged in to the web-shop. The invoice will also be sent to your login e-mail address for purely digital orders. You can then forward the invoice for the purchase accordingly to the invoice recipient for individual settlement.
How can I pay for digital products?
Digital products can only be purchased if they are paid for immediately by credit card, PayPal or instant bank transfer / Klarna. A purchase on account is unfortunately not possible for these products.
Can I buy digital products as a guest, i.e. without a login/customer account?
No. To purchase digital products you must use an existing customer account or create one - either in advance or during the ordering process. Through your customer account you can access your purchased download products at any time and see how many downloads have already been made or are still possible.
Can I also order download products by phone or e-mail?
Unfortunately, it is currently not possible to order download products by phone or e-mail. Download purchases are a fully automated process, which handles the personalisation and protection of files and access to them via a secure server.
3. Questions after the purchase of download products
How do I access my practice aid (carus music app) after purchase?
Log in at https://carus-music.carus-verlag.com. After logging in, simply click on "My works" and all your licensed practice aids will appear. For further questions, please visit the FAQ section in the app.
How do I receive my digital products (PDFs, mp3s, ePUBs, MOBIs, HTML documents) after purchase?
Your purchased digital products are usually prepared immediately after successful payment and made available to you within a few minutes.
You will receive an e-mail with a download link with which you can download your products directly. Please check your spam folder if you do not receive an e-mail in your inbox within a few minutes of completing the purchase process. The sender is Carus-Verlag and the subject line begins with "Your download links...".
Tip:
Never forward this e-mail to third parties! The download links are valid for a period of 90 days and the underlying download product can only be downloaded three times per link. It is therefore essential that you download your purchases locally to your computer, tablet or mobile phone to view, print or listen to them.
Missing an email with the download link?
Normally, you will receive an email with the corresponding download link directly after the purchase. Even if you can no longer find the email (spam folder checked?), you can access the purchased product from your costumer account:
You will also find an overview of your purchased digital products, including download links, in your customer account both in the "Order History" and under "My Downloads". Please note that you cannot download your digital products as often as you like (only three times per link) and that they are only available for a limited time (90 days).
Where do I find my products after clicking on the download link?
There is no general answer possible here. Please note that you can specify the location for downloads individually in your browser. If you have not yet made any settings of your own here, the following standard settings usually apply:
- By default, Firefox always saves downloaded files in the download folder of the current user.
- Google Chrome has set the directory \user\<username>\downloads as default. The "Downloads" folder of the current user is easily identifiable in Windows Explorer, for example.
- Android devices have a button "Downloads" in the app "My Documents" which leads to the default download folder.
- On iOS devices, however, there is no classic download folder and when downloading each file you select the appropriate app in which it will be opened in the future.
- If you are using other browsers, please refer to the corresponding help pages of your browser.
All common browsers also have the "Downloads" option in the browser settings, where all downloads made - if the list has not been deleted - can be viewed and displayed in the corresponding folder.
eBooks are stored following the same principle and should be saved locally on your device as soon as possible after the purchase. However, if you want to use the book on an eBook reader, the file must be transferred to the reader via cable. If it is a WLAN-enabled reader, the Carus Webstore can be accessed directly from the reader. You can purchase the file directly from the device and download it locally on the reader.
Tip:
Download your purchases locally to your computer, tablet or mobile phone as soon as possible after purchase. Save them to a location that you can easily find again later when you want to view, print or listen to the downloads.
Attention:
The app outputs of the browser-based app carus music, the Choir Coach are not stores locally on the device. All data required for an output is located as temporary data / cookies in the database of the respective browser. The app is not downloaded locally, but always called up via the web browser.
What do I do if the download fails?
First check that you have an active Internet connection that allows access to the secure download server.
A download will no longer work if you have already downloaded the file three times. It doesn't matter which way you clicked on the download link - from the e-mail, from the order history or from the "My Downloads" area. It is quite possible that your browser saves the download files inconspicuously in the standard download folder and you may therefore be tempted to click on it several times. Therefore, please make sure that you check the relevant location to see whether the download files have been saved there (see also previous question about storage locations in different browsers).
In general, the download link is active for a maximum of 90 days from the date of purchase, so that from the 91st day after purchase a download is no longer possible.
In case of difficulties, please contact our Customer Services by e-mail at sales@carus-verlag.com, giving the order number, order date and the download product concerned (13-digit Carus number).
How often may I print out my PDF?
You may print out the PDF you have purchased up to the number of copies, duplicate it in any other way or forward it to a corresponding number of persons who have ordered and paid for it. This number of copies is printed on each page of the PDF. Therefore please indicate the actual size of your choir in your order. Please note our attractive bulk discount prices for larger choirs!
May I copy the printouts or pass on files?
The amount of digital use or printing of the respective product depends on the number of copies you purchase. You may therefore only copy the sheet music up to the number of copies ordered or pass it on to the appropriate number of people.
It is your choice whether you print out the sheet music yourself or pass on the file, e.g. to your choir members to print out themselves or to use on digital devices.
Important notes:
Please always forward the downloaded file in a separate e-mail, but never the e-mail with which you personally received the download link from us. This link can only be used three times. In addition, please inform your choir members about the rights of use and that the file may be used by individuals either digitally or as a printout. In specific terms: if you print out the PDF, you must then delete the file from your end device.
Are the download products personalised and/or otherwise protected?
PDF downloads contain personalised information - visible on the left edge of each individual page. There the name of the person placing the order is printed with the date and time of the order as well as the number of copies purchased.
In addition, the files are protected with an invisible watermark which enables us to detect files illegally distributed on the Internet and trace them back to the purchaser.
Can I return purchased digital products (PDFs, mp3s, ePUBs, MOBIs, HTML documents)?
No, unfortunately this is not possible. When purchasing digital products, you are agreeing to the changed regulations regarding the legal right of revocation - specifically that Carus-Verlag may begin the execution of the contract for the download products you have purchased before the expiry of the revocation period. With this agreement and with the beginning of the execution of the contract, your right of withdrawal for these products expires. You can find more information on the right of revocation in our General Terms and Conditions.
Why can I no longer download my purchased digital products (PDFs, mp3s, ePUBs, MOBIs, HTML documents) in my customer account?
Please check in your customer account under "My downloads" whether you have already reached the maximum three downloads allowed. It is also possible that the period of 90 days for which the downloads are available after purchase has already expired.
If the information on downloads made or the download period is incorrect, please contact our Customer Services by e-mail, stating the order number, order date and the download article concerned (13-digit Carus article number): sales@carus-verlag.com.
What is fair handling of copyright download material?
Copyright law is multi-layered and complex. A choir director, music director, music teacher or choir member is usually not a lawyer - so there is always uncertainty about what is and what is not allowed when dealing with copyright sheet music and recordings.
As far as the licensing of staged and non-staged works for public performance is concerned, we have compiled the necessary information here.
Further information on the ban on copying sheet music and the exceptions to this (incidentally very limited) can be found here.
With regard to digital sheet music PDFs, mp3s and HTML files, although the format is different, the legal situation remains absolutely the same: the copying of sheet music is prohibited. We are aware that the risk of misuse is much higher with digital formats than with printed products. Nevertheless, we have made a conscious decision to offer these formats. Although there may be the occasional contravention, we do not want to deprive the majority of honest choral directors and choral singers of the opportunity to upgrade their choral work to a new, more digital level if they wish. To date we have found that the effort and the work that goes into our publishing program, which depends on the high quality of our sheet music editions and recordings, are highly appreciated in the choral world, and we are therefore confident that with digital sales too, we will continue to be treated fairly with regard to copyright material.
Important:
If at any point you are unsure about what is legally permitted in terms of reproduction, performance or publication, please feel free to contact us directly at any time: sales@carus-verlag.com!