This guide provides a straightforward, transparent explanation of how commercial licensing works for music producers, beatmakers, DJs, and creative agencies using GhostWax. It complements the Terms of Service, which remain the governing contract.
In Brief
Every Vinyl generated on GhostWax — audio, artwork, and lore — is original material synthesized in real time via artificial intelligence. You are not downloading samples taken from existing vinyl records. There is no shared public sample catalog. There is no one to track down for clearances, because there is no pre-existing recorded work to clear.
When you generate a Vinyl on a paid plan, you receive a direct, royalty-free, perpetual commercial license from GhostWax to use that material in your musical projects.
1. What You CAN Do with Your Output
With any paid subscription or Dig top-up pack, downloaded Outputs (WAV/MP3 audio, cover artwork, and lore texts) may be:
- Sampled, Chopped & Flipped: Cut, pitch-shift, time-stretch, reverse, and process the audio into new beats and original productions.
- Released Commercially: Used as instrumentals, full backing tracks, or loop layers in songs released on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Bandcamp, vinyl, CD, or any digital streaming platform.
- Monetized 100%: Keep 100% of your streaming royalties, digital sales, and beat store earnings. GhostWax collects zero royalties.
- Sync & Media Licensing: Embedded into music for film, television, video games, commercials, podcasts, and social media content.
- Live Performances: Played out in live DJ sets, festival performances, radio broadcasts, and streaming sessions.
- Client Productions: Delivered to artists, clients, and record labels for release under commercial contracts.
This license is non-exclusive (generative processes are statistical, meaning someone else could theoretically produce a stylistically adjacent mood), but it is perpetual and irrevocable for all tracks downloaded during an active paid period.
2. What You CANNOT Do
- No Exclusive Copyright Claims Over Raw Output: You cannot register raw, unedited AI output with copyright registries (e.g., U.S. Copyright Office, SIAE) claiming exclusive personal human authorship over the raw file itself, for reasons explained in Section 4.
- No Reselling as Raw Sample Packs: You cannot repackage raw, un-modified GhostWax outputs and resell them to third parties as a standalone "GhostWax sample pack" or sound library.
- No Trademark Infringement: You cannot use the "GhostWax" name, logo, fictional store identities (e.g., "Detroit '69", "Roma '73"), or imaginary proprietor lore to endorse or brand third-party commercial products without written consent.
- No Deceptive Historical Claims: You cannot misrepresent GhostWax outputs as verified historical master recordings in official archival or journalistic contexts; GhostWax's vintage setting is an imaginative creative framework, not historical deceit.
3. Technical Watermark (SynthID)
Every audio file synthesized on GhostWax incorporates an imperceptible digital watermark ("SynthID"), proprietary technology of the underlying foundation model provider (Google Lyria 3).
Key Facts About SynthID:
- Inaudible: It does not alter frequency response, stereo width, or audio quality.
- Durable: It survives MP3/AAC compression, sample-rate conversion, EQ, and common DAW mixing processes.
- Verifiable: It can be identified by automated detection tools to verify AI origin.
- 100% Commercial-Ready: The watermark does not restrict commercial use in any way under your GhostWax license.
We disclose this openly in line with our ethos: we are not selling fake vintage vinyl rips to hide; we are providing premium, original generative audio designed for real DAW production workflows.
4. Why Classical Copyright Does Not Apply to Raw AI Outputs
Under prevailing legal standards in the United States (U.S. Copyright Office guidance) and the European Union, an artistic work generated autonomously by artificial intelligence without sufficient human creative authorship cannot obtain classical copyright protection.
This applies universally across all generative audio AI tools, not just GhostWax. However, when you sample, arrange, mix, chop, and incorporate GhostWax outputs into your own musical compositions, your original human arrangement and derivative production is eligible for standard musical copyright protection.
5. Third-Party Platform Disclosure Obligations
Major digital distributors and streaming services (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, TikTok) increasingly require creators to flag whether their uploads contain AI-generated audio or vocals.
You are responsible for checking the appropriate disclosure boxes during your distribution upload process (e.g., in DistroKid, TuneCore, or CD Baby). Complying with these policies protects your catalog against automated moderation flags.
6. Tier Comparison
| Feature | Free (Demo) | Studio Plan | Custom / Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generation Format | Single / EP / LP | Single / EP / LP | Bulk Custom Formats |
| Audio Downloads | ✕ (Stream only) | ✓ Full WAV / MP3 | ✓ High-Resolution WAV |
| Commercial License | ✕ (Personal evaluation) | ✓ Full Commercial Rights | ✓ Custom Corporate Terms |
| Royalty Obligations | None | 0% (Keep 100%) | 0% (Keep 100%) |
| BYOK (Bring Your Own Key) | ✕ | ✓ Included | ✓ Dedicated Limits |
| Sync & Streaming Monetization | ✕ | ✓ Worldwide Unlimited | ✓ Worldwide Unlimited |
7. Frequently Asked Questions
Do I owe GhostWax royalties if my song blows up?
No. You keep 100% of your royalties, streaming earnings, and sync fees.
What happens to my rights if I cancel my subscription?
Your commercial license for all tracks downloaded while your subscription was active remains yours forever. It is perpetual and irrevocable.
Can I clear a sample from GhostWax?
There is nothing to clear. Because no pre-existing recorded music was sampled, you do not need sample clearance from third-party record labels or publishers.