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LOCAL ARTISTS FAQs

Please ensure you have read all the below FAQs before contacting us with any queries.

Top five FAQs

1. Do I need a UTR Number?
This depends on how much you earn from the sale of your music (or other goods). UTR Number (unique taxpayer reference number) is a 10-digit number issued by HMRC and is used to identify individual taxpayers and limited companies and is used to ensure they are paying the appropriate tax.
You should speak to an accountant or HMRC who would be able to advise further. You are not required to be a registered company or self-employed to have a UTR Number. Further information is available at www.gov.uk. 
If you have already received an agreement from us to complete, do not add random numbers, zeros, text or other messages into the UTR Number field as this will delay your request and we may have to reissue the agreement.
If your earnings are under the threshold to require a UTR Number, we may consider processing the agreement without a UTR Number, however, note that the person who signs the agreement is personally responsible for ensuring that (where necessary) all earnings from sales of your goods under the agreement are declared to HMRC and any due taxes are paid.
If you wish to sign the agreement on the basis of not supplying a UTR Number, please email local@hmv.co.uk and we will advise further on how to complete the agreement. 
If you represent a registered company, you will be required to provide a Corporation Tax UTR Number. 

2. How long will it take before my stock is on sale in the store?
It will typically take about three to four weeks by the time you provide your details, the agreement is completed, and we have your details and stock added to our computer systems. However, it can take longer if there are any queries with your request and if we have a lot of requests to process.

3. When should I invoice you?
Each month we will send you an email that details how much stock we have sold during the previous month and how much stock remains in our stores.
Each month, if you have sold five or more units in the previous month you should invoice us for the total units sold. If sales are under five units in any month, you should not invoice that month and wait until a minimum of five units have been sold. This limit is in place to help reduce the costs of processing and paying invoices. 

4. How do I invoice you?
Full details of how to invoice us are included in the agreement.
You can use the sample invoice template that is downloadable from further down this page. On the invoice, you must include all the requested information that is listed in the agreement. If you omit any details, we may have to return the invoice to you, and you will need to submit it again which may delay payment. Invoices must be submitted via email on Microsoft Word or PDF format, the invoice cannot be in the text body of an email. Your supplier number should be included in the email header.
Note that we will usually only contact you if there is a problem with the invoice, if you do not hear from us then you should assume that the invoice will be processed for payment, but you may contact us if you have any queries.

5. Can I perform my music in store?
Please ask the store who will be able to advise further if it is possible for you to perform in store.
We do have to take several factors into consideration (time of day of the performance, health and safety, musical equipment electrical PAT testing, etc) so it may take some time to arrange and cannot be guaranteed. 

How do I sign the agreement?
Full details will be supplied with the agreement which you will receive via email. You will be expected to sign online using DocuSign. We cannot accept signed agreements in any other format.
Please ensure that once you have signed the agreement, you keep a copy for your records. The minimum age of the person who can sign the agreement is eighteen.
 
I am having trouble completing the agreement or there is an error in the agreement.
Please email local@hmv.co.uk and describe the problem, please include your supplier number in the email. We will review and advise you what to do or send you an updated agreement if necessary.
Please do not sign and submit the agreement without completing all the necessary sections accurately, this will just delay the process as we will have to contact you to confirm the missing information and issue another agreement.
 
I have already completed an agreement for one store, why do I have to complete a new agreement for another store?
Each agreement is tailored to the store that you will delliver stock to.
This process is generally only for artists to deliver stock to their local stores or stores local to where they perform and we would usually only take stock in up to five stores.
If you are performing live in stores as part of hmvlive&local and fopplive&local you will still require an agreement for each store you perform in and where the store also stocks your music. The guide of a maximum of five stores does not apply in these instances. 
Please see becoming a supplier for information about wider distribution.
 
My online agreement has expired when I try to complete it.
You are given fourteen days to complete the agreement before it automatically expires. Please email local@hmv.co.uk and we will send you a new agreement, please include your supplier number in the email.

I may take longer than fourteen days to complete and sign the agreement.
If you think you will not complete the agreement within fourteen days, please email us so we can extend the time you have to complete and sign it.
Any agreements that are not completed and signed will expire but they will remain on our contract system for a few weeks, after which time we will cancel the request completely so please do let us know if there will be a delay on your part so we can ensure that the request is not cancelled.
 
I have given you my information but have now decided I do not want to proceed.
Please email local@hmv.co.uk so that we can cancel the request.
 
I have signed the agreement, when can I deliver the goods?
The store should be in touch shortly after you have signed the agreement to ask you to deliver the goods.
If you have not heard from the store within two weeks from signing the agreement, please contact the store directly, you can use the Find a Store link at the top of this page.
You can use the sample delivery note template that is downloadable from further down this page. Note that you must provide a delivery note with the goods.

We are a band, what do we do regarding the agreement, invoicing, and payment?
You will need to nominate one person to complete and sign the agreement, this will also need to be the same person who will be responsible for invoicing us and who we will pay all valid invoices to.
We cannot split payments between different members of the band. Please discuss this between you and ensure that the correct contact details are given to the store. If we need to amend the agreement later, this will delay the overall process.
 
I represent a registered company, what is the process?
You will need to provide the details of the company you represent including the company registration number, company name, registered and trading addresses and the name and position of the person from the company who is authorised to sign the agreement.
We will check the details you supply with those logged at Companies House, so please ensure they are correct. We may also ask you to provide supporting documentation to verify that you are representing a registered company and that you have authority to bind them to the agreement.
 
What price will you sell the goods for?
We will decide on a retail price depending on the cost price that you will charge us for the goods we sell.
Please discuss this with the store directly or email local@hmv.co.uk.
Please do not print prices directly onto the goods. Legally, we reserve the right to set the retail prices at our sole discretion and any recommended retail prices shall not affect our entitlement to set the retail prices.

Does my stock need to have a barcode number?
If you do not have barcodes on your product, we will generate our own internal barcodes that will appear on our price labels.
If you do have barcodes, please supply the barcodes when you complete the agreement we send you.

Will sales of my music count towards the charts?
In order for sales of your music to count towards the official charts, your music must be registered with Kantar and you must supply us with the registered barcodes when you complete the agreement. Details of how to register your music are available on the Official Charts website. We do not take responsibility for this.

Do I need to have a catalogue number on my music product?
No, but is helpful if you do allocate a catalogue number that we can add to our systems. This is simply a code that you use to identify your music per format and all commercially produced CDs, LPs etc have one, usually printed on the spine. 

What quantity of stock should I supply?
We would take no less than ten units per item and we would expect to sell at least five units each month as a minimum in a store. If the quantities that we sell are under this per month, it may not be cost-effective to take goods as we must factor in the time spent by staff in store, the time it takes to prepare and process the agreement, adding your details and the items to our computer systems, checking your invoices, and paying you via bank transfer.
 
Can I sell my music or other items on your website?
No, this facility is for local HMV and Fopp stores only, we cannot sell your items on our website at this time.  
 
Do I have to pay and invoice for VAT?
Only if you are VAT registered. If you are unsure if you are required to pay and invoice for VAT, we advise you speak to an accountant.
 
I do not have all my bank details.
Please contact your bank to request any missing details. We cannot pay you if you do not supply all the required details, including your IBAN which is usually found on your printed or online statement. If you have been sent an agreement, do not complete and sign it until you have added all your bank details.
Please check that your bank details are accurate as we cannot be held responsible if a payment goes missing if you have supplied incorrect details.

Information regarding weekly sales report statements.
We have changed our processes so that sales report statements are now sent monthly rather than weekly. If you were allocated a supplier number prior to October 2021, you will have received weekly reports. From October 2021, these have been sent monthly. 

What is my supplier number?
When we issue the agreement for signing, we shall advise you of your supplier number which will begin with the letter S followed by either 4 or 6 digits. Your supplier number shall also be listed within the agreement.
The supplier number is unique to you and will remain the same for as long as we trade with you, it is important as it helps us locate your details on our systems and ensures that we pay you correctly for goods sold.
Please include your supplier number on every delivery note, invoice and on any email that you send us. If you approach additional HMV or Fopp stores to ask them to stock your music or other goods, you must tell the store you already have a supplier number and what it is.
If you do not know what your supplier number is, please email local@hmv.co.uk with your details and we will check for you.

I don’t understand the sales report statements that I receive via email.
The below linked sheet explains the details on the sales report statements. If you still require help, please email financesystemslondon@hmv.co.uk who will be able to advise further. Please include your supplier number in the email.
SALES REPORT STATEMENT - CLICK HERE
 
When will I be paid?
We pay all valid invoices at the end of the following month that the invoice is submitted, these are standard business payment terms. For example, if you invoice us in January for all December sales, we will pay you at the end of February.

How will I be paid?
We will pay into the bank account using the bank account details that you supply when you complete the agreement. We cannot pay into a PayPal account or any other online payment system, all payments are made via BACS directly into a UK bank account. 
 
I have not been paid when expected or not paid the correct amount.
Please email local@hmv.co.uk with a copy of the invoice that has not been paid or has been paid incorrectly and tell us about the issue and we will investigate, please include your supplier number in the email.
 
How can I help the items to sell?
In the case of music, we ask you to promote your music on social media and to tell people that they can buy your music at the store. Speak to our store staff who may be able to advise.
Please do not advertise that the music is available to buy in store until the store has confirmed that it is.

Can I advertise on the store digital screens?
If you are interested in advertising your music that is for sale in the store on our digital screens, please see here. Note that not all stores have digital screens.
 
How long will the stock be on sale?
This is up to the store, but if the stock does not sell or the sales slow-down after the initial launch, we will ask you to come and collect the remainder of the stock, but we will, of course, pay you for any stock that we have sold. We only have a certain amount of space in stores to sell local artist product, so we do have to prioritise what remains in store.

How do I get my stock back?
If you would like your stock back, please contact the store directly and arrange to go and collect the stock. You should then invoice us for any outstanding sales that have not already been invoiced. 

I supplied the information to the store and have not heard anything since.
Please check your email spam folder to ensure you have not missed an agreement that we may have sent you, if you cannot find the agreement email, please contact the store directly, you can use the Find a Store link at the top of this page to find their phone number. If they advise that an agreement has been sent to you and you still cannot find it, please email local@hmv.co.uk with full details.
 
Is it just music you stock from local artists?
It is mostly music, but we do also stock local books, DVDs and other products that may be of interest in the local area. Please speak to your local store to see if they are interested.
 
The proceeds from sales from my items are going to go to charity.
For legal and financial reasons, we will only consider requests directly from registered charities or from people raising funds for registered charities. Please supply the charity number and the legal name of the charity to the store. We may contact the charity directly for clarification before agreeing to proceed.
We may also request that you provide a signed letter to confirm that the monies will be donated to the charity.
In addition, we may also ask to review any wording that will appear on the goods and on marketing materials to notify customers that the items are being sold to raise money for the charity, this is to ensure that the wording is clear and within legal guidelines.

FURTHER INFORMATION

If you require any further assistance, please check the local artists page and the FAQs above and if you cannot find the answer then email local@hmv.co.uk.

If you already have a supplier number, please include it in your email. We will get back to you as soon as possible, but please be patient as we do receive a lot of enquiries from people wanting us to stock their music and other goods.