FAQ
BOOKING: FRIENDS ONLINE: WEBMASTER: CUSTOMER SERVICE/STORE:
BEFORE you email fanmail@michaelwsmith.com with your questions, please review the list below of FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS to see if we've answered it here. Michael values your mail and is encouraged by your comments even though he can't write back. We try to answer your questions as best we can here at Michael's fanmail office, but we can't reply to questions that have already been answered here. So read carefully! Q.WHAT IS WWW.MICHAELWSMITH.COM? Michaelwsmith.com is the official website for Michael W. Smith. As a free Internet site, michaelwsmith.com provides background and music information, recent news, and tour schedules for Michael W. Smith. Fans will be given the opportunity to register their e-mail addresses for various contests as well as to receive e-mail updates from Michael. There is no cost for registering under michaelwsmith.com. For customer service for this site and for FRIENDS ONLINE fan community questions, email friends@michaelwsmith.com. To write to Michael, email customerservice@brickhousedirect.com after you have read this page to make sure your question is not answered here. Q.WHAT IS FRIENDS ONLINE? Friends Online is a web-based community that is the premium "fan club" site for Michael W. Smith. The site provides a number of new benefits when compared to other artists' fan clubs including access to pre-sale tickets, 10% off anything that you order in the from the MichaelWSmith.com Online Store; exclusive audio and video features, interact online with Michael and his friends, and much more! Q.DO I HAVE TO PAY FOR FRIENDS ONLINE? Yes, Friends Online is a fan supported section of the website.Member ship is based an annual membership dues of- currently $39.99 though we do reserve the right to raise or lower dues at any time. Because of the substantial costs being invested in developing content, technical requirements, music clearances, and staffing the site, we are unable to provide this service free-of-charge. Based on e-mails and input over the last year, we tailored several features to meet fans' requests such as early access to tickets. Our goal is to create a community that brings you back on a daily basis and is one of encouragement for persons of a similar mind. As this new community grows, Friends Online, will attempt to provide additional benefits to new and existing members. Questions concerning this new site can be directed to customerservice@brickhousedirect.com. Q.IS MICHAEL COMING TO MY CITY? IS HE TOURING SOON? Michael's concerts are listed on his website on the tour page. If a date is “OFFICIAL” and on his calendar, it's on the website so everyone can know about it.There are times that Ticketmaster or TicketsOnline might post a concert prior to it showing on MichaelWSmith.com – that show might not be 100% confirmed.All shows listed on MWS.com are 100% confirmed but we do reserve the right to change them at any time so prior to making any travel arrangements please make sure you check with the venue and ensure that there have not been any changes made. Q.DOES MICHAEL READ HIS FANMAIL? Michael reads a good deal of mail. Since it is not possible for him to read every letter sent to him and because he is unable to write back, he has a "Fan Relations" assistant that deals with mail, website stuff, and other crazy odd jobs around the office - her name is GABRIELLE. It is important to Michael that every letter is read so GABRIELLE reads every letter. She responds and keeps Michael informed of what people are writing. She gives him mail to read as his schedule allows. You can write to Michael at P.O. Box 1341, Franklin, TN, 37065. Letters only - packages will be returned to sender or destroyed. Q.CAN YOU SEND ME THE LYRICS TO (insert song here)? All Lyrics for all of Michael’s pages can now be found in the online store on each CD’s “Description Page”and/or by clicking on the “DETAILS” button for a particular CD in the Discography! Q.HOW CAN I GET A COPY OF THE "SECRET AMBITION" VIDEO? The video is out-of-print. It was for sale from Reunion Records on a video collection over 10 years ago but is no longer manufactured. Reunion Records owns the video and it is up to them to decide if-and-when they will ever add it to a video collection again and make it for sale. We know that many people would love a copy, so if we ever hear that Reunion is going to do something, we'll be sure to get the word out on Michael's website. (UPDATE: The "Secret Ambition" video is currently available on the limited edition DVD that comes with "The Second Decade." Check familychristian.com or your local Christian retailer for details.) Q.I WANT TO SING (insert song name here) - HOW CAN I GET THE ACCOMPANIMENT TAPE OR SHEET MUSIC? Currently you can check in the Online Store for all available sheet music and performance tracks.We have made all of these available now via the Michael W. Smith Online Store. Q.HOW CAN I GET THE SCORE TO THE FREEDOM RECORD SO MY HIGH SCHOOL BAND or CHURCH ORCHESTRA CAN PERFORM IT? CLICK HERE to get it via the MichaelWSmith.com store:http://www.michaelwsmith.com/product/429.htm Or you can go to HalLeonard.com for full orchestration versions. Q.CAN I HAVE PERMISSION TO USE ONE OF MICHAEL'S SONGS FOR (insert song name here) something such as MY WEBSITE, CHURCH DRAMA, A VIDEO, A DANCE NUMBER, A VIDEO I'M MAKING, A PRESENTATION, etc.? Permission to use one of Michael's songs is granted by the organization ASCAP. No one here at the fanclub has the authority to grant permission to use published songs. Please visit www.ascap.com for more information about what uses require permission (commonly called licensing) and how to get such permission. Q.CAN MICHAEL SEND ME HIS AUTOGRAPH? In the past, Michael offered autographed photos through the fan club. Because of the amount of requests coming in and because of Michael's crazy schedule, it is not possible for Michael to fill these requests anymore. Michael is not opposed to autographing, so feel free to stop him and say hi if you pass him on the street. He will also, from time-to-time, visit Christian bookstores and other music stores to do "autograph parties" when he's touring, so that's another way to catch his autograph! Q.CAN I GET A BACKSTAGE PASS TO MEET MICHAEL? Meet and Greet passes are not available to the general public.In many cities your local radio stations and/or local retailers might be running contests that will get you access to a meet and greet after the shows. Q.I'VE WRITTEN A SONG/LYRICS - CAN MICHAEL LISTEN TO IT/HELP ME FINISH IT/RECORD IT FOR ME/ETC. (ALSO RELATED - I LIKE TO SING - CAN MICHAEL HELP ME GET INTO THE MUSIC INDUSTRY?) To all of you aspiring songwriters, singers, movie directors, etc - it is not possible for Michael to receive demo tapes, lyrics, poems, scripts or songs in any form. We certainly understand that many people love to write songs/sing and would like to have Michael help in some way but due to legal issues surrounding copyrighted and uncopyrighted materials - and also simply because there aren't enough hours in the day to hear everyone's stuff - Michael cannot review or receive your materials. INSTEAD - we love to point people to the wonderful organization here in Nashville called the Gospel Music Association that has a resource book available as well as programs and competitions for aspiring artists. (see the GMA's website at www.gospelmusic.org). Michael cares about new talent and that is one of the reasons he founded the record label ROCKETOWN RECORDS. Please visit their website at www.rocketownrecords.com for information about their policy on accepting demo tapes. Q.I AM HAVING TROUBLE LOGGING INTO FRIENDS ONLINE. Possible solutions include: 1. Your password and username are case sensitive. Make sure you are typing them in exactly like you registered. 2. Close your browser. Then get back on the Internet and try logging in again. 3. Check your browser settings. Often people can get on using a Netscape browser but are having trouble with their Internet Explorer browser. Open your Internet Explorer browser and click “tools” at the top of the page. Then click on “Internet Options”. A popup box will open with several tabs at the top. With the general tab chosen, click on delete files, check the box “Delete all offline content” and hit “OK.” Then click the security tab at the top. Make sure the sliding bar is set to “medium” security. This is for safe browsing and still functional. Then select the “privacy” tab at the top. Click on the “advance” button. Check the box “Override automatic cookie handling”. Then make sure the commands for First Party Cookies and Third Party Cookies are both set to either “accept” or “prompt”. Do not chose “block”. Click OK and exit from Internet Options. Close your browser. Then get back on the Internet and try logging in again. 4. Disable any cookie blocking software that you may have installed on your computer. These software programs are usually added by the user and are not factory installed. 5. Update your virus software. Then run a complete scan of your computer. We have had members who could not log on, then discovered they had a virus. After cleaning their hard drive, they were able to log in again. Q.I CAN NOT GET THE AUDIO/VIDEO TO PLAY PROPERLY All Audio and Video on MichaelWSmith.com is encoded as FLASH.You may need to download the newest FLASH Player – a free program that installs itself in less than 5 seconds for Broadband browsers; and 50 seconds for persons using a dial-up connection.Go here to get it now:http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash&promoid=BIOW Q.I CAN NOT GET THE VIDEO PLAYER TO OPEN IN FRIENDS ONLINE. Disable any pop-up blocking software that you may have installed on your computer. These software programs are usually added by the user and are not factory installed. Earthlink, AOL, and other internet service providers are adding pop-up blocking software to stop advertisements from being delivered on your computer screen. This software will prevent the FO player from opening unless it is disabled. Q.HOW DO I FIND THE CODES TO BUY CONCERT "PRE-SALE" TICKETS? In order to purchase tickets on a "pre-sale" basis, you must be an annual member of Friends Online. To purchase tickets, you must log-in to the Friends Online section at michaelwsmith.com. You will see a column for public sale and Friends Online pre-sale. Click on the "$" logo link under the Friends Online column and you will be directed to an order page for pre-sale tickets. If you have problems accessing this page, e-mail us at friends@michaelwsmith.com. Currently, there is a limit of 10 tickets per concert. Q.I LOST MY PASSWORD/USERNAME. If you forgot your username or password for Friends Online, go to the "Forgot Password?" link by the log-in box. You will need to enter either your username or your e-mail address to retrieve your username and password. It will be sent to the e-mail address on file for your account. Q.HOW CAN I CHANGE MY PASSWORD, ADDRESS, ETC. You can change or update your account information in the "My Account" area. After you log-in to Friends Online, you can find the "My Account" link in the tool bar or at the bottom of the page. Q.WILL MY ACCOUNT BE AUTOMATICALLY RENEWED IF I JOIN FRIENDS ONLINE? No, This is a change from the former STARONE system.When your membership expires you will need to purchase a new membership.(HINT – if you renew before your membership expires – including on your last day – you’ll receive 10% off of your renewal).The new system is this way for your own protection.After you have entered a transaction and your credit card has been accepted your information is not stored anywhere on our system. Q.What does the "W" stand for in Michael's name? Whitaker Q.Why can't I find the song "Love of My Life" that I've heard Michael sing on the radio? Michael sang that song on the Jim Brickman album entitled "Destiny". You can learn more about Jim at http://www.jimbrickman.com Q.Was Michael's score for the movie "Joshua" ever made for sale on a CD as a soundtrack? No, sorry! Q.How Do I Book Michael For A Concert? Michael's booking agency is CAA (Creative Artists Agency). They can be reached at (615) 383-8787.
CAA (Creative Artists Agency)
(615) 383-8787
FAN CORRESPONDENCE:
fanmail@michaelwsmith.com
friends@michaelwsmith.com
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216.591.9238
customerservice@brickhousedirect.com
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E-mail: customerservice@michaelwsmith.com