FAQ - Buying Transcribe!, License Keys, Upgrades, Reissuing lost license keys

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1. "How do I get the free 30 day trial?"

   Transcribe! automatically gives a free evaluation period of 30 days from when it is first installed. Simply download from the download page and install it. Each time you launch Transcribe! it will display a box showing how many days you have left.

2. "My free evaluation period hasn't happened, or has expired early"

   Possibly you have installed Transcribe! in the past on the same computer? Or there may be some problem with your computer's clock. The evaluation period is counted from when you first installed Transcribe!, and irrespective of whether you use it or not. If you really think Transcribe! is making a mistake you could email us, but note that we do not guarantee you an evaluation period anyway. You could download on a friend's computer and try it there. Note that if you buy Transcribe! then it will not be a problem because when Transcribe! has a valid license key, it doesn't care about the date.

3. "Is there any difference between the evaluation version and the paid-for version?"

   No, apart from the fact that the evaluation version displays the "License Information" dialog each time launched, and of course that it will expire and stop working. They are the same program. If you pay up and obtain a license key then you don't need to download again, just enter the license key.

4. "What does Transcribe! cost?"

   You will find pricing information on the "Buy" page. Transcribe! is priced in US dollars but when you click the "Buy Now" button on that page, it will show you pricing information in your own currency, or you can choose what currency to display. The amount will depend on the current exchange rate. There may also be local taxes to add, for instance VAT if you are in the EU. You will see any such additions displayed before you commit to actually making a purchase.

5. "I have bought Transcribe! and received a license key by email. Where do I download the software?"

   In fact this is explained in the email accompanying the license key.
   If you have been running the evaluation version of Transcribe! already then you don't need to download it again, you just need to enter the license key into it (follow the instructions in the email which contains the license key) to tell it you have paid up.
   If you have not yet downloaded Transcribe! at all then do so, from the download page.

6. "If I buy Transcribe!, does that entitle me to use it forever?"

   Yes it entitles you to use the version you have bought forever, but it is up to you to back up the downloaded file and the license key you are given, as you will need them again if you buy a new computer and want to install Transcribe! on it. As a courtesy, I frequently do re-issue lost license keys but I don't promise to. Minor upgrades have always been free, and do not require a new license key. The very major upgrade from version 6 or earlier to version 7 was free for a long time but stopped being free at the end of 2005, as I always said it would. See below for more information about upgrades.

7. "Why doesn't my five-digit Registration Number work?"

   Up to version 6, Transcribe! used five-digit "Registration Numbers" - you would obtain one of these when you bought Transcribe!. For version 7, Transcribe! uses a new system of much longer (about 80 characters) "License Keys". See below for information about upgrades.
   Version 6 can still be downloaded, from the Version 6 page.

8. "Why are license keys so long (80 characters or so)?"

   There are people out there called "crackers" who enjoy forging license keys ("cracks") for software - that is, they aim to construct a license key which works but which was never issued by Seventh String (a "crack"). You are of course not permitted, by the license agreement, to use any such key. These longer version 7 keys are intended to be harder to forge. If you find a forged key, I'd be very interested to hear about it. The other approach used by crackers is to offer a cracked version of Transcribe! itself, or a "patch" program which is a small program you run, which is supposed to modify the application itself so it will run without a key. You are of course not permitted, by the license agreement, to do this. Also be aware that to run any program supplied to you by a self-confessed cracker is very foolish, you will probably get more than you bargained for (virus, trojan, etc).
   Software companies often tell you that if you use software illegally (i.e. hacked copies or illegally shared license keys) then you harm the future development of the product. I can tell you that this is true. A major factor in motivating me to do further work is the number of sales I get. It isn't just the money : each sale made tells me that someone out there appreciates my work.

9. "My License Key appears to be garbled"

   It's probably ok - try it. It's supposed to look weird. It should consist of about 20 four-character groups separated by spaces.

10. "Why is one (or more) of the four-character groups in my License Key underlined?"

    One of the characters that sometimes appears in License Keys is "@" and some programs make the assumption that an "@" must be part of an email address and so they underline it or display it in a different colour. It doesn't matter.
    If you select the license key by sweeping the mouse over it in the usual way and copy it, you should find that it will paste into Transcribe! perfectly well. Just don't click directly on the underlined group, unless you want to send an email to xy@z (or whatever).

11. "What am I supposed to do with my License Key?"

    When you buy Transcribe! you receive a license key by email. You should copy the key into Transcribe! itself, so that Transcribe! knows it has been paid for.
    Your License Key for Transcribe! version 7 is about 20 four-character groups of cryptic text. The instructions for using it were in the email when you received the key. Here they are again, in case you have the key but have lost the email.
    First make sure you have downloaded Transcribe! from the download page and install it in accordance with the instructions on that page (you don't need a license key for this).
    Launch Transcribe! and in the 'License Information' dialog press the 'License Key Info' button, then the 'Enter new license key' button. Use copy and paste to copy the license key into the box. It doesn't matter if you copy any extra spaces or blank lines because they will be ignored.
    Don't try to re-type the key by hand - people often make mistakes. If you're not sure how to copy and paste, or if the key doesn't seem to be working, then see the queries just below.

12. "My License Key doesn't work"

    First, make sure you are using the correct information for your Transcribe! version. For version 6 or earlier you should be using the Registration Name (something like 123-456-W) & Number (5 digits). For version 7 you should use the much longer License Key (about 80 characters, in four-character groups). The email you were sent contains both.
    If Transcribe! tells you that the license key is not valid for this OS then it means it - Licenses (and License Keys) are not transferrable between Windows / Mac / Linux. If Transcribe! simply tells you that the license key is not valid then probably you didn't enter it correctly. It is possible to re-type a license key by hand but you must be very careful. It's far far better to use copy&paste, from the email which was sent to you.
    If you have lost the email and don't have a backup to copy&paste from then see the "I've lost my license key" query below.
    On version 7, if you are really convinced you've entered it correctly and it doesn't work then please proceed as follows : after you have entered the key and pressed "Ok", you get a box titled "License Key Info" which shows the key, and message saying whether it's valid or not. Check the key, group by group, against the key you received by email. Remember that keys are case sensitive: "a" and "A" are different. If you really can't find any errors then email me a picture of this box.
    If you get a message box saying "This doesn't look like a Transcribe! license key at all" then this means that the key is not formatted correctly - i.e. it does not consist of groups of the right size separated by spaces, or it contains illegal characters. In that case drag the message box down slightly so the picture shows the license key as well as the the message.
    On Windows the PrintScreen key copies a screen image to the clipboard from where you can paste it into a document using Word or WordPad (which is supplied with Windows). Email me the Word or WordPad document.
    On Mac OS-X use "Grab" (in Applications/Utilities), which creates a tif image file. Email me the image.
    Or, if you don't want to bother with this, then check it again yourself. Every time anyone has ever sent me one of these pictures, there is always a copying mistake in the key.

13. "How do I copy&paste a License Key?"

    Copying license information by retyping it is difficult, and liable to contain mistakes. It's much better to "Copy" it from the email where you have it, and "Paste" it to the place where it has to go.
    To Copy it, first select the text to be copied by dragging the mouse across it, with the button pressed.
    When the text is selected (highlighted) then press ctrl-C (command-C on Mac) to Copy it. That means hold down the ctrl (or command) key while you press C.
    The command key on a Mac is the one with an Apple or Cloverleaf on it.
    Then click on the place where you want to put the text, and Paste it by pressing ctrl-V (command-V on Mac).
    If the email containing the license key is not on the same computer as the one on which you want to install Transcribe!, then copy the email to CDROM, USB memory stick, or whatever, to transfer it.

14. "How do I type a character in the license key which doesn't appear on my keyboard?"

    Don't type it! Use copy&paste. See the query above. However if you really want to type characters which don't appear on your keyboard then look in your computer's Help for "typing special characters".

15. "How do I buy Transcribe! for use on a computer which does not have internet access?"

    You will need to use a different computer, which does have internet access, to buy Transcribe! online and receive the email containing the license key.
    Then copy the email with the license key to CD or USB memory stick or whatever, and get it onto your computer that way, so you can copy&paste the license key into Transcribe!
    It doesn't matter what OS (Windows/Mac/Linux) is on the computer you use for buying Transcribe!, but make sure you buy the correct version of Transcribe! for the computer you want to run it on.

16. "I have installed Transcribe! on my desktop computer. Can I also install it on my laptop?"

    If your laptop is running the same OS (Windows/Mac/Linux) and as long as Transcribe! is for your own use exclusively on both computers then Yes.

17. "How do I install Transcribe! on more than one computer?"

    The license agreement permits you to install on two computers as long as Transcribe! is for your exclusive use on both of them. You simply download Transcribe! separately onto both computers and use the same license key on both. This won't work, though, if they are different operating systems (Windows/Mac/Linux) - see below.

18. "How do I install Transcribe! for multiple users on a single computer?"

    The Transcribe! license is "per computer", so a single license allows multiple people to use it on that computer. You will only need to install Transcribe! once, as long as you install it in a location which all users have access to. Use the same license key for all users on that computer - it will need to be entered separately for each user.

19. "I've upgraded my computer, how do I install Transcribe! on the new one?"
    "My computer crashed, how do I re-install Transcribe! ?"

    Just download Transcribe! again from the download page (or use your backup copy of the download file if you have one) and use the license key you already have (or see the "I've lost my license key" query below).

20. "I bought a license for one OS (Windows / Mac / Linux). Can I transfer it to a different OS?"
    "You state that a single license can be used on two computers. What if they are running different OS's (Windows / Mac / Linux) ?"

    Transcribe! is three different products for Windows/Mac/Linux and licenses (and License Keys) are not transferable between these different products.
    If you want to run Transcribe! on two different OS's then you must buy each version separately.
    See below for a general explanation of my policy on these matters.

21. "Can I get volume discount in order to buy two copies of Transcribe! to run on two OS's (Windows/Mac/Linux)?"

    No, Transcribe! is three different products for Windows/Mac/Linux and must be ordered separately.
    See below for a general explanation of my policy on these matters.

22. "I bought a Transcribe! license a while ago. Can I get volume discount if I buy another license now?"

    No, the volume discount applies to buying multiple copies in a single order.
    See below for a general explanation of my policy on these matters.

23. "Can I get volume discount in order to buy multiple copies of Transcribe! to be used by multiple individuals?"

    No, the discount for multiple purchases is for situations where the licenses are to be used under the control of one person or organisation (such as a computer laboratory in a university or music college). Otherwise there would be no way for me to know who was using it, and so who was entitled to upgrades or whatever.
    Putting it another way, it is the person or organisation who buys the licenses, who then has the right to use them. That makes perfect sense for a music college equipping a computer lab, but doesn't work for multiple individuals because licenses are not transferrable from one person to another (see the license agreement, it's in the Help).

24. "Is there an educational discount?"

    No. There is a substantial discount for multiple orders, which may well be useful for educational institutions, but no specifically educational discount.
    See below for a general explanation of my policy on these matters.

25. "What payment methods are possible?"

    See this page and click the "Buy Now" button for info. You will find that you are offered a choice of different payment methods.

26. "I've lost my license key, what do I do?"

    See this page. Note that it is your responsibility to look after your license key and I do not promise to reissue them if lost.

27. "Can I get a "registration number" for Transcribe! version 6 or earlier?"

    Yes, when you buy Transcribe! in the normal way you will get a Registration Number for version 6 as well as a License Key for version 7.

28. "How to I update from version 7.0 - 7.4 to 7.5? Do I need to pay again?"

    You don't need to pay again, upgrade from 7.0 - 7.4 to 7.5 is free. The version 7 license key you have been using with version 7.0 - 7.4 will work fine with 7.5. All you need to do is download the software itself from the download page. It will recognise your existing version 7 key and you should not need to re-enter it.

29. "How much do updates cost?"

    Minor updates have always been free to paid-up users and I expect to continue this policy. New license keys are not needed for minor updates such as 7.0 - 7.4 to 7.5. If you bought Transcribe! up to April 2004 then that was version 6 : upgrade from version 6 to version 7 stopped being free at the end of 2005. If you didn't take advantage of the 20 months' opportunity to get a free upgrade then it's too late and you will need to buy version 7 if you want it. On the other hand if you bought Transcribe! after April 2004 then your registration email contained a version 7 license key so use it. See below for a general explanation of my policy on these matters.

30. "How can I give Transcribe! to someone else as a gift?"

    During the ordering process you will see an option "I would like to purchase this product as a gift for someone else".

General note about Transcribe! licensing policy

People sometimes ask me to explain Transcribe! licensing policy. For instance, Why allow a single license to be used on two computers, but not if they are running different OS's (Windows/Mac/Linux)? Why offer volume discount, but only for a single OS at a time? Why stop issuing and re-issuing free upgrades to version 7 at the end of 2005? Why no educational discount?
Here are some general notes about it.

Of course, policies for pricing and licensing are a free decision of mine when I offer licenses for sale, just as the user makes a free decision about whether the terms are acceptable when they decide to buy or not.

Seventh String Software is a one-person one-product company. Transcribe! is aimed at a very small specialist market and although it has become an important source of income for me, it isn't making me rich. Like most of us, I need to earn a living and if Transcribe! wasn't earning money I would have stopped work on it a long time ago. In fact I work very hard on it.

Clearly I have to set limits to what a single license buys you. If a single license entitled you and anyone you choose to "share" it with to run unlimited copies of Transcribe! without restriction then I would only ever sell one license and then I'd be out of business.

The particular limits I have chosen are that a single license entitles you to run Transcribe! on a maximum of two computers and a maximum of one OS. This is somewhat arbitrary but doesn't seem so unreasonable to me, especially considering that this is more generous than most software licenses, which typically only allow use on a single computer.

I keep the price low by minimising the amount of administrative work I have to do, in order to minimise the cost of running Seventh String and leave me time to continue developing the product. Various policies of mine can be explained this way. Some of them benefit the user, some don't. But overall I think we all benefit by the fact that this enables me to keep the price so low. For instance:

- No telephone support, email only.

- I do not normally charge for upgrades, the only exception being that upgrades from version 6 or earlier to version 7, having been free for 20 months, stopped being free at the end of 2005 as I always said they would. From my point of view, the license key system is simpler if upgraded versions recognise previously-issued keys as valid - it avoids the administrative effort of determining who's eligible for upgrades, and the need for a two-tier pricing system. On the other hand version 7 has a new non-forgeable license key system and so cannot recognise version 6 keys.

- There are volume discounts for multiple orders because that's handled automatically by the ordering system. But there are no other discounts. Again, this avoids the administrative effort of determining who's eligible and the need for a two-tier pricing system.

- I don't allow transfer of licenses from one OS to another. Again, this avoids the administrative effort of determining who's eligible. Maybe you think this is insignificant but just ask anyone who runs a business about the real cost of having an intelligent person deal with emails and update databases. This kind of thing never works automatically because people change their email addresses or have multiple addresses and use different ones, and lose their license information, and so on.
There is a particular issue with Linux here : I think that most people who run desktop (as opposed to server) applications on Linux probably have a Windows or Mac computer as well. That could easily mean that if I gave a free Linux license to anyone who has a Windows or Mac license then I might never sell a single Linux license at all. Linux users might like that, but if they think it through a little further, they would realise that I will not continue to support Linux if it earns nothing.

About the re-issuing of lost license keys

Transcribe! continues to sell, which is wonderful, but this also means that the total number of existing Transcribe! users continues to increase. Potentially this could cause an ever-increasing burden of providing support to those users.
In fact this burden is not too bad because once a person has been using Transcribe! for a while, they are less and less likely to need to email me for help.

The exception to this principle is the matter of people losing their license keys (due to a hard disk crash or whatever). I receive an ever-increasing stream of requests for the re-issuing of lost license keys. Naturally I arrange to handle these automatically where possible, but this frequently isn't possible because people change their email addresses etc quite often, so I have to search databases manually to find them. This is a constant burden on my time, it generates no revenue and slows down the further development of Transcribe!. I have to draw a line somewhere.

This is the reason why, after the end of 2005, I am no longer issuing or re-issuing any free upgrades from version 6 or earlier, to version 7. If this means you end up buying version 7 because you lost your free upgrade key, then perhaps this will motivate you to look after the license key this time.

Remember that I do not promise to re-issue lost license keys at all - it's your responsibility to look after it. It amazes me how many people don't back things up. If you haven't bothered to look after your license key, what makes you think that I should do it for you? As I say in the email containing the license key:
"Back it up on disk to some location not on your computer, wherever you normally back up your work. You do back up your work don't you? Every hard disk dies (or is stolen) one day, so I can promise you with absolute certainty that anything you don't back up, will one day be lost. You should also print it out on paper and keep it safe. It would be a bit tedious to type in the 80 characters or so, but not impossible - in fact it takes about two minutes."

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