Value-4-Value A new music license
VALUE-4-VALUE MASTER USE LICENSE
Sound Recording and Video Recording
Version 5.0
Phantom Power Music LLC — Nashville, Tennessee
Effective Date: 4/1/2026
THIS IS A LEGALLY BINDING LICENSE AGREEMENT. READ IT CAREFULLY BEFORE UPLOADING OR USING ANY RECORDING SUBJECT TO THESE TERMS.
Preamble
This Value-4-Value Master Use License (“The License” or “The Agreement”) is a public license governing the distribution, use, and monetization of Sound Recordings and Video Recordings within the Value-4-Value ecosystem (“The Valueverse”). It is issued by the Owner of a Recording upon upload to a V4V-enabled Distributor and is intended to replace the silence of traditional streaming licenses with a framework that places the artist in direct economic relationship with their audience.
The Value-4-Value philosophy holds that listeners who receive value from a creator should return value in kind — directly, instantly, and without intermediary extraction. This License operationalizes that philosophy in a legally enforceable framework that protects the Owner’s rights while enabling a global ecosystem of Distributors, Applications, Value Casts, and Value Hosts to participate under clear, consistent terms.
This License is NOT a Creative Commons license, a mechanical license, a sync license, or a public performance blanket license. It is a purpose-built instrument for the V4V ecosystem, and all parties should read it accordingly.
Part I — Definitions
As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings set forth below. Defined terms appear in bold on first use and retain their defined meaning throughout.
1. Definitions
1.1 Core Parties
"Owner"
The natural person(s) or legal entity that holds the master recording rights to the Sound or Video Recording and has uploaded it to a V4V-enabled Distributor subject to this License. The Owner is, by definition, the holder of the corresponding RSS Feed. Where the recording embodies underlying compositions controlled by third-party rights holders (“Collaborator Shareholders”), the Owner represents and warrants that it has secured all rights necessary to enter into this Agreement on their behalf or has separately documented those rights in a Collaborator Shareholder Agreement.
"Collaborator Shareholder"
Any person or entity that participated in the creation of the Recording and holds a recognized financial interest in it, including but not limited to songwriters, composers, producers, featured artists, and session musicians whose contributions are memorialized in a separate Collaborator Shareholder Agreement between such parties and the Owner. Collaborator Shareholders are not direct parties to this Agreement but are beneficiaries of the Value Block protections herein.
"Distributor"
A mobile or web-based platform or software service that: (a) receives, processes, and stores the Recording; (b) assigns and embeds the ISRC Code; (c) generates and publishes the RSS Feed incorporating the Value Block; and (d) makes the RSS Feed available to third-party V4V Applications. A Distributor is a service provider, not a licensee of performance or distribution rights beyond what is expressly granted herein.
"V4V Application" or "App"
A mobile or web-based platform or software service that: (a) reads the RSS Feed published by a Distributor; (b) enables end-user Listeners to stream, discover, and interact with the Recording; and (c) routes value payments from Listeners to Owner and other Value Block recipients in accordance with the Value Block split, in real time, via a V4V-Enabled Payment System. An App is a service provider operating under the terms of this License.
"Value Cast"
A show, playlist, program, or curated channel that accesses and plays the Recording via a V4V Application for the purpose of promoting it to an audience within the Valueverse. A Value Cast is a promotional partner, not a service provider, and its rights and obligations are distinct from those of an App or Distributor.
"Value Host"
The individual, company, or organization that operates a Value Cast — talking about, playing, or otherwise featuring the Recording. A Value Host operates under the same rights and obligations as the Value Cast it operates and is jointly and severally liable for compliance with this License in that capacity.
"Listener"
The end user who consumes the Recording on or through a V4V Application and who has the option, at their discretion, to transfer value to the Owner and/or other Value Block recipients using a V4V-Enabled Payment System. Listeners are not parties to this Agreement but are subject to the App’s terms of service, which must be consistent with this License.
1.2 Technical Terms
"Sound or Video Recording" or "Recording"
The specific audio or audiovisual work uploaded by the Owner and identified by the ISRC Code embedded in the RSS Feed. A Recording includes all metadata, artwork, and associated materials distributed alongside it.
"RSS Feed"
The Really Simple Syndication document, conforming to the Podcast Index namespace specification (https://podcastindex.org/namespace/1.0), generated and published by the Distributor, which contains the Recording’s metadata, the ISRC Code, the V4V License Notation, and the Value Block.
"Value Block"
The machine-readable set of payment routing instructions embedded within the RSS Feed using the podcast:value and podcast:valueRecipient XML tags as defined by the Podcast Index namespace. The Value Block identifies each recipient’s wallet address, payment type, and percentage share of incoming value payments. The Value Block as published in the Owner’s RSS Feed is the authoritative record of split allocations and shall not be modified by any party without the Owner’s written consent.
"V4V-Enabled Payment System"
A payment protocol that enables the instant, direct, peer-to-peer transfer of digital currency — including but not limited to Bitcoin via the Lightning Network (BOLT-11 or BOLT-12), LNURL, or WebLN — from a Listener’s digital wallet to the wallet addresses specified in the Value Block, without requiring a traditional financial intermediary to hold or clear the funds.
"V4V-Enabled Platform"
Any Distributor, App, Value Cast, or service that: (a) supports the Podcast Index podcast:value namespace in RSS Feeds it publishes or reads; (b) routes split payments to all Value Block recipients in real time upon each listener payment event; and (c) does not unilaterally reduce, redirect, or intercept the Owner’s designated Value Block share. Platforms that do not meet all three criteria are not V4V-Enabled and may not operate under this License.
"ISRC Code"
The International Standard Recording Code assigned to the Recording, which serves as the globally unique identifier linking the Recording to its copyright record, ownership information, and this License. The ISRC Code shall be embedded in the RSS Feed and displayed by all Apps wherever the Recording appears.
"V4V License Notation"
The standardized alphanumeric string attached to each Recording that encodes the key terms of this License in compact form. See Part III, Section 8 and Exhibit A for the full Notation Guide.
"Collaborator Shareholder Agreement"
A separate written agreement between the Owner and one or more Collaborator Shareholders that documents each party’s percentage interest in the Recording and their designated wallet address for Value Block payments. The Owner is solely responsible for maintaining accurate Collaborator Shareholder Agreements.
Part II — Grant of License
2. License Grant to Distributors
Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Owner hereby grants to any Distributor that accepts this License a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable (as provided in Section 20) license to:
(a) receive, store, and process the Recording solely for the purpose of generating and publishing the RSS Feed;
(b) encode the ISRC Code, the Value Block, and the V4V License Notation into the RSS Feed;
(c) transmit the RSS Feed to V4V-Enabled Applications; and
(d) display the Recording’s title, artwork, metadata, and V4V License Notation within the Distributor’s own interface.
This grant does not include the right to publicly perform, broadcast, synchronize, sell, sublicense, or otherwise exploit the Recording beyond the foregoing. The Distributor is a service provider only.
3. License Grant to V4V Applications
Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Owner hereby grants to any V4V Application that accepts this License a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable (as provided in Section 20) license to:
(e) read and process the RSS Feed published by the Distributor;
(f) stream the Recording to Listeners on the App’s platform;
(g) display the Recording’s title, artist name, artwork, ISRC Code, and V4V License Notation within the App’s interface;
(h) facilitate value payments from Listeners to Value Block recipients in strict accordance with the Value Block split; and
(i) include the Recording in algorithmically or editorially generated playlists or discovery features within the App.
This grant does not include the right to sell, sublicense, synchronize, broadcast over traditional radio or television, or use the Recording in advertising without the Owner’s separate written consent.
4. License Grant to Value Casts and Value Hosts
Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Owner hereby grants to any Value Cast and its Value Host a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable (as provided in Section 20) license to:
(j) publicly perform and stream the Recording as part of the Value Cast’s programming, exclusively on V4V-Enabled Platforms;
(k) reference, discuss, and promote the Recording by title and artist name for editorial and promotional purposes;
(l) receive a Value Block split share as designated by the Owner in the RSS Feed, as compensation for promotional distribution; and
(m) incorporate the Recording into a curated playlist or program that is itself distributed via a V4V-Enabled Platform.
Value Casts and Value Hosts are promotional partners, not service providers. They may not charge Listeners a separate fee for access to the Recording. They shall not use the Recording in advertising, sponsorship activations, or as a soundtrack to non-V4V commercial content without the Owner’s written consent.
5. Restrictions Applicable to All Parties
Notwithstanding any other provision, no party may:
distribute, stream, or transmit the Recording on any platform that is not V4V-Enabled, as defined in Section 1.2;
create derivative works of the Recording, including remixes, interpolations, or altered versions, without the Owner’s prior written consent;
use the Recording in any synchronization with visual media (film, television, advertising, video games, or similar) without the Owner’s prior written consent;
modify, reduce, redirect, or intercept the Value Block split as designated in the Owner’s RSS Feed;
remove, obscure, or misrepresent the ISRC Code, copyright notice, or V4V License Notation associated with the Recording;
sublicense any rights under this Agreement to any third party not listed herein, without the Owner’s written consent;
use a VPN, proxy, or other technical means to circumvent geographic access restrictions imposed by the Owner or required by applicable law; or
submit or transmit sensitive personal information (government identification numbers, financial account data, health data, or similar) through any field or metadata associated with the Recording or RSS Feed.
Part III — Technical Requirements
6. Value Block Integrity
The Value Block as published in the Owner’s RSS Feed is the authoritative and binding record of all split allocations. All parties agree:
(n) No Distributor or App may alter, override, or supplement the Value Block recipients or percentages without the Owner’s express written authorization.
(o) The Owner’s share of incoming value payments shall never be reduced below the percentage designated in the Owner’s own Value Block. Where the Owner has not designated a specific App or Value Cast share, no App or Value Cast may claim a share exceeding thirty percent (30%) of gross incoming value without the Owner’s written consent.
(p) Distributors and Apps must route payments to all Value Block recipients simultaneously and in real time upon each payment event. Batching, netting, or delayed routing is permitted only where the technical payment protocol requires it and only if all recipients receive payment at the same time.
(q) All split shares shall be publicly transparent within the RSS Feed and, where technically feasible, displayed within the App interface.
7. Attribution Requirements
All parties must display the following information wherever the Recording is played, listed, promoted, or distributed:
• The Owner’s legal name or stage name as designated in the RSS Feed;
• The title of the Recording;
• The ISRC Code; and
• The V4V License Notation (full notation or abbreviated “V4V Licensed” indicator with a link to the full notation).
Attribution must appear in a location that is reasonably visible to the Listener before or during playback. Metadata-only attribution (not displayed to users) does not satisfy this requirement.
8. V4V License Notation
Each Recording distributed under this License shall bear a License Notation in the following format:
©[YEAR]-V4V-AAR-CV4V-ND/S-FR-RP([CC])-[ISRC CODE]
See Exhibit A for the complete Notation Guide and code definitions. The Notation shall be embedded in the RSS Feed and displayed within all Apps. Where display space is limited, the abbreviated notation “V4V Licensed — [ISRC]” is permissible if a link to the full Notation is provided.
9. Single Distributor Rule
To prevent Value Block conflicts arising from duplicate RSS Feeds, each Recording shall be actively distributed through only one (1) primary V4V Distributor at any given time. “Active distribution” means the Distributor is publishing a live RSS Feed containing the Recording’s Value Block.
Transfer of distribution from one Distributor to another must be initiated solely by the Owner via a formal “claim” process supported by both Distributors, consistent with the Podcast Index GUID and claiming specifications at https://podcastindex.org. The outgoing Distributor must deactivate the RSS Feed within seven (7) days of a verified Owner-initiated claim.
The Owner acknowledges that where a Recording has been indexed by aggregators or cached by third parties, technical elimination of all duplicate feeds may not be immediately achievable. The Owner’s obligation is to maintain one active, authoritative RSS Feed and to promptly request deactivation of any unauthorized duplicates upon discovery.
10. V4V Enablement Standards
A platform’s status as V4V-Enabled shall be determined by its technical compliance with all three of the following criteria:
(r) It supports the Podcast Index podcast:value and podcast:valueRecipient namespace tags in any RSS Feed it publishes or consumes;
(s) It routes value payments to all Value Block recipients simultaneously and in the percentages specified, with no unilateral modification; and
(t) It uses a V4V-Enabled Payment System as defined in Section 1.2 to route payments — i.e., a system that does not require the platform to hold, batch, or intermediate the funds before they reach recipients.
Platforms that meet criteria (a) and (b) but use a fiat or custodial payment intermediary may apply to the Owner for a written waiver. Such waiver shall not be unreasonably withheld where the intermediary system demonstrably routes full split amounts to all recipients without reduction.
Part IV — Commercial Terms
11. Fees, Splits, and Service Provider Compensation
11.1 Distributor Fees
A Distributor may charge the Owner: (a) a flat hosting or service fee in fiat currency; (b) a Value Block split share; or (c) both. All fees and split shares must be:
clearly disclosed on the Distributor’s public website and in its terms of service before the Owner uploads any Recording;
reflected in the Value Block as a named recipient if a split share is taken; and
subject to a minimum ninety (90) days’ written notice to the Owner before any fee increase or new split share takes effect.
11.2 App Fees
A V4V Application may charge Listeners a subscription or access fee in fiat currency and/or take a Value Block split share. All App fees and split shares are subject to the same disclosure and notice requirements as Distributor fees under Section 11.1. An App may further divide its own split share with third-party service providers, provided that: (a) such sub-splits do not reduce any other recipient’s designated share; and (b) the sub-split recipients are identified in the App’s published terms of service.
11.3 Value Cast and Value Host Compensation
A Value Cast or Value Host may receive a Value Block split share designated by the Owner in the RSS Feed. This share represents compensation for promotional distribution and audience development. The Value Cast/Host shall not charge Listeners separately for access to the Recording or take any split share beyond what the Owner has designated in the Value Block.
12. Minimum Owner Share Protection
The Owner’s Value Block share, as set by the Owner in the RSS Feed, shall never be reduced below the Owner’s designated percentage by any party. Where the sum of all Distributor, App, and Value Cast/Host shares would mathematically require a reduction of the Owner’s designated share, the Owner’s share takes precedence and the remaining parties must reduce their shares proportionally to accommodate it.
No party may set, accept, or route payments under a Value Block in which the Owner’s share is zero or less than one percent (1%) without a separate written agreement signed by the Owner expressly authorizing such an arrangement.
13. Audit Rights
The Owner has the right, upon thirty (30) days’ prior written notice, to audit the books, records, and transaction logs of any Distributor or App to verify compliance with the Value Block split, fee disclosures, and payment routing obligations of this License. Audits shall be conducted during normal business hours, no more than once per calendar year, and at the Owner’s expense. If an audit reveals a discrepancy of five percent (5%) or more in favor of the audited party, that party shall bear the reasonable cost of the audit and shall cure the discrepancy within thirty (30) days.
Part V — Representations and Warranties
14. Mutual Representations and Warranties
Each party to this Agreement represents and warrants that:
(u) it has the full legal power, authority, and capacity to enter into this Agreement and to perform all obligations hereunder;
(v) this Agreement has been duly authorized by all necessary action and constitutes a legal, valid, and binding obligation of such party, enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, and equitable principles; and
(w) its entry into and performance of this Agreement does not violate any other agreement to which it is a party or by which it is bound.
15. Owner's Representations and Warranties
Owner additionally represents and warrants that:
(x) Owner owns or controls all master recording rights to the Recording and has the right to grant the licenses set forth in this Agreement;
(y) to the best of Owner’s knowledge, the Recording does not infringe any copyright, trademark, right of publicity, or other intellectual property right of any third party;
(z) Owner has secured all necessary licenses, consents, and clearances from Collaborator Shareholders and underlying rights holders, including synchronization rights, mechanical rights, and any rights in samples or interpolations contained in the Recording;
(aa)the ISRC Code assigned to the Recording is accurate and uniquely identifies this Recording;
(bb)Owner has no knowledge of any pending or threatened claim that, if sustained, would be contrary to Owner’s warranties herein; and
(cc) all Collaborator Shareholder wallet addresses provided in the Value Block are accurate to the best of Owner’s knowledge at the time of upload.
16. Collaborator Shareholder Wallet Responsibilities
Each Collaborator Shareholder is solely responsible for maintaining the accuracy of their designated digital wallet address. All Collaborator Shareholders must immediately notify the Owner in writing of any change to their wallet address. The Owner shall bear no liability for missed or misdirected payments resulting from: (a) a Collaborator Shareholder’s failure to notify Owner of a wallet change; (b) a lost, stolen, or discontinued wallet; or (c) Lightning Network routing failures outside Owner’s control. Owner’s sole obligation is to update the Value Block with reasonable promptness upon receiving written notice of a wallet change.
Part VI — Indemnification and Liability
17. Owner Indemnification
Owner shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless each Distributor, App, Value Cast, and Value Host (and their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents) from and against any third-party claims, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or related to: (a) any claim that the Recording infringes a third party’s copyright, trademark, right of publicity, or other intellectual property right; or (b) any breach of Owner’s representations and warranties in Section 15.
18. Party Indemnification
Each Distributor, App, Value Cast, and Value Host (each, an “Indemnifying Party”) shall, severally and not jointly, indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Owner and Owner’s Collaborator Shareholders from and against any third-party claims, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or related to: (a) the Indemnifying Party’s breach of this Agreement; (b) the Indemnifying Party’s modification, reduction, or misrouting of the Value Block split; (c) the Indemnifying Party’s distribution of the Recording outside the Valueverse or to non-V4V-Enabled platforms; or (d) any willful misconduct, gross negligence, or fraud by the Indemnifying Party.
19. Indemnification Procedure
The party seeking indemnification (“Indemnitee”) shall: (a) promptly notify the indemnifying party (“Indemnitor”) in writing upon learning of any claim for which indemnification may be sought, including copies of any relevant correspondence or legal filings; (b) grant the Indemnitor sole control of the defense and settlement of such claim; and (c) provide reasonable cooperation to the Indemnitor at the Indemnitor’s expense. The Indemnitee may participate in the defense at its own expense through counsel of its own choosing. No settlement that imposes any obligation, restriction, or liability on the Indemnitee may be entered without the Indemnitee’s prior written consent, which shall not be unreasonably withheld.
20. Limitation of Liability
EXCEPT FOR (A) INDEMNIFICATION OBLIGATIONS UNDER SECTIONS 17 AND 18, (B) BREACHES OF CONFIDENTIALITY, OR (C) GROSS NEGLIGENCE, WILLFUL MISCONDUCT, OR FRAUD, IN NO EVENT SHALL EITHER PARTY BE LIABLE TO THE OTHER FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR LOST PROFITS, LOST DATA, OR LOSS OF GOODWILL, EVEN IF SUCH PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY OF ANY PARTY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF: (A) THE TOTAL VALUE PAYMENTS ROUTED TO OR BY THAT PARTY UNDER THIS AGREEMENT IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM; OR (B) ONE THOUSAND U.S. DOLLARS ($1,000 USD).
Some jurisdictions do not allow exclusion or limitation of certain damages. In such jurisdictions, these limitations apply to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.
Part VII — Term and Termination
21. Term
This Agreement commences at the date and time the Recording is uploaded to a V4V-Enabled Distributor and continues in full force and effect until terminated pursuant to Section 22 below.
22. Termination
22.1 Termination by Owner
Owner may terminate this Agreement at any time by delivering written notice to the Distributor and requesting removal of the Recording from the active RSS Feed. Termination is effective upon delivery of notice. All parties receiving notice of termination must cease future distribution of the Recording within seven (7) days. Requests for removal of a specific use of the Recording by a Value Cast or Value Host shall be treated as separate takedown requests under Section 22.3.
22.2 Termination for Breach
Either party may terminate this Agreement with respect to a breaching party by delivering written notice specifying the breach in reasonable detail. If the breach is capable of cure, the breaching party shall have fourteen (14) days from receipt of notice to cure. If the breach is not cured within that period, termination is effective automatically.
22.3 Value Cast Takedown Requests
A request by Owner to remove the Recording from a specific Value Cast episode or playlist is distinct from termination of the entire Agreement. Such requests must be made in writing and must specify: (a) the name of the Value Cast; (b) the episode title, publication date, and time code of the use; and (c) the specific Recording affected. The Value Cast must remove or mute the Recording within seven (7) days of receiving a valid takedown request.
23. Effect of Termination
Upon termination: (a) all licenses granted herein to the terminated party cease immediately with respect to future distribution; (b) the terminated party must cease hosting, streaming, and distributing the Recording within seven (7) days; and (c) provisions that by their nature should survive termination shall survive, including Sections 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, and 27.
24. Protection of Past Licensed Uses
Termination of this Agreement operates prospectively only. Any use of the Recording that occurred in compliance with this Agreement prior to the effective date of termination is fully protected and shall not give rise to any claim for infringement, damages, or other liability by Owner against the party that made such use. This protection does not extend to uses that were in breach of this Agreement at the time they occurred.
25. Immutability Carve-Out
Where a Distributor or App has published RSS Feed data or Value Block information on an immutable or decentralized protocol (including but not limited to Nostr, IPFS, or a public blockchain) such that technical deletion is not feasible, Owner acknowledges that the obligation to “remove” such data is satisfied by: (a) deactivating the primary RSS Feed and ceasing to promote new discovery of the Recording through that protocol; and (b) publishing a public notice of termination associated with the Recording’s ISRC Code. Historical immutable records of past distribution do not constitute ongoing infringement solely by virtue of their continued technical existence on the protocol.
Part VIII — General Provisions
26. Relationship of Parties
The parties are independent contractors. Nothing in this Agreement creates a fiduciary, agency, partnership, joint venture, or employment relationship between Owner and any other party. Owner’s role in administering the Value Block and Collaborator Shareholder Agreements does not create a fiduciary duty to Collaborator Shareholders or any other party with respect to the management or disbursement of value payments.
27. Governing Law and Venue
This Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of Tennessee, United States, without regard to its conflict of laws rules. Any judicial proceeding arising from this Agreement (to the extent not resolved by arbitration under Section 28) shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Davidson County, Tennessee, and each party irrevocably consents to the personal jurisdiction and venue of such courts.
28. Dispute Resolution
28.1 Mediation
Before initiating arbitration or litigation, the parties shall attempt in good faith to resolve any dispute through non-binding mediation. Either party may initiate mediation by providing written notice to the other. The parties shall jointly select a mediator within fifteen (15) days of such notice. If mediation does not result in resolution within forty-five (45) days of the initial notice (or such longer period as the parties may agree), either party may proceed to arbitration.
28.2 Binding Arbitration
If mediation fails, disputes shall be resolved by binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) under its Commercial Arbitration Rules then in effect, with the following specifications:
(dd)Venue: Nashville, Tennessee, USA;
(ee)Number of arbitrators: one (1) for claims under $100,000 USD; three (3) for claims of $100,000 USD or more;
(ff) Language: English;
(gg)Fee allocation: each party bears its own attorneys’ fees and costs; AAA administrative fees split equally, unless the arbitrator finds bad faith or frivolous claims, in which case the arbitrator may award fees against the offending party; and
(hh)Award: the arbitrator’s decision shall be final and binding, and judgment on the award may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction.
28.3 Exceptions
Nothing in this Section prevents either party from seeking emergency injunctive or other equitable relief in a court of competent jurisdiction to prevent irreparable harm pending resolution of a dispute.
29. Export Controls and Sanctions Compliance
Owner and all parties represent and warrant that they are not located in, and will not use or distribute the Recording from, any country or territory subject to a comprehensive U.S. Government embargo or sanctions program. No party is a designated person on any U.S. Government restricted-party list (including the OFAC SDN List). All parties agree to comply with applicable U.S. export control laws and regulations. No party may use a VPN, proxy, or other technical circumvention to access or distribute the Recording in violation of applicable geographic or sanctions-based restrictions.
30. Notices
All notices, demands, or other communications under this Agreement shall be in writing and delivered by:
(ii) personal delivery (effective upon receipt);
(jj) U.S. certified or registered mail, postage prepaid (effective two business days after mailing);
(kk) nationally recognized overnight courier (effective one business day after deposit); or
(ll) email to the address on record in the Distributor’s account system (effective twenty-four hours after sending, absent a delivery failure notification).
Notices to Owner shall be directed to the email and/or address on file with the Distributor at the time of upload, or as updated in writing by Owner. Notices to a Distributor, App, Value Cast, or Value Host shall be directed to the primary contact email identified in such party’s terms of service or, if none is listed, via the official support channel published on such party’s website.
31. Force Majeure
No party shall be in breach of this Agreement for any failure or delay in performance caused by events outside that party’s reasonable control, including Lightning Network outages, Bitcoin protocol changes, internet infrastructure failures, natural disasters, government actions, or other force majeure events (“FM Events”). A party claiming force majeure must: (a) notify the other parties in writing within five (5) business days of the FM Event; (b) take all reasonable steps to mitigate the impact; and (c) resume performance as soon as the FM Event ceases. Force majeure does not excuse any party from its obligation to resume honoring the Value Block split and routing payments to all recipients once normal operation is restored. Force majeure does not excuse payment obligations that arose before the FM Event.
32. Assignment
No party may assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder without Owner’s prior written consent, except that Owner may assign this Agreement, in whole or in part, to: (a) any affiliate or related entity; (b) a successor in the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of substantially all of Owner’s assets; or (c) a successor rights holder upon Owner’s death or legal incapacity. Any attempted assignment in violation of this Section is void and of no effect. This Agreement binds and inures to the benefit of the parties and their respective permitted successors and assigns.
33. Intellectual Property Ownership
All right, title, and interest in and to the Recording, the underlying musical composition(s), and all associated intellectual property remain solely with Owner and the respective Collaborator Shareholders, as applicable. No license, right, or interest in the Recording beyond what is expressly granted herein is transferred to any party by virtue of this Agreement. All goodwill generated by distribution and promotion of the Recording inures to the benefit of Owner.
34. Legal Enforcement
Owner shall have the primary right, but not the obligation, to bring and control any litigation, enforcement action, or other legal proceeding against unauthorized use, infringement, or breach of this Agreement. All other parties agree to reasonably cooperate with Owner in any such proceeding at Owner’s expense, including executing documents and, if required by law, being named as a nominal party. Owner shall be entitled to retain the entirety of any monetary award. Other parties may participate in any proceeding through their own counsel at their own expense and shall have no claim against Owner for Owner’s handling of or decisions regarding any action or settlement.
35. No Waiver
Failure by any party to enforce any provision of this Agreement shall not constitute a waiver of that party’s right to enforce that provision or any other provision at any time thereafter.
36. Severability
If any provision of this Agreement is held invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court or arbitrator of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect, and the parties shall negotiate in good faith a substitute provision that most closely reflects the original intent.
37. Entire Agreement
This Agreement, together with the V4V License Notation and any Collaborator Shareholder Agreements incorporated by reference, constitutes the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior negotiations, representations, agreements, and understandings, whether oral or written.
38. Acceptance and Execution
38.1 Acceptance by Owner
Owner accepts this Agreement and all terms herein by uploading the Recording to a V4V-Enabled Distributor. Owner’s act of upload constitutes Owner’s signature and acceptance as of the date and time of upload.
38.2 Acceptance by Distributors, Apps, Value Casts, and Value Hosts
Any Distributor, App, Value Cast, or Value Host that: (a) accesses, stores, hosts, distributes, streams, or plays the Recording; or (b) reads and processes the RSS Feed associated with the Recording, is deemed to have accepted and agreed to be legally bound by this Agreement as a condition of such access or use. If a Distributor, App, Value Cast, or Value Host does not agree to these terms, it must not access, host, or use the Recording and must promptly remove any existing copy from its systems.
38.3 Bilateral Execution (Optional)
Where a Distributor or App requires a bilaterally executed agreement for its own compliance purposes, the parties may execute a signature page in the form of Exhibit B. A bilaterally executed copy supersedes the implied acceptance under Section 38.2 only with respect to the specific parties that have executed it, and only to the extent the executed terms do not conflict with or reduce the Owner’s rights under this Agreement.
EXHIBIT A
V4V License Notation Guide
Full Notation Format:
©[YEAR]-V4V-AAR-CV4V-ND/S-FR-RP([CC])-[ISRC CODE]
Example: ©2025-V4V-AAR-CV4V-ND/S-FR-RP(USA)-QZTAX2254590
Code
Meaning
Notes
©xxxx
Copyright year of first publication
Four-digit year of first release
V4V
Value-4-Value enabled
Recording participates in the V4V ecosystem
AAR
All Rights Reserved
Owner retains all rights not expressly granted herein
CV4V
Commercial use permitted in V4V contexts only
Commercial use requires a live, accessible V4V payment mechanism
ND/S
No Derivatives / No Sync without approval
Derivative works and sync licensing require Owner’s written consent
FR
Future Revocable
License may be revoked for future distribution only; past licensed uses are protected
RP(CC)
Rights Protection — Country of Origin
Governed by copyright law of Owner’s country at time of upload
ISRC
International Standard Recording Code
Must appear in every license notation; ties recording to copyright record
Note: The country code in RP([CC]) should be the two-letter ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code for the Owner’s country of residence at the time of upload (e.g., USA, GBR, CAN, AUS). This code designates the primary copyright jurisdiction.
Where display space is limited, the abbreviated notation “V4V Licensed — [ISRC]” may be used, accompanied by a URL or QR code linking to the full Notation and this License.
EXHIBIT B
Optional Bilateral Signature Page
(By uploading or importing your music you are automatically bound to the Terms of Service and Value-4-Value Music License as described herein)
The undersigned parties hereby agree to be bound by the Value-4-Value Master Use License, Version 5.0, issued by Phantom Power Music LLC, with respect to the Recording identified below.
Recording Title: ___________________________________________________
ISRC Code: _________________________________________________________
V4V License Notation: ______________________________________________
Upload Date: _______________________________________________________
OWNER
Legal Name
Signature
Title / Capacity
Date
Address
DISTRIBUTOR / APP / VALUE CAST (as applicable)
Legal Name of Entity
Signature of Authorized Representative
Printed Name and Title
Date
Address
This signature page, when executed by both parties, is incorporated into and made part of the Value-4-Value Master Use License, Version 5.0. In the event of any conflict between this executed page and the License, the License governs.