FAQ written by FieldofGrass, moderator at discord-cell and unaffiliated with D-CELL GAMES.
Permission FAQs
Can I make a custom chart, new difficulty, or remap for songs already included in UNBEATABLE? Yes for UNBEATABLE-original songs. No for remixes, collab songs, any song from the Variety category, and DLC songs.
Can I chart a song from a game or artist UNBEATABLE has collaborated with? Ask for permission first. Even if D-Cell has been featured in another rhythm game (or if other rhythm games have appeared in UNBEATABLE), that does not grant a license for the rest of that game's songs to be charted. This also goes for songs from individual artists, even those on the D-Cell team like Clara and RJ Lake - ask for permission before using their other songs!
I am a music artist myself. How do my permissions work? Artists are welcome to share their own charts of their own music without going through the whitelist process (it's your music, after all!). If you would like others to be able to chart your music, fill out the form and tag your own response; the same applies if you would NOT like others to share your music.
For all members: Even if you see an artist uploading a chart of their own music, this does NOT mean they have given permission for others to do the same. Check the whitelist first, and default to "no permission" if you don't see anything on there!
Can I still share a custom chart for a song I haven't received permission for if I just exclude the audio files? No. We're adopting this stance because there's a strong likelihood that others will get the audio files, upload gameplay of the charts, and it will appear just as if the original chart had included the audio in the first place without permission.
How does royalty-free or creative commons music work? Check the licenses for these on a case-by-case basis. Not all Creative Common licenses have the same terms of use.
D-Cell is aware that other permission lists exist for other rhythm games, such as the list maintained by 7th Beat Games. However, please note that artist permission in these lists may only include an artist's permission for that specific rhythm game. Read their policies carefully - some give universal permission to all rhythm games, and many do not. When in doubt, check D-Cell's list and ask artists for permission for UNBEATABLE as necessary!
General Permissions Heads-Up Asking the right source is key. Some songs may be self-published. Some songs may be from a band, who themselves may be under a label. Some songs may have been commissioned for use specifically in a movie, TV show, or game and have other IP rights owners involved. The artists themselves may not always be the ones in control of the rights to how their music is distributed, so double-check when asking for permission that you're asking the right parties. At the end of the day, D-Cell is able to support tools like these because of a good working relationship between users and artists. Choosing not to follow the permission request process puts both D-Cell and the wider community at risk of not being able to enjoy a customs scene.
Distribution FAQS
[1] We're aware that Discord is not the best place to host long-term databases and makes it tougher for audiences outside of Discord to access custom charts, so sharing charts elsewhere is still allowed. However, we're keeping discord-cell as one main hub for customs for now, as it's easier to keep track that songs have gotten permission.
Program FAQs