FAQs

All of our artwork is created by Tim Wakefield. To create each of his Soundwaves Art pieces Tim colors, distorts, and manipulates the actual sound waves of songs through a proprietary art process he has created and honed for over a decade. The artwork you see is made from a snippet of the sound wave of each song, making them a true collaboration between Tim and the musician who created the song. 

Yes! We donate on average $1M to charity each year. The profits from each print go directly to the non-profit listed on its product page. We mostly focus our fundraising on a few key areas: refugee rights, environmental stewardship, social and racial equality, mental health, music education, and disaster relief.

Integrity, honesty, and upholding our reputation are paramount to us. Over the past decade, we have been able to work with more than 400 world famous musicians. There is no way we would have been able to make it in the music industry without a sterling track record of honesty and transparency. 

Since we started this project over 10 years ago, every single one of our pieces has been hand signed by the associated artist, unless otherwise stated. We also include a Certificate of Authenticity with each print to certify they are hand-signed. 

It doesn't hurt to ask but we can't guarantee anything.

Each signed print measures 24″ x 24″ and is hand signed by the musician. They are part of a larger run of prints, typically with 50-100 copies signed in total. Our unsigned prints, which come in a standard and a mini size, feature the same design as the signed print, but do not have the musician's autograph. They are still limited edition and are signed by Soundwaves Art creator, Tim Wakefield.

Our Originals measure 38″ x 38″ and often feature a lyric or the title of the song written by the artist in addition to their signature. These are much more limited edition – there is only one Original created per design. Originals sometimes come in alternate color palettes or wave designs to the prints. 

Though we can never make any promises, we always propose second runs of sold out prints to bands. It all comes down to the band’s schedule and willingness to sign again. That said, sometimes we have a few extra artists proofs or damaged copies in storage that we can sell one-off.

Though we do not completely forbid the resale of Soundwaves prints, we reserve the right to refuse to sell to customers who have explicitly stated they intend to resell our artwork. We also reserve the right to freeze or cancel purchases if a buyer purchases 10 or more of the same piece of art without a proper explanation. 

We love doing commissions! Our commissions can either be 40 x 40, 30 x 30, or 40 x 16.5 inches and include up to three rounds of revisions so we can be sure it’s a piece you love.

Because of the labor needed to make a one-off piece (as opposed to a print we’ll produce and sell 100 of) the price is a bit more than our standard prints.

Please know that we do not reach out to musicians to have them sign any commissions.

If you’re interested in learning more, contact info@soundwavesartfoundation.com to get started.

We quality check each print before it goes out to make sure it meets our artistic standards. That said, these prints are being handled by many musicians and signed in active environments – often backstage right before the band goes on. Though it is very uncommon, occasionally artists will lightly scratch the canvas in the act of signing. We think it’s part of the charm of the piece!

If you think we may have missed something, email info@soundwavesartfoundation.com and we are happy to work something out.

After many years of partnering with third-party framers, we are very excited to be bringing framing in-house as part of our brand new Soundwaves Art Framing program! Between our team, we have over 20 years of experience in framing and maintain the highest of standards for our work. As we ramp up our framing capacity, and to give each frame the attention it deserves, we're expecting orders with framing to take an additional 4 weeks to be completed.

This print is printed on crystalline pre-sealed canvas. That means no varnish is required to seal in the ink. That said, this is a fine art print and needs to be handled with care. Like any piece of art, if it is rubbed or scuffed the ink will come off.

We recommend finding a framer experienced with stretching canvas. Unfortunately we have had a few customers who have had prints damaged by framers inexperienced with stretching and framing canvas. We always put a layer of foam on the framing surface to protect the print from touching anything abrasive. Our preference is to set the print in a floater frame. If the framer has any questions we are happy to consult them via email at info@soundwavesartfoundation.com

Because all of our artwork is very limited edition, we are very rarely able to send replacement artwork. If something does happen to your print while being framed, please get in contact and we’ll see if there is anything we can do to make it work.

We use consistent specifications to order wood for our black floater frames, and try as often as we can to buy from the same supplier. But because of the global supply chain issues of 2020 and 2021, some of our frames have slightly different widths because we are sent slightly different cuts of wood. That means if you bought one of our framed pieces in 2019, for example, a frame you order from us in 2021 may be a few centimeters different. It isn't very noticeable, but a few customers have pointed it out!

The best way to get in touch with us is via our email – info@soundwavesartfoundation.com

We generally quote 7-21 days to fulfill all US and UK orders for unframed prints. Framed prints may take up to 15 additional days to arrive, as we have rigorous quality controls.

Holiday and high-volume shipping times can vary, so we advise our customers to order for special occasions as far in advance as possible. 

Please know that signed prints are stored in the country they were signed: UK and US. If you order a print that was signed in the UK and you are in the US, it will need to be shipped from the UK to our US location (and vice versa) where the order will be fulfilled. This will add extra time to fulfill your order.

If you would like to pay for expedited shipping, or you have questions about receiving a print by a certain date, please contact us at info@soundwavesartfoundation.com

No problem! Send us an email at info@soundwavesartfoundation and if we haven’t already prepared your order for shipment we’ll get it updated.

Please know that while our standard shipping rates usually cover most areas,  sometimes we encounter additional costs.  This can include certain areas for International shipping (outside the US) as well as Alaska and Hawaii.

We are very sorry to hear that! We double wrap all of our artwork in foam and only use boxes made of rigorously tested, industry-certified corrugated material to ship Soundwaves Art. Though it is incredibly rare, sometimes artwork will get damaged in transit by our courier partners.

If you are one of those unlucky customers, please email info@soundwavesartfoundation.com immediately with photos of the damage and your order number and we will do our best to figure out a solution.

We have a 30-day return policy, which means you have 30 days after receiving your item to request a return.

To be eligible for a return, your item must be in the same condition that you received it. If you are requesting a return due to damage while in transit, please include photos of the damage and keep the item in its original packaging when making the request.

On returns not having to do with damage the customer is responsible for shipping the item back to Soundwaves.

To start a return, you can contact us at info@soundwavesartfoundation.com. If your return is accepted we'll send you instructions on how and where to send your package. Items sent back to us without first requesting a return will not be accepted.

Returns for framed pieces will be subject to a 15% restocking fee.

Unframed Originals will be subject to a 10% restocking fee.

International exchanges are subject to additional fees due to increased shipping costs. We charge an International Exchange Shipping Fee when switching out products.