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Abstract
This article explains how online music services make it easy to download music and how you can take your downloaded songs with you by copying them to a portable music player.
Introduction
Years ago, you had to go to a physical store to buy a CD. If you wanted to listen to your music at home, work, or on the go, you had to carry that CD with you. That was fine for a few CDs, but it just wasn't practical or safe to carry your entire music collection with you.
With the advent of the Internet, it became possible to order CDs online simply by visiting a Web site. That made CD shopping more convenient, but you still had to wait for the CDs to arrive in the mail. And once they arrived, you also had to go through the extra step of using a program such as Microsoft® Windows Media® Player to copy the songs from the CDs to your computer.
Now, there's a new way to buy music online that eliminates the CD altogether. Companies known as "online music services" let you download individual songs directly to your computer for a small fee.
This article answers some common questions about online music services and explains how you can use Windows Media Player to download songs and copy them to a portable music player.
Online music services, such as MusicNow and Napster, have several advantages over buying physical CDs on the Web or at your local CD store. The most important are:
Speed. You get your music in minutes, not hours or days.
Choice. You can choose to buy only the songs that you want. No longer do you have to pay for an entire CD just to get the one or two songs that you really want.
Convenience. No need to copy tracks from a CD when it finally comes in the mail or you get back from the store. The songs you download are already in high-quality Windows Media Audio (WMA) format. In addition, the songs already include accurate album information such as song title, artist name, album name, and other identification tags. This information helps you manage music on your computer and on your portable music player.
If you're concerned about the legality of downloading music, rest easy. Commercial music services, such as those accessible from within Windows Media Player, have obtained permission from the artists and companies that own the music (the copyright holders) to let you purchase and download their songs.
When you buy and download a song from a music service, a portion of the purchase price goes toward compensating the copyright holders—just like when you buy a CD from an online retailer or at your local CD store.
By obtaining songs from a commercial music service instead of a file sharing network (such as Kazaa or Morpheus), you are avoiding potential legal problems and are helping to make sure musicians and other recording industry professionals get paid for their work. You are also avoiding some of the other pitfalls associated with file sharing networks, such as computer viruses, poor audio quality, lengthy download times, and missing or inaccurate album information.
After you've downloaded some songs from MusicNow, you might want to copy a few to your portable music player. Here's a quick way to copy music to a device like the Creative Nomad MuVo NX:
In Windows Media Player, click Media Library.
In the pane on the left, click the Auto Playlists category, and then in the pane on the right, double-click the MusicNow Downloads - Buys playlist.
All of the songs you've purchased from MusicNow appear in the pane on the right.
Right-click a song that you want to copy, and then click Copy to CD or Device. (To copy multiple songs, press and hold the CTRL key as you right-click each song.)
The Copy to CD or Device feature opens.
Plug the MuVo NX into a USB port on your computer.
The MuVo is selected in the drop-down menu in the Items on Device pane. It is identified by a drive letter, such as "Removable Disk (G:)".
Click the Copy button in the top-right corner.
The song is copied to the MuVo NX.
Note This procedure can vary depending upon which online music service you use. For more information, see the Help provided by your online music service.
There are a number of items to consider when choosing a music service. The following list of questions should help you narrow the field:
How much do songs cost? Is there a discount for buying all the songs on an album or for buying a certain number at a time?
Is there a subscription option that lets you play any song in the service's library for a monthly fee?
Does the service offer the kinds of songs that you like? For example, does it have music from your favorite artists?
What are the usage rights for the songs that you buy? Some services might permit you to copy (burn) songs to CD or to copy songs to a portable device. Some services might have different usage rights for each song. Be sure you understand what rights you are buying before you purchase a song.
Is there a limit to the number of computers that you can play the songs on?
Does the service let you discover new music easily?
With Windows Media Player, you have the freedom to use multiple music services. So don't be afraid to try out several and see which ones work best for you.
There are hundreds of devices to choose from that can play Windows Media Audio (WMA) files. However, not all of them can play the protected WMA files that music services offer.
For a list of devices that work well with music services, see the Cool Devices page. After you take a look at those, the following questions should help you narrow the field further:
What form factor do you like? Do you need a tiny device (such as the Creative Nomad MuVo NX) for jogging? Or do you prefer a larger device (such as the Dell DJ 20) with more features and larger controls?
How much storage space do you need? Will a device that can store a few hours worth of music meet your needs? Or do you want a device that can store your entire music collection? More built-in storage space can be handy, but it typically increases both the price and size of the device.
Does the device support removable storage cards, such as Compact Flash or Secure Digital? By using multiple removable storage cards, you can increase your total storage space as your needs grow.
How long does the battery last? Can it be replaced or recharged?
Whichever device you choose, be sure that you install the latest firmware and drivers available. Doing so will ensure that your device works properly with your music service and your computer. For more information, see the Cool Devices page or the device manufacturer's Web site.
For information about music services that support the Windows Media Audio (WMA) format, see the Music Services page.
For information about devices that support the WMA format, see the Cool Devices page.
To learn more about using Windows Media Player 9 Series, see Windows Media Player 9 Series Help. Windows Media Player 9 Series can be downloaded from the Windows Media Download Center.
For list of frequently asked questions about Windows Media Player, see the Windows Media Player FAQ.
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