Here is the general FAQ from the Amazon web site for the Amazon MP3 Downloads for anyone interested.
What does DRM-free mean? Digital Rights Management or "DRM" commonly refers to software that is designed to control or limit how a file can be played, copied, downloaded, shared, or accessed. DRM-free means that the MP3 files you purchase from Amazon.com do not contain any software that will restrict your use of the file. Why are Music Downloads only available in MP3 format? MP3 is the most widely compatible music file format and is supported by most media player applications, hand-held music devices, and some CD and DVD players. Our MP3 format also provides you with the freedom to transfer music you buy at the Amazon MP3 store to any device you'd like or copy it to a CD without restrictions of any kind. What are the technical specifications of MP3 Music Download files? Here's more information about music files from the Amazon MP3 Music Downloads store: Bit Rate: Where possible, we encode our MP3 files using variable bit rates for maximum audio quality and smaller file sizes, aiming at an average of 256 kilobits per second (kbps). Using a variable bit rate allows us to allocate a higher bit rate to the more complex sections of music files while using a smaller bit rate for the less complex sections. The average of these rates is then calculated to produce an average bit rate for the entire file that represents the overall sound quality. Some of our content is encoded using a constant bit rate of 256 kbps. This content will have the same excellent audio quality at a slightly larger file size. File Size: A typical 3-minute song takes up approximately 5MB of storage space. Download Times: A single MP3 file 5MB in size will download in less than one minute on a typical broad-band Internet connection. A similar download on a 56k dial-up connection can take up to 30 minutes. Album Cover Art: Album cover art is included with each song you download. Which computer operating systems are compatible with Amazon MP3? You can buy songs from any computer with a web browser capable of downloading files from the Internet. The MP3 files you purchase will download directly to your computer and are compatible with any system that can read the MP3 music format. The Amazon MP3 Downloader is a tiny application that is required for purchasing and downloading an entire album and is currently available for Mac and Windows operating systems. If you use Linux, you can currently buy individual songs. A Linux version of the Amazon MP3 Downloader is under development, and when released will allow entire album purchases. For more information, please visit the Amazon MP3 Downloader Help page. Do I need to install the Amazon MP3 Downloader to buy music? The Amazon MP3 Downloader application is required for album purchases but is not required for purchasing songs. If you prefer not to install the Amazon MP3 Downloader when buying songs, choose "Skip installation and continue" if prompted to install the Downloader. Please also choose "Save" when prompted to download the .mp3 file by your Web browser. Choosing "Open" will start your default media player but will not save the file to your computer. If you wish to purchase an entire album, you are required to use the Amazon MP3 Downloader available for Windows XP or Vista and Mac OS X 10.4 or higher. If you initiate an album purchase and the Downloader is not installed on your system, you will be prompted to install the Downloader or cancel the purchase. For more information, please visit the Amazon MP3 Downloader Help page. Why is the Amazon MP3 Downloader required to download albums but not songs? The Amazon MP3 Downloader queues up all songs from an album for download, saves them all to a specific folder on your computer, and can import them automatically to your iTunes or Windows Media Player library. The Amazon MP3 Downloader offers customers the simplest way to download and import multiple songs in one easy step. What is an .amz file? The first time you purchase from Amazon MP3, you may be prompted to open or save an .amz file if you have the Amazon MP3 Downloader installed. This file activates the Amazon MP3 Downloader and initiates downloading your MP3 song files. Be sure to select "Open" when prompted. Where are my music downloads from Amazon MP3 stored? If you use the Amazon MP3 Downloader application, the default storage location for downloaded songs is the "Amazon MP3" folder, found in the "My Music" folder on Windows and in the "Music" folder on a Mac. The Preferences menu in the Downloader allows you to select an alternate folder, but we highly recommend you use the default location. If you have iTunes installed, the Amazon MP3 Downloader will import songs into your iTunes library. If you do not have iTunes but you have Windows Media Player, the Amazon MP3 Downloader will import songs into your Windows Media Player library. You can change this behavior in the Preferences menu. What if I have trouble downloading my MP3 purchase? Some networks may have a Firewall enabled that prevents you from downloading from Amazon.com. Your network may also require that a specific Proxy Server is used to access the internet. Please consult your ISP or network administrator to see if there are security measures in place that are preventing your download. What do I do if I don't have an MP3 player? You will need a media player installed on your computer (like iTunes or Windows Media Player) or a hand-held MP3 device to enjoy your Amazon MP3 downloads. If your computer is not currently equipped with a media player, you can visit our Downloading a Media Player Help page for more information on compatible media players. Are there any restrictions on how I use the music I purchase? When you make a purchase from the Amazon MP3 Music Downloads store, you are also accepting and bound by the Amazon MP3 Music Downloads Terms of Use . The albums and songs you purchase from AmazonMP3 Music Downloads are free of Digital Rights Management software so that you have the flexibility to play them on any of your media players, PC or burn them to CD. Can I burn my MP3 files on a CD and listen to it on my CD player? Yes. MP3 files downloaded from the Amazon MP3 store should be compatible with most CD burning software or CD and DVD players capable of reading MP3 audio files. Why is the availability of some songs and albums different from the CD version? Record companies do not always have the rights to sell all the songs on a CD individually. This may be at the request of the artist or due to other contractual reasons. Additionally, digital versions of an album can sometimes contain bonus tracks not available on the CD, and sometimes the CD has tracks not available on the digital version. Record companies control what tracks are made available on specific formats, and Amazon MP3 will offer all tracks made available for sale. Why isn't music from my favorite recording artist available for download? Our ability to offer music to you in MP3 format is limited by the rights granted to us by the record companies. Currently, not all record companies grant us a license to sell their music for download in MP3 format. We are constantly working to establish and improve our agreements with record companies so we can offer a complete selection of music downloads in MP3. We do expand our selection frequently and encourage you to check back for new additions to our product catalog. Can I download another copy of my MP3 files after the initial purchase? Your Amazon MP3 Music purchases can only be downloaded once. After you have successfully downloaded the file to your computer at the time of purchase, we recommend that you create a backup copy. We are currently unable to replace any purchased files that you delete or lose due to a system or disk error. If you encounter a problem with an MP3 file immediately after purchase, please click the Customer Service button in the Contact Us box in the right-hand column of this page so we can determine how to help you. Can I return an Amazon MP3 Music Download after I buy it? As indicated in the Amazon MP3 Music Downloads Terms of Use , music downloads are not returnable once they have been purchased. If you need assistance with a purchase or download, please contact customer service. Audio List Help, Guidelines, Archives and more... http://www.pc-audio.org To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
