Mp3’s
When looking for MP3 players, there are a couple of questions you will want to explore before deciding on what player to choose.
| Where will you be getting your music from |
| How much memory do you need |
| What is the difference between an iPod and Mp3 player |
| How do I get music on the computer |
| How do I get music on to my Mp3 player |
| How do I get pictures and videos onto my Mp3 player |
This is an important question because certain players are limited to individual download services. Most MP3 players will come with software or have software available that will allow you to take music you already own on CD and store it on your computer to use with your MP3 player. If this is all you will be doing, The vast majority of players will be just fine for you. If you plan on downloading music however, you need to be careful on which player you choose. There are multiple sites out there that allow you to download music. Currently there are two main formats available. Paying a per song basis is currently the most popular choice. This is a very common way to buy music on the internet. Songs usually range around $.99 and after you purchase it, you own the song and can play it on your MP3 player, computer, or burn it to CD. Another way to listen to music are sites which require a monthly fee, and you can listen to whatever you like whenever you like. there are players that work with these types of websites and you can load them with MP3’s as well. With the monthly fee, you don’t technically own the song. This means you will not be able to burn the MP3 to CD, and you will need to reload your MP3 player because the songs will delete themselves after a period of time. Rhapsody and Napster are common sites that have this service available. These sites will usually let you buy the song for $.99 as well. You might want to research these and other sites and compare your tastes of music to what they have available. Not all artists are available online, and many artists aren’t represented on each site. One of the most common sites out there is iTunes. it is very easy to use, and has a lot of artists, but it will only work with the iPod, and the iPod will only work with iTunes. The same is true for the Microsoft Zune. It is limited to the Zune marketplace. Most other players allow you to work with nearly all other websites, With the exception of the two mentioned above.
Another important aspect to consider is the amount of memory you need on your MP3 player. There are two memory types to consider, and depending on how you plan on using your MP3 player, one will be a better fit for you than the other. The first is flash memory. This type of player usually comes in 1GB to 8GB. Now you can fit roughly 200 songs per 1GB of memory. If your using your MP3 player for short trips or working out, having up to 3200 songs on a flash memory can be quite enough. Flash memory is also great if you plan on being active with your MP3 player. This type of memory has no moving parts, making it good for jogging and other activities requiring constant movement. If you would prefer to have your entire library catalogued on your MP3 player, there are much larger sizes available, from 20-GB to 160GB. This is good for people who want a large selection of music to choose from, and also don’t want to manage your music very closely.
an Ipod is a type of MP3 player. It is Apple’s brand of a music player and offers similar features to that of other brands. It is important to note that an iPod will only work with iTunes, Apple’s music management software. So if you plan on buying music online, make sure you check out iTunes and determine if its right for you.
There are two ways of getting music onto your computer. The first involves taking music you already own on CD of other audio formats and putting it onto your computer, and the second is downloading music from the internet.
you will need to put the CD into a CD or DVD ROM/Recorder. Usually your computer will have some type of music management software that will allow you to copy your CD to a file on your computer. With Windows, a window will pop up with multiple options for you to select from. One of those options is copy to file. Make sure you keep track of where you are storing your music, as it can become hard to manage if it isn’t all in the same place.
such as audio cassette and vinyl records, you will need to purchase software and an adaptor that converts analog audio to digital. These can be found easily at many stores that carry computer software. With these programs, you will need to use something to play the media you are trying to place onto your PC, such as a cassette player if you are converting audio tapes. Then as you play the music on your player, it will send the audio through the converter and be put onto your computer. Make sure you get software that is designed for this, as the audio quality from cassettes and vinyl can be poor when transfered into digital. With the right software, you can get all of the audio quality possible from your analog sources.
Once you have music on your computer, your MP3 player should have some type of software that is included or is available for download. Although the method may vary between different types of software, there are two common ways to get your software to recognize and categorize your music. The first is automatically. this is where the software scans your computer for audio files, and comes back with everything it finds, allowing you to select it in the software to be put on your player. Another common method is drag and drop. This is where you open up your music folder and your MP3 software, and drag the file into the software, making it available to be transferred to your player.
This process is similar to how you would get your music to your player, but with picture and video files. Make sure you find out what sizes of files your player can take, as some pictures and video, if not compressed, can take up large amounts of space and may not be transferable to your player until it is converted into a smaller file format.
