FAQ - Music Sites
- How can I use PayPal on any music site, even if they don't accept it?
- There is an entire article at SongBoom devoted to how to do this. Please access it right here.
- I think my ISP is blocking me from using a music site. What do I do?
While filtering your internet experience is illegal in many countries, sometimes ISPs do so without regard for the law (and risk losing "common carrier" status other places).
One possible solution is to change your DNS server to one that will point you to the correct place. To do this in Windows, try the following:
- Open Network Connections
- Right click your specific net connection (LAN?) and choose properties
- Choose 'Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)' and click 'Properties'
- Choose 'Use The Following DNS-Server Addresses'
Default DNS-server : 208.67.222.222
Alternative DNS-server : 208.67.220.220 - Click OK
- Click OK
On other platforms you'll have to find out where your DNS settings are and change them accordingly.
Make sure that you note your old settings in case you want to set them back. For more information on using OpenDNS, please see the OpenDNS Wikipedia page.
- What is Webmoney, and how can I use it?
Webmoney is an online method of payment very similar to PayPal. You can use it to accept and make payments at thousands of places online, transfer money to other people, or even use it as a payment method on your own online store. You can have multiple accounts in different currencies that correspond with the US Dollar, Euro, Russian Ruble, and other currencies.
Several of the sites reviewed at SongBoom accept Webmoney as a payment option. To get started, go to the Webmoney website and sign up.
Most people that are familiar with conducting Bank Transfers will find Webmoney very easy to use, since a Bank Transfer is the easiest way to put money into your Webmoney account. However, not all people are familiar with making Bank Transfers; therefore, here are some hints on how to fill up your Webmoney account:
1) Bank transfer. I know it might sound scary (or difficult) if you've never done it before, but it's really not. Here in Europe it's such a standard thing that it really only takes about 2 minutes online to complete one. In the US, if you have an online banking service it might be easier - you can probably do the transfer in your browser rather easily. The only downside is that most US banks tend to charge crazy fees ($10-$30 or similar) for doing a transfer unless the account is at the same bank. Maybe you will be lucky and a transfer will be easy.
2) Get a CashU card (or if you're in the UK or Europe, check UKash or paysafecard). You can fill this card with a credit card and then transfer it to your Webmoney account here. This has the advantage that you can use your credit card, but you've got to go through an extra step to do it. This should work fine for people from the USA.
3) Transfer from a different e-currency. There are several websites that will exchange money from PayPal directly into Webmoney (for example, here here and here) - but you have to pay quite a high commission to do so. The exchange rates quoted on some of those sites are a hefty 13.9-17% when making the exchange using PayPal. I cannot personally attest to the service of any of those sites.
- Is it safe to use my credit card with these sites?
Usually payment is handled by third party with several of these sites; the reputation of that third party can easily be looked up on the internet. For example, many sites use SWREG or ChronoPay as a payment processor - and you can be sure that your data is as safe with them as any other online payment method.
If the site handles credit card payment onsite, then your best bet is to see what others have said about the site online and here in the forums. If you are unsure, please don't hesitate to post a question in the forums to hear what other people have to say about a particular site.
- How do I choose which site is right for me?
Read the article "Beginners Guide: How to Pick the Right Store for You". It will give you a fast run-down of the most popular sites, as well as some of the services different sites have to offer. You can also check the reviews shown on the navigation bar on the left for more detailed information on any site you are interested in.
If you want to get a quick overview of all the sites at once, take a look at the comparison matrix - you can find links to the reviews from there as well.
- How do I download several songs at once?
If you use a site that doesn't have a download manager of its own, you'll want to install a what is called a download manager. If you order an entire album, for example, a download manager will automatically grab the links for each track and download them one at a time (or simultaneously, if the site supports it).
A download manager made specifically for downloading music is being developed at SongBoom, and we'll be releasing it soon. For more information, please see the short article written about it.
Several good ones exist and are completely free. Please see the forums under "Software->Download Managers" for an updated list of good choices.