FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

FAQ'S

Question:
Where did the BlueChowder name come from?

Answer:
The name BlueChowder comes from “blue” – signifying clean, fresh, and cool, plus “chowder” – signifying a hearty meal or a place of encouragement. To us, it means connecting individuals, helping them find a life of fulfillment, seeking answers to the big questions, and having fun along the way!

Question:
How do I contact a Technical Support Representative?

Answer:
Before you contact Technical Support

We are dedicated to solving your problems as quickly as possible. With that in mind, we have addressed many common support issues within this Help site in the form of FAQs. Many questions can be answered by using the FAQ answers available in this section. By clicking the “FAQ's” tab at the bottom of the home page you may find that there is already a solution to your issue.

Emailing Technical Support.

If your question is not covered in the existing FAQ files or if you need further clarification, we do have a team of Technical Support Specialists standing by to answer your questions during normal business hours.To contact our team, click the "Contact Us" tab at the bottom the home page, and send email to the provided address.

We strive to answer all of your technical support inquiries within 24 hours.

Question:
I’m having trouble using Internet Explorer 7, what should I do?

Answer:
Our site is fully compatible with the latest version of Internet Explorer 7 for the Windows operating system. Sometimes, though, certain security settings or Internet Explorer add-ons can cause problems when customers attempt to download from our store. To reduce the risk of running into problems while trying to download, be sure that you have disabled all pop-up blockers, add-ons and virus protection before purchasing music from our store.

Security Settings

Our service has been tested to work on the default "Medium High" security setting. To check your security settings, within Internet Explorer click Tools->Internet Options and click on the Privacy tab. The slider here should be set to "Medium High". Also, on the Security tab click the "Custom Level" button, and be sure that the custom security setting is also set to "Medium High".

Add-ons and Pop-up Blockers

Some Internet Explorer add-ons designed to stop Pop-ups can also prevent our service from opening new windows required to download. To prevent this, we recommend you disable these add-ons before you download. To do this, within Internet Explorer 7 select Tools->Manage Add-ons->Enable/Disable Add-ons. From this list, highlight any Add-ons that might impact your security settings and click Disable.

Question:
I would like to purchase music from your store, how do I download music?

Answer:
1.Login with your Username and Password
If you’re a new user, you’ll need to register to purchase music. Complete the Member Login.
If you’ve already registered, then simply log in.

2.Search and purchase music
Use any of the search functions to find the music you want to purchase. Purchase the music using BluePoints or your credit card. Once you have purchased the music, you are prompted to download.

“Your transaction processor may vary. Please review to your site administrator for instructions”

3.Download your music
Click “Download Selected Songs”. To delay downloading, simply uncheck the “Download Selected Songs” box next to any song titles that you do not want to immediately download.
The “Start Download” button, as the name implies, allows immediate downloading.
To find those songs later, select “My Music Library” from the menu at the top of any page and you’ll find your songs listed in your Library Manager.

4.Install the software
This is an automatic prompting if you’re a new customer. Our software is part of the song downloading process the first time you download a song from us.

When you download your first song purchased from our store, the software is downloaded to your computer (a small download about the size of a single song file). You should see the software acceptance page. The Installation will begin when you click the "Yes" button to install now.
Note – This is also a good time to turn off (or configure) any anti-virus, firewalls and/or pop-up blocking programs (for the duration of the downloading process only).

If you’re a Windows XP service pack 2 OS user, look carefully at the download acceptance page and the song download page. You might see a message appearing in the task bar at the top of these pages with a blue shield icon. This is alerting you that a required ActiveX control needs to be added BEFORE installing the software. To proceed, simply click on this message and accept the necessary ActiveX control.

5.Download Tips
During installation, you will be prompted to specify a folder location to store your music files. You can either accept the default, or click the Browse button to navigate your computer to select the folder into which you want to download your music.

A downloading status window appears to indicate the progress of the download to your computer (queued, retrieving, downloading, and complete). Be patient here and wait for the pop-up message that indicates your download was successfully completed.

Question:
I'm still having trouble downloading, what can I do?

Answer:
Sometimes certain computer settings can cause your music not to download properly. If you experience problems downloading, try the following troubleshooting steps. If you are still unable to download the songs you purchased, you can contact a technical support representative for more assistance.

Download Tips

First, check to see if your music is available for downloading from inside your account Library Manager. From the home page, simply log in and navigate to the "Library Manager" (click on the "Library" button). Check the checkbox beside your song and press the "Download Checked Songs" button.

If the downloading process still fails after trying this, it could be due to an intermittent problem with the server or due to configuration issues on your computer that are preventing the download from completing.

Typically, you will see the following symptoms:

The song that you tried to download is listed with a status of 'error' on the Download Status page. You can hold you mouse pointer over the error to note the message detail.
You see a Download Status page after purchase music, but the download doesn't proceed or you see a persistent “hour glass” but nothing happens.

You see a status of 'Completed' on the Download Status page and you’ve been prompted that your music has successfully download, but you cannot locate the music anywhere on your computer.

Troubleshoot Checklist

If you experience one of these above or similar symptoms, please check for the following:

Connection: Are you on a dial-up or broadband connection to the Internet? If you’re on a dial-up modem, your download process could take in excess of 15 minutes per item.

Firewall: You may have some firewall, anti-spyware application, anti-virus, or other security software installed on your computer, which could be interfering with the downloading process.

You want to temporarily disable these applications.

ActiveX: Are you accepting the necessary ActiveX control if it prompts you? If you have installed the Windows XP Service Pack 2 upgrade, please check the software-acceptance and song download pages for a message box with a blue shield icon appearing at the top of these pages. The ActiveX prompting, if it appears, means an ActiveX control is required BEFORE installing the necessary software. To proceed, simply click on the message box with the [INSERT SHIELD] icon found at the top of this page and accept the ActiveX control. Windows XP Service Pack 2 produces this message (find out more about ActiveX and settings below).

Security: Many computers have redundant internet security programs running such as a dedicated security programs (Norton's, ZoneAlarm, MacAfee, etc). These should also be disabled temporarily or configured. Refer to your security program's help menu for instructions on how to configure pop-up and ad catcher programs. To turn off your pop-up catcher on your IE browser, go to Tools > Internet Options > Privacy tab and uncheck "Block pop-ups". Due to a wide range of third-party software installed on your computer, it’s best to consult your security program’s help guide and learn how to disable these features temporarily or configure these settings.

Intrusion: Have you run any anti-spyware programs lately? A spyware program or some other intrusion may be hijacking (or at least interfering with) your browser.

Pop-up Blockers: Once you configure Ad Blocking or Pop-up Blocking, information may still be blocked on the Web site. This is often because old Web site information is being used from your Web browser's cache. You must clear the cache for the configuration changes to work. That is why it is a good practice to clear out your browser cache (internet temp files) and cookies from time to time.

Clear the Cache

1.Start Internet Explorer.
2.Click Tools > Internet Options.
3.Click Delete Cookies.
4.When you see the prompt, "Delete all cookies in the Temporary Internet File folder?" click OK.
5.Click Clear History.
6.When you see the prompt "Are you sure you want Windows to delete your history of visited Web sites?" click Yes.
7.Click OK.

Add to Trusted Sites

We recommend that you make sure to add our URL to your Trusted Sites list in your IE Internet Options. To enable this:
1.Start Internet Explorer.
2.Click Tools > Internet Options.
3.Click the Security tab.
4.Select Trusted Sites and click the 'Sites' button to add a new trusted site.
5.Uncheck the box that reads, “Require server verification (https:) for all sites in this zone.”
6.Type in our URL and add this web site to the list.

Checking Active X Settings

The ActiveX controls you download onto your computer will add important web page functionality to your purchasing and downloading experience from our store. In addition, these controls enable 1Pass and other unique song-recommending features that allow you to earn points to pay for future music purchases.

Note: Our on-line store and all products we offer are safe for your computer and are free from viruses, spyware, adware, or intrusions of any kind.

To check your ActiveX settings:
In the IE browser, go to Tools > Options > Security > Custom. In the ActiveX section:
Disable automatic prompting for ActiveX controls.

Enable the following:
Binary and script behaviors
Download signed ActiveX controls
Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins
Script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting

Select to prompt for the following:
Download unsigned ActiveX controls
Initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe
Click OK.

For your convenience, the necessary ActiveX controls are bundled in the software download. Click "Yes" on the download page to accept ActiveX.

The Download Process was Aborted

If you were unable to download your songs once your purchase was complete, simply login and click "Library" to access your Library Manager. All purchased songs will be listed in your Library Manager (you can confirm songs have not been downloaded by checking the “Status On Computer” column). Select the songs you want to download and click the "Download Selected Songs" button.

Disable Popup Blockers

Pop-up blockers can interfere with the download process. For that reason, you may wish to disable any pop-up blocker programs before downloading music. Refer to your pop-up blocker's "help" text for instructions on disabling.

Question:
How do I find the songs I downloaded?

Answer:
If you’re having trouble locating your song files on your computer, here are some easy ways you can locate your music on your hard drive:

First, make sure that your music has, in fact, downloaded to your computer. To do this, navigate to the store’s home page and refresh. Then click the “My Library” button. In your library, you will see all of your music. If the download was successful, the Download column will read “Yes". If your music has not been downloaded, the Download column will read “No” and your music is ready to be downloaded. Check the songs that you want to download, then click "Download Selected Songs." Be sure to disable any pop-up blocker or firewall programs and be sure to accept the necessary ActiveX control if prompted.

If the music has successfully downloaded to your computer, the Library Manager page indicates the music file location on your computer. You can use Windows Explorer to browse to your file location. An example of a file location path might look like this (yours could be different):
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\My Music

Open up Windows Media Player and click on the "Library" tab inside Windows Media Player. You might click on each of the folders in the Media Player to see if your music displays in any of these. You can also use the Windows Media find audio files tool. To use this, open up Windows Media Player. Go to Tools, and choose “Search for Media Files.”

Finally, with any Windows OS, you can right click on your "Start" button and choose "Search". Enter a song title into the "word or phrase in the file" text box and search your hard drives for your song(s) this way. You will have to use an exact spelling to match the file.

Question:
Why won't the songs I've downloaded show up in my Windows Media Player “Library"?

Answer:
Windows Media Player loads new music into the library using a background process that can sometimes operate slowly. Therefore, it’s best to allow a few minutes for your music to display inside WMP after downloading.

If your music still does not display inside your WMP Library after a few minutes, try restarting Windows Media Player and waiting a few more minutes. If this still doesn't work, make sure that your music folder has not been removed from the monitored folders list of WMP. You can check this list of “monitored folders” and add additional folders to your list inside Windows Media Player by selecting:
Tools -> Options -> Library Tab -> Monitor Folders (button).

The default location of your "My Music" folder is as follows:
C:\Documents and Settings\My Documents\My Music

Yours may also be replaced with the username you use to login to Windows. For example, if your username were "Dave" your default My Music folder pathway could be:
C:\Documents and Settings\Dave\My Documents\My Music

Question:
How do I buy and download music from this store?

Answer:

Buy It

Choose your music using one or more of our available Search Options. These Search Options make it quick and easy for you to find what you are looking for. You can Search by: Artist, Album, Song, OR select a link for New Releases or Top Rated Albums.

Based on your search results, you can preview a song, then select the songs you want to purchase and click the "Add selected songs to Cart” button to purchase the songs.
The shopping cart appears and if you are not already logged in, the Login page appears where you enter your username and password, then click "LOGIN".

Download It

After you purchase, you have the option to download your music now or later. Check the songs you would like to download immediately and simply click "Download Now".

After your purchase, you are prompted to download your music. Simply click "Download Now".
On some, rare occasions you will not be prompted to download. If this happens, simply click the "My Music Library" button at the top of the page and you will be directed to the library of songs you have purchased. From here, be sure the song's checkbox is checked and click "Download Selected Songs". This is also the same location to download your music if you opted to download later.

Enjoy It

It’s that simple. All your music is safely and securely stored on your computer exactly where you want it for quick and easy access. Now open Windows Media Player and start enjoying your music.

Question:
Tips and Troubleshooting for burning your music to a CD.

Answer:

Before You Begin

Before the burning process begins, your computer inspects the CD. This process takes several minutes.

Playback may be affected if you try to play an audio CD while also burning a CD. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not try to perform any other actions while burning a CD.
If you are using a CD-R, you cannot burn additional tracks to the CD after burning is completed. If you are using a CD-RW, you can erase the entire CD before using the Player to burn items to the CD again.

Still Won't Burn?

Check the following:
1.Can you play your music using Windows Media Player?
2.Did you attempt to burn your music to CD using the same computer to which you downloaded your music?
3.Did you download your music directly to CD? Don’t attempt this. Rather, download your music to your hard drive first and then burn to CD in a separate process.

Question:
Do I have to download my songs right away?

Answer:
You do not have to download your songs at the time you purchase them.
After making your purchase, you can delay or postpone your downloading for another time. To delay downloading right after your purchase, simply select “Leave for Later”.

To find those songs later, select "My Music Library" from the menu at the top of any page. The songs that you have not downloaded appear in a list in your Library Manager. Select the songs you now want to download by clicking the Download Songs check box for each song you now want to download. Then, click "Download Selected Songs".

Question:
What is "Active X" and why do I need it to download my music?

Answer:
The ActiveX controls you download onto your computer will add important web page functionality to your purchasing and downloading experience from our store.
Installing the ActiveX controls are not required for browsing our store but are necessary to fully enjoy our service. Should you decide to make a purchase or use our passing features, you will be prompted to install the necessary ActiveX controls.

For your convenience, the necessary ActiveX controls are bundled in the software download. Click "Yes" on the download acceptance and song download pages, if necessary, to accept ActiveX.

Note: Our on-line store and all products available for purchase are safe for your computer and are free from viruses, spyware, adware, or intrusions of any kind.

Question:
Are songs downloaded from this store legal?

Answer:
Yes. Downloads sold from this store are legal when used in accordance with our terms of use as described within the Terms & Conditions and End User License Agreement (EULA). You're entitled to export your purchased downloads for personal, non-commercial use to compatible portable digital players that support secure Windows Media formats. We recommend Windows Media 9 or higher.

Our store has legal agreements with all of the major record labels, large independent labels and distributors to sell digital music online. Accordingly, we pay the appropriate wholesale price to the record labels per our agreement with them. The record labels, in turn, pay all artist and mechanical royalties as is agreed upon in their contracts with them.

Question:
Can I use iTunes and my iPod to play music from your store?

Answer:
Our MP3 music files can be played in Apple's iTunes and transferred to the iPod. DRM-protected WMA files, however, are not compatible with these products because iTunes will only read Apple's AAC protection. As a result, you can play the WMA files we offer on the hundreds of portable devices that are compatible with WMA protected files, along with most media players such as Windows Media Player, Real Player, Winamp, and Music Match to name a few.
Look for the PlaysForSure logo on a wide selection of devices and music stores. To visit playsforsure.com, click here.

Here are just a few manufacturers that you can contact for additional information about WMA supported devices:
Creative 1-405-742-6655
Dell 1-888-560-8324
RCA 1-580-634-0151
Gateway 1-888-888-2075
Rio 1-254-299-2759
iRiver 1-800-399-1799
Samsung 1-800-SAMSUNG (1-800-726-7864)
Irock 1-866-myirock (1-866-694-7625)

Question:
Can I purchase if I don't live in the United States?

Answer:
Not at this time. We are limited by the US record labels from selling to consumers without a US address and credit card drawn from a US bank.
If you live outside of the US, please check back with us frequently for updates on international availability.

Question:
What is the purpose for the software, and why am I required to download it onto my computer?

Answer:
Software Download Requirement

The required system software enables you to access and play any music purchased from our store and keeps track of the licenses for your music. The system software installs onto your computer when you download your first song. This software is a small download, about the size of a single digital song file, and can be uninstalled from your computer at any time.

The default location of the system software folder is C:\Program Files\Passalong. When you download your first digital music purchase, you will be prompted to create an additional folder to hold your music files.

Note: Our site, software client, and all our music are safe for your computer and are free from spyware, adware, viruses, and intrusions of any kind.

Security Warning/Active X

Prior to installing the software, you may get a security warning asking you if you want to install and run this Active X program. To become a registered user and complete your purchase, you will need to click "Yes" in the security warning box. This enables the installation of the necessary software on your computer, allowing you to purchase, download, and play digital music files from our store.

IMPORTANT: As a reminder, when downloading our software and any music, temporarily turn off any firewalls, anti-virus, and/or pop-up blocking programs (throughout the duration of the download only).

Question:
How do I transfer my music to a portable player?

Answer:
Transferring music to a portable player

There is no limit to the number of times you can transfer (also referred to as "sync") your music to your portable player.

To do so, we recommend the latest version of Windows Media Player (WMP). If you have any questions about transferring using Windows Media Player, refer to the WMP help topics.

Question:
How do I access my profile account?

Answer:
Your profile account contains information such as:

Username, Email, First Name, Last Name, D.O.B., Gender, Member Since, Address, City, Country, State, Postcode/ZIP

Accessing Your Profile Account

Once established, you can access your account from your BlueRoom page. Simply sign in using your account username and password, then click the “BlueRoom” tab at the top of any page. Once in your Blueroom choose the “My Profile” tab located on the left side of the page. Next select the “Edit Profile” tab located on the bottom of the My Profile page. Here you will be able to edit all the profile information.

Question:
Who do I contact for permissions, copyright and licensing issues?

Answer:
Rights and Permissions

Our store highly respects the proprietary rights of others, and we ask our customers to do the same. Accordingly, all of the songs that we offer from our store are licensed through digital distribution agreements that we have with the four major record company labels -- EMI, Warner, Universal, and Sony/BMG, as well as with many independent labels and content aggregators including IODA (Independent Online Distribution Alliance), CD Baby, and The Orchard.
The affiliation of content distributors with independent rights holders (i.e., labels, publishers, musicians, and songwriters, etc.) allows a collective bargaining power and enables independent rights holders to receive more favorable terms than would otherwise be possible. Our agreements with these content aggregator and distributor entities grant us, in turn, the right and license to list and sell the music of their affiliates.

If you believe that your work is being used in a way that constitutes a violation of any exclusive right, it is important that you inquire with your record company or distributor directly, and please have them contact us.

To assist you in this process, here are contact addresses for three of the largest digital distributors for independent record labels:

IODA - www.iodalliance.com
Licensing Contact: jack@iodalliance.com or info@iodalliance.com
CD BABY - www.cdbaby.net
Licensing Contact: digitize@cdbaby.com
THE ORCHARD - www.theorchard.com
Licensing Contact: andrea@theorchard.com
Here is a list of licensing contacts at the major record labels:
SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT - www.sonybmg.com
Licensing Contact: Michael Roberson michael.roberson@sonybmg.com
UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP - www.umusic.com
Licensing Contact: Rhonda Malmlund rhonda.malmlund@umusic.com
WARNER MUSIC GROUP - www.wmg.com
Licensing Contact: Warner Special Products www.onestoptrax.com
EMI-CAPITOL MUSIC GROUP NORTH AMERICA - ww.emicap.com
Licensing Contact: Alasdair McMullan, Esq. alasdair.mcmullan@emicap.com
U.S. Copyright Office - http://www.copyright.gov/
Contact: http://www.copyright.gov/help/general-form.html

If you have any additional questions concerning the usage or licensing copyrighted materials available from our store, please submit your detailed request in writing. Inquiries may be emailed to licensing@passalong.com.

Question:
How do I transfer my music to another computer?

Answer:
Transferring music to another computer

You can transfer our MP3 music files to another computer using any of the following methods:

External Storage Device

You can download or transfer your files to an external storage device such as a Flash memory card or external hard drive. Once the files are on the drive, you can then transfer the drive to another computer, and move the files onto that local hard drive.

Burn songs to a CD

By burning the songs as data or audio files to a blank CD, you can transfer the files to another computer.

Email or IM

You can use the file attachment feature of most Email and IM programs by sending the song file to yourself. Then, simply download the song to your new music folder.

You are now ready to enjoy your music!

Question:
How do I change my password?

Answer:
Getting a Password Reminder

When logging in, if you forget your password, simply select “Lost Your password?” below the member LOG IN. Then provide the email address associated with your account as well as any characters you see in the image below the email address. Then select “Retrieve Details”. For your protection and the security of your account, we will email you your username and Password.

Note: Check your entire email folder as this automatically generated email with your password may erroneously be placed into a spam or junk folder.

Important Note: We recommend copying and pasting your password directly from the email, as to eliminate the chance of entry inaccuracies.

Changing Your Password

If you want to change your password, you must first login. Once logged in, click on "BlueRoom". Once in your BlueRoom select the tab “My Profile”. Then simply select “Change Password” and enter and save your new password.

Question:
Why won't my music burn to CD?

Answer:
Before You Burn

Before the burning process begins, your computer inspects the CD. This process takes several minutes.

Playback may be affected if you try to play an audio CD while also burning a CD. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not try to perform any other actions while burning a CD.

If you are using a CD-R, you cannot burn additional tracks to the CD after burning is completed. If you are using a CD-RW, you can erase the entire CD before using the Player to burn items to the CD again.

Still Won't Burn?

Check the following:
1.Can you play your music using Windows Media Player?
2.Did you attempt to burn your music to CD using the same computer to which you downloaded your music?
3.Did you download your music directly to CD? Don’t attempt this, rather, download your music to your hard drive first and then burn to CD in a separate process.

Question:
What are the System Requirements?

Answer:
Internet Browser

You must have one of the following Internet browsers to download:
Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher
MSN
AOL
Firefox 1.01 to 1.5.3
Netscape 7.1 & 7.2
Platform

Operating System: Windows 2000 Professional, Windows ME, Windows XP (Home, Professional, or Tablet) or Windows Vista.

Hardware

Processor: 500 MHz Pentium III class or better
128 MB RAM minimum, 256 MB RAM recommended 5 MB of disk space is needed to install required software.
Each song purchased will require approximately 5 MB of additional disk space.
Software

The following software is required to download music:
DirectX 7
Windows Media Player 9 or higher
Required Internet Connection Speed
A high-speed Internet connection (cable modem, DSL, T1) is highly recommended but not required to download music. Downloading music over a phone line can take in excess of 15 minutes per song.

Disabling cookies could adversely affect the functionality of the site and your shopping experience, as well as your ability to download music.

Pop-Up Blockers

Pop-up blockers, anti-virus software, and firewall protection can sometimes interfere with the music downloading process. For that reason, you may wish to disable any security programs such as pop-up blockers and firewall protection for the duration of the downloading process. Refer to your security program's "help" text for instructions on disabling.

Question:
What payment methods are accepted?

Answer:
Accepted Payment Methods

We accept credit card payments from Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover in U.S. funds drawn from U.S. banks for music purchases

Sorry, we do not accept checks, money orders, or eCheck payments.

Question:
How do I register and log in?

Answer:
How to Register

From the sites home page, click "Sign Up Now" to display the Registration form. You need to register to purchase music. Enter all applicable information. Scroll to the bottom of the page to display BlueChowder's Terms of Use. Be sure to check the box to accept the Usage Agreement, then click "Sign Up".

How to Sign In

From the home page, enter your username and password, and then click "Sign In". Be sure to correctly type your username, and please note that your password is case sensitive.

Note: If you have more than one account, be sure to type the email address and password that apply to the account you want to use now.

Question:
What usage rights do I have with my music?

Answer:
Songs downloaded from our service will have the following permissions:

Download to Primary Computer

MP3 = 2 Music files in MP3 format may be downloaded twice from our store.

Transfer to Secondary Computers

MP3 = Unlimited Because of the flexibility of the MP3 file format, there is no limit to the number of times you can transfer your music to computers you own.

Here is an example of how this works: If you were to transfer your song file from your primary to another (secondary) computer, you would be prompted to acquire the license when you went to play the song. The prompting allows you to enter your User ID and password to successfully transfer your music up to 4 times.

CD Burns (from Primary Computer)
MP3 = Unlimited

CD Burns (from Secondary Computer)
MP3 = Unlimited

Transfer to Portable Devices
MP3 = Unlimited

This site reserves the right to change or modify the Content Usage Rights at any time without further notice. Music purchased prior to any such change, however, will maintain the usage permissions that were in effect at the time of such music’s purchase. Any burning or exporting capabilities of the download are solely an accommodation to you and shall not constitute a grant or waiver (or other limitation or implication) of any rights of the copyright owners of the sound recording and underlying musical composition embodied in the digital download.

Question:
What is my library and how do I access it?

Answer:
Once logged in select “My Music Library” from the menu at the top of the page to view your entire digital music library.

Use the Library to download music that you chose not to download during checkout. Simply select “My Music Library” from the menu at the top of the page to access your Library. Put a check next to the music you now want to download and click "Download Selected Songs."

Question:
Does this site support Windows Vista?

Answer:
All of our services are compatible with Microsoft's newly released Windows Vista operating system. If you have upgraded to this new platform, and your music will not download or acquire a license, you may need to upgrade to the latest version of our PassAlong Networks Software to enjoy your songs.

Question:
What is Install Shield / Install Shield Error?

Answer:
Install Shield

To facilitate the process of installing our system software, an Install Shield program runs in the background to allow a secure deployment of our software to our customers while they are connected to the network.

On rare occasions, a problem can occur with the Install Shield program which will temporarily halt the software downloading process. If this happens, you have the option to install the standalone version of the system software. From the software acceptance page, click the "standalone version" link. Once you’ve downloaded the standalone version (.exe file) to your computer, proceed with installing the system software.

Question:
How do I find a specific song or artist?

Answer:
Our store has several unique search features for you to use to find exactly the music you are looking for. Remember, no matter which search option you use, you want to be sure to spell your entries correctly.

Search

The easiest way to find a song or album is to use the “search” function that appears on almost every page on the site. From the Search drop-down list, select to search by Artist, Album, or Song.

Not Sure of the Exact Title?

If you’re not sure of the exact title, in the Search box, you can enter the first word(s) from the title. The results will likely include a variety of other matches as well. To limit the number of matches you get, provide as much information as you can.

Searching by Phrase

For more specific results, search for an exact phrase by enclosing the phrase or title in quotes. For example, entering “Let It Be” in the search box will only yield results that contain those words in that exact order. Without the quote marks, the search results will include any titles with the word “let” or “be” in them (the search function automatically excludes words like “it” “of” “and” or “a”).

Other Search Options

You can also mix and match your searches. For example, enter the following phrase: smoke on “the water” and it will yield results that include any titles containing “smoke” or “on” or “the water” in them.

Note: Incomplete quotation marks will be ignored in all searches.

Question:
Which Digital Players do you recommend?

Answer:
For our MP3 music files, you can use any player that supports the MP3 format, including Apple's iPod. You can play the WMA files we offer on the hundreds of portable devices that are compatible with WMA protected files, along with most media players such as Windows Media Player, Real Player, Winamp, and Music Match to name a few.

Look for the PlaysForSure logo on a wide selection of devices and music stores. To visit playsforsure.com, click here.

Answer:
File Formats

Our music store offers a large selection of both MP3 and DRM-protected (Digital Rights Management) WMA (Windows Media Audio) files. These formats provide optimum audio quality, while respecting the distribution rights of the Artists and the Record Labels.

DRM-Protected WMA Files

Ensure that you can legally acquire the license to play, transfer, sync, and burn music for your own, non-commercial use.

Can play and burn music on several high quality players.

MP3 Audio Files

Offer a more flexible format for expanded usage rights.

Can play on most high quality players, including the iPod.

Device

You can play the music we offer on the hundreds of portable devices. For DRM-protected WMA files, be sure your music player supports this protected file format.

Look for the PlaysForSure logo if you're shopping for a music device and you want to make sure the digital music you purchase will play on it. Here are just a few manufacturers that you can contact for additional information about DRM-protected WMA supported devices:
Creative 1-405-742-6655
Dell 1-888-560-8324
RCA 1-580-634-0151
Gateway 1-888-888-2075
Rio 1-254-299-2759
iRiver 1-800-399-1799
Samsung 1-800-SAMSUNG (1-800-726-7864)
Irock 1-866-myirock (1-866-694-7625)

iTunes & iPod Compatibility

Our MP3 music files can be played in Apple's iTunes and transferred to the iPod. DRM-protected WMA files, however, are not compatible with these products because iTunes will only read Apple's AAC protection.

Question:
How do I identify a Phishing fraud?

Answer:

Any company that conducts business on the Internet can become the target of a new form of Internet piracy called "phishing” (pronounced “fishing”). Often the most current methods used by phishers are fake emails, Web sites and pop-up windows, or any combination of these. The fraudulent emails or pop-up Web pages appear legitimate but are designed to deceive you into sharing personal or account information.

What these thieves want are your account numbers, passwords, Social Security Numbers, and other confidential information that they can use to plunder your checking account, run up bills on your credit cards, or steal your identity.

You should never provide any personal or account information in response to unsolicited emails or pop-up Web pages. Responding to such online frauds can jeopardize the security of any of your on-line accounts.

Our Commitment to Our Customers

We will never send emails asking customers to provide, update or verify their personal or account information, such as passwords, Social Security Numbers, PINs, credit or Check Card numbers, or any other confidential information.

How is my email address obtained?

Email addresses can be obtained from publicly available sources or through randomly generated lists. Therefore, if you receive a fake email that appears to have come from our company or any of our affiliate on-line stores, this does not mean that your email address, name, or any other information has been obtained from our store’s systems.

How can I help protect myself?

With a few simple steps, you can help protect yourself and guard your computer from fake emails and Web sites:

Delete suspicious emails without opening them.

If you do open a suspicious email, do not open any attachments or click on any links it may contain, and delete it.

Never provide sensitive account or personal information in response to an email.
Install and regularly update virus protection software.

Keep your computer operating system and Web browser current.

Protect your passwords. Do not write these down or share them with anyone.

Change your passwords regularly and use combinations of letters and numbers.

Avoid using your Social Security number as a username or password.

Please notify us immediately if you receive a suspect email claiming to come from our store.

Question:
Is your service safe for my PC?

Answer:
PC Safety

We are concerned about our customer’s privacy rights. For further information, please click on the links at the footer of any page from our store to review our Privacy Policy as well as the Terms & Conditions and End User License Agreement (EULA).

Our store, along with all other software and digital download products that we offer are safe for your computer. Our products are free from viruses and spyware or intrusions of any kind, and we will never send you spam or install tracking (Spyware) programs onto your PC.

Question:
What music software do you recommend?

Answer:
There are many good players that are compatible with our music. For our mp3 , the latest versions of iTunes, Winamp, Real, and Windows Media Player are great.

Any of these players, as well as Apple's iTunes software work fine with our more flexible MP3 file format.

Question:
What does your music store do to keep kids safe?

Answer:
Protecting Kids

We will never knowingly solicit personal information from children or send them requests for personal information. In addition, we participate in the RIAA's Parental Advisory labeling program, alerting parents to "explicit" material.

The "Parental Advisory" Label

In an attempt to help parents stay informed, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) established the Parental Advisory label, a voluntary program in conjunction with record labels and artists to warn parents of potentially inappropriate content. Music bearing this label may contain strong language or depictions of violence, sex, or substance abuse. When you see this warning, parental discretion is advised.

Explicit and Edited Content Labels

Anytime a song or album has been deemed "explicit," you will see an "Explicit Content - Parental Advisory" [PA] warning next to that song title or album listing. This is not a determination of whether or not this music is appropriate for a particular listener; it is merely a notice to consumers (parents in particular) that discretion is advised.

In some cases, labels and artists may also make available an edited or "clean" version of a song or album. When this is the case, an "Edited Content" [E] label will appear next to that song title or album listing. This is not a guarantee that the music will be free of any objectionable content; it's simply a notice to consumers that the album has been modified from the original and does not include all of the same content contained in the explicit version.

Since this is a voluntary program (artists and labels choose to participate) and evaluating lyrical content is not an exact science, parents are encouraged to be aware of the music their children are listening to and to use the resources available to make informed decisions about purchases.

Question:
What is my shopping cart, and how do I access it?

Answer:
Anytime you buy music, that song or album goes directly into your virtual shopping cart.
Access your shopping cart when you want to see what’s currently in your cart and when you want to delete an item that you already put in the cart. To access your cart, click the "My Music Cart" icon in the upper left of any screen.

You are not charged for any music in your cart until you complete the checkout process by using an acceptable payment method.

Note: Items remain in your shopping cart for 60 days.

Question:
How do I check my transaction history (including Bluepoints)?

Answer:

You can check your transaction histoy by logging in and selecting the "Transactions" tab located in the upper left of the site, next to the "Buy BluePoints" tab. Each transactions is organized by date, description, and points. The current balance is your total number of BluePoints left in your account.

Question:

How do I delete my account?

Answer:

You can delete you account by emailing CustomerService@BlueChowder.com, and asking them to remove your account. Please include your username, First and Last name, and email address.