In the digital age, portable music is becoming less of a luxury and more of a common reality. Computer users everywhere are transporting music with them on iPods, phones, PDAs and personal MP3 players. Moving music to your own MP3 player is not difficult; by following a few simple steps, you can take your favorite songs with you on the go.
Step 1
Download the appropriate software. Before you can download music to your MP3 player, download the appropriate software for your computer. Most MP3 players come equipped with a CD containing a specific music management software program. Apple's music management software, iTunes, syncs with all iPods. Microsoft's Zune player connects easily with all Zune MP3 players.
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Step 2
Select the music you want to download. You can select the MP3 player to download all of the songs from your hard drive or you can choose to only download certain songs. Find what music you would like to listen to, including podcasts, audiobooks, music videos and music files. Import these files into your music management software. The software will automatically organize the music based on the data associated with it, so there should be little organization necessary.
Step 3
Connect the MP3 player. Most MP3 players will connect to the computer via a custom-made USB cable. Other MP3 players use memory cards, and you can take those cards from the MP3 player and insert them into your computer to download music. Once the device is connected, wait until you see evidence of the connection on the screen: You should see the external drive located on the desktop, in the "My Computer" folder or in your music management software.
Step 4
Download the songs. Some music management programs automatically sync all your music as soon as you connect the MP3 player. Others require you to manually move songs from the computer to the MP3 player folder. However, most of these settings are adjustable, so transfer music in whatever way is most comfortable for you.
Step 5
Disconnect the MP3 player. Eject the appropriate drive from the computer by right-clicking or control-clicking the MP3 icon in the music management software. In iTunes, always eject the MP3 player before removing. In other Windows programs, you do not have to eject the MP3 player. Remove the USB from the computer, and wait for the MP3 player to finish loading. If using a memory card, eject the memory card and reinstall in the MP3 player.
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