There are many ways to convert FLAC files to MP3 in Windows. Which one is the easiest though? Well there is a web site that will convert almost anything, including those formats. It’s very easy, but it’s also very slow. It converts only one file at a time.

For faster conversions, your best bet is to do the following:

1. Download and install dBpoweramp.

2. Download and install the FLAC codec for dBpoweramp.

3. Click Start > Programs > dBpoweramp Music Converter > dBpoweramp
Batch Converter

4. Select the folders where your FLAC files are located. Then check the files you wish to be converted. Click Convert after they are all selected.

Read more… »

Create a playlist directly on your iPhone using the On-The-Go Playlist.

1. From the Home screen, tap Playlists.

2. Tap On-The-Go.

3. Browse the song list with the buttons at the bottom of the screen. Tap any song or video to add it to the playlist.

4. Tap Done when you are finished.

iLike is a great little application for Facebook that allows you to add your favorite music and dates for your favorite concerts to your profile. You can also use it to get free MP3 files. It’s probably the most popular Facebook application. Here’s how to add it to your profile.

1. Login to your Facebook account and click Privacy in the upper-right corner.

2. Click Applications.

3. Click the Edit applications page link.

4. Click the Browse More Applications button.

5. iLike may be listed there already, if not you can search for it and then click the iLike link.

6. Read this page if you need to learn more about how to use iLike to add music to your page. When you are ready, you can click the Add Application button toward the upper right corner of the pages.

7. Set the items you wish to allow or disallow the application to have access to. Click Add iLike when you are ready, and you’re done.

People that use headphones are said to go deaf over time because they tend to play music too high. Setting a limit on the volume on your iPod can be a good idea to prevent ear injuries. Here’s how to limit the volume level on your iPod Shuffle.

1. Plug in the iPod Shuffle.

2. Start iTunes.

3. Click the iPod Shuffle on the left.

4. Click the Settings tab at the top of the screen.

5. Check the Limit maximum volume box, then set the minimum audio level using the sound bar. You can also click the lock to prevent changes to the maximum volume.

6. Click Apply in the lower right corner.

If you have an iPod Nano or iPod Video, you can display lyrics to songs while the music plays. Here’s how to enable this feature.

1. Get lyrics off the web by searching for the song lyrics. For example, I wanted to find lyrics for “Across the Sea” a song by Weezer. I searched on Google for +”across the sea” +lyrics. I then clicked on a web page that contained the lyrics to the song.

2. Highlight the lyrics on the web page with your mouse, then select Edit > Copy.

3. First you have to add lyrics to the song manually. In iTunes, right click the song you want to add lyrics to and select Get Info.

4. Click the Lyrics tab.

5. Right-click into the box and select Paste. The lyrics should be then be pasted into the box.

6. Sync the song on iTunes with your iPod.

7. When you play the song, the lyrics to the song should show on the screen after pressing the center button a few times.

There have been many users of iTunes that have hit a problem when they upgraded to version 7.6. After the upgrade, problems are occurring where no audio is playing.

The problem appears to be with QuickTime, which is bundled with iTunes. Some users downgraded to an older version of iTunes or QuickTime to fix the problem. However now there appears to be a fix available. You can simply download the new version of QuickTime.

When trying to burn a music CD with iTunes, you get the following message:

The songs in this playlist will not fit on one Audio CD
Do you want to create multiple Audio CDs with this playlist split across them?
This will require more than one blank CD to complete.

even though you are not trying to burn more than the CD can take.

I came across this problem and discovered that it was a problem with an MP3 file I had downloaded from the Internet. The file was corrupted and was causing this problem.

I had to remove one song at a time and try to burn the compilation without that song in order to track down exactly which file was causing the issue. Once the song was removed, iTunes burned the audio CD fine.

Now that iTunes is offering movies, you may want to consider setting parental controls within iTunes.

1. Click Edit > Preferences in Windows, iTunes > Preferences in Mac,

2. Click the Parental Control tab.

3. Set the criteria for what will be password protected from your kids.

4. Click the lock to set a password. Enter your Windows or Mac password for the account with admin rights.

5. Click OK then OK again when done.

When you burn CD’s, do they skip no matter what kind of player you play them in? I had this problem recently, and I ended up having to swap out my drive entirely. Here are a few steps you can try before resorting to that though.

1. Check for flash updates from your CD burner manufacturer - This step is easily the most common fix for most CD burning issues. Flash ROM updates can usually be obtained on the manufacturer’s web site. Please also note, I am not talking about drivers.

2. Try different media - Did you get burnable CD’s for a penny each? There’s a reason. Try buying better media. Verbatim media seems to work the best for me.

3. Try burning at a lower speed - Sometimes manufacturers like to claim that the equipment can burn at a super fast speed. Sometimes it’s better to lower it a bit. My burner for example won’t burn well at 32x. I have to set my software on one of my computers to burn at 16x. It takes longer, but I will suffer waiting for my discs to burn rather than suffer when I try to listen to the disc in my car.

4. Use different burning software - The software is rarely the cause, but every now and then there may be a problem between certain hardware and software.

5. Replace the burner - If you’ve exhausted all of the above, it might be time to just get a new burner. I have regularly made the mistake of buying cheaper, “no name” burners and as a result I have had to replace my burner every 2 to 3 years or so.

Feel free to share your own Cd burning tips in the comments section below.

How to erase all data off of your Zune and start new. This can be a good option to try if you are experiencing problems with files on your Zune or it regularly becomes unresponsive.

1. Select Settings.

2. Select Device.

3. Select Sync Options.

4. Select Erase All Content.

5. Select Yes and confirm that you want to delete all content from the device.

All of your files will then be removed from the Zune.

This article was compiled based on information provided in the Microsoft article:
Error message on your Zune device: “The item is missing or can’t be played”

Set your Windows Mobile device alarm to wake you up to your favorite music.

1. Download The Core Pocket Media Player from here. Install it.

2. Select Start > Settings.

3. Select the System tab.

4. Select Clock & Alarms.

5. Select the Alarms tab.

6. Enter a description for the alarm.

7. Select the day you want the alarm to sound.

8. Open The Core Pocket Media Player and play the song you want to set for your alarm.

9. Turn off the device while the song is playing. When the alarm sounds, the song will play.

This article adapted from a forum entry at PocketPCmag.com by Spudley112

iTunes has a feature that allows you to merge tracks from a CD. This will create a single track for 2 songs that will play without the pause in between the tracks.  Please note that this can only be performed on songs from a CD before you import them into iTunes.

Note: These steps are for iTunes for Windows. 

1. Click the CD on the left side.

2. Click on one of the tracks you wish to merge, then hold down the CTRL key and select the other song.

3. Click Advanced >  Join CD Tracks.

4. Now you can import your CD into iTunes. The tracks you selected will be merged.

See also:
Join Tracks in iTunes

By default, iTunes has an option when you right click on a song to Convert Selection to AAC. This format isn’t friendly with some music players. What if you want to convert the music to MP3 format? Well here’s how to enable the Convert Selection to MP3 option in iTunes.

1. In iTunes, click on the Edit > Preferences.

2. Click the Advanced tab.

3. Click the Importing tab.

4. On the Import Using menu, select MP3 Encoder click OK.

Now the option to Convert Selection to MP3 will be available when you right click on an music track.

Need to extract the music files off of your iPod to your PC? I located a handy tool that will take all of the music files from your iPod and convert them into MP3 format. It will also copy your video files as well.

The tool is called iPodExtract. I prefer it because it has a very simple interface. Just select your iPod drive, then select where you want the files to go. Please note that the iPod must be enabled as a hard drive before using this tool.

How to enter Recovery Mode on the Creative Labs Zen Vision W MP3 player.

1. Ensure the unit is detached from the computer and powered off.

2. Remove the battery.

3. Move and hold the Power button to the Power On position while re-inserting the battery.

4. Hold the Power button until the Recovery Mode screen appears.

You will then have the option to Clean up, Format, Reload OS / Firmware or Reboot.