Napster's Quick Help
Answers to some of the questions you may have before installing Napster, starting to use the Napster service or while attempting to log in.
Once you sign in, you have several ways to get information about using Napster including a User Guide, Frequently Asked Questions, a searchable Help Index, Feedback and Help Request email forms, and tools to manage and personalize your account. If you're an existing customer, please sign in and visit our FAQs and User Guide for any questions you may have.
If you are a new customer and are thinking about becoming a subscriber, take a look at the FAQs listed below. They will answer some basic questions about Napster. You can review our minimum system requirements, familiarize yourself with protected WMA music files, list Napster compatible portable digital music players, and offer a few helpful items to get you started.
If the following questions do not give you the information you need, please contact us through the provided forms.
More help
If you are a current or new customer with questions or feedback about
Napster, please fill out the Help Request or Feedback form and send it
by clicking one of the buttons below. We review and appreciate all feedback,
but generally do not reply. If you require a response, please use the
Help Request form.
Once the form is sent, our Customer Support team reviews all help
requests and tries to respond within 24 to 48 hours. Thanks.
I forgot my password. Can you help me?
To recover your Napster password:
1. Start Napster from your desktop to open the sign-in dialog.
2. Click the link just to the right of the phrase, "Can't remember your password?"
3. Type in your email address and click submit. You must use the same email address that Napster has
registered for your account.
4. Once we confirm your email address, we will send you an email with your member name and password.
I can't sign in. What should I do?
If you can't sign in to Napster you can still click the PLAY OFFLINE button on the sign-in page and
play music that you have purchased and downloaded.
Here are some things to consider if you are having trouble signing in:
• A browser security level set to High can not only prevent you from initially signing in but also cause
problems with utilizing Napster. Try lowering the security level to Medium.
• Make sure that any firewall that you are using is set to allow communication from the Napster domain.
If you have a hardware firewall, you will need to make sure that ports 80, 443, and 1755 are open.
• Double check the spelling of your member name and password. Remember that passwords are
case-sensitive. Verify that you do not have the Caps Lock key on, and try re-typing your password.
• If you've forgotten your password, use the link on the sign-in window to request your password.
• Make sure your Internet connection is working: Try using Internet Explorer to browse to another Web
site, and check your IE settings*.
• Some ad-blocking software, such as AdSubtract, PopUp Killer, or @Guard, may prevent you from
signing into Napster and using Help areas unless it is properly configured. Make sure your ad-blocking
software is configured to allow URLs from Napster's root: *.napster.com.
* To Check your Internet Explorer Settings:
1. Select Internet Options...from Internet Explorer's Tools drop-down menu.
2. Go to the Connections tab and verify that the information is correct.
3. If you use a proxy server, click the LAN Settings... button and make sure the proxy server address
is correct. If you are not using a proxy server, make sure this box is not selected. Consult your
Network Administrator if you are unsure.
4. Go to the Advanced Tab. Scroll down to the Security section and make sure the Use SSL 2.0 check
box is checked.
How can I personalize and manage my Napster account and membership?
Once you sign into Napster, all of your account management tools can be found in the top left corner of the
application under the headings: File, My Account, and Help. Just select a topic from the pull down menus to
adjust the options and features available to you.
What if I just want to buy tracks or albums to burn to CD or transfer to a digital music player?
When you download the Napster software you can sign up for Napster Light. Napster Light membership is free
and provides access to most of the Napster catalogue so you can purchase tracks and albums. You can also use
Napster Light to rip CDs and organize all the digital music on your computer.
A comprehensive comparison of our membership options can be viewed by clicking here.
What can I do with music I buy on Napster? Music you purchase is yours to keep and comes with the following rights:
• Unlimited burns of individual tracks.
• Unlimited transfers to Napster compatible portable devices. Click here to see a list of devices.
• Copy your music to three computers.
Tip: Sign into Napster on a secondary computer and use the Copy Library feature to download tracks you've already downloaded or
purchased on another computer.
What are Napster's minimum system requirements? Napster's minimum system requirements are as follows:
• Operating System: Windows 2000 or Windows XP.
Napster is NOT supported on Windows 95, NT, 98, Me, or Macintosh.
Note: Windows XP and Windows Media Player 10 are required to use the Napster To GoTM service.
• Processor: Pentium-class CPU equivalent or better.
• Memory: 64MB of RAM minimum.
• Hard Drive: Approximately 13 MB for Napster.
Around 18 MB for Windows Media Player if it is not already installed.
Room to store purchased and downloaded tracks.
• Monitor: Napster can be viewed on a monitor with a screen resolution of 800x600 or greater.
• Sound Card: Sound card and speakers.
• Browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5.1 or higher. IE 5.5 requires service pack 1 or higher
(IE 6.0 is recommended). You can get IE 6.0 from http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.asp.
• Digital Music Player: Windows Media Player 7.1 or higher
(Windows Media Player 10 Series is recommended as it improves streaming quality and reduces
buffering times.) You can get Windows Media Player from Microsoft.
• Internet Connection: Active Internet connection.
To optimize your Napster experience, we recommend the following:
• Internet Connection: Active Internet connection -- broadband/128+ Kbps
• CD Burner: Napster's CD burning software supports most standard CD burners.
• Portable Device: To see what portable devices are supported by Napster, go to: http://www.napster.co.uk/compatible_devices/
• USB Port: A USB 2.0 port is recommended if you are connecting a portable device, as it provides
maximum transfer rates.
What type of music files and digital rights management software does Napster use?
Napster tracks downloaded to your computer are encoded with Windows Media Audio (WMA) format at 128 Kbps stereo.
Napster utilizes Microsoft Windows Media Digital Rights Management software to protect audio tracks. For more
information about the Microsoft DRM, click here.
Is it possible to get viruses from Napster?
Napster does not use scripting languages that are capable of any viral activity on our Web pages. The only
programs we deliver to your PC are the Napster application itself and the other components that form the
installation. These programs are thoroughly checked for viruses before we generate the installation.
In addition, to make sure that no one hacks our installation and replaces it with one that contains a virus,
we have a certificate assigned to us by VeriSign that permits us to sign our installation files. We do this
with every installation we generate and you will see evidence of this when you start the install process.
All other data and information delivered by Napster is in such a format that it cannot carry viruses.
Will Napster work from behind a firewall?
Napster will work behind most firewalls. If you are having difficulties installing Napster, configuring your
Windows Media Player, or streaming or downloading tracks, we suggest that you temporarily disable your firewall
or lower the security settings to see if this resolves the issue.
How do I cancel my Napster membership or the free trial period I am currently in? Napster Light Members
• There's No Need to Cancel
As a Napster Light member, you will never be charged unless you choose to purchase tracks
or albums. You can use Napster Light to search for and listen to 30-second samples of all
the songs in the Napster catalogue for FREE. You can also use Napster Light to play and
organise the digital music on your PC at no cost. Click here
for more information on Napster Light or subscribing to Napster.
Napster Subscription and Trial Period Members
If there is something we can help you with that has prevented you from enjoying your Napster
experience, we encourage you to first contact Napster Customer Support by clicking the Help
Request button above and selecting an appropriate help category from the drop down menu.
If you are in a Free Trial period - If you would still like to cancel, you can do so
now by logging into your account, clicking on "My Account" in the top-left corner, and selecting
"Account Status". Simply click on the "Cancel Free Trial" link at the bottom of the pop-up and
follow the prompts to cancel your trial subscription. Once you cancel your Free Trial you will
be downgraded to Napster Light. Napster Light is a free music store and there are no subscription
fees. You can use Napster Light moving forward to purchase tracks and albums, burn, and transfer
tracks.
If you would like our Customer Support department to process your cancellation request, please
use the Help Request form above and select "Cancellation Request" as the Type Of Help. Please
be aware that it may take up to 48 hours to process your request.
If you are a Paid Subscriber - To cancel your Napster subscription, please contact us by
phone at 020 7365 1079, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (GMT). Once you cancel your
subscription you will be downgraded to Napster Light. Napster Light is a free music store and
there are no subscription fees. You can use Napster Light moving forward to purchase tracks and
albums, burn, and transfer tracks
Do I need a credit card to use Napster?
Billing information from your credit card or PayPal account is required to take a free trial of Napster or Napster To Go. Napster Light does not require a credit card or Paypal account to register.
I am still in a free trial but it appears that I have already been charged a subscription fee by Napster. What am I seeing on my billing statement?
If you signed up for a free trial that required the submission of a form of payment, your financial institution may place an
authorization hold on your account to verify fund availability. This may appear as a charge, but please be assured that you will
not be billed the monthly subscription fee if you cancel during the free trial period. Please contact your financial institution
to answer further questions about authorization holds.
How can I restore Napster tracks that I've downloaded and purchased, or copy these tracks to another PC?
Use Copy Library to re-download your tracks after a hard disk failure or reformatting. You can also use the Copy Library feature
to make copies of your downloaded and purchased tracks on up to 3 PCs. Just sign in to your Napster account, select Copy Library
from the My Account menu and follow the prompts.
Does a Napster or Napster To Go subscription work with the iPod?
Napster would like to work with your iPod, but Apple has chosen to keep both the iPod and iTunes closed off from Napster and every other digital music service. Napster's philosophy is different. A Napster subscription gives you more ways to discover and enjoy music on more players. For a list of Napster-compatible players, click here.
Can I burn unlimited CDs for the price of my Napster or Napster To Go subscription?
Once you purchase a track or album you can burn it to CD, but CD burning is not included in the price of a Napster or Napster To Go subscription.
