Frequently Asked Questions

1. WHAT IS PINOYTUNES?
   Pinoytunes is an online music downloading store of Original Filipino (Pinoy) Music offering thousands of Pinoy songs from established and emerging artists in every music genre from top Philippine record labels and Manila-based international labels.
   
   Pinoytunes is a membership-based digital music service and online store that allows consumers to own music (and not rent them) and sells songs in the MP3 format - the only digital music format that is universally compatible with all digital music devices, including the market leading IPOD (R).
   
   Pinoytunes offers a diverse and wide-ranging catalogue of Pinoy music from current releases, up-and-coming hits, multi-awarded songs, and an unrivalled collection of "hard-to-find"/ classic tracks and regional songs in various Filipino dialects of every conceivable genre from the Philippines' top record labels and independent labels.
   
   Pinoytunes sells music in the MP3 format - the most widely utilized digital music format, used by millions of consumers worldwide. It is the only format that offers all the functions of physical music products such as the CD. The MP3 format allows consumers to play songs/tracks on any device, burn CDs and make copies for personal use.
   
2. HOW DO I BECOME A MEMBER OF PINOYTUNES?
   Becoming a member of Pinoytunes is easy and you only pay a one-time membership fee of only $ 7.99 .
   
   To become a member, create an account by registering your username and password by filling out the boxes at the upper right area of the homepage. Another page will appear where you will register your personal information data to be recorded in the Pinoytunes database.
   
   Once you have created an account and confirmed your registration, you become a bonafide Pinoytunes member and are now ready to download your songs and buy your favorite tracks from the site. Just search for the song you wish to avail from the given genre and selections and click the song titles of your choice. You will be shown the simple step by step downloading procedures.
   
3. WHAT DO I GET OUT OF BEING A MEMBER OF PINOYTUNES?
   As a Pinoytunes member you are entitled to view and choose from the wide-ranging music catalogue of Pinoytunes. Simply follow the simple downloading step-by-step procedures provided at the point of purchase. If you ever get stuck, or need help, just send us an email with your question at info@pinoytunes.net and a support person will email you back and show you what to do next.
   
   Membership with Pinoytunes allows you to access:
   

   • Over 5,000 OPM songs to choose from and continually updating
   • Hard-to-find/ Classic songs and albums
   • Wide range of regional songs (Ilocano, Cebuano, Visayan, Bicolano, Tagalog,etc.)
   • New and Current releases
4. HOW LONG WILL I HAVE TO WAIT TO ACTIVATE MY PINOYTUNES ACCOUNT AND DOWNLOAD/BUY SONGS?
   After you are done setting up your account and paying your one-time membership fee, you will get a confirmation mail with your desired username and password. At this point your account with Pinoytunes has already been activated, and you can now login and start browsing the Pinoytunes collections.
   
5. HOW DO I BUY AND DOWNLOAD THE SONGS FROM PINOYTUNES? WILL THIS BE A COMPLICATED PROCESS?
   After your membership account has been created by paying the "one-time" membership fee of $ 7.99, you are now ready to buy and download songs from Pinoytunes. We have made it easy for you to download your songs by following a step by step procedure. You may click the "3 Easy Steps to Download" button at the "view more" page.
   
   For those new to downloading, the task might look complicated at first but after your first try and after hearing your music, downloading will be virtually a breeze. Just follow the steps provided each time you download from Pinoytunes.
   
   First, you need to have the appropriate media software program installed in your computer to be able to play your downloaded songs from Pinoytunes which are on MP3 format. Among the popular MP3 software programs, we recommend Windows Media Player, Itunes, Winamp, Real Player or Musicmatch.  Depending on what MP3 program you use, follow the basic steps in order to download a song from Pinoytunes.
   
   Browse from the genre, artists, song titles, and albums  available on the site. Click on the button located below each song that you want to download.
   
   The songs you choose will go to a shopping cart and will be queued in the cart until you are ready to check them out. Once you have confirmed your purchase and have checked out, by clicking a few icons/buttons, the cart will go to the Payment System page. Your credit card will go through the verification and approval process, after which, you click a button to return to the Pinoytunes site where you will see the songs you have purchased.
   
   When ready, click on the "download" button to download your songs to your computer. When downloading the songs that you have purchased, a dialog box with a question will appear and ask you where or what location you want to save the MP3 file/song. It is always recommended that you choose to save the file/s to a directory on your computer's hard drive. This way you can store the songs and software first to be reinstalled at a later date without having to download again. After the download to your hard drive is complete, you can choose which MP3 program you wish to store and play the songs with and start the step-by-step process required by your MP3 program (Itunes, windows media player, etc.) to download the songs you have purchased.
   
6. HOW LONG DOES IT NORMALLY TAKE TO DOWNLOAD A SONG?
   Users with high-speed internet connections like cable or DSL, can download a song in less than a minute. Downloading a 3-minute song on a standard 56.6 modem should take about 7 to 8 minutes. Download time is directly proportional to the length and file size and the speed of your internet connection. A standard modem is also just fine for downloading songs, however, the faster your connection, the faster your downloads will be.
     
   Download speed also vary depending upon any number of factors including your particular internet service provider and the amount of network traffic.
   
   Having a download manager will aid in the downloads of your mp3 files. Like FlashGet, Download Accelarator Plus (DAP) etc.  You may also click on the "3 Easy Steps to download" button in the view more page.
   
7. HOW DO I PLAY PINOYTUNES DOWNLOADS ON MY COMPUTER?
   Once you have downloaded from Pinoytunes and saved it on your computer's hard drive, you can add them to your MP3 software program by following the direction below:
   
   Adding downloads to Windows Media Player:
   

   • Once you Windows Media Player program is ready...
     • Click on "file" in the top left corner of the program
     • Click "Add to Library"
     • Click "Add Folder"
     • Select the "Pinoytunes Folder or Pinoytunes Saved Media File"
     • Click "OK" to import your new downloads
       

   Adding downloads to Itunes
   

   • Once you Itunes program is Open...
     • Click on "File" in the top left corner of Itunes
     • Click "Add Folder to Library"
     • Select the "Pinoytunes Folder or Saved Pinoytunes Media File"
     • Click "OK" to import your new downloads
       

   Adding downloads to Winamp
   

   • Make sure you have downloaded the latest version of Winamp...
     • Open Winamp...
     • Click on "Add Media to Library" symbol next to "Desktop" to display all the files and folders on your computer's desktop and locate your "Pinoytunes folder/media file"
     • Select the "Pinoytunes Folder or Pinoytunes Saved Media File"
     • Click "OK" to import your new downloads
       

   Adding downloads to Real Player
   

   • Once you Real Player program is ready...
     • Click on "File" in the top left corner of the program
     • Click "Add Files to Library"
     • Click on "Desktop" in the left hand side of the window
     • Select the "Pinoytunes Folder or Pinoytunes Saved Media File" and click "Open"
     • Select the name of the artist you would like to import and click "Open"
     • Select the name of the album you would like to import and click "Open"
     • Select the files you would like to import and click "Open" to import your new downloads
       

   Adding downloads to Musicmatch
   

   • Once you Musicmatch program is Open...
     • Click on "File" in the top left corner of the program
     • Click "Add Tracks to Library"
     • Click on "Desktop" in the left hand side of the window
     • Select the "Pinoytunes Folder or Saved Pinoytunes Media File" on the desktop or locate your "Pinoytunes folder/media file"
     • Click "OK" to import your new downloads
       

   Alternatively, you can right click on the mp3 file and either select "Play" or "Add to media player", this will cause the file to play on Windows Media Player.
   
   Another way would be to double click the mp3 file and the default player will load up and play the song.
   
   Always download the latest versions of your MP3 software programs from their websites. Pinoytunes strongly recommends the use of Windows Media Player (version 9 or higher) or iTunes (version 7.3 or 7.4 or higher) to playback the tracks that have been downloaded.
   
8. HOW DO I FIGURE OUT WHICH SONG TO DOWNLOAD? WHAT KIND OF SONGS OR MUSIC DO YOU HAVE AT PINOYTUNES?
   The best way to figure out which song is the best for you to download is to register and become a member where you will be entitled to view, review and choose from the entire Pinoytunes catalogue.  Read the song titles one by one, check out the album covers and short descriptions of each album (if any).. You can also browse by artist or by genre all in just a few clicks.
   
   Pinoytunes offers thousands of original Pinoy music tracks from top Philippine record labels, Manila-based international labels and independent labels. Best of all, a variety songs and albums, new artists and labels are added every week. The vast catalogue is cultivated each week spanning every conceivable music genre and style from the old, hard-to-find classics and regional songs in Ilocano, Cebuano, Visayan, Bicolano and Tagalog dialects to current releases and new hits .
   
   Pinoytunes has deep relationships with the top Philippine and Manila-based record labels, enabling it to offer both "old" and hard-to-findcatalogs and cutting-edge music to its members.
   
   Pinoytunes is an on-line member-based service/music retail store allowing members to download tracks for substantially less than they would pay other music download stores.
   
9. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PINOYTUNES AND OTHER OPM (ORIGINAL PINOY MUSIC) DIGITAL MUSIC SERVICES?
   Pinoytunes is focused on servicing the needs of the "hard-to-find and classic pinoy music fans" and the record labels that have a huge back catalogue of this culturally rich and "nostalgia-eliciting" pinoy music. Pinoytunes is unique in that it offers a diverse catalogue of thousands of tracks from established, popular and emerging artists in every genre and from every generation.
   
   Pinoytunes offers value to the labels and members since its membership-based service enables it to offer downloads at costs substantially lower than other digital music services/stores.
   
   Pinoytunes is also geared to avid fans of Filipino music from the early years (50's to the 80's), regional songs performed in various Filipino dialects, hard-to-find collector's items which Pinoytunes managed to unearth. It is focused on one thing - helping you rediscover your Filipino music roots whatever part of the globe you are in. Most other digital music services only promote today's top hits, popular artists, new artists and neglect the thousands of great classic and regional albums and artists that made it big in the past and are rich in imparting Philippine culture and history through music.
   
10. CAN I TRANSFER OR ADD PINOYTUNES DOWNLOADS TO MY PORTABLE MEDIA PLAYER OR IPOD? HOW CAN I COPY/TRANSFER THEM TO MY PORTABLE DEVICE?
    You can download your saved MP3 songs to your portable MP3 player by opening it from its location in your directory or hard drive. Each MP3 software program has its own procedure on how to transfer MP3 files from its program into a portable device.
    
    Below are step by step procedures in downloading your saved Pinoytunes songs to specific portable devices. Please note that as you download more songs/tracks from Pinoytunes, you will need to repeat the process of first saving your purchased songs into your computer, transfer them to the MP3 software program installed in your computer, followed by the procedures of transferring them into your portable device.
    
    Transfer to IPOD
    

    1. Once your MP3 songs/tracks are downloaded and saved in your computer's hard drive, launch Itunes.
    2. Drag and drop the "Pinoytunes folder or saved media file" on your computer's desktop or from the directory/location in your hard drive where you have saved the file, into your Itunes Library.
    3. Your Pinoytunes downloads will now appear in your Itunes Library.
    4. You can now add these songs to your iPod once you've connected your iPod to your computer.
       

    Transfer to LYRA
    

    1. If your Lyra Digital Audio Player isn't already connected to your computer, connect the Lyra to the computer using the USB cable that came with your player and press the ON button.
    2. Go to the "Pinoytunes folder or saved media file" on your computer's desktop or from the directory/location in your hard drive where you have saved the file/s and click copy to copy all the files/folders you wish to add to your player.
    3. Open the Start button on the lower left corner of your computer screen and select My Computer.
    4. From My Computer, select the drive associated with your Lyra Digital Audio player and paste all the files you want to transfer to your Player.
       

    Transfer to I RIVER
    

    • In order to copy music to your player, you must use Windows Media Player 10. If you do not have it installed, just obtain it at www.microsoft.com/windowsmedia/download/

    1. Connect your USB cable to the USB port on the player and to your PC. Turn on your player.
    2. Open Windows Media Player.
    3. If you have not already done so, add your Pinoytunes files to your Library by dragging them from the pinoytunes folder on your desktop or from the directory where it is located and dropping them into All Music.
    4. Locate the song/s you wish to copy from the Library and right-click on the file/s.
    5. Select "Add to - Sync List". A 'Sync list" will appear on the right side of Windows Media Payer listing all the songs to be added to your player. Repeat for all the songs you would like to add to your player.
    6. Click the "Sync" menu button. On the right side of the Sync screen choose your player from the download list.
    7. Click Start Sync to transfer the items on your sync list to the player. A progress indicator will show each file transferring.
       

    Transfer to I AUDIO
    

    1. Make sure you have installed the JetShell software that came with your product
    2. Turn your player on and connect it to your computer using the cable provided by the manufacturer.
    3. Locate the Pinoytunes folder/files in the "File Management Window" (the files and folders listing that appears in JetShell).
    4. Select the files you wish to download to your player and click the Down arrow.
    5. A window will appear indicating the status of the download. Do not disconnect your player until your download has completed.

    Other Filipino music sites only offer downloading to WMA or Wondows Media Player which can only play downloaded songs on a PC (personal computer).  Pinoytunes makes use of the MP3 format which enables you to save your downloaded songs on your PC and download it to a portable device.

11. WHICH OPERATING SYSTEMS WILL WORK WITH PINOYTUNES?
    Pinoytunes software and downloads currently work with the Windows XP, Windows 2000 and Windows Vista Operating Systems.
    
    (Pinoytunes.net is currently working on the use of the  MAC OS.
    
12. HOW MANY TIMES CAN I COPY AND PLAY THE SONGS THAT I BUY?
    The packed digital media file can be copied to a portable device. The downloaded songs/media files can be copied to any MP3 portable device 3 times.
    
    As for the number of times you can play the songs you bought, there is definitely no limitation. You may play the songs as many times as you want.
    
13. HOW MUCH HARD DRIVE SPACE DOES AN MP3 FILE TAKE UP?
    Typically, one minute of music is equal to 1 megabyte (MB) on your computer's hard drive.
    
14. IF THERE IS A QUALITY ISSUE WITH AN MP3 THAT I DOWNLOADED, CAN IT BE REPAIRED?
    While Pinoytunes makes every effort to make sure our recordings are of high quality, some errors do occur in the encoding process. Please let us know of any such problems by emailing us at tech@pinoytunes.net.
       
    When submitting a problem song, be sure to provide us the URL or link of the song in question, so that we may quickly provide assistance. The URL is normally found in the top of your browser and will look like this: http://www.pinoytunes.net/---.html
       
    After receiving your email with the details of the song in question, we will attempt to locate the defects and republish the song if necessary. The amount of time needed to republish a song can vary.
    
    For any downloading or quality issue, please email us at: tech@pinoytunes.net.
15. HOW MUCH IS THE COST PER SONG?
    The cost of each song/track from Pinoytunes is US$0.75.  It is a fraction of what you would pay for music on other digital music stores.
    
16. HOW WILL I PAY FOR THE SONGS I PURCHASED?
    A valid payment method such as a credit card is required for Pinoytunes song purchases and membership.
      
    We use the PAYPAL online payment system which is a gateway for internet users (online buyers) and internet store owners.
      
    PayPal is ideal for shopping online. Paypal has over100 million accounts in 190 countries and regions, making it one of the most sought after payment methods worldwide.
      
    All major international credit cards are accepted by Paypal including VISA, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Diners Club, and JCB.
      
    We do not accept checks, money orders, or purchase orders.
    
    Work is currently underway to enable local and international bank ATM debit card holders to purchase and download from Pinoytunes.
    
17. IS MY REGISTRATION SECURE AND CONFIDENTIAL?
    Yes! Your personal information and email are strictly confidential and are never shared with any other company or organization whatsoever. Our registration process and payment pages are 100% secure and managed by PayPal which ensures safety of the data being transferred.
18. IF I HAVE A QUESTION, IS THERE SOMEONE FROM PINOYTUNES THAT CAN HELP ME?
    We have a technical staff that is willing and able to help answer any downloading question you might have.
    
19. DOES MY MEMBERSHIP HAVE AN EXPIRATION?
    Pinoytunes' membership does not have an expiration.  Being a member entitles you to all the current benefits and future promotions of Pinoytunes. Simply remember your username and password.