Frequently Asked Questions

Retail Purchases, Music Downloads:

Q: What if I want to return an item I've purchased via the site, or have a problem with my order?

A: All items are sold through our merchant affiliates, including iTunes, Amazon.com, and others. When you buy a music download or other item via our site, you are actually redirected to a third party seller to complete your purchase. If you experience a problem with your order, or want to return an item purchased in this manner, please contact customer service directly at the retailer from which you made the purchase. Because we have no control over purchases made from third parties, we cannot provide assistance in such instances, and strongly urge you to make purchases only from trusted vendors.

Q: What if I have a problem with a music download purchased via the site?

A: Most music downloads are currently offered through our affiliate agreement with the iTunes Music Store. Music downloads may also be available directly from other third party vendors, such as record companies or independent recording artists. If you experience a problem with a download, please contact customer service directly at the vendor from which you made the purchase. Because we have no control over downloads made from third parties, we cannot provide assistance in such instances, and strongly urge you to use caution and accept downloads only from trusted vendors.

Q: How do I know if a music download or other file is safe and won't contain a virus or spyware that could damage my computer?

A: Downloading files from the Internet carries inherent risk. We strongly urge you to minimize that risk by installing anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall programs (such as those offered by Microsoft, Norton and McAfee) on your computer to protect against malicious intrusions, and by accepting downloads only from trusted sources such as iTunes, our primary merchant affiliate for music downloads.

Accessing Articles and Music Streams:

Q: I use Firefox as my web browser, but the Windows Media player won't open or play some of the featured Windows Media streams?  What's going on?

A: The Windows Media stream links are designed to open the Windows Media player (if it isn't already open) and launch the music streams automatically. If you experience problems opening the Windows Media stream, we suggest that you open Internet Explorer and make it your default web browser. This should fix the problem completely (you can still use Firefox anytime you want, but any Windows Media applications will now open in IE without any problems).  To make IE your default browser, open IE and click Tools, then click Internet Options, then click "Reset Web Settings."  Once IE has been set as your default web browser, open IE, go to our web site, click on the Windows Media link for the music stream you want, and the Windows Media player should open and start playing the stream automatically.

Q: Sometimes when I click on an article or music channel link, nothing happens, or I get an error message. What do I need to do?

A: The site is optimized to work with the most popular web browsers, including Internet Explorer, Firefox, Netscape, and Safari. We also test the site regularly to make sure that everything is working properly. However, some applications can experience problems from time to time. If you're having trouble accessing articles from the Home Page, first make sure that any pop up blocker applications are turned off, as these may prevent our pages from opening in some instances. If you're having trouble accessing a music channel (also known as a music "stream"), the problem most likely is being caused by the various programs on your computer vying with one another over which one should take precedence. For example, some users of Internet Explorer may experience difficulty launching all but the Windows Media stream. Our best advice is to install and configure your media player of choice (such as Windows Media, Real Player, iTunes, or Winamp) to serve as the default media player for various types of audio files, including MP3, AAC, and AACPlus. When setting Options or Preferences for your selected media player, be sure that ".pls" files are included as an associated file type for audio files. In most instances, these simple steps will solve any application conflicts, and allow you to launch streams directly from the available links.

Keep in mind that each media player is capable of playing only certain types of media files. The iTunes player, for example, is currently able to play only streams encoded in the MP3 and AAC audio formats (and is incompatible with the Windows Media format), while the Windows Media player does not play music encoded in the iTunes format (AAC). Most every player will play streams encoded in the standard MP3 format, and every audio channel available at our site will offer multiple audio formats. Once you've set up your chosen media player, try using a different web browser, such as Mozilla's Firefox, to access the media streams if you encounter problems using Internet Explorer, as this will very often do the trick. Finally, once you've successfully accessed a music stream via a media player, you should be able to access it again in the future directly via that media player (usually by double-clicking on the stream's name listed in the player's main window), rather than having to access it again each time via your web browser.

Q: I don't understand what the numbers, such as 128k, mean when they're associated with each radio stream. How do I know which one to select?

A: The numbers shown for each media stream describe the amount of data that is actually "streamed" to your computer while you're listening to the channel. Generally, the more data per second that is streamed to you, the better the channel will sound. However, the amount of data that you can receive will depend on the size of your Internet connection. Dial-up connections aren't able to receive much more than 56k streams, while high-speed connections (such as those from DSL connections or cable modems) can handle much faster speeds, for example 128k. The good news for listeners is that several audio "compression" technologies built into the streams themselves now make it possible to hear very good sounding streams with much less data transfer. Thus, if you're only able to listen via a slower dial-up connection (or if a high-speed stream is unavailable), you can still receive a high quality audio stream by selecting, for example, a 32k Windows Media stream (available via the Windows Media Player) or a 48k or 64k AAC Plus stream (available via the Winamp player).

Q: Sometimes when I click on one of the Essential Listening buttons, a blank window opens up. What should I do?

A: If the window is blank, it normally means that our database wasn't able to communicate with your browser the first time. Just close the blank window and try again.

Encryption & Security:

Q: How do I know that the information I provide when registering or making a purchase is safe?

A: Our registration page uses Secure Sockets Layers (SSL) encryption, the industry standard, to ensure that the data you provide is encrypted when transmitted. When making a purchase from a third party vendor, such as Amazon.com, iTunes, or another merchant affiliate, you will be subject to the security measures put in place by that vendor. Advertisers purchasing advertising or promotional space on our site directly from us will make payment via Paypal, thus assuring that their private credit card or banking information remains secure with Paypal. In such instances, Paypal makes payment to us but does not provide us with any credit card or banking information from the purchaser.

Privacy:

Q: I want to receive periodic new music updates from you via e-mail, but don't want my e-mail or other personal information made available to any third parties without my permission. What is your policy with regard to this type of information?

A: We will not make your personal information available to any third party without your prior consent. If you wish to be removed from our own e-mailing list, just contact us at custservice@destinationmusic.com. Our privacy policy requires that only we have access to your personal contact information, and that only we may contact you via that information. Should any third party advertiser wish to reach you through us, that vendor will be required to present their information to us so that we may review, approve, and send it to you ourselves.

Donations:

Q: Is my donation to Destination:Music® tax deductible?

A: Donations to Destination:Music® are not tax deductible, and are not refundable. Donations made in any amount are greatly appreciated as they help defray the site's operating costs.