If you need some assistance with purchasing or playing your downloads, this is the place to start. The information below should help you to solve your query quickly, but if you need any further advice, please click here to get in touch with our Customer Services team.
What are the system requirements?
PC requirements: Windows 98 or above with Windows Media Player 7 or above. We recommend Windows XP or Vista and Windows Media Player 11.
Mac requirements: Mac OSX and iTunes 4 or above.
Please note to play U-MYX files, you will need Windows 2000 or above, or Mac OSX 10.4 or above.
Will these downloads play on a Mac?
Many tracks will play on a Mac; just look for the following icons:
These indicate the downloads are available in AAC and/or MP3 formats. For video, you need to check for these icons:
These indicate that the downloads are available in MPEG4 formats. For more information about these formats and where to find them, please click here.
Will these downloads play on my iPod / portable media player?
iPod: You can transfer downloads in AAC and MP3, as indicated by these icons:
Video iPod: You can transfer video where you see this icon:
WMA files (see icon below) cannot be transferred directly to iPods. However, they can be burned to a CD using a PC and then converted back into an iPod-friendly format. Unfortunately you are not able to do this with WMV files (see icons below).
Other portable media players: MP3s (see icons above) will play on all media players and the Windows Media formats indicated by these icons will play on most other players:
We advise using Windows Media Player (or software recommended by your hardware manufacturer) to transfer Windows Media files to your portable device.
How do I tell which formats / quality the downloads will be available in?
We state which formats are available to download for each track before you make your purchase. When you are looking at the full product details page you will see the associated artwork on the left hand side, and below the artwork you can see a selection of icons that indicate the format of the files you can download. When you purchase the track or bundle, you will have access to all of the formats indicated, i.e. you do not need to choose between formats prior to purchase.
For audio, there may be any combination of the following formats:
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Our high quality MP3 files are encoded at a bit rate of 320kbps - which is the highest possible quality for MP3 files - or 256kpbs. iTunes' highest quality downloads are encoded at 256kbps, and in the AAC format, which is far more restrictive than MP3. MP3 320k is also free from DRM and universally compatible with all media players, including iPods. |
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Our standard MP3s are encoded at 192kbps. MP3s are all free from DRM and are universally compatible across all digital media players including iPods, mobile phones, PC and Mac, PDAs and other music playing devices. |
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AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) files are encoded at 192kbps. These files are predominately compatible with Apple products including the iPod, iTunes and Mac. Our AAC files are free from DRM, unlike iTunes. |
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Windows Media Audio files are encoded at 192kbps. WMA files contain standard DRM and require a PC with Windows Media Player installed. WMA files are compatible with a range of digital media players but unfortunately will not play directly on the iPod or Mac. However, WMA files can be burned to a CD using a PC and then converted back into an iPod/Mac-friendly format. |
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U-MYX is an interactive music format that allows you to create your own remixes of major artists' recordings, without requiring any specialist knowledge or equipment. The download is supplied in a ZIP file, compatible with PC or Mac but not portable media players. Please note to play U-MYX files, you will need Windows 2000 or above, or Mac OSX 10.4 or above. |
For video downloads, there can be to up five different formats available:
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The MPEG4 format is DRM-free and encoded at around 1mbps for full-screen viewing on PC or Macs using software such as iTunes or Quicktime. If you intend to view the video on a PC monitor, download and play this file to ensure you watch the video at the highest quality available. |
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The portable MPEG4 format is a smaller file optimised for viewing on the iPod and other portable devices that support MPEG4, though they can still be played on a Mac or PC. These files are also DRM-free and encoded at around 750kbps, so they’ll take up less memory on your device. |
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The PSP-compatible format is a portable MPEG4 file, and this can still be played on a Mac or PC. These files are also DRM-free and encoded at around 750kbps, so they’ll take up less memory on your device. |
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WMV (Windows Media Video) files are encoded at higher than 1mbps. If you intend to view the video on a PC monitor, download and play this file to ensure you watch the video at the highest quality available. These downloads will typically be DRM protected and therefore be restricted to PCs running Windows. |
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Portable WMV - We also offer a version of the WMV file that is encoded at a reduced quality - around 750kbps - suitable for viewing on the smaller screens of standard portable devices that support WMV. Once more, these files are typically smaller in size so they’ll take up less memory on your device, but can still be played on PC. These downloads will typically be DRM protected and therefore be restricted to PCs running Windows. |
Note on encoding rates: These are typically measured in kilobytes-per-second (kbps) as an indication of the quantity of information that is contained in the file every second, and hence an expression of digital quality. For example, an audio file encoded at 320kbps is higher quality than an audio file encoded at 160kbps, as it contains twice as much information per second. Video files are typically encoded at higher rates (e.g. 1mbps which equals 1000kbps) as there is a greater quantity of digital information contained in a sequence of moving images (with audio) than a file that only contains audio.
Are the previews the same quality as the downloads?
No they are not. Previews are optimised such that all users can stream the audio or video regardless of the speed of their network connection. Therefore they are significantly lower quality than the downloads available for purchase.
Audio previews are 64kbps and will be either 30 seconds or one minute; video previews are approximately 220kbps.
Why can I not listen to / see preview clips?
Audio preview clips can be played on a PC or a Mac courtesy of a Flash Player, embedded in the product page. However, if you see the following message:
You need to upgrade your Flash Player! Click here to go to the download page.
then please click this link to visit the Adobe Flash Player Download Center, where you can acquire the latest version of the Player.
Video preview clips are played in Windows Media Player, and can only be viewed on a PC or a Mac where Windows Media Player is installed.
What is DRM and why do we use it?
DRM stands for Digital Rights Management and is a technology that aims to protect the copyright of artists and record labels by helping prevent illegal and unauthorised copying. Customers who buy audio downloads with DRM from this service are entitled to make personal CD copies of their tracks and/or transfer these downloads to their portable music devices. Video downloads in the WMV format cannot be burned to CD.
DRM is applied to certain downloads where requested by the owners of the recordings.
You can check whether DRM has been applied to your file by positioning the mouse over the title of the download and right-click. From the menu that appears, select Properties, and then select the Media Usage Rights tab to view the permissions granted by your licence, e.g. how many times you will be able to burn the track to CD or transfer it to a portable device. If this tab informs you that "The file is not protected", this indicates that no DRM has been applied to the file.
What does "License Acquisition" mean?
Digital Rights Management operates by issuing a personal license to the purchaser of the download that enables them to play the track on up to 3 computers, burn the track to CD (if audio) and transfer to a compatible portable music device. When the download is first played on the PC, Windows Media Player will either acquire the license automatically or you will be prompted to confirm your 7digital account details to acquire the license manually. Please note that these are the same details that you will have used to sign in to this store when purchasing.
If your details are not recognised at this stage, or the license is not acquired successfully, please click here for further assistance from our Customer Services team.
To find your licence properties once the file has downloaded, find the track (not the album that contains the track) in your Windows Media Player library. Position the mouse over the title of the download and right-click. From the menu that appears, select Properties, and then select the Media Usage Rights tab to view the permissions granted by your licence, e.g. how many times you will be able to burn the track to CD or transfer it to a portable device. If this tab informs you that "The file is not protected", this indicates that no DRM has been applied to the file.
Why can I not play the track I have downloaded?
There are some common reasons why you may not be able to play your download. Please check for the following.
- Firewalls
If your PC has a personal firewall or is behind a corporate firewall, you may experience problems either downloading the track(s) or acquiring a license to play the track. You can try temporarily disabling your firewall or speaking to your company's IT support to see if they can resolve this.
- Windows Media Player
If you are trying to play files on a PC, make sure you have Windows Media Player Series 11. You can click here to download this for free.
- Active X
Make sure Active X is enabled on your browser. In Internet Explorer, go to Tools > Internet Options > Security > Custom Level and enable Active X controls.
- Windows Media FAQ's
If you are trying to play files on a PC, please try the Windows Media FAQ's by clicking here.
If your issue is not resolved by the measures above, please click here for more help from our Customer Services team.
Why can't I burn my download to CD?
If your download does not have DRM applied (please check the download formats information above or check the license properties of the file if you are not sure), you should be able to burn the download to a CD or DVD with ease, using a variety of software. However if you are still having problems, please try the steps detailed below or click here to contact our Customer Services team.
If DRM is applied to your download, your CD-burning options are slightly more restricted, but you should still be able to burn most downloads with the following advice.
First, you should check that the license for your download allows it to be burned to CD. To view the license properties of your download, find your track (not the album that contains the track) in your Windows Media Player library. Position the mouse over the title of the download and right-click. From the menu that appears, select Properties, and then select the Media Usage Rights tab to view the permissions granted by your licence. This tab should indicate whether you are able to burn the download to CD or not. Unfortunately, you are not able to burn the WMV downloads to disc at the request of content owners.
If the license properties of the file confirm that you can burn the download to a CD, you must use Windows Media Player to burn your download as any alternative CD burning software will not work. Your download should already be in your Windows Media Player library, at which point we recommend the following steps.
To burn tracks using Windows Media Player 11 please see below...
- Select Burn in WMP11.
- On the left hand side you will see a list of tracks, drag and drop the tracks you wish to burn into the right hand section. As your drag and drop your tracks, you will see a list build up in the right hand section.
- Once you have all your tracks ready to burn insert a blank CD or DVD into the drive on your computer.
- If you click on Burn again (whilst you are in the Burn section), you will see options, the most significant of which is choosing between burning an "Audio CD" and a "Data CD".
- If you choose "Audio CD", the disc you will burn will play on all CD players that are CD-R / CD-RW compatible in the same way as any other CD. The audio tracks that are now on your CD are now free from any DRM restrictions that apply to your download. The number of files you can burn to an audio CD is limited by the total duration of the tracks (where the maximum is typically 80 minutes).
- If you choose "Data CD", you are simply copying the file from your PC to the CD such that the file retains the DRM instructions and you will not be able to play the content on a standard CD-R / CD-RW player. You will be able to play the files on another PC, but you will be asked to acquire a manual license to allow playback (please see the license acquisition section above). The number of files you can burn to a data CD is limited by the total size of the files burned, and this is a more efficient method of storing/archiving your files.
- If you are burning a DRM-free video file, you should still select between the options above. Selecting "Audio CD" will burn a DVD that will play on standard DVD players that are DVD-R / DVD-RW compatible.
- Then select Start Burn, and your tracks will start burning to CD.
To burn tracks using Windows Media Player 10 please see below...
- First you need to find the tracks you wish to burn to CD in your library in WMP10.
- Once you have highlighted the tracks you would like to burn, right click the mouse over the highlighted track(s) to bring up a menu.
- From this menu select add to and then burn list.
- Once you have added all the tracks to your list select burn from the top navigation bar, you will then be taken to the burn area. You will see your lists of your tracks on the left hand side.
- Once you have all your tracks ready to burn insert a blank CD or DVD into the drive on your computer.
- Please ensure you have selected "Audio CD" from the drop down menu on the right. For more information on this please see point 4 above.
- Then select Start Burn to start burning your tracks to CD.
Payment options
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Credit/Debit cards - We accept most major credit and debit cards this includes all MasterCards, all Visas, Maestro and Solo. Unfortunately we do not accept American Express.
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Click and Buy - You can purchase downloads from us using your Click and Buy account. Please click on the symbol on the checkout page, after which you will be re-directed to the Click and Buy site to complete payment.
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PayPal - You can purchase downloads from us using your PayPal account. Please click on the symbol on the checkout page, after which you will be re-directed to the Paypal site to complete payment.
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SMS - The SMS purchasing option is for UK customers only. Please look out for the 'buy via SMS' symbol, which appears under the artwork on the full product details page. Click on this symbol for further instructions and price information. Please note you cannot currently purchase videos, bundled singles or albums by SMS; this service is for single track audio downloads only.
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Payment issues
If you experience any problems after entering your account details and attempting to complete your transaction, please check for the following indications that your transaction was completed.
- Click here and sign in to the store, entering the same account details that you used to make your purchase. You will be taken directly to a page that displays your purchased downloads, so if the downloads you were attempting to purchase are visible, your transaction was successful. If these downloads do not appear on the page, the transaction was not completed and payment will not have been taken from you. Please attempt to purchase your downloads again.
- Check your inbox for a receipt from 7digital. Where this receipt has been delivered successfully, this is confirmation that the transaction completed without error. You can click on the link contained in your receipt to access your downloads. If you have paid using Click and Buy or Paypal, they will also send a receipt to confirm the transaction was completed. If you receive this receipt but cannot see your purchased downloads when you click here and sign in, please click here to contact our Customer Service team, with the transaction information you have received from Click and Buy or Paypal.
However, if the receipt is not delivered, you should not assume that the transaction failed, as the email itself may have been rejected by your service provider (e.g. mistakenly identified as "junk"), or if you are a new customer you may have mis-typed your email address when creating your 7digital account.
We do not recommend using the Back option on your browser and repeating the transaction where your initial attempt appears to have failed. Doing so may result in duplicate transactions or may be identified as suspicious activity by 7digital's online banking partners, who monitor unusual purchase patterns as part of a series of security measures to prevent fraud.
If a message appears indicating that your transaction has failed, please check the card details you have entered carefully and amend as necessary.
If your Click and Buy transaction is not accepted, please contact Click and Buy by clicking here.
If your PayPal transaction is not accepted, please contact Paypal by clicking here.
If you continue to experience problems when attempting to purchase downloads, please contact our Customer Services team by clicking here and providing details of the downloads you were trying to buy and the email address that you signed in with.
How do I redeem my SMS voucher code?
- Find the track you wish to purchase using your SMS voucher.
- Click the Download (or Pre Order) button to add this track to your basket.
- Once the track is in your basket look for the Enter voucher button above your basket contents. Click on this button and a blank box will appear.
- Enter your voucher code carefully into this box.
- Click on the Enter voucher button again and the basket price will be reduced to zero. If there is a problem with your voucher code, an error message will appear, which will indicate the nature of the problem. If you are unable to resolve the problem, please see below.
- Click on the Checkout button and you will then be asked to sign in to the store. If you have not made a purchase from a 7digital store previously, enter your email address, select I am a new customer and enter and confirm a secure password. If you have purchased from a 7digital store previously, enter your email address, select I am a returning customer and enter the password you will have created on your previous visit.
- Click Continue and you will be able to download your track from the My Downloads page.
If you have more than one item in your basket when you redeem your voucher code (i.e. at stage 5, above), the code will be applied to the first valid item (i.e. single audio track) in your basket and your basket total will not be reduced to zero. If you have further SMS voucher codes, you can enter these in succession to reduce your basket total to zero. If your basket total is not zero when you click Checkout you will be asked to select another payment type to cover the outstanding balance.
I haven't received an SMS voucher code, I have lost my SMS voucher code or my SMS voucher code is not accepted
Please click here to contact our Customer Services team, providing us with your full SMS voucher code, the mobile number of the phone that you used to order the track and state the download you were trying to purchase.
Contact us
If you can't find the answer to your query here, please click here to contact us via our Customer Services system