FAQ
General
Can I use Psonar with my iPod Classic / Nano?
Yes you can, but you need to install iTunes on the computer before you run the SongShifter™.
How do I get music from the Psonar Cloud to my phone?
Log in to the Psonar website and click on the Psonar Cloud icon. Find your track(s) that you want to put on your phone and drag them to the phone icon. You can drag one or more tracks, albums, artists or even entire genres of music that you own to you device(s).
How do I see what tracks are in the process of being uploaded to and downloaded from the Psonar Cloud?
Go to the 'music' tab on the Psonar website and click on the 'transfers' tab above the list of tracks. The top list shows you the list of track being uploaded and the bottom list shows you the tracks being downloaded. If the Psonar Cloud icon is highlighted then all transfers are shown. If a device icon is highlighted then only transfers to or from that device are shown.
How do I rename a device?
Go to the 'music' tab on the Psonar website and click on the device icon on the left, then select the 'info' tab. You can enter a new name and then press 'update'.
How do I delete a device?
To delete a device:
1) Go to the website
2) Click on the device icon on the left that you want to delete
3) Click the Actions menu
4) Click 'delete active device'
5) You may need to wait a few seconds while the device is being deleted.
How do I send feedback?
Click on the 'feedback' link on the right hand side of the application header bar (or on the mobile header on the main navigation page) and fill in the form. Alternatively, send an email to 'feedback@psonar.com'.
How do I ask a question?
Click on the 'feedback' link on the right hand side of the application header bar (or on the mobile header on the main navigation page) and fill in the form. Alternatively, send an email to 'feedback@psonar.com'.
Will Psonar work with my BlackBerry?
Yes. Just plug it in to any computer, ensure it is connected in 'mass storage mode' and run the SongShifter™.
Will Psonar work with my Nokia Phone?
Yes. Just plug it in to any computer, ensure it is connected in 'mass storage mode' and run the SongShifter™.
I like what you're doing. Can I get involved?
We're always looking for good people to work for us. Email us at: info@psonar.com to find out more.
I have a suggestion. How do I send it to you?
Click on the 'feedback' link on the right hand side of the application header bar (or on the mobile header on the main navigation page) and fill in the form. Alternatively, send an email to 'feedback@psonar.com'.
Will Psonar work with my Android G1?
Yes. You need to ensure it's running in 'mass storage mode'. Once you've plugged the device in using a USB cable:
1) on the device Tap the top status bar (the USB icon in the upper-left corner)
2) tap the USB connected notification
3) tap 'Mount'
Can I use Psonar with my iPhone / iPod Touch?
You can upload tracks from all iPhones and iPod Touch devices.
How do I change the order in which my tracks are uploaded?
To change the order in which your tracks are uploaded:
1) Go to the website
2) Select the device where the tracks are being queued
3) Drag the artists / albums or tracks to the Psonar Cloud icon. They will be moved to the front of the upload queue.
How many tracks can I store?
Currently, you can store as many tracks as you like. In fact, the more tracks you upload, the better Psonar becomes for everyone.
How do I buy music?
Whenever you see a track or album you don't own, if there is a 'buy' link next to the track, you can click it. This redirects you to Amazon's US or UK site where you can purchase the mp3.
What happens if i lose my phone?
You can restore any music that's in the Psonar Cloud (or from any other device, via the Psonar Cloud) to a replacement phone, iPod or other device. Simply connect the device to a computer, run the SongShifter™ to locate and register it as a new device and then drag and drop any music you want to put onto it.
How do I move my music between devices?
Login to the Psonar website and click on one of your devices or the Psonar Cloud to see your music collection. Drag and drop tracks between any of them: individually, by artist or album or even by genre or using one of your playlists. If your device is connected to Psonar through an Internet-connected computer, the music will move immediately, otherwise it'll be moved next time you attach it and run the SongShifter™
What music can I upload to Psonar?
You can only upload music that you have bought, paid for and own. Psonar is a legitimate music service and tracks that have been illegally aquired are not permitted.
What file types are accepted?
We currently allow the uploading of aac,aif,aiff,iff,mp3,m4a,mpa,ra,ram,wav,wma and m4p. If your music isn't in any of these formats, please let us know.
How do I stop tracks from being uploaded / downloaded?
Psonar relies on its community to populate the Cloud with as much music as possible - this gives faster uploading for users who follow on and want to upload music that's already there. It's therefore very helpful if people do upload all the music that they own. And don't forget, it's all completely anonymous.
That said, if you really must remove tracks from the upload (or download) queues:
1) Go to the website
2) Select the device where the tracks are queued
3) Click the 'transfers' tab
4) Select the tracks from the queue you wish to remove
5) Click the 'Actions' menu
6) Select 'Remove selected tracks from upload (or download) queue
7) Click 'Remove in the confirmation box that is shown
8) Alternatively, you can right-click the selected tracks and click the appropriate popup menu item
Desktop Website
I've forgotten my password. How do I login?
Go to the login page and select 'Forgotten your password?' you will be prompted to enter your username and sent an email constaining instructions on how to reset your password.
I can't see the device I added in SongShifter™ on the website.
Click the 'music' tab to refresh the page. The device will appear on the left-had side.
How do I see what tracks I have in the Psonar Cloud?
Go to the 'music' tab on the Psonar website, click on the Psonar Cloud icon and you will see a list of any tracks that have been uploaded to the Psonar Cloud. Initially the artist details are shown on the left but you can click on a tab to enable you to search by album or genre.
How do I see what tracks I have on each of my devices?
Go to the 'music' tab on the Psonar website and click on any device icon e.g. your MP3 player and you will see a list of any tracks on that device. The artist details are shown on the left.
How do I invite a friend?
Go to the 'friends' page on the Psonar website and click the Actions button. Select the 'invite friend' option , then fill in the form that appears with your friend's details.
How do I send a message to a friend?
Go to the 'friends' page on the Psonar website and find your friend in your list of friends. Click the context-menu button on the right-hand-side of the list in the row with your friends' name and select 'send message'.
How do I find a friend?
Go to the 'friends' page on the Psonar website and click the Actions button at the top of the screen. Select the 'find friends' option, then fill in the form and click 'find'.
How do I find a track I own?
You can search by Artist, Album or by Genre. Ensure the appropriate tab is active and then click on the name of the artist, album or genre in the left-hand column. You can hold down the ctrl key on your keyboard and click on multiple entries. You can also hold down the shift key to select a range of entries. The tracks by the selected artists(s), on the selected albums(s) or in the selected genre(s) will be displayed in the tracks view.
What does the 'Get SongShifter™' button do?
The 'Get SongShifter™' button displays instructions and a link for downloading and running the SongShifter™.
What does the Actions button do?
Dependent on which page you are on, it displays a list of useful tasks, relevant that page. (for example 'Create new playlist' on the 'music' page, 'Invite user' on the 'friends' page, etc.)
How do I manage my profile?
Click on your name on the top bar. this displays your profile page which you can edit.
I've found a problem. How do I report it?
Click on the 'feedback' link on the right hand side of the application header bar (or on the mobile header on the main navigation page) and fill in the form. Alternatively, send an email to 'feedback@psonar.com'.
How do I create a new playlist?
You can do any of the following:
a) Click the 'Actions' button and select ‘create new playlist’
b) Double-click an empty space in the playlists window
c) Drag tracks, albums, artists or even genres directly into the playlists window. You will then be prompted for the name of the new playlist. The tracks will be automatically added to it.
How do I view the tracks in a playlist?
Double-click the name of the playlist in the playlists window.
How do I delete playlists?
Select the playlists from the playlist panel then click the 'Actions' button and click ‘delete selected playlists’.
How do I remove tracks from a playlist?
Select the playlists from the playlist panel then click the 'Actions' and click ‘remove selected tracks from playlist.
How do I reorder a playlist?
Click and drag the tracks in the playlist and drop them in the desired position. A red line indicates where they will be placed.
How do I add tracks to a playlist?
If you have the list of playlists displayed, drag tracks, albums, artists or even genres on top of the name of the playlist you wish to add them to. The playlist name will be highlighted in red. The tracks will get added to the end of the playlist.
If you’re displaying the contents of a playlist, drag the tracks, albums, artists or genres to the position in the playlist you want to insert the tracks. A red line indicates where they will be placed.
Why is one of the device buttons flashing?
When new tracks have been found on your device, the corresponding device button flashes to indicate this.
SongShifter
What happens if I don't want to install iTunes?
You can install the AppleMobileDeviceService, contained inside the iTunes installer without installing iTunes. To do this:
1) download and install WinRAR archiver from www.rarlab.com
2) download the iTunes installer from Apple
3) rename the installer from .exe to .zip
4) double-click the renamed .zip file. WinRAR opens it and displays the contents
5) extract and run AppleMobileDeviceSupport.msi
I've installed iTunes but Psonar still can't find my iPod / iPhone.
You may need to enable disk access. To do this. connect your iPod to your computer in the usual way, open iTunes and click on your iPod in the menu on the left-hand-side under 'DEVICES'. In the 'Options' section, ensure the 'Enable disk use' checkbox is checked.
What is the SongShifter™?
The SongShifter™ is a small application that runs on your computer and finds the music on your hard drives (in the folders that you specify) and any connected devices. It sends information about your music collection to the Psonar Cloud and enables you to upload and download music onto any of those devices.
SongShifter™ can't find my phone. What do I do?
You need to connect your phone to the computer in USB mode (sometimes called "mass storage mode, ...") For example Nokia N-series won't work if they are connected using PC-Suite mode.
Can I connect my phone using USB over Bluetooth?
Yes, but Bluetooth is much slower than connecting your device using a cable.
How do I know when SongShifter™ has worked and I'm ready to manage my music?
Once SongShifter™ has uploaded the first batch of track information you can see the details of those tracks on the Psonar website. You may need to click the 'music' tab to refresh the view.
Is it safe to disconnect my device if the SongShifter™ hasn't finished?
Perfectly safe. SongShifter™ will continue with any device still attached. The next time you attach the disconnected device, SongShifter™ will continue with what it was doing before you disconnected.
How do I see what SongShifter™ is doing with each of my devices?
Click on the device icon on the left hand side of the SongShifter™ window (if it's not visible, double-click click on the Psonar icon on the system-tray). The right-hand-side of the window displays a set of progress bars showing what's happening on the selected device.
How do I get the SongShifter™ running again? I can't find it in the Start Menu or in Program Files.
You can re-run it from wherever you downloaded it to. Alternatively, you can download the SongShifter™ from the website at any time.
How do I install the SongShifter™?
The SongShifter™ does not currently install. You simply double-click the executable each time you need to run it.
Is there a version of SongShifter™ for Macintosh?
We have plans for a Macintosh version in the not-too-distant future. Please contact us to let us know you're interested and we'll tell you when it's ready. If you'd like to help us port it, please get in touch!
Is there a version of SongShifter™ for Linux/UNIX?
We don't currenty have any plans for a Linux/UNIX version, bit if you'd like one, please let us know. If you'd like to help us port it, please get in touch!
My phone doesn't have a USB mode - I can only connect using the software that came with the phone.
Please get in touch and let us know what make / model your phone is. We're planning to make a SongShifter™ plugin API available in the near future so developers can extend it to work with any device it doesn't currently support. If you'd like to help develop a plug in, please get in touch!
Does SongShifter™ move or copy my tracks?
SongShifter™ uploads a copy of each track you own to the Psonar Cloud
I've minimised the SongShifter™ and the taskbar button has disappeared. Where has it gone?
When you minimise SongShifter™, it's icon goes into the System Tray, at the bottom right-hand corner of your screen. Double-click it to open up the application again.
My tracks aren't getting uploaded to the Psonar Cloud. Why not?
By default, SongShifter™ only uploads tracks larger than 50KB and smaller than 20MB. You can manually add any any tracks smaller or larger than this limit by going to the Psonar website and dragging the track from your device to the Psonar Cloud.
Why doesn't SongShifter let me configure my new device?
Try checking the following:
1) Have you already configured the maximum number of devices allowed by your account type? (3 for free account - click the link to upgrade)
2) Has windows recognised the device properly? Can you view the contents of your device using Windows Explorer (or iTunes in the case of an iPhone or iPodTouch) - If not resolve your hardware problems first before restarting SongShifter™
3) Is the device still registered to another user? Look in the root folder of the device for a folder called 'Psonar' and delete it.
Why do some downloads take only a few seconds whereas others take a lot longer?
If the track exists locally - i.e. on one of your devices that is plugged in to the computer you're running SongShifter™ on, then it copies the track directly in order to transfer it as fast as possible.
I'm having a problem upgrading. How can I get a clean installation?
Completely remove any trace of the existing installation by perfoming the following actions:
1) Exit the SongShifter (if running)
2) Run the uninstaller from the program group item (if it exists) : Start->Programs->Psonar->Uninstall SongShifter
3) Delete any of the following folders (or Vista equivalent) that exist:
- C:\Documents and Settings\
- C:\Program Files\Psonar SongShifter
4) Delete this registry key and its subkeys:
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Psonar
Finally, login to the website, and click the 'Get SongShifter' button to download the latest version.
Why can't I run the SongShifter™ after downloading it?
You may need to unblock the file or temporarily switch off your anti-virus software (Kaspersky is known to cause problems.)
To unblock the downloaded SongShifter™ executable:
1) Right-click the file
2) Select 'Properties...' from the context menu
3) Ensure the 'General' property page is displayed
4) Click the 'Unblock' button at the bottom of the page
5) Click OK