Before a person begins to organize their music and have it available at a touch of a button, they should check and see if they have the right things to get started: a computer with a hard drive, a CD burner, and the broadband Internet connection. Any computer will work, unless an excuse is needed to get a new one. If so, make sure the computer has a CD burner. If the old one will hang on for awhile, purchase a cheap CD burner and have someone hook it up for you - like the teenage son or daughter who is quite adept at this sort of thing.



Make sure your Internet connection is fast - because it is an extremely crucial step. Broadband is better than dial-up, so talk with your Internet provider to make sure you have the one you want and need. When it is ready, download the software to start your organizing. Many people recommend iTunes for the beginners, as it will still rip, burn, download, organize, search, and most of all ...collect the music. It is an Apple product, but works through both PCs and Macs, and is a basic simple procedure program. Once the download is finished, it will take care of itself. Put a CD in the computer, and let it run on its own. Instantly, the software should do the work - the CD should recognize itself, list the track information along with the names of each track. The option of importing the music of the CD to your computer will be offered to you. Just do what it says.

The format window will come up, with a request to you. If possible, choose MP3 192vbr as the perfect balance between saving space and sound quality. The thing to remember is not to be afraid - step into it and take practice shots. Dabble around and practice ripping tunes with your own CDs until all the tracks are on the computer. The sound of the music on the computer will be different than through your stereo. You many, or may not, enjoy it as usually work is done on the computer. And if you are a beginner, make a play list on the new jukebox. More songs will fit on the new computer than on the purchased CD.

A few things to consider:

1. What format are the songs going to be in when you put them on your digital audio player? For instance, if all the files you are going to put on your player are downloaded and in MP3 format, then you'll get about half as many downloaded to your player as you would if the files were WMA. If you are simply going to rip your CDs to your computer and then sync with your player then make sure the player is WMA compatible.

2. Based on the type of music you listen to, about how long are the types of songs you listen to? Some of us love eighties metal bands, but some Metallica songs far exceed the seven or eight minute mark and most manufacturer specifications for how many songs you can fit on a hard or flash drive player are based on four minute song length. You may get less than you bargained for if you don't do your research.

3. How long do you plan on spending to rip the songs to your computer before syncing? If you are like most people, you buy some albums for all the songs, but most of the time, you buy for just a couple of really good tracks. The more time you spend selecting the tracks to put on your player instead of ripping the whole thing, could save you a lot of space for just the songs that you like or will listen to.

Consider all of the above and you will get the most out of your music library. If you get the most out of your music library then you'll love your new digital audio player.