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1. What is Freegal?

Freegal is a downloadable music service, like iTunes, available from your library. All you need is your library card number. With access to the Sony Music Entertainment catalog, it offers hundreds of thousands of songs and more than 100 genres of music. No special software is needed to use the service, and there are no digital rights management restrictions.

2. I am unable to login when I enter my card number. What should I do?

First, be sure you have entered the correct Newington Library card number. If you are still unable to log in, please check your account to be sure your card is up-to-date, has less than $10 in fines, and you don't have outstanding materials.

3. How much music is on this site?

New music is added daily but it's safe to say that there are thousands of artists, tens of thousands of albums, and millions of songs. The Freegal Music website has hundreds of genres of music and is rich in many of them. The content is based upon agreements with over 20,000 music labels, including the labels of Sony Music Entertainment. You can read more about Sony and its artists on the Sony Music website.

4. How many songs can I download?

Up to 3 songs per week may be downloaded.

5. How will I know how many downloads I've used?

At the top of the Freegal site is your download counter. If it says 1/3, for instance, you have 3 downloads for the week and you have used up 1.

6. How do I download a song?

When you've selected a song, click on the "Download Now" link next to your chosen song. At the prompt, select "Save" and choose where you want to save the song.

If you're not presented with a prompt, try right-clicking the link and choosing the option to save the link (e.g. Save Target As, Save Link As, Download Linked File, etc.). This will let you choose where to save your song. If you do not or cannot choose the location, your song could be saved anywhere, depending on how you have your web browser and computer files set up. If you're not sure, find out before you download to save time and frustration.

Music is downloaded in an MP3 format and, once downloaded, can be played, transferred or burned to a CD.

(Important Note: Any time you click on the "Download Now" link, even if you decide to cancel it, the download will count towards your weekly allotment.)

7. Why won't my phone or iPad store Freegal music download?

The songs that you try to download from a mobile device will need to be downloaded again on a computer to be added to a playlist. Since all of Apple's iOS based devices (iPods, iPhones, and iPads) are not normal storage devices, the Freegal songs cannot be stored on mobile devices. To save data requires a different type of access to the Freegal system.

When you access the site from a mobile device and hit the Download Now button, the song will be streamed and it will probably play once. However, the rules Apple has in place will not allow it to be stored on an iPad or phone. MP3 files need to be loaded into iTunes on a computer and synced with the mobile device. Please note: Library computers do not have iTunes installed.

8. Will the songs downloaded work on the iPod or iPad?

Yes. The easiest thing to do is to download the files to your desktop or your music folder. Import the song into iTunes by either dragging the song into the window or importing it from the menu. Presto, the song is now added into your library. Next time you synch up, you will see that song in your music library.

9. Can I download a whole album?

Songs are available on an individual basis only. You can choose, over time, to download all the songs on an album. Listening to song samples can help you decide whether you want all the songs on an album.

10. What is the song sample?

The song sample is to the left of the song title. The sample allows you to preview a song, so you can decide whether you want to download a new song. To listen to the sample, click on the arrow to the left of the track.

11. What are the different ways to search for a song or artist?

The Freegal site is set up to browse or to search. You can use the bar across the top to browse by genre or by suggestions. You can use the grid at the bottom right to browse by artist in alphabetical order. You can search by artist, song, album or keyword. Expanded search options are under "Advanced Search."