Zune is a nifty media player
that lets you enjoy music on your PC or on the go with your phone.
Music is now a staple of
our daily computer use, and digital music doesn’t just represent the future of
how we listen to our favourite tunes – it’s very much the present. If you just
store your music on your computer and listen to your MP3 using Windows Media
Player, you’re not getting the most from your collection. That’s where Zune can
help.
Microsoft’s Zune player
adds style and pizzazz to your collection, showing off your album art and
enabling you to easily transfer tunes to phones and MP3 players so you can
enjoy all of your favorite music on the move.
The program is free to download, and you find you enjoy the world
of digital music it offers, you can start buying new music through the market
place, and embrace the benefits of a whole new world of aural entertainment.
At a glance
Skill level: Straightforward
Time taken: 20 mins
Suitable for: Windows 7, Windows
Vista, Windows XP
Zune is a nifty media player that lets you enjoy music.
List
artists
The left side of the music page will
show all the artists in your collection. You can also sort your music by album
or genre using the tabs to the right.
Get
videos
The Zune player isn’t just about
music. You can watch videos on your computer and add them to compatible
portable media devices too. Just click on the video tab to get started.
Buy
music
Zune lets you buy music in its own
marketplace. You can also buy a Zune Pass, which is a subscription that lets
you download tracks from the store. It’s a great way to access new music.
Your
devices
When you connect a device, such as a
phone or portable media player, it will become visible in the bottom left.
Simply drags songs onto it and you’ll be able to enjoy your favourite music on
the move.
Playlists
You can make playlists by clicking
this option and adding a new list. This will be added to the bottom. If you
have more than one playlist, just click on the list to choose which one is
displayed so you can select the right list.
Best
tip
You can rip music from CDs to add to
your collection. Insert a disc and click the CD icon in the bottom left.
Step-by-step take control of
your music
Get
the Zune player
Get
the Zune player
Go to www.zune.zom and you’ll be presented with a number
of options for using Zune. You can have it installed on your smartphone or
Xbox, but in this instance we just want it to work on our computer, so choose
this from the three options on the home screen. Just click on the image of a
laptop and you’ll be taken to the download screen.
Sign
up
Sign
up for a free account
If you haven’t used Zune before,
you’ll need to sign up for a free account and download the client software
before you can start using it. to do this, just click the ‘Sign up and
download’ option on the next page and then sign in with your Windows Live ID.
If you haven’t got one, you can quickly register one in the right-hand panel.
The Windows Live collection of
programs requires you to log in for online functionality. The Windows Live ID
is a single account for all the programs, and brings together all your online
services such as email, storage and calendars.
Download
Download
Zune
You now have to go through several
account set-up screens, choosing ‘Download’ each time. Finally, your web
browser will prompt you to allow the download. Click on ‘Run’ and the files you
need for the program will start to be downloaded. The installation process will
then begin automatically when you click on ‘Install’.
Get
started
Get
started
Once the installation has finished,
the program will load up automatically and you’ll be prompted to set it up. The
first thing Zune will ask you to do is to name artists that you like, so it can
help pick music you’ll enjoy as you continue to use the system. Type in the
names of songs your favorite bands and singers, then press ‘Done’.
Find
music
The
Zune software looks for tracks on your computer.
The Zune software will now look for
tracks in the Music folder on your computer. If you store your audio files
elsewhere, you’ll need to guide it to your collection. Go to Settings at the
top of the Zune window, and click on ‘Manage’, which you’ll see next to
‘Music’. Point it to the correct folder and your music will be added into the
program.
Smart
DJ
Smart
DJ feature helps inspire you.
If you have a large music collection
and you’re stuck for listening inspiration, you can use the Smart DJ feature to
help inspire you. The ‘favorite artists’ you added earlier will appear, and
clicking these will play music from your collection that fits the bill. It will
also suggest new music you might like, and play previews to inspire you.
Create
playlist
In the Collection tab, go to ‘Music’
and then choose ‘Playlists’. Click on ‘Create new playlist’ and give it a name
– such as ‘Dance music’ or ‘Children’s songs’ – before returning to your collection.
To update your playlist, just drag your chosen music tracks onto the Playlist
icon in the bottom left of the screen, which looks like a page of a book.
Click
on ‘Create new playlist’ and give it a name.
Sync
Zune
manages the music on your favorite tracks on the go.
One of the Zune software’s best
features is the ability to manage the music on your favorite tracks on the go.
If your device works like a portable hard drive or USB stick then plug it into
your computer using cable that came with your player, and wait for it to be
recognised by the Zune software.
Copy
music
Drag
and drop tracks from the Collection window in Zune Player onto the icon.
Once it has been recognised, the
device icon will appear in the bottom left corner. If you double-click this
icon you can explore your device and manage what’s held on it. When you want to
add music just drag and drop tracks from the Collection window in Zune Player
onto the icon. You can even drag full playlists onto your external devices,
which is a nifty timesaver.
Enjoy
your music
Enjoy
your most loved music
You’ve now sorted your music using an
incredibly versatile program designed to help you get more from your favourite
tunes. You’ve created new playlists perfect for every situation, and you can
import any or all of your music onto your player. All that’s left is to enjoy
your most loved music and make the most of the service by discovering and
buying new music digitally.
