Freegal Music Downloads

What is Freegal Music? Freegal Music is a downloadable music service from your library which provides music from the Sony Entertainment catalog. All you need is your library card number and your PIN.

How do I access Freegal Music? Access to Freegal Music is limited to patrons with a New Bruanfels Public Library card. A link to Freegal may be found on our website. It may also be found on the library’s website under the “Digital Books, Movies, Music & Magazines” menu tab.

What are the basics of streaming music? Patrons of the New Braunfels Public Library have a weekly download allotment, and a DAILY streaming allotment. The download counter and the streaming time remaining are at the top of the page once you login.

How to stream, and how to download. Nothing has changed with Freegal Music download functionality from earlier versions, except that the sample clips are now gone. Streaming is, after all, a license to sample. a) When you put your cursor over an album, you will see a “stream now” button. If you press that button on an album, the whole album will play in order. b) You can also use “Freegal Playlists.” This is a list of pre-selected songs, including music arranged by decade (60’s, 70’s, 80’s, etc.), as well as Pop, Rock, Country, Broadway tunes, popular new songs, etc. c) To create a playlist of your own you may select songs or complete albums and make these into playlists you save with an identifying name (e.g., “Psychedelic Furs,” “Chopin Preludes and Nocturnes”) and listen to as often as you wish.

Is there Digital Rights Management (DRM) on the music files? No. These files are downloaded as MP3 files which are compatible with any MP3 Player or device. You can transfer the music to any computer, MP3 player or even burn it to a CD. Copyright laws apply for all music downloaded.

Are the songs really free? The Friends of the New Braunfels Public Library provides financial support for this resource. They are free for our patrons to download or stream.

How much music is on Freegal Music’s website? It changes daily, but there are thousands of artists, tens of thousands of albums, and hundreds of thousands of songs from Sony Music Entertainment. You can read more about Sony’s artists at www.sonymusic.com. If you have difficulty searching for songs and artists on Freegal Music, you might look at the different record labels Sony controls, including Columbia, RCA, Epic, Legacy, Vested in Culture, Provident, Sony Music Latin and others. Go to www.sonymusic.com/labels to review the sites of record companies, which will list the artists whose recorded music they produce.

How many songs can I download? Each library cardholder is allowed to download 3 songs per week. A week begins at 12:01am Monday morning.

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.

How do I know how many songs I’ve downloaded this week? You can find your number of downloads for the week listed as “Weekly Downloads” at the top of the page when you login to your Freegal account.

Does download manager software need to be installed on my computer? No. A browser is all you need to download music.

How do I download a song? When you’ve found the song you want, click on the “Download Now” link next to the chosen song. At the prompt, select “Save” and choose where you want to save the song.

Why does the counter say I’ve downloaded 3 songs when I’m sure I haven’t? You may have started a download then changed your mind and canceled it. Once you click the “download now” button, it can’t be reversed. It will count towards your download limit even if you cancel or choose “play” instead of “download.”

When does the counter reset to 0? A week begins at 12:01 am on Monday morning.

My song didn’t download completely or only the first few seconds of my song plays. What do I do? Once in a while, your Internet connection may be interrupted or time out and you might experience an incomplete or problem download. Freegal Music allows you to download previously downloaded songs again, without using up one of your weekly downloads. “Recent Downloads,” found at the top right corner, shows the songs that you have downloaded in the past. Here you have the ability to re-download a previously downloaded song up to two more times within 2 weeks from the original download for reinstall purposes, in case your connection timed out. Once you have downloaded a song twice from the Recent Downloads page, the song titles disappear from your list because they are no longer available to you.

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

How do I burn music to a CD? Each computer system is different. You can use iTunes, Windows Media Player or a third party software like Roxie. Simply follow the instructions found in the software for burning your CD.

Are there mobile apps for Freegal Music? Yes, the Freegal Music Service has recently launched free mobile apps. They are currently available in the Apple App Store and Google Play.

How do I get the Freegal mobile application? If you have an Apple device (iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch), you will be able to download the Freegal app by doing a search for “Freegal Music” in the App Store. If you have an Android phone or tablet, you will be able to download the Freegal app by doing a search for “Freegal Music” in the Google Play store.

How do I find my local library in the Freegal app? To use Freegal Music, you need to be a registered cardholder of the New Braunfels Public Library. Once you have downloaded the app and opened the app, you will see a search box for libraries. Enter the zip code for New Braunfels, and a list will appear of current subscribing libraries within a 60 mile radius. You can also enter “New Braunfels Public Library” or simply “New Braunfels.”

How do I login to the Freegal Music app? After you select “New Braunfels Public Library, the login screen will appear. This screen requests your valid library card number and PIN. Once your account is validated, you will be in the Freegal app’s main area where you can browse, search for and download music.

If you need further assistance with Freegal Music contact the library at 830-221-4300. We will be happy to help you over the phone or in person. To set up an individualized training session, call the library to register for Book-A-Trainer (which is offered every Tuesday afternoon from 2-4 pm).