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Tips for your listening pleasure
A little effort goes a long way in the digital music world. Here are a few things you can do to improve your experience.
Clean your ID3s. Each digital audio file includes labeling information called an ID3 tag. The tag includes the name of the track, artist, and album. The tag can get even more granular and indicate year and genre. Most players display some of this information, and others use it to sort the files by artist, album, and genre. But the player can't sort correctly if the tags are wrong or incomplete. You can edit the tags through jukebox software or with special utilities (see "Essential Software").
Make a playlist. The software you use to rip your MP3s can also help you manage them on your portable player. A playlist is a small file that tells the player what order to play the tracks in. You can have multiple playlists that group tracks however you like. Just be sure that when you download the playlist to your player, you download the tracks on the playlist, too.
Speed up your transfers. Getting files to your player can be excruciatingly slow, especially when you do it often. But you can eke out a few more kilobits per second if you have the latest available software and firmware for the player. Check your manufacturer's site regularly for updated versions.
Check your settings. Most players let you adjust the sound and display to some degree. If you don't tweak your player's settings, you can only blame yourself for the trebly sound, for instance. Adjustments usually include an equalizer and balance, and many players let you adjust the backlight on the LCD, scroll speed for the display, and more.
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