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SECTION 4: SHARING YOUR PC OR MAC MUSIC LIBRARY
Introduction
In addition to playing AM/FM and Internet radio, SoundBridge Radio is a network music player.
That is, you can play music files that are stored on a computer connected to your Wi-Fi home
network. To browse, search and play these files stored on your computer, SoundBridge Radio
needs to receive data from software installed on the computer called a “music server.”
Music Servers
You probably already have a music server but perhaps didn’t realize it. For example, iTunes
®
acts as a music server when it shares music to another iTunes user on the network. Microsoft
®
has released its own music server, called Windows
®
Media
®
Connect.
The most common music servers are iTunes, Windows Media Connect, and Rhapsody
™
but
there are others. There is no single standard for music servers; they are almost all different. One
of the benefits of SoundBridge Radio is that it supports all of the common music servers out
there with an easy-to-use interface.
Music Servers and SoundBridge Radio Features
SoundBridge Radio can play music from most Mac or PC music libraries, including WMA,
MP3, AAC, WAV and AIFF. It can also play DRM WMA (protected Windows Media Audio files)
purchased from popular online music stores such as Napster,
™
MSN
®
Music, Walmart.com, etc.
Although SoundBridge Radio can play AAC music, it cannot play the protected music that you
purchase from Apple’s iTunes online music store (Apple does not allow this).
You’ll want to start by launching a music server that is compatible with your SoundBridge
Radio. Compatible music servers include iTunes, Windows Media Connect, Rhapsody,
Musicmatch and others. If you want to use a PlaysForSure
™
music service, you must use
Windows Media Connect as your music server. If you want to use the Rhapsody music service,
you must use Rhapsody as your music server. See the following table. Music servers behave
differently with SoundBridge Radio’s user interface features.
To experience the full SoundBridge Radio searching and robust browsing modes, you must
use a server that supports these functions, such as iTunes or Windows Media Connect. You will
Section 4: Sharing Your PC or Mac Music Library
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