SUPPORT OF BIGPOND MUSIC WMA DOWNLOADS & DRM LICENCE KEYS TO BE DISCONTINUED

Dear BigPond® Music Member,

BigPond Music will no longer be supporting the Windows Media Audio (‘WMA’) file format after 1 April 2010.

This means you will no longer be able to download replacement Digital Rights Management (DRM) ‘unlock’ licence keys for the WMA files you’ve bought from us is in the past – so you should back up your music and DRM licence keys now.

Any MP3 files you’ve downloaded from BigPond Music will not be affected.

Here’s why you should back up your music:

As long as you keep using the same computer and operating system, you shouldn’t have any trouble playing your WMA music files. However, if you try to move your WMA files onto a new computer or operating system in the future, they will cease to work if you don’t transfer their DRM keys as well.

Besides, backing up your collection is generally a good idea – for your MP3 files too.

Here’s what you need to do to back up your music collection:

1. Burn your music files to audio CDs. (Click here to find out how)
2. Copy your music files and the 'unlock' keys to a secondary digital strorage device, such as a portable hard drive. (Click here to find out how)

If at any point in the future you need to replace the music files on your computer, you can copy them back to the computer either from the audio CDs or the secondary digital storage device.

Additional information on WMA files & DRM:

DRM is a kind of lock and key system. The DRM key 'unlocks' the WMA music files so that they will only play on your personal devices and software.

BigPond Music offered music downloads in the secure WMA file format up until the end of February 2009. Whenever you downloaded a WMA file from BigPond Music you also downloaded its DRM 'unlock' key at the same time.

The downside of the WMA file format and the DRM restrictions was that our downloads didn't work on popular systems like Apple’s iTunes software and iPod devices. It’s also hard to move WMA files without having to downloading a new DRM 'unlock' key every time.

Additional information on MP3s:

BigPond Music started selling MP3 files without any DRM or licence key restrictions in August 2008. MP3 is a more universal format that works on practically all digital music players and software and files can be transfered much more easily between your different devices. BigPond Music stopped selling WMA files at the end of February 2009 and now only offers downlaods in the MP3 file format.

The BigPond Music Team