Solutions to Common Problems:
Help! The Download Manager won't work for me!
How do I download the files I purchased?
Why am I having problems registering as a new user?
How do I burn FLAC files to CD?
How do I listen to FLAC files?
Why is there a gap or click before each MP3 track?
Why won't the labels align properly?
Why am I having problems buying shows?
General
What are Live Metallica Downloads?
How much does it cost?
What do I get?
What's the difference between MP3 and FLAC formats?
Why is FLAC more expensive than MP3?
Can I use a dial-up modem or do I need a cable modem or DSL?
How quickly will new shows be available?
Will every song the band plays at the show be available for download?
Can I download shows I've purchased from multiple computers?
Can I share the files I buy at LiveMetallica.com?
Can I get a refund?
If I've purchased a show on MP3, can I "upgrade" to FLAC?
So who put this together anyway?
I was at this show and they played more songs than you have posted. Why aren't the shows complete?
Technical
What are the recommended specs for enjoying Live Metallica Downloads?
How do I download the show I purchased?
Is there a cumulative list of all the shows that I've purchased?
How do I burn Live Metallica Downloads to CD?
Can I copy shows onto my portable player?
Troubleshooting
Dude, Where's My Download?
The show I downloaded is incomplete. Can I download again?
Links and Software
Solutions to Common Problems
Help!
The Download Manager won't work for me!
The new Download Manager ("nugster")
requires the latest version of Java. The
Download Manager will work on Macintosh OS X, Windows XP, and Windows Vista with
either Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari browsers. Below are
step by step instructions for using the Download
Manager. If for some reason you are unable to use the Download Manager,
you may always download manually by clicking
the Manual Download link.
Please follow these instructions:
- First we will check that you have the latest
version of Java installed and that it is enabled in your
browser.
- If you see the screen below, then click
the Start Download button to launch the
Download Manager and skip to Step 6.
- If you have a problem on this page, please
make sure you have Java and JavaScript enabled in your browser
for umlive.net and livedownloads.com.
- If you are prompted to, click
the Download the latest Java Runtime link
to install Java on your computer.
- Follow the instructions on the Java web
site to install Java on your computer. Once the installation
is complete, please close your browser, reload the
download manager window and return to Step
2.
- The first time you launch the Download
Manager, your browser will prompt you to accept the security
certificate for the Download Manager. This certificate ensures
you that the code is secured by nugs.net enterprises, LLC,
the company that powers this website.
Please make sure the checkbox is checked to Always
trust content from the publisher and click the
Run button.
- The Download Manager will prompt you to
choose where to save your files. Please select the folder
where you want to save your files, or create a new folder.
Then click the Start Download button.
- Once your downloads start transferring
you may monitor the progress and start listening to each
file once it is completely downloaded. Each filename will
turn blue when complete and you may click on it to listen
to it.
- Once all your downloads are complete you
can click on each file or right-click a file to open the
folder where you saved your files.
How
do I download the files I purchased?
Please follow these instructions:
- Please make sure to log in to the site
with the email address you used to purchased your files.
Click the LOG IN link at the center of the top of any page
on umlive.net to log in.
- At any time, you may return to the MY
DOWNLOADS page to view the status of all your purchased
downloads.
- Click the START DOWNLOAD link next to
the item you would like to download.
- Alternatively, you may click the checkboxes
next to several items, and then click the DOWNLOAD SELECTED
button.
- Please review the instructions
above for our Download Manager.
Once you start a download, you will
have 48 hours to complete that download. Please note: if you
experience problems downloading particular tracks from a given
show, you may return to download those tracks again for up
to 48 hours from the time you started to download that show.
If you continue to have problems downloading some or all tracks
from a particular show, please contact customer service rather
than attempting repeated downloads. Every download attempt
(whether successful or not) adds significantly to the operational
costs of Live Downloads, especially in the case of FLAC files
- the long term viability of this service relies on users
successfully downloading purchased shows on their first attempt.
What do I do if I
couldn't download my show within 48 hours?
If you have technical difficulties downloading all the files
for a show you've purchased within 48 hours of the time
you started to download that show, please contact Customer
Service. The "My Downloads" page will always show
how much time you have left to download each show you've
purchased.
Why am I having
problems registering as a new user?
To register with www.livemetallica.com, click the LOGIN link
at the top of any page. A login window will pop open. Click
the REGISTER HERE link to create a new user account. Make
sure you use a valid email address when creating a new account.
Please make sure you are using Internet Explorer 6 or later.
You will need to have cookies enabled to use www.livemetallica.com.
In Internet Explorer, enable cookies by selecting Tools>Internet
Options>Privacy>Edit. Make sure you are not refusing
cookies from www.livemetallica.com.
How do I burn
FLAC files to CD?
WINDOWS USERS:
- Extract your FLAC files
to WAV; simply drag all your FLAC files onto the FLAC
front-end software and click the DECODE button.
- Drag the WAV
files onto your favorite CD burning software.
- If you are using
the latest version of Nero CD burning
software, you can skip the conversion step. Make sure you have installed the
proper FLAC software with the FLAC
plugin for Nero. Drag the FLAC files for each disc
onto Nero and burn your CDs according to Nero's
instructions.
MAC OS X USERS:
- Make sure you have OS X (10.2 or later) and
the latest
FLAC software.
- First you must expand your downloaded
FLAC files to AIFF. You can do this using one of 3 applications: MacFLAC, FLACer, or MacAmp Lite.
To use MacFLAC:
- Launch MacFLAC. NOTE:
If this is the first time that you have used MacFLAC,
you should set the Output Format to AIFF.
- Drag your FLAC files onto the
MacFLAC icon in your application dock to expand the
files to AIFF.
- You can now preview the files
before burning them to CD. Double-click on any of the
AIFF file icons to play them in the Quicktime player,
or drag the AIFF files into the iTunes library to create
a quick playlist for preview purposes.
To use FLACer:
- Launch FLACer. NOTE:
If this is the first time that you have used FLACer,
you should set the Output Format to AIFF.
- Drag your FLAC files onto the
FLACer icon in your application dock to expand the
files to AIFF.
To use MacAmp Lite:
- Launch MacAmp Lite.
- Open Window -> Plugins -> Output and check the box next to AIFF Writer.
- Drag your FLAC files into MacAmp Lite and click PLAY.
- Finally, to burn your CDs, import
the AIFF files into your CD burning software in the
proper order and burn your CDs according to the instructions
for your CD burning software using Disc At Once (DAO)
to ensure that there are no 2 second gaps between the
tracks.
How
do I listen to FLAC files?
WINDOWS USERS:
- Install Winamp and the FLAC plugin
for Winamp, which comes with the FLAC Front-End installer.
- Drag your FLAC files onto Winamp
and enjoy!
MAC USERS:
- You may use MacAmp Lite X (1.5b) to play your FLAC files on OSX. Simply install and
launch MacAmp Lite and queue up your FLAC files and enjoy!
- Look here for links to download MacAmp Lite.
Why is there
a gap or click before each MP3 track??
Every MP3 file has at least 20 milliseconds of silence at
the beginning of it. Unfortunately, this part of the MP3
format and cannot be removed. Most MP3 players (such as
Winamp) remove these moments of silence automatically upon
playback by cross-fading between tracks for seamless transitions.
Why can't I
print the labels correctly?
All the CD labels, tray inserts, and booklets are in Adobe
Acrobat format (PDF). The labels are designed for Neato label
templates,
available
here. Please make sure you have
Adobe Reader 6.x (available for free at
http://www.adobe.com).
Please adjust your print settings in Adobe Reader as follows:
- Page Scaling: NONE
- Auto Rotate and Center: CHECKED
Why am I having
problems buying shows?
Please make sure you have cookies enabled in Internet Explorer.
Verify that your billing address matches the address your
credit card statement is mailed to. Also make sure that
your credit card number does not contain dashes or spaces.
Make sure you enter a valid expiration date. If you are
ordering from outside the U.S., please enter the name of
your country in the STATE field as well as the COUNTRY field.
If you continue to have problems, please
contact
customer service.
General
What is LiveMetallica.com?
This service allows fans to buy and download files of soundboard recordings
from current Metallica tours very soon after the show have happened. These audio recordings are mixed and mastered each night by the band's sound engineers.
How much does
it cost?
The price of each show is based on format and length. Each
show is available in two formats: MP3 (standard) and FLAC
(premium). Pricing can be found by clicking on a particular
show page.
What do I get?
After completing the purchase process you may download the
entire show or album in the format you've chosen. For those
who wish to burn the shows to CD, we have created for many
of our shows printable PDF files for the CD labels, booklet
and tray liner. The color files
are printable on ink-jet and laser printers, and use NEATO
templates.
What's the difference
between MP3 and FLAC formats?
We have chosen two of the most popular audio formats among
the online community: MP3 files are the standard format,
and FLAC files are the premium format. With both MP3 and
FLAC files you can continue to use your favorite audio applications
and CD burning software. For a list of recommended software,
look here. The standard
MP3 files, encoded at 128 kbps (near-CD quality) are easy
to download, easy to burn to CD, easy to transfer to portable
players and sound great. However, MP3 files are compressed
and therefore may not sound quite as good as the original
source recording to a critical ear. MP3 files are versatile
enough to use on both your computer and home stereo system.
Many portable players that play digital music files can
only play MP3 files. For fans who desire higher fidelity,
we also offer a premium format. FLAC is a "lossless"
compression which means that the source audio file is compressed,
but without sacrificing any of the audio information contained
in the master recording. An extracted FLAC file sounds identical
to the original source (44.1 kHz, 16 bit stereo). The hi-fi
FLAC files are much larger files and will take longer to
download. These files are for audiophiles who want the best
sound quality. FLAC files may be burned directly to CD on
a PC running Nero CD Burning software with the FLAC plugin,
while Mac OS X users must extract () FLAC to AIFF files
to burn CDs or to listen to the files. You may listen to
FLAC files with a special plug-in for Winamp (PC). Be sure
to check compatibility with your favorite software or portable
player. Please see the software FAQ for more information.
New to downloading? We recommend starting with the standard
MP3 format.
Please note that there is currently no FLAC software for
any Mac OS prior to OS X.
Why is FLAC more
expensive than MP3?
FLAC downloads are more expensive because they cost more
to deliver to you. A show compressed in FLAC is typically
five or more times the size of a show in MP3, and therefore
costs substantially more to deliver over the Internet.
Can I use a dial-up
modem or do I need a cable modem or DSL?
The rule of thumb is the faster the better. You can download
shows from livemetallica.com on a dial-up modem, but it
may take about 12 hours or more for one show in standard
MP3 format. On a cable modem or DSL it typically takes between
15 minutes to a half-hour to download a show in MP3 format.
How quickly
will new shows be available?
Barring unexpected problems, new shows will generally be
available for download within 48 hours of the actual concert,
sometimes sooner.
Will every song the band plays be available for download?
In most instances, yes. However we do need to obtain permission from the copyright holder on songs that are not written by Metallica. Should the songwriter/publisher/administrator chose to not give us permission to make a particular song available for download, it will have to be cut from the show. Again, we are not anticipating that this will occur, but we wanted to let you know that it is possible.
Can I download
content I've purchased from multiple computers?
Yes, you can download files from a computer other than the
one you originally purchased the show on. If you login from
a different computer, you will receive an email containing
a one-time pass code. This code must be entered before you
will be able to download the show.
Can I share
the files I buy at LiveMetallica.com?
As you can all see, we have chosen not to encrypt or shackle these files in any way. There is a certain level of trust associated with LiveMetallica.com's operation.
You will have 48 hours from the time you start downloading to completely download each show you purchase. We'd be fooling ourselves to think that these files won't be shared by some friends, and there's nothing we can do to STOP you from doing so.
All we can do is to ask you straight up: Do the right thing. Please be cool and don't share your files.
No one's making a lot of money on this little wing-ding. There are a number of costs specific to each download, including publishing fees, bandwidth costs, credit card fees, venue origination fees and venue union fees. In addition to these show specific costs, there are general expenses such as hardware and software purchases/licenses and ongoing programming/design fees. In total, there are substantial costs associated with launching and maintaining this service, and its future viability depends on honest participation.
Okay. Enough of that. You get the point.
Can I get a
refund?
No. Due to the liberal distribution methods we have chosen
(i.e., shackle-free unencrypted files), all sales are final.
All purchases from
www.livemetallica.com
are subject to the Terms of Use.
If I've purchased
a show on MP3, can I "upgrade" to FLAC?
Again, all sales are final. If you want to hear a show or
shows in a different format that you've already purchased,
you'll need to go through the purchase process again.
So who put this
together anyway?
Metallica teamed up with nugs.net, the leader in online live music distribution, and CinemaNow, the leader in content on demand technology to develop LiveMetallica.com.
The site was designed by
Blue Saber Productions. This site would not be possible without the dedication and hard work of all the folks at the Metallica home office and QPrime.
I was at this show and they played more songs than you have posted. Why aren't the shows complete?
Free shows from The Metallica Vault could be incomplete for one of two reasons. Songs that were written by someone other than Metallica will not be included . . . since this is a free site, there are not funds to cover outside song writers. In some instances, the tapes that we have pulled out of the Metalli-vault do not include recordings of the entire shows - it could be something as simple as running out of tape or the quality of the recording was so poor that it was not included.
Technical
What are the
recommended specs for enjoying Live Metallica Downloads?
Please note: we do not recommend downloading FLAC files
on a dial-up modem. If you are on a slow connection, please
purchase MP3 files instead of FLAC.
Windows
Windows 98SE, 2000, ME, XP, or later
128 MB RAM
10 GB Hard Drive (a larger hard drive is optimal)
Pentium III 750MHz or faster (or equivalent)
Cable Modem or DSL
Internet Explorer 5.5 or later
Mac OS
Mac OS X (10.2) or later
128 MB RAM
10GB Hard Drive (a larger hard drive is optimal)
Cable Modem or DSL
Internet Explorer 5.1 or later
Unix
You probably don't need our advice.
Is there a cumulative
list of all the shows that I've purchased?
Simply click on 'My Downloads' at any time once you've logged
in, and you'll be taken to a page that lists all the shows
you've ever purchased. The "My Downloads" page will
always show how much time you have left to download each
show you've purchased.
How do I burn
my Live Metallica Downloads to CD?
General Note:
To avoid those annoying 2-second gaps between tracks on
audio CDs, make sure you use the Disc-At-Once (DAO) option
in your CD burning software or set number of seconds between
tracks to ZERO
MP3
If you have access to a CD player that can play MP3 files,
all you need to do is create a data CD of the MP3 files
in the proper show order and play it in your CD player.
However, many CD players can't play MP3 files from a data
CD. Therefore, you will need to burn an audio CD from the
MP3 files. Most CD burning software allows you to burn MP3
files as audio discs directly. Older software may require
you to convert the MP3 files to .wav files manually. Make
sure to burn the audio CD with the Disc-At-Once (DAO) option
turned on or set number of seconds between tracks to ZERO
to avoid any two second gaps between tracks on your CDs.
For PC users, livemetallica.com recommends
Nero
for your CD burning needs, though plenty of good alternatives
are available.
FLAC
Using the appropriate software for your operating system,
uncompress each of the FLAC files into WAV files. The .wav
files are what you will need to burn an audio CD that can
be played on most CD players. Keep in mind that not all
CD burning software can burn WAV files. Be sure to check
compatibility with your software. After the WAV files are
extracted, burn them using the Disc-At-Once (DAO) option
in your favorite CD burning application. For PC users, livemetallica.com
recommends
Nero
(http://www.ahead.de/) for your CD burning needs, though
plenty of good alternatives are available.
Can I copy shows
onto my portable player?
Yes, MP3 files may be freely transferred onto your favorite
portable device. FLAC files have to be uncompressed and
converted into other file types (i.e. WAV or MP3 files)
to be playable on a portable player. Use the software that
came with your portable player to copy Live Metallica Downloads onto
your player.
Troubleshooting
Dude, Where's
My Download?
Make sure to remember where you saved your files each time
you download. If you can't remember, you can search your
hard drive for files named "met040302" where "040302" is
the date of the show you purchased.
The show I downloaded
is incomplete. Can I download again?
Yes, you may download the CD archives for the shows you've
purchased again if your download was incomplete. If you
are on a PC using the Live Metallica Download Manager, then
you can resume a broken download by saving into the same
folder each time.
Links
Need Further Assistance?
Contact LiveMetallica.com
Customer Service
General Information and Software
http://www.cdrfaq.org
FLAC
FLAC
installers for Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux
Stand-Alone
FLAC Plugin for Nero (Windows)
FLACer
(Mac OSX)
MacAmp
Lite X 1.5b (Mac OSX)
CD Burning
Nero
(Windows)
iTunes
(Mac)
MP3 Players
Winamp
(Windows)
iTunes
(Mac)
