• Q: Why are you asking for a username and password? How do I log in?

  A: To change your BlueBeat settings and build DJ crates, you must have an account. If you decide to register with BlueBeat (it's easy and free!), we'll ask for a username as well as password of your choice, so that we'll be able to recognize you whenever you visit. If you have difficulties logging in to an account you've already created, see "I can't log into the BlueBeat site".

  If you are having problems playing music (which can be done without an account), please look over the Technical Support portion of our help documentation, which covers downloading the BlueBeat music player as well as possible scenarios for music playback problems.

• Q: Is there a list of the new features of BlueBeat Version 2?

  A: Certainly! Here's our new features page.

• Q: How do I modify or change my personal info or password?

  A: Go to the "Manage Your BlueBeat" link at the top-right of the page after login. Click on the "Change Details" button under the Profile section. We'll prompt you to verify your password in order to change your information. If you've forgotten your password, follow the "forgot password page" link in the sidebar.

• Q: How do I report a page error?

  A: We are constantly developing the site to improve your BlueBeat service. If you are having an ongoing error with a specific page or task, please contact us with the time, the location of the page (URL), and the error you are receiving, through our problem report form. We'll try to resolve the issue as soon as possible.

• Music Content

• • Q: I've found a song I want to listen to. How can I play it?

    A: If you are a registered U.S. user, you can access the BlueBeat Performance service: simply log in and click the song link! This will begin a complete album playback from that point (and looping back around to include the whole album/box set). Additionally, there is BlueBeat Performance for artists. Simply click the play button on any artist page, and hear a wonderfully randomized playback!
    
    If you are outside the U.S., we apologize, but current international licensing restrictions prevent us from offering BlueBeat Performance to you. However, basic playback of all programs (Killer Playlists, Time Machine, and DJ Crates) remains available to users in every registered territory.

  • Q: Can I use Voice over IP (VoIP) or Voice recognition software while using BlueBeat?

    A: Currently, microphone access may conflict with BlueBeat audio playback. As a result, voice recognition software may not be accessible when BlueBeat is running.

  • Q: What is the difference between the "Time Machine", "Killer Playlists" & "Be The DJ" channels?

    A: Each Time Machine (TM) program is a huge vault containing hundreds of hours of music. From rarely-heard gems to chart-toppers, our entire library is carefully sorted into TM programs based on time period and musical genre. Killer Playlist programs (KPs) are smaller, comprising cream-of-the-crop selections chosen particularly for each playlist based on genre or theme. We like to think of KPs as "The Best of the Best". Be The DJ programs (often referred to as DJ Crates or just Crates) are created by U.S. BlueBeat users, so the contents of each program could be anywhere on the wide spectrum of music.

  • Q: How do I pause/stop/fast forward the music on the player?

    A: BlueBeat uses a non-interactive license for streaming music online, which precludes us from allowing listener control over playback; it's similar to how radio stations function. To remain DMCA-compliant with our current license, we cannot provide controls to modify the playback timing of the songs. In the future we may switch to a (more costly) interactive license or offer features from multiple licenses, but for now we aim to keep BlueBeat free to use for our listeners.

  • Q: How can I make a link to my favorite BlueBeat programs?

    A: Anyone can create a link to a program in our channels, whether in Killer Playlists, Time Machine, or Be The DJ! These links can then be posted on blogs, in emails, on MySpace profiles, etc. When the link is clicked, anyone with the BlueBeat music player will hear instant music (non-BlueBeat listeners will be invited to first download & install the free BlueBeat player).Here's how to make your link:

    1. Find the program (playlist/Crate) you'd like to send.
    2. Right click on the link which launches the program & 'copy link location' (IE users: go to "Copy Shortcut"). This URL is now in your computer's clipboard, ready to be used however you like.
    3. Right click & select 'paste' or hit control+v to insert the URL into emails, HTML, etc...

• Q: How do I copy/download/burn music from BlueBeat.com?

  A: You have most certainly noticed the hubbub in the music industry over media piracy. BlueBeat.com employs Media Rights Technologies' X1 Recording Control, to secure music and ensure all appropriate royalties are paid to the rights holders and artists responsible for your favorite tunes. It also enables us to offer the BlueBeat service with perfect fidelity as well as free of charge. We recommend that you purchase music from the artists you enjoy to support their hard work.

• Q: How can I get my band's music played on BlueBeat.com?

  A: BlueBeat welcomes up-and-coming artists to the site! To be reviewed for BlueBeat, send your commercially-released CD (no sharpie-labeled, home-burned copies, please) to:
  
  

  BlueBeat Music Submissions

  55 River St, Suite 200

  Santa Cruz, CA 95060
  
  

  Give us a minimum of 2 weeks to review & process the CD (Note: your CD will not be returned), then check back often. Once the music is uploaded onto BlueBeat, be sure to promote your BB artist page & music to your fans!

Be The DJ

• Q: What are DJ crates and how do I make my own playlists for listening and sharing?

  A: Crates are where DJs store their music collections! Simply make a crate and drop into it the songs, albums, artists, KPs, and TMs (also see What are Live Collections?) that you enjoy. When you've made a playlist with over 3 hours of playable music, you may share it with the rest of the BlueBeat community and listen immediately. Also see What are the restrictions of "Being a DJ" / Why are they there?, as well as our crate tutorial.

• Q: My crate cannot be shared because "it is not diverse enough". Why do you have so many rules and how do you determine diversity anyway?

  A: At BlueBeat, it's all about the listening experience. When we first launched Be The DJ, tons of crates were made that met the minimum 3-hour requirement...but would stop playing after ten or fifteen minutes! When we looked at their contents, we saw crates with albums by only a few artists, or with one artist as a live collection plus select random songs. For crates like those, the BlueBeat player, try as it might, stops playing after a few songs in order not to violate the DMCA Complement...unfortunately, not very listener-friendly!

  So we're determined to raise the bar for all DJ crates. If a crate can play for roughly three hours without repetition or breaking the Complement, it's good to go (we've put our own programs to this test as well). We envision a world where a random internet denizen can walk off the beaten path, discover BlueBeat, click a random crate and be rewarded with fantastic music for hours on end with no interruptions. We hope you agree. (If you don't, you can always sound off in the Open Mic forums!)

• Q: What are Live Collections?

  A: Artists, Killer Playlists, and Time Machine programs are all Live Collections. This means that if you add "The Beatles" (artist), "1 Hit Wonders" (KP), or "Classic Rock" (TM) to your DJ crate, you've added collections that are self-updating. For example, the moment we introduce the latest Beatles compilation onto BlueBeat, your crate will be updated without any work from you! If you wish to include music from an artist or a BlueBeat program that will NOT ever change, visit the artist/program page and add individual albums or songs that you want, to handpick a custom selection of your favorites.

• Q: What are the restrictions of "Being a DJ" / Why are they there?

  A: After a DJ crate has passed the 180-minute mark of playable music, it is deemed "ready to share & play". You must share your crate with the rest of the BlueBeat community before playback can occur, due to recording industry guidelines which state, in part, that online radio stations must be publicly accessible before they can be heard.

  The playback of your crate is subject to the DMCA Sound Recording Performance Complement. BlueBeat always ensures that the playback of all programs on the site (including your crates!) comply with these rules, but it is your job as the DJ to build a crate diverse enough to be played again and again, for hours on end. If there is not enough variety in your crate to continue playing under the Complement, the BlueBeat player may close prematurely because it cannot construct a valid playlist, and your listeners will be left unsatisfied (see also the FAQ topic on crate diversity). Give your audience the variety they crave and they will continue to listen to your crates!

• Q: I'd like some help with this DJ feature and crate-building.

  A: No problem! Visit our crate tutorial and if it still does not answer your questions, post to the Open Mic forums or write to us directly.

• Q: Why can't I listen to my DJ crate?

  A: You'll need three full hours of playable music in your crate. Visit our crate tutorial for more details.

About Us

• Q: What is BlueBeat?

  A: BlueBeat is digital radio done right!

  We're not satisfied with the current state of online digital radio, and it's easy to see why. Music services abound with low quality mp3 encodings and overpriced subscription fees. We won't name our "competitors", but suffice it to say that every time we see music services offer 50 or, in some cases, a whopping 60, generic radio stations, we sit down with our expert music team and dream up new themes along the likes of 1 Hit Wonders, Chillosophy, and Bitchin' Tunes, to add to our growing collection of over 400 choices. When we raise our eyebrows at stations who boast 128kbps mp3 audio, we're usually either pumping Dylan Undercover or $Bling Bling$ through our surround sound systems at 320 kilos per second.

  But we'd never want you to let numbers speak for themselves. Just take into consideration that while we're working on great new features like playlist sharing, listener profiles and ratings and, of course, improving our ever-expanding music vault, you'll have plenty of time to try us out. BlueBeat is, after all, free.

• Q: What is your privacy policy?

  A: You may review our privacy policy at http://www.bluebeat.com/support/privacy/.

• Q: What are your terms of use?

  A: You may review BlueBeat.com's terms of use at any time at http://www.bluebeat.com/support/terms/.

• Q: What are the terms and conditions for Be the DJ?

  A: They're contained within the BlueBeat terms of use.

Accessibility Issues

• Q: I'd like to use a screen reader and/or mobile device. Are there any limitations of your site of which I should be aware?

  A: BlueBeat.com is designed to be as accessible as possible. Whether you're using a screen reader or an alternative web browsing medium, such as a handheld device, we'd like to ensure you can reach all of our site content. If you encounter trouble in this regard, please email us at accessibility@bluebeat.com. (Keep in mind that older web browsers and mobile devices, while capable of displaying web content, may not be compatible with the BlueBeat music player. To ensure flawless music delivery, please double-check that your setup meets the recommendations on our requirements page.)