When you purchase certain items in our Music Store, we provide you with exclusive access to promotional content such as streaming audio. A stream is a digital media file that is delivered to your computer on a real-time basis from the Internet; therefore, you need an active Internet connection while listening. Some streaming files may have specific expiration dates, after which the content will no longer be available. You can find out the expiration date for a file by clicking the "See details" link listed with the offer on the product detail page.

To listen to streaming audio content on Amazon.ca, you must have Microsoft® Windows Media® Player installed on your computer. See below for download instructions and troubleshooting tips for Windows Media Player.

If you do not have Windows Media Player, you can download the latest version at no cost. Before downloading the player, please review the following system requirements to make sure your computer is compatible with the player.

Minimum Requirements:

• Microsoft Windows® 98 Second Edition, Windows 2000, Windows Millennium Edition (ME), Windows XP Home Edition, or Windows XP Professional. (Windows 95 and Windows NT 4 users: We're sorry, but your computer does not support Windows Media Player 9 Series. However, you can download Windows Media Player 6.4 at the same download location.)
• 233 MHz processor, such as Intel Pentium II or Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) processor
• 64 MB RAM
• 28.8 Kbps modem
• 100 MB of free hard disk space
• 16-bit sound card

Minimum Requirements for Pocket PC and Handheld PCs:

• Windows CE version 2.11
• Microsoft ActiveSync®

Can't play clips or connect to the server?

If you are having difficulty viewing or listening to streaming files, you can consult the Windows Media Player Support Center. You might also have more success by trying to play files again at a different time, especially if you are attempting to play them between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. Pacific time. These are peak hours on the Internet, and high network traffic is probably the cause of the problem.

Sound quality problems?

This is most likely due to network traffic, either on your local network or the Internet. The best thing to do in this situation is to try listening at another time. You may also have selected a clip that requires more bandwidth than your Internet connection can deliver. Try a smaller version of the file, if available.