Configuring Your iTunes Music Store Account


To purchase music in the iTunes Music Store, you need to have an account and configure that account on your computer.

Obtaining an iTunes Music Store Account

If you already have an account with AOL, the Apple online store, or .Mac, then you already have an account with the iTunes Music Store because it can use any of those accounts.

If you don't have one of these accounts, you can obtain an account in the iTunes Music Store by following these steps:

1.

Select the Music Store source. The Music Store will fill the Content pane (see Figure 22.3).

Figure 22.3. To sign in to the iTunes Music Store, you click the Account button.


2.

Click the Account button, which is labeled Sign In when you are not signed in to an account. You'll see the Account Login dialog box (see Figure 22.4).

Figure 22.4. The Account Login dialog box enables you to log in to an existing account or create a new one.


3.

Click the Create New Account button. You will return to the Content pane, which will be filled with the first of the three screens you use to create an account.

4.

Read the information on the first screen and click the Agree button. (The information on the first screen contains the terms of service to which you must agree if you want to use the iTunes Music Store.)

5.

On the next screen, enter an email address, which will be your account's user-name (called an Apple ID), and password. Then enter a security question, your birth date, and select any information that you want to be emailed to you. Then click Continue.

Note

Apple uses extensive security measures to protect your credit card information. These measures are similar to those used by other online shopping sites. Information you provide via your iTunes Music Store account, such as your credit card number, is encrypted when it is communicated to Apple. It is highly unlikely that anyone would ever be able to obtain this information for nefarious purposes.

6.

On the third screen, enter your credit card information and address and then click Done.

7.

If you are prompted to enter any additional information, do so and click the Continue or Done button. When the process is complete, you will see a completion screen. You will then be logged in to your new account (see Figure 22.5). Click Done. You will return to the iTunes Music Store and you can start shopping.

Figure 22.5. When you see this screen, you are ready to shop.


Logging In to Your iTunes Music Store Account

To be able to purchase music from the iTunes Music Store, you must log in to your iTunes Music Store account first. To log in to an existing iTunes Music Store account, perform the following steps:

1.

Click the Account button (this will be labeled Sign In when you aren't signed in to your account). You'll see the Sign In dialog box (see Figure 22.6).

Figure 22.6. You can sign in to your iTunes Music Store account by entering your Apple ID or AOL account information in this dialog box.


Note

If you just want to browse for, search for, or preview music, you don't have to be logged in to your account.

2.

If you use an Apple ID to sign in to the store, click the Apple button (this is selected by default). If you use an AOL account to sign in, click the AOL button.

Note

If a different account is currently logged in, you must log out of that account before you can sign in to another one.

When you click the AOL button, the Apple ID field becomes the AOL Screen Name field.

3.

Enter your Apple ID in the Apple ID field or your AOL screen name in the AOL Screen Name field.

4.

Enter your password in the Password field.

5.

Click Sign In. You will be logged in to your account. When you return to the iTunes window, you will see your Apple ID or AOL screen name in the Account field. After you are signed in, you can shop for tunes.

Logging Out of Your iTunes Music Store Account

To sign out of your account, click the Account button, which shows your Apple ID or AOL account name when you are logged in to your account. The Sign In dialog box will appear. Click Sign Out. You will return to the Music Store and the Account button will again be labeled Sign In.

Tip

If you can't remember your password, click the Forgot Password? button. You will move to a Web site that will help you retrieve your password.


Changing and Viewing Your iTunes Music Store Account

Times change and sometimes so does your personal information, such as your address or the credit card you want to use in the iTunes Music Store. If such changes occur in your life, you can change your Apple ID account information by using the following steps:

1.

Click your iTunes Music Store account name, shown in the Account button, as if you want to sign out. The Sign In dialog box will appear.

2.

Enter your password. (Your account name will be filled in already.)

3.

Click View Account. The Content pane will be replaced by the Account Information screen. On this screen, you will see various buttons that enable you to change your account information.

4.

To change your account information (such as your address), click the Edit Account Info button and follow the onscreen instructions to change your information.

Tip

A few other buttons appear on the View Account screen that you aren't likely to use. The Terms and Condition button displays the current terms and conditions for the store. The Privacy Policy enables you to view Apple's privacy policy, and the Reset Warnings button resets all the warning dialogs so that you see them again the next time they become relevant.

5.

To change your credit card information, click Edit Credit Card and follow the onscreen instructions to change your credit card information.

6.

To view your purchase history, click the Purchase History button. The screen will be filled with a detailed list of all the transactions for your account (see Figure 22.7). Review the list and click Done.

Figure 22.7. Yes, I do use the iTunes Music Store, as my purchase history shows.


7.

When you are done making changes, click Done. You will return to the Music Store.

Setting Up a Music Allowance

You can create a music allowance for an iTunes Music Store account. This enables someone using that account to purchase a certain amount of music per month. This is really useful if you have kids who you want to be able to buy music at the store, and you want to provide a limited amount of credit for them to use.

Note

If you use an AOL account to access the store, you change your account information using the AOL software.


If the person to whom you are going to provide an allowance already has an Apple account, you will need his or her Apple ID and password. Alternatively, you can create an account for that person when you assign an allowance to him or her.

To create a music allowance, perform the following steps:

1.

Access the Account Information screen for your account (see the previous section for the steps to do this).

2.

Click Setup Allowance. You'll see the Set Up an iTunes Allowance screen.

3.

Enter your name in the Your Name field.

4.

Enter the recipient's name in the Recipient's Name field. If you are creating an allowance for yourself, enter your own information as the recipient's information.

5.

Choose the amount of money the recipient will be able to spend each month in the Monthly Allowance menuthis amount will be applied to the recipient's account on the first day of each month. You can choose an amount from $10 to $200 per month.

6.

If the recipient already has an Apple ID, enter the Apple ID in the two Apple ID fields (one is a verification field). If the recipient does not have an Apple ID, click the Create an Apple Account for Recipient radio button and enter an Apple ID for that person in the two fields. Again, if you are creating an allowance for yourself, choose the existing account option and enter your account information.

Note

If the recipient doesn't spend an entire month's allowance, it carries over to the next month.

7.

If you want to provide a personal message about the allowance, write it in the Personal Message field.

Note

If you know some music lovers who use iTunes, you can create gift certificates for the iTunes Music Store so the gift recipient can purchase music there. These work very similarly to allowances, except that gift certificates are for a set amount and expire when that amount has been spent. To start this process, click the Gift Certificates button on the Apple Account Information screen.

8.

Click Continue. You'll see a screen that summarizes your purchase.

9.

Review the information on the screen. If it is correct, click Buy. If not, click Back and make any needed changes; you'll then return to this screen and click Buy.

If the recipient already has an Apple ID, you will see a screen that confirms that the allowance has been completed. Let the recipient know the good newsmoney is available in the iTunes Music Store!

If you instructed iTunes to create an account for the recipient, you will see the Create an Apple Account screen. Complete the information on that screen and click Create. You will see an information screen. Read the information to make sure it is complete and then click Buy. You will see a screen that confirms that the allowance has been completed. Let the recipient know what his or her username and password are, and the shopping can begin!

Click Done to complete the process or click Set Up Another if you want to set up another iTunes allowance. When you return to the Account Information screen, click Done to return to the iTunes Music Store.

The recipient will receive an email containing information about the allowance (or gift certificate) you set up, including the username and password (if you created one for this person). When recipient signs in, his or her current balance will be shown next to the username in the Account box. This balance always reflects the amount left for the current month. When the recipient has spent all of this, the account won't be able to purchase more music until the next month.

To manage your allowances, return to the Apple Account Information screen. This screen will now contain the Manage Allowance button, which enables you to change current allowances or to create new allowances.



iPod + iTunes Starter Kit
iPod and iTunes Starter Kit (2nd Edition)
ISBN: 078973463X
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 187

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