As with nearly all online purchasing systems these days, the iTunes Music Store requires a credit card for instant verification of purchases. Furthermore, because the ideal way for the store to work is that you select a song or album on an impulse and buy it with a single click, your credit card information must be saved in an account so that iTunes can access it automatically whenever you make a purchase.
If you're security conscious, this probably sounds riskyand it is, somewhat. With companies that are less than reputable, you would never want to store your complete credit card information invisibly on a central server where someone can access it without your knowledge. However, the inherent risk in such a configuration is diminished when you're dealing with a large company whose reputation is on the line with every customer it interacts with. If Apple were to be the target of accusations that it was ripping off its customers or giving out their credit card information, that would be the endnot only of the iTunes Music Store, but probably of Apple altogether. Apple can't afford to breach customers' trust by treating their sensitive information with anything less than the utmost care. Besides, Apple's method for storing credit cards centrally is no different from the "1-Click" settings you might have used at Amazon.com, a company that has as much to lose as Apple does from a credit-card-related scandal.
The bottom line is that you don't have to worry about something unsavory happening with your credit card as you use the iTunes Music Store. Millions of users have found that the benefits of using the store far outweigh any risks, and you likely will, too.
Connect to the iTunes Music Store
Make sure that you have a valid Internet connection. As with all tasks related to the iTunes Music Store, you can't connect to the store unless you're able to access the Internet.
Click the Music Store option in iTunes' Source pane. iTunes connects to the Music Store, an online service similar to a web page but contained entirely within the iTunes window. You should see the iTunes Music Store's main page, which includes many sections for navigating to music for purchase in addition to banner advertisements and special offers. In the upper-right corner of the iTunes window is an Account box that currently reads Sign In.
Note
If you connected a new iPod as described in 
Connect Your iPod for the First Time, the Music Store option in iTunes shows you a welcome screen with some basic instructions for purchasing music and a listing of top downloadable songs. Click Visit the Music Store in the top-right corner to go to the iTunes Music Store's home page.
Click the Sign In Button
You can't buy music without signing in, and you can't sign in until you have an account. Click Sign In to begin the account-creation process.
Create a New Account
In the dialog box that appears, you can enter either an Apple ID (a .Mac email address, such as johndoe@mac.com, is a valid Apple ID if you have one) or an AOL screen name to sign in. If you don't have either a .Mac email address or an AOL screen name, or if you want to create a new iTunes Music Store account for any other reason, click the Create New Account button.
Enter an Account Name and Password
When you click the Create New Account button, iTunes begins a three-step process to set up your Apple ID and user account. First read the Terms of Service agreement and click Agree to proceed.
In the next screen, you set up your Apple IDwhich should be equal to your existing email addressand set a password by entering it twice (in the Password and Verify fields). Be sure to choose a good password. Use a mixture of capital and lowercase letters, numbers, and special symbols. Don't use a word that someone can easily find in the dictionary, or any other sequence of characters that is easy to guess (especially for a computer).
Notes
Apple's convention for creating new user IDs (used for the online Apple Store and .Mac in addition to the iTunes Music Store) is to use your existing valid email address, provided by your Internet service provider (ISP), as your Apple ID name. If you have a choice of working email addresses, you might want to use the shortest email address you have when signing up to avoid excessive typing when you log in.
You should also consider using an established, ISP-neutral address (such as a GMail or Yahoo! account) that you've had for a long time and plan to keep using for the foreseeable future; changing your Apple ID if you change email addresses can be bothersome.
Set a Security Question and Your Birthday
Provide a security questiona question that the iTunes servers can ask you if you forget your passwordthat only you can answer. The security question is a way to identify yourself to the server. For example, a good question would be "What is your favorite food?" or "What is your city of birth?" Type a simple answer that you can provide exactly as you type it here if Apple ever has to ask you the question to verify your identity.
Also specify your birth date, an additional security precaution. Finally, use the check boxes to determine whether you want to receive regular notification emails from Apple regarding newly added music or special offers. Click Continue to move to the final screen.
Enter Credit Card Information
Choose the credit card type you want to use to pay for your music purchases and enter the card number and expiration date. You can also opt to use a PayPal account. If you select the PayPal option, a web link appears instead of the credit card number verification that you can use to validate your PayPal account and link to your iTunes purchases. Click this link and go through the approval process to authenticate your PayPal details.
Key Term
PayPal An online financial broker that makes it easy for two parties to exchange money; found at http://www.paypal.com.
Next, enter your credit card billing details as they are registered with your credit card company. Click Done to save the information and create your Apple ID.
You should be automatically logged in at the end of the process; your Apple ID appears in the Account box in the upper-right corner of the iTunes window. If not, click the Sign In button and provide your Apple ID where prompted to sign in.
Before You Begin
See Also
Run iTunes for the First Time
Purchase a Song, Album, Video, or Audiobook from the iTunes Music Store
About Digital Rights Management Technology
Purchase Music Using a Shopping Cart
Sign Up for the iTunes Music Store
