Below you'll find a list of frequently asked questions. Just click on a question and you'll be taken to the answer.

If you don't find the answer to your question, e-mail us directly and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.

Thanks for listening!

01. What software do I need to play the program?

02. Why is the Windows Media version audio-only?

03. What are the minimum system requirements for the RealPlayer software?

04. What connection speed do I need to play the program?

05. I heard a snippet/button (music played between stories) on air. How do I find out what it was?

06. I heard a story about an artist on air. How do I listen to it again?

07. How do I submit music for use on All songs considered?

08. I submitted music to All Songs Considered but I haven't heard back from you. Why not?

09. How do I suggest artists for future shows?

10. How do you pick the music used on All Things Considered and All Songs Considered?

11. Why can't I download and save All Songs Considered programs?

12. When do you post new programs on All Songs Considered?

13. Why are older shows in mono?

14. What is the multimedia show?

15. What is the audio-only show?

16. What are the All Songs Considered CDs?

17. How do I purchase the All Songs Considered CDs?

18. Do you have a mailing list?

19. What is "Open Mic"?

20. Who is eligible for "Open Mic"?

21. How do I submit my music for "Open Mic"?

01. All Songs Considered will work with the Real Audio or Windows Media players only. If your audio doesn't work even though it used to, you need to choose the audio player you prefer to use on the NPR site. You only have to do this once.

02. Unfortunately the Windows Media player is not compatible with our slideshows. It works for the audio-only versions, but not the multimedia versions. We are, however, currently working on a solution for Windows Media and other formats as well.

03. There are Real Audio players for virtually all Windows and Mac computers. To find system requirements for your specific computer, visit the Real Networks home site.

04. You need at least a 56k modem to watch the multimedia version of All Songs Considered. You can hear the audio-only version of the show on a 28.8 modem but the quality won't be that great. The show uses a technology which detects the connection speed and adjusts the quality accordingly. So a slow modem or a busy and sluggish Internet may cause the quality to degrade. It will improve automatically if the connection speed improves.

05. If you heard a piece of music between stories recently on NPR and want to know what it was, go to our music interludes site. All music snippets/interludes are listed for every program in our archives. You can listen to these music snippets on-line.

If the music you heard was more than a few days ago, it's easier to search our program archives. You'll need to know what program you were listening to. Follow these instructions:

1. Go to NPR's main homepage www.npr.org
2. Select a program from the "Programs and Schedules" pull-down menu at the top of the page.
3. You'll be taken to the homepage for the program you selected. Then choose "previous shows" from the menu on the right side of the page.
4. Select a date. You'll be taken to the show that aired on the date you chose.
5. Scroll through the list of stories. Information on songs played between the stories is headlined "Music Button" with a link to hear the button.

If you still can't find what you're looking for, write us at allsongs@npr.org.

06. If you heard an artist profiled on one of NPR's on-air programs, you can hear it again or find out more from the NPR Web site.


Go to the NPR archives section and fill in the search form. If the story you're looking for appears, click the title. You'll be taken a page with an audio link. Simply click the "listen" link and the story will play. You'll need the Real Audio player.

If the story you're looking for doesn't appear, call your local NPR member station. The program may have been locally produced. If you're still having trouble, e-mail us at allsongs@npr.org and we'll try to find it for you.

07. If you'd like to submit music for possible use on All Things Considered, or All Songs Considered, please see our submission guidelines.

08. If you submitted music, you may not hear from us. We listen to bits and pieces of everything we get - and we get a lot of music. If we need to contact you, we will. We can't reply to every submission.

If you mailed your CD to the proper address, assume it will be heard. We generally listen to CDs within four weeks after receiving them.

09. If you have an idea for our show, write to us via e-mail: allsongs@npr.org.

Tell us why you think the artist should be used on a future show. If there is a sound file for us to hear, send us a link to the file. Please, do not attach sound files to any e-mail.

10. How do we pick music? People send us music. We listen to it all. We play what we like. That's the quick answer.

The Director for each on-air news program picks the music, so when you listen to a show and they say, "our program is directed by Bob Boilen", then you know who selected the tunes. It's one of the many jobs of a Director. We choose music based on the mood of each story, and the amount of time we have.

On All Songs Considered, the host, Bob Boilen, chooses the music with help from producer Robin Hilton. They usually try to find music for the show that's been used as snippets or buttons (short music clips played between stories) on air (All Things Considered), or in a featured story. Sometimes we'll pick music that was used on another NPR program like Morning Edition, or something they think is worth passing along.

11. Under our legal agreement with licensing organizations such as BMI or ASCAP, we are allowed to let you hear the show (stream the program), but we are not allowed to let you own the music by saving it to your computer's hard drive.

12. New All Songs Considered programs and Open Mic are both posted by the end of the day every Wednesday.

To find out about new programs and features, join the All Songs Considered mailing list. Whenever we post new material, we'll send you an e-mail to let you know.

13. The first 12 episodes of All Songs Considered are not in stereo. When we first created All Songs, we needed to keep our files small in order to successfully deliver them to your computer. Larger files take longer to download which can cause glitches or interruptions while attempting to play our shows. Improvements in our technology have since made it easier and faster to send out All Songs Considered. So beginning with episode 13, all shows are now sent in full fidelity stereo.

14. The multimedia show is an audio slide show for your computer. When you watch the multimedia program, you can hear the songs while viewing images of the artists, their instruments, perhaps their artwork, or photos of their country. At the same time, you can also read text about the artists and songs.

15. The audio-only version of All Songs Considered is the same as the multimedia program, but without the pictures and text. If you want to work at your computer while listening to the show, choose the audio-only version.

16. If you like the music you hear on NPR's All Things Considered and All Songs Considered, you'll enjoy the All Songs Considered CDs. We've released four collections that include some of the music played between stories on All Things Considered, as well as some of the music featured on the online music show All Songs Considered.

Audio samples from each disc can be heard at the NPR shop.

17. Both All Songs Considered CDs are available from the NPR online shop.

18. Yes, we have a mailing list. You can join online. After joining, we'll periodically send you e-mails about new All Songs Considered programs and special features. We will not share your e-mail address with anyone and you may unsubsribe from the service any time.

19. Since it began in 2003, NPR's Open Mic has been an online showcase for nearly 800 independent, unsigned or self-produced bands. It's a virtual stage for aspiring musicians to reach a larger audience with their work and a place to discover music you likely won't hear anywhere else. Once-unkown artists like Sufjan Stevens and Regina Spector were first heard on Open Mic.

Starting November 7, 2005, Open Mic becomes a daily show and a podcast. A new song with comments from the artists is featured each day, Monday through Friday. Subscribe to the podcast and download a full version of each day's song to your computer or personal MP3 player.

We get hundreds of submissions a week. We listen to samples of everything that hits our desk and feature those we think say something special. We understand a lot of hard work goes into making music. We also understand that listening is a subjective thing, but we can't put everything we get online.

20. Anyone who puts out their own music - from basement tapes to studio-quality recordings mixed on a home computer - can submit their work for consideration on All Songs Considered's Open Mic. We are looking for wholly independent artists playing any genre of music. If you are a more established musician or on a professionally distributed label, you can submit your music for possible use on our regular All Songs Considered program.

21. Submission guidelines for Open Mic:

• First you need to audition. Send us a CD of your music. Please, do not attach any audio files to an e-mail. Any e-mails with attached audio files are automatically deleted. We are looking only for wholly independent, unsigned or self-produced artists. If you are a more established musician or on a professionally distributed label, you can submit your music for possible use on our regular All Songs Considered program.
• Do not send us Web links to your music. We are no longer accepting electronic submissions.
• Fill out and sign the submissions form and be sure to follow the instructions.
• Wait. Don't write or call us. It may take up to 5 weeks from the time we get your music to hear it. We get hundreds of CDs a week and listen to samples of everything.
• If you pass the audition, we will call or e-mail you before we feature you on the show.
• Because of staffing limitations, we are unable to call artists who do not make it past the audition. We are also unable to return CDs.

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