What are the system requirements?
Platforms and Browsers
Requirements common to all platforms and browsers:
- Audio enabled: computers require soundcard and speakers/headphones
- Internet connection, with at least 56kbps bandwidth
- Firewall rules should allow MP3 and Windows Media content
- Firewalls are required to have port 1755 open
- Proxy servers must be able to handle Media Streams
The tables below show the additional basic system requirements for Compatibility with our music products for both PCs and Apple Macintosh platforms:
| PC | |
| Platform |
|
| Browser |
|
| Music Playback |
|
| Settings |
|
| Apple Macintosh | |
| Platform |
|
| Browser |
|
| Music Playback |
|
| Settings |
|
Audio Playback Software
We stream two audio formats, Windows Media Audio for PCs using Internet Explorer and Mp3 for PCs using Netscape and Apple Mac users.
| Operating System | Browse | Required music playback software |
| Microsoft Windows 98sp2+ | Internet 5.5+ | |
| Microsoft Windows 98sp2+ | Netscape 6+ | Macromedia Flash Player v9+ |
| Apple Mac OSX+ | Internet 5.2+ Netscape 6.2+ | Macromedia Flash Player v9+ |
The symbol '+' denotes "or more recent", meaning that this is the minimum level of compatibility required and all more recent versions of that software are compatible.
Tips on searching and browsing
- Keep searches simple and specific. For example, to find a Washboard band, you only need to enter: washboard
- Try double-checking your spelling before giving up a search.
- Word order, case and punctuation are not important. For example, John Coltrane may be entered: Coltrane John
- You can enter more than one term in each search box. For instance, if you wish to find all text with either the piano or harmonica, use the Basic search box and enter: piano harmonica
- When using the Advanced Search interface, try to use the most appropriate term box for your search.
- Enter terms in the singular, e.g. "opera" not "operas"
- If your advanced search produces no results, try using a Boolean 'OR' search instead and reducing the number of search terms entered.
Advanced Searching
The Advanced Search function allows you to input particular criteria to make your results more exact. You may use any combination of one or more search fields to limit your search. The more fields you use, the smaller your result set will be. To reset the search screen, click the Clear button. Note: not all of these advanced search fields are available for all products in Music Online
Search Title Search for a specific title in the Title field. The title field searches for any title in the database. You can also click Select Terms for a complete listing of titles in the database. Just click the title you want to find, and click Add Terms. This will automatically put the title into the title search field so all you need to do next is click Search.
Search Author: Search for a specific author in the author field. Just enter the name in the field and click Search. You can also click Select Terms for a complete listing of authors in the database.
Search Publisher:Search for a specific publisher in the publisher field. Just enter the publisher's name in the field and click Search. You can also click Select Terms for a complete listing of publisher terms in the database.
Search Publication Date: Search for dates in a range, ie. searching between 1955 and 1965 will retrieve all titles whose publication date is in that range.
Search All Subjects: Search for any subject in the database, including all of the subject types listed below.
Search Instrument: Search for a specific instrument in the instrument search field. You can also click Select Terms for a complete listing of instruments in the database. Just click the instrument you want to find, and click Add Terms. This will automatically put the instrument into the instrument search field
Search Person: You can also click Select Terms for a complete listing of People in the database. This will search across all people except for authors, which has a separate search above.
Search Genre: Search for a specific genre in the genre search field. You can also click Select Terms for a complete listing of Genres in the database. Just click the genre you want to find, and click Add Terms. This will automatically put the genre into the genre search field so all you need to do next is click Search.
Search Ensemble: Search for a specific ensemble in the ensemble search field. You can also click Select Terms for a complete listing of ensembles in the database. Just click the ensemble you want to find, and click Add Terms. This will automatically put the ensemble into the ensemble search field so all you need to do next is click Search.
Search Organization: Search for a specific organization in the organization search field. You can also click Select Terms for a complete listing of organizations in the database. Just click the organization you want to find, and click Add Terms. This will automatically put the organization into the organization search field so all you need to do next is click Search.
Search Place: Search for a specific location in the place search field. You can also click Select Terms for a complete listing of locations in the database. Just click the place you want to find, and click Add Terms. This will automatically put the location into the place search field so all you need to do next is click Search.
For more information or trouble shooting, contact the Customer Support team by e-mailing support [at] alexanderstreet [dot] com or by filling out the Customer Support web form.