I'm logged-in, but I can't see a download tab on the Journal issue page.

This may be an issue with your browser. Frequently, if this occurs, the subscriber is using Safari. To troubleshoot, you can try a couple things: 

1. Make sure you are using an up-to-date version of Safari.

2. Clear your browser cache by clicking "Clear history" under the "History" tab in the menu bar.

3. Try a different browser such as Firefox or Chrome.

How can I listen to my purchased audio through My Library?

There are two ways to listen to audio through My Library: through a web browser or through our app. 

If you have a subscription to the Journal, or you have purchased other audio products from us, your audio is available to you from My Library. After you’ve logged in, click My Library in the navigation bar near the top of the webpage to see the Journal issues to which you have digital access. My Library is organized into two product types: Journal subscriptions and other audio Products. The Journal issues are organized by year; simply scroll down to find the desired issue.  Click the volume number icon for a particular volume, and you'll be taken to its Catalog page. Other stand-alone audio products that are separate from the Journal are located in the Products tab in My Library just to the right of Journals.

The Catalog page allows you to listen to the Journal issue via streaming over the internet without having to download any files.  Simply click the Intro button to listen to the Introduction, and the Play button to listen to the interviews.  You can navigate the audio using the built-in audio player. 

If I don’t want to stream the audio directly through the website, what are my options?

You can now listen to the Journal and other MARS HILL AUDIO products either through our app or by downloading and transfering the MP3 files to your preferred device. You can find our app by searching for it on the iTunes App Store or in Google Play. In the app, you can both stream and download audio directly on your mobile device.

If you do not own a smart phone or iPad:

After logging in, select a Journal issue from My Library to be taken to its Catalog page.  If you don't wish to stream the audio and would rather download the files, click Download and save the ZIP file "MHA Download.zip" at the prompt.  This ZIP file contains 1) the MP3 audio files of the issue and 2) M3U playlist files for easy import into iTunes or your music player of choice.

When this file is downloaded, it is placed wherever your web browser routinely stores downloads, although you may have been prompted after clicking on the link to select a place to save the file. This file is a “zipped” archive which must be decompressed (or “unzipped”) before you can listen to the MP3 files it contains.  If you have a Mac, double-click the file and note the location of the unzipped files. If your computer runs Windows, right-click on the ZIP file and select “Extract All...” to bring up an Extraction Wizard. Follow the instructions to begin the extraction, and when it completes, check the “Show extracted files” box and click Finish.  

The unzipped contents will be displayed, which will include MP3 files and a playlist file entitled [Product Name].m3u, which can be used with iTunes.  Remember where these files are located because you’ll need to navigate back to them later. Next, open iTunes and attach your iPod or preferred device to your computer. 

If you are familiar with using iTunes, simply import the [Product Name].m3u playlist to listen on your computer or your MP3 player; or, create and burn two new playlists onto CDs. If you are not familiar with iTunes, but have some experience installing software or opening files that you’ve downloaded from the Web, the steps listed below should help you.

For iPod/iPhone/iPad:

1. Once in iTunes, press Ctrl-S (or Cmd-Option-S on a Mac) to reveal the Sidebar on the left.
2. Note the PLAYLISTS category in the Sidebar. Navigate back to the other window where the MHA Playlist 139.m3u file you unzipped earlier is located, and either double-click to automatically open the MHAJ playlist, or click and drag the file directly on top of the word PLAYLISTS in the iTunes Sidebar. (You may have to arrange your screen so that both iTunes and the other window are viewable.) The MHAJ volume playlist should appear in your list of playlists as MHA Playlist 139 with all of the MP3 files for this issue added to your Music Library.
3. Make sure the MP3 files can be played in iTunes. If they do not play, try Step 2 again.
4. In the Sidebar, under DEVICES, click on your iPod/iPhone. In the Summary tab, under Options, locate the “Manually manage music and videos” box. If it is checked, move on to Step A5. If it is unchecked, move on to Step B5.

• A5. Drag the playlist MHA Playlist 139 under PLAYLISTS up to your iPod/iPhone icon under DEVICES. It should copy over to your device.
• B5. Click on the Music tab (next to Summary and Apps). Check the Sync Music box, and make sure either “Entire music library” is selected, or if “Selected playlists...” is selected, make sure you’ve checked MHAJ-139 in the list. Click Sync in the bottom-right hand corner. It should copy the files over in the syncing process.

If you encounter any errors during this process, you may have some settings that need re-configuration.

Do I need to use iTunes?

Although other applications will also enable you to listen to MP3 files and to burn CDs, we can only provide instructions for Apple’s iTunes at this time because of its popularity.  

I'm a CD subscriber; how do I access the MP3 version of my subscription?

If you're a CD subscriber, you also have access to the MP3 format of the Journal.

If you've never created a user account on our website before, you'll need to register before you can log in and access your subscriptions. When registering for an account, make sure you use the email address associated with your subscription. This is important, because the system checks your available subscriptions and products against the email address of your user account, so be sure it's the correct one. If you regularly receive emails from us, then the email address at which you receive our messages is the one we have on file for you.

Once you've logged in, just click the My Library tab at the top of the page to see a list of Journal volumes available to you. Click on the Journal volume you want to download, and follow the directions for downloading MP3 files to your computer.

What if I don't have an email address associated with my subscription?

If you've never provided us with an email address, or just aren't sure which of your several email addresses might be associated with your subscription, go ahead and create a user account on the website with the email address you want associated with your subscriptions. Once you've done that, send us a message through the Contact Us page and we can manually link the user account you just created with your subscriptions and products. In your message, be sure and include your first and last name, as well as your zip code, so that we can correctly identify your account.

What are the specifications of the MP3 format used for the digital version of the Journal?

The MP3 files are produced at a bit rate of 64 kbps and a sampling frequency of 44.1 kHz.  The MP3 files use a single (mono) channel, which halves the file size compared to stereo output.  We think the reduction in file size (and download time) is worth it, since spoken word doesn't benefit from two channels very much.