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kJams turns your computer into a karaoke jukebox, allowing you to play karaoke tunes with a full-screen lyrics—quickly and easily. kJams Lite offers all of the functionality you need to enjoy karaoke in your home; kJams Pro offers additional functionality for the professional KJ. The best part is, kJams is simple enough for the newbie and awesome enough for the fanatic karaoke diva!

But don’t take my word for it. Try it out for yourself. It’s SHAREWARE, meaning you can download and use it for free in Tryout mode.

kJams Documentation

The documentation that follows will help you navigatge the kJams world. If you are technically adept and familiar with karaoke--well,you won't read the documentation anyway, will you? Neverthless, there are links to technical material that may find useful, and I suggest you check out the forums as well.

If you’re new to karaoke or technicallyl challenged, I recommend you read through (or at least skim) the sections below, in the order they're presented. Just click on the section that you want to read. I’ve tried to keep it simple, but let me know if something is confusing.

Most section contain links to more detailed information. Often this information is geared toward the techies and the karaoke fanatics, but not always. If you there is something you don’t understand, click on the available hyperlinks.

kJams menu options are described using this shorthand:

Click on Edit --> Preferences --> Stores

This means:

1. Find the Edit menu title at the top of your screen and click on it.
2. From the menu that is pulled down, click on Preferences.
3. In the list presented there, click on Stores.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Many of the kJams menu items have keyboard shortcuts, which are documented on the menus themselves. If you prefer using your keyboard, rather than your mouse, go ahead and learn these shortcuts.

For you techies, you can customize your own keyboard shortcuts here.

All right. Let's get started!

Documentation Contents

1. System Requirements Temp
2. Tryout Version of kJams Temp
3. Downloading Temp
   1. Uninstalling
4. Purchasing Temp
   1. Updates
   2. Upgrades
   3. Discounts and Site Licenses
5. Getting Started Temp
   1. Starting kJams
   2. Ways to Play
   3. Introduction to Building Your Library
6. Building the Library Temp
   1. Understanding Tags (Meta Data)
   2. Adding Sample Songs
   3. Purchasing Music Through kJams
      1. Setting Up Purchase Preferences
      2. Purchasing Songs
      3. Streaming Songs
      4. About Purchasing

Purchasing Music through kJams

kJams offers 1-Click shopping at several karaoke websites. This option offers a huge advantage in that your account information (credit card #, etc.) is maintained by kJams, so you don’t have to re-enter the information each time you want to purchase a song.

In addition, two of the stores, Chartbuster and TriceraSoft, offer streaming music. For this option, you purchase streaming time (essentially a subscription), and then you can stream music whenever you want. Please note that you must purchase your streaming subscription ahead of time. For more information on setting up streaming accounts, refer to Chartbuster and TriceraSoft.

Take note:

• iTunes does NOT sell karaoke music!
• Karaoke Locker does not sell music for public performances. Therefore, this store is available only to kJams Lite users.

Setting Up Purchase Preferences

Prior to your first purchase, you will need to set up your account information and provide an email address. The email address is used by the music stores to notify you of your order information.

Also, if you plan on streaming music, you will need to set up your account to allow this. To understand the Preferences relating to streaming music, refer to Chartbuster and TriceraSoft.

Please note that kJams keeps your credit card information encrypted at all times.

To set up your basic purchase account information:

1. Click on Edit --> Preferences --> Stores. The Stores information page is displayed.
2. Click on Edit Credit Card Settings.
3. Enter your credit card information.
   1. Note that your card #, expiration date, and security code are immediately encrypted, so be sure to enter them correctly.
   2. The expiration date must be entered in the following format: MM/YYYY
4. Click OK.
5. Click on Edit E-mail Address. (It’s important to use your real address because this is how you get your receipts.)
6. Enter your email address, then click on OK.
7. If you want true “one click” shopping with no questions asked, deselect the Confirm All Purchases box. This is not recommended for newbies, as it is very easy to purchase songs without realizing it.
8. The option to Include Music Store Songs in Main Library allows you to do an exhaustive search when you’re looking for a particular song. With this option activated, kJams searches your Library, plus all enabled music stores. You also have the option of limiting the search to streaming songs only.
9. If you decide to set up your preferences as described above—deselecting Confirm All Purchases and selecting Include Music Store Songs in Main Library—then there is an additional preference that you should deselect. Go to Edit  Preferences  General and deselect Pre-cache Next Song. Leaving this preference selected will cause kJams to purchase the song you are playing, but also the next song in the playlist.
10. If your are planning on streaming music, purchase your subscriptions and then set your preferences according to the information located here: Chartbuster and TriceraSoft.
11. Click on OK to exit the Stores preferences screen.

IMPORTANT: The option described above under #8 is potentially dangerous if you have Confirm All Purchases turned off. For example, you can scroll to any music store song and press play, and it will happily purchase the song for you without asking. And then without asking, it will purchase the next one that plays, and the next one. However, this option can be very useful if you are a KJ and you want Singers to be able to search for and submit songs that are in your music stores (which you will gladly purchase for them).

Now you are ready to purchase karaoke music!

Purchasing Songs

1. Click Music Stores to display a list of available stores OR click the disclosure triangle (twirly arrow) on the Music Store icon.
2. Click on a store.
3. Scroll through the song selections or use the search box at the top to look for a particular title or artist.
4. To hear a sample, double click the song.
5. Purchase songs by EITHER clicking on Buy Now or by dragging the song to your Library.
6. Once a song is purchased, it is automatically downloaded into your library and an email confirming your order is sent to your email address.

If you order from Karaoke Locker, you receive two versions of each song: one is an m4wav for playing and the other is a CDG for burning to disc.

Buying multiple songs? When you click Buy Now, the transaction is completed without the option of adding more songs to your purchase. So if you want to buy 6 songs, you will end up with six separate transactions. By dragging your selections to the library, you can purchase multiple songs with one transaction.

Streaming Songs

1. Simply click on the Stream button for that song. (There could be a bit of a wait while the song buffers.)
2. Or you can drag the song to your Library and play it later. Note that streamed songs appear highlighted in green.

About purchasing

• The first time you start with no music store, kJams must download and parse the store. Only AFTER that will the store appear in the list on the left. Watch the activity window to see when these tasks complete. what do you mean “start with no music store”?

• Click on the little Music Stores shopping bag icon to get info about each store.

• Each music store will ask you to update it once per month. If you decline to update it, it will wait another month to ask you. You can update a store at any time, however, by right clicking on its name and picking "Reload Music Store."

Denied Credit Cards Your credit card company might accept the first few purchases and then start denying the transactions. In this case, you just need to call your credit card company and tell them to allow micro-purchases. For more information on this, click here.

Problems with Your Orders If you have problems with your purchase...