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Whisperings
PureStream:
Common Questions and Answers...
The Most Common Question
Asked from new subscribers is "Why can't I log in?"
In almost every case, the reason is one of the following.
1)
You're not matching upper/lower case on
your username/password. Your username and
password are CaSE SeNSiTiVE. If you don't match the
upper/lower case on the username/password sent to
you, the login prompt will just keep coming back (it will error out after three attempts on Windows Media Player).
2) Your account isn't setup yet.
If you signed up using a credit card, we have to
manually set up your account. In most cases, that will
happen within a few hours (during business hours,
8am-4pm PST.) If you place your order after
business hours or on the weekend, please allow extra
time. Thank you for your patience.
If you've
signed up, but not received your username/password
yet and it's been a few hours, feel free to email
David directly at dnevue@rainmusic.com.
Please include your phone number in that email in case our email responses aren't getting through to you.
Want to cancel your PureStream account?
You can do that here.
If you
have other questions, see the FAQ below.
Pre-Sales
Questions about PureStream
What
music players does PureStream support?
Will
PureStream work with my device?
Am
I limited to how much or how often I can tune in?
How
many computers can I listen on?
What
do you mean when you say PureStream has a "larger
variety" of music?
Is
Whisperings PureStream the same as Live365's VIP
Program?
Login/Password
Issues
How do I log in
to PureStream?
Lost your
password?
It
won't take my password - the login screen keeps
coming back
Can
I change my password?
Account/Subscription
Questions
How do I cancel
my subscription?
What
about my Live365 VIP subscription?
Connection
and/or Sound
Problems
The
stream keeps stopping/starting/buffering/skipping/disconnecting
When
I try to connect I get.... nothing
The
music sounds "fuzzy," distorted or otherwise not
quite right
Do
you offer a lower bit-rate (quality) stream?
Windows
Media Player Problems - Tips and Tricks...
Error
Message: Windows Player Cannot Access the File...Your
Proxy Settings Might Not Be Correct.
Error
Message: The Server Received Invalid Data from the
Control Connection...
How
to Check Your Network Signal Reception
Stopping the Little Pop-Up Window when Windows Media Player is in the Task Bar
Misc.
Stuff...
How
do I see what's playing?
How
do I set up PureStream with the Roku Soundbridge?
How
do I set up PureStream with SqueezeBox?
What
Ports Does PureStream Use?
Other
problems?
Pre-Sales
Questions about PureStream
What
Music Players does PureStream Support?
Whisperings
PureStream has been tested with iTunes, Windows
Media Player, RealPlayer and WinAmp. It very well
may work with others, but they haven't been tested.
Will
PureStream Work with My Device?
It might, if your device's software can open a URL. If you'd like to try yours, email David at dnevue@rainmusic.com and he'll set up a test account for you and see if it will work. PureStream has been shown to work for listeners with....
Note Regarding AirTunes / Airport Express Server: We've seen connection problems with when you send the Whisperings stream to remote speakers using Air Tunes. If it's not set up right, it will stop and start and stop again - skipping continuously. Make sure Air Tunes is set to the "multiple speakers" option so that it includes the computer. To do this, on the iTunes screen, at the bottom toward the right, you'll see a rectangular button that activates a drop down list of available speakers. Select the multiple speakers option. That should solve this problem.
Am
I Limited to How Much or How Often I Can Tune In to
PureStream?
No,
you can listen as often as you want. We do have
different support levels ($5/month, $7.50/Month,
$10/month or
$20/month), but those are simply there to give listeners
who want to the opportunity to contribute
more if they wish. However, no matter how much you contribute,
you can still listen as much as you want.
How
Many Computers Can I Listen to PureStream From?
You
can tune in from any computer, but only
log in from one at a time.
What
Do You Mean When You Say PureStream as a Larger
Variety of Music Than the Free Stream?
There
are more individual songs on the playlist AND the
songs that are on there are repeated less often.
So more songs, larger variety, less repeats.
Is
PureStream the Same as Live365's VIP Program?
No,
the two are completely unrelated. The Live365 VIP is Live365's subscription program, and Whisperings PureStream is ours. Live365's VIP program doesn't support Whisperings financially, it supports Live365.com. Obviously, we'd prefer that you sign up for Whisperings PureStream and support this broadcast. However, if you are already a VIP member, you can tune into the Live365 VIP version of Whisperings here.
Login/Password
Issues
How
Do I Log In to PureStream?
If
you're using Windows Media Player, just press
the Play button at http://www.solopianoradio.com/purestream/login.htm
. Windows Media Player should open up automatically
and you'll get the login prompt.
Enter the username/password you received there,
matching the case exactly. That should do it.
If you're using iTunes, just
press the Play button at http://www.solopianoradio.com/purestream/login.htm
. If iTunes is your default media player, it should
start automatically and prompt you for your username and password.
If
iTunes does NOT start automatically, open iTunes and go to the
"Advanced/Open Stream" menu.
When prompted for the stream URL, insert
this: http://onyxweb.streamguys.com/pianosolo.m3u ,
then click on
OK. Make sure you don't have any trailing spaces on that URL link.
Once you do that and click OK, PureStream should prompt you for your
login information. Once you've logged in for the first time, you can, in the future,
login right from iTunes. If you check iTunes under Library/Music music, you
should see "Whisperings: Solo Piano Radio" listed there. Just click on that in
the future to log in.
Problems? Just email David at dnevue@rainmusic.com
and he'll be glad to help.
Lost Password?
Just email David at dnevue@rainmusic.com
and he'll get that for you. Be sure to include your
phone number in case our emails don't get through
to do due to email filtering. Note that if you've
been successfully tuning in for awhile and
now you simply can't, it might be because your account
has expired. David can check on that for you, too.
It
Won't Take My Password - The Login Screen Keeps
Coming Back
There
could be a couple of reasons for this:
1)
Your password is
CaSE SenSItive! So be sure you type it exactly as
it was given to you.
2)
If you just signed up and used a credit
card to do that, we
probably don't have your account setup yet. We
have to set up credit card accounts manually,
which we do as soon as we see the order come
in. Please be patient, especially if you signed
up after normal business hours.
If you
continue to have trouble, just email David at dnevue@rainmusic.com
and he'll take a look. Be sure to include your
phone number in case our emails don't get through
to do due to spam filtering.
Can
I Change My Password?
Yes,
just email David at dnevue@rainmusic.com
. Give him your current username and the password
you'd like to change your account to.
Connection
and/or Sound Problems...
The
Stream Keeps Stopping/Starting/Buffering/Skipping/Disconnecting
This
can be a tough one to troubleshoot as the source
of the problem could be anywhere between you
and the streaming server. It could be a weak network
signal, an overtaxed network, a network node problem, a firewall - just
about anything. Note that in corporate and/or university
environments, your network Admin may set bandwidth
limits for individuals. That can cause this problem
too. Suggested solutions are below.
The
FIRST QUESTION I would ask you to troubleshoot
this problem is....:
Are you trying to listen
to the stream with iTunes using the AirTunes
/ Airport
Express
Server. This is a very common cause of skipping
and stream interruptions. We've seen connection problems
with when you send the Whisperings stream to remote speakers
using Air Tunes. If it's not set up right, it will stop and start and stop again
- skipping continuously. Make sure AirTunes is
set to the "multiple speakers"
option so that it includes the computer.
To do this, on the iTunes screen, at the bottom
toward the right, you'll see a rectangular button
that activates a drop down list of available speakers.
Select the multiple speakers option. That should
solve the problem.
If
you're NOT using Airport Express...
I would
suggest trying to tune in with
one of our lower bit-rate streams. If the problem
is due to a lack of available bandwidth or a weak
or congested internet signal, using one
of these lower bit-rate (64k) streams will probably help
a great deal. Here is the stream URL you'll need.
For
iTunes,
WinAmp or RealPlayer: http://onyxweb.streamguys.com/pianosolo64.m3u
For
Windows
Media Player: http://onyxweb.streamguys.com/pianosolo64.asx
To
open up that stream URL...
For iTunes, go to the Advanced/Open Stream menu.
For WinAmp, do
the same, but through the "File/Play URL"
menu.
For RealPlayer, do the same, but
through the "File/Open" menu.
For
Windows Media Player, go to the File/Open URL menu.
If the problem continues even after switching
to the lower bit-rate stream...
The
problem could be related to a firewall issue,
especially if you're using iTunes, RealPlayer
or Winamp to listen. Our icecast stream
for these players runs on port 3120, so you
need to have that open to get the stream. Some work
environments block certain ports, and they may be
blocking this one by default. Your two options are
to a) open up that port in your firewall or b) try listening via
Windows Media Player, which is set to port 80,
where most web traffic resides.
If you're using Windows
Media Player and you have this problem, try out these possible solutions...
Possible
Solution One
Open up Windows Media Player.
Go to Tools/Options and then the Network tab
Click
on the HTTP Protocol listed under streaming proxy
settings, then click on Configure.
Set your proxy
setting to Autodetect
Click on OK.
Now, repeat
this for each of the other protocol settings listed
too.
Exit Windows Media Player and give it another
try.
Possible
Solution Two
Open up Windows Media Player.
Go to Tools/Options and then the Network tab
Uncheck
the UDP box.
Click on OK.
Exit Windows Media
Player and give it another try.
Possible
Solution Three
Open up Windows Media Player.
Go to Tools/Options and then the Security tab
Make
sure both boxes are NOT checked.
Click on OK.
Exit
Windows Media Player and give it another try.
If
those don't fix the problem, run the network
signal test
below to see if you get any timeout messages.
When
I Try to Connect I Get.... Nothing
If you're using iTunes, RealPlayer or Winamp
to listen and you have this problem, it could
be a firewall issue. Our icecast stream for
these players runs on port 3120, so you need
to have that open to get the stream. Some work environments
block certain ports, and they may be blocking this
one by default. Your two options are to a) open
up that port or b) try listening via Windows Media
Player, which is set at port 80, where most
web traffic resides.
You can also try opening
up Safari and then put this in as your URL: http://onyxweb.streamguys.com/pianosolo.m3u
. Safari will then try to launch the appropriate
program and bring up the login screen.
If you're using Windows
Media Player and you have this problem, see
the Windows Media Player Tips and Tricks section
below....
The
Music Sounds "Fuzzy," Distorted or Otherwise
Not Quite Right.
If
you're tuning in via Windows Media Player, make sure you don't have the Graphic
Equalizer or SRS Wow Effects turned on. If you do, that tends to spike the bass
end of the music and creates a lot of distortion. Piano by it's very nature
tends to be heavy on the bass end already.
Do
You Have a Lower Bit-Rate (quality) Stream?
Yes,
we do have a lower bitrate version of Whisperings
PureStream. If you get buffering when you try to
connect to the 128k feed, try opening these URL's
in your player for our 64k feed.
iTunes,
WinAmp, RealPlayer: http://onyxweb.streamguys.com/pianosolo64.m3u
Windows
Media Player: http://onyxweb.streamguys.com/pianosolo64.asx
Windows
Media Player Errors - Tips and Tricks...
Error
Message: Windows Player Cannot Access the File.
The file might be in use, you might not have access
to the computer where the file is stored, or your
proxy setteings might not be correct..."
This is the most common error we see in Windows
Media Player. Basically, it just means that, for
whatever reason, your computer cannot see our streaming
server. There are any number of possible reasons
for this - it could be network congestion, a firewall
issue, or it may be that the particulars of your
network requires you to "tweak" the default
settings in Windows Media Player.
Here are
a few things that have worked for users to resolve
the issue.
Possible
Solution One
Open up Windows Media Player.
Go to File/Open URL...
Insert
this web site address: http://onyxweb.streamguys.com/pianosolo.asx
.
Click on OK, and see if you can log in.
Possible
Solution Two
Are you using the Firefox browser?
If so, try Internet Explorer. We have seen a few
problems with Firefox not working well with Windows
Media Player.
Possible Solution Three
Open
up Windows Media Player.
Go to Tools/Options
and then the Network tab
Click on the HTTP
Protocol listed under streaming proxy settings,
then click on Configure.
Set your proxy setting
to Autodetect
Click on OK.
Now, repeat this
for each of the other protocol settings listed too.
Exit Windows Media Player and give it another
try.
Possible
Solution Four
Open up Windows Media Player.
Go to Tools/Options and then the Network tab
Uncheck
the UDP box.
Click on OK.
Exit Windows Media
Player and give it another try.
Possible
Solution Five
Open up Windows Media Player.
Go to Tools/Options and then the Security tab
Make
sure both boxes are NOT checked.
Click on OK.
Exit
Windows Media Player and give it another try.
If none of these work for you, check your network reception
to our signal using the tip
below.
Error
Message: The Server Received Invalid Data....
Usually
when this happens, just click on the Play button
in Windows Media Player and it will buffer and start
playing properly. If that doesn't solve it, try
the solutions suggested in the question immediately
prior to this one.
How
to Check Your Network Reception for Our Signal
If you have
trouble logging in it could also be due to a weak
Internet signal.
Here's how you can check it in
Windows:
1)
Click on your Windows Start menu and then Run....
2)
In the Run dialogue box, type "command."
(no quotes) That will bring up an MS DOS window
3)
Type "ping -t onyx.streamguys.com"
(no quotes) and then press enter. At this point
you'll see line after line of replies. Let that
go for a minute or so. Press CTRL+C to stop
it.
4) If you see any "Request Timed
Out" messages listed in there, you know
that your network is losing the signal to our
server. That's why you can't connect.
Here's how you can check it on
the Mac OS X:
1) Click on Finder in the dock.
2) Click on Macintosh HD in the
window.
3) Click on Applications.
4) Click on
Utilities.
5) Double-click on Network Utility.
6) In the
Network Utility window, click on the Ping tab.
7)
In the field under "Please enter the network address to ping", enter onyx.streamguys.com.
Set the Ping to at least 100 seconds.
8) Click the
Ping button.
Also try pinging live.str3am.com
You can also use the Terminal program to
ping.
To open terminal:
1) Click on Finder in the dock.
2) Click on
Macintosh HD in the window.
3) Click on Applications.
4)
Click on Utilies.
5) Double-click on Terminal.
6) Type
"ping -t onyx.streamguys.com"
Also
try pinging live.str3am.com
Terminal runs a continuous
ping. To stop it, hold down
CTRL-C.
If you see any "No
Route to Host" or "Request Timed
Out" messages listed in there, you know
that your network is losing the signal to our
server. That's why you can't connect.
Stopping the Little Pop-Up Window When Windows Media Player is in the Task Bar
If you're running Windows Media Player in the Task Bar Toolbar, WMP pops up an "enhancement" box every time your cursor passes over (or near) the player in your task bar. This can be very annoying as the pop-up comes up even when you don't mean it to when your cursor falls into that area of your screen.
To turn this off, right-click your mouse on an empty spot on your task bar (or right over the clock) and you'll see a menu come up with "Toolbars" as an option. Click on that and you'll see "Windows Media Player" listed. Uncheck that and it will take Windows Media Player out of your task bar. Now when you play it, Windows Media Player will remain in the background.
Account/Subscription
Questions
How
Do I Cancel My Subscription?
You can cancel your account from our cancellation
page.
What
About My Live365 VIP Subscription?
If you're subscribed to Live365's VIP program,
You can still login to that and listen from our Live365 VIP Login page. Nothing about that
has changed, other than the fact that we're not promoting it anymore.
We received very little of Live365's subscription fee, and so it wasn't
contributing much to our being able to finance this station. That's
part of the reason we set up our own subscription system.
Misc.
Stuff...
How
Do I See What's Playing Now?
To see what's playing at any time, just click on
the Now Playing link for PureStream on
the Whisperings home
page.
How
Do I Set Up PureStream with the Roku Soundbridge?
First, you need a special account setup and URL
link to do this, so if you don't have that
yet, email David
Nevue.
Once that account is setup...
1) Go to the "Roku's" URL.
The URL depends on your network
configuration - usually it's something like 192.168.1.100 - your Roku manual has
instructions on how to find this.
2) Choose "presets" from the menu near the
top of the page
3) Copy the special Whisperings PureStream URL from the email David sent
you. It will look something like http://username:password@live.str3am.com:3120/secure
4)
Paste this special URL into an unwanted address space and add a "Name"
(i.e. Whisperings PureStream)
5) Test the URL by pressing the "play"
button
6) If it works, scroll to the bottom of the page and click "update
presets."
Instructions for this are noted on page 31 of the Roku
Instruction Manual (Model 1001), under "Web
Page Control."
How Do I Set Up PureStream with Sonos?
First, you need a special account setup and URL link to do this, so if you don't have that yet, email David Nevue. Once that account is setup...
1) Open the Sonos Desktop Controller.
2) On the right hand side of the screen, under Music Library, choose Radio.
3) Click Add New at the bottom of the menu.
4) Copy/paste the special PureStream URL David sent you into the Streaming URL box. Your URL will look something like http://onyx.streamguys.com/pianosolo?u=USERNAME&p=PASSWORD
5) Enter "Whisperings PureStream" in the Station Name box and click OK.
Instructions for this can also be found on the Sonos web site.
How
Do I Set Up PureStream with SqueezeBox?
First, you need a special account setup and URL
link to do this, so if you don't have that
yet, email David
Nevue.
Once that account is setup...
1) On
SlimServer, go to 'radio tune-in' within SlimServer's web interface.
2) Type
in the special Whisperings PureStream URL from the email David sent
you. It will look something like http://username:password@live.str3am.com:3120/secure
3)
Once you've done this, you can save that stream as a playlist
to be recalled later.
Instructions for this can also be found on the
Slim
Devices web site.
What
Ports Does PureStream Use?
For
PureStream for iTunes, we use Port 3120
For PureSteam
for Windows Media Player, Port 80
For the 56k
free stream, we use Port 21388
For the 64k free
stream, we use Port 8133
Any
Other Questions or Problems?
Contact
David
Nevue
via
email. Please include your phone number in your
email.
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