Format Error Was able to download songs from Napster to my computer and send to my Philips mp3 player but the music will not play the message is Format Error?

? i got that too

That is the problem with services that give you DRM-protected WMA's - as soon as the subscription lapses, the song cannot be played on your mp3 player anymore. The only way around the problem is to either: a) renew your subscription, or b) get a music service that gives you DRM-free songs, preferably a service that gives you the songs in mp3 format.

-Tha Mp3 Doctor

The file format is probably wrong. iTunes will not work with this player, for instance.

The format of the songs are wrong in one way or another. Each Mp3 player has a product spec sheet that lists which type of music file it is compatible with (Mp3, WMA, WAV, AAC, etc). You can't play iTunes songs, which are AAC format, on a player that only accepts Mp3 or WMA format.

The second formatting issue has to do with the DRM license on the songs you have downloaded. Right click a song that gave you an error, click on "Properties," and click on the "License," "Media Usage Rights," or "Digital Rights Mgmt" tab (wording varies by configuration). Not every song allows unlimited or even one-time transfer to a "portable device" (code word for "Mp3 player" in this case). Also, some songs are fixed-term - they expire after a while - sometimes in as little as 24 hours.

To get around this, convert every song to Mp3 format. Either that, or upgrade your music service subscription to the highest pkg they have available and never cancel (Napster's basic music svc, for instance, does not let you transfer to an Mp3 player, but their "Napster To Go" upgrade does allow transfer).

-Tha Mp3 Doctor

The format of the songs are wrong in one way or another. Each Mp3 player has a product spec sheet that lists which type of music file it is compatible with (Mp3, WMA, WAV, AAC, etc). You can't play iTunes songs, which are AAC format, on a player that only accepts Mp3 or WMA format.

The second formatting issue has to do with the DRM license on the songs you have downloaded. Right click a song that gave you an error, click on "Properties," and click on the "License," "Media Usage Rights," or "Digital Rights Mgmt" tab (wording varies by configuration). Not every song allows unlimited or even one-time transfer to a "portable device" (code word for "Mp3 player" in this case). Also, some songs are fixed-term - they expire after a while - sometimes in as little as 24 hours.

To get around this, convert every song to Mp3 format. Either that, or upgrade your music service subscription to the highest pkg they have available and never cancel (Napster's basic music svc, for instance, does not let you transfer to an Mp3 player, but their "Napster To Go" upgrade does allow transfer).

-Tha Mp3 Doctor

The songs are in the wrong format.
The format of the songs are wrong in one way or another. Each Mp3 player has a product spec sheet that lists which type of music file it is compatible with (Mp3, WMA, WAV, AAC, etc). You can't play iTunes songs, which are AAC format, on a player that only accepts Mp3 or WMA format.

The second formatting issue has to do with the DRM license on the songs you have downloaded. Right click a song that gave you an error, click on "Properties," and click on the "License," "Media Usage Rights," or "Digital Rights Mgmt" tab (wording varies by configuration). Not every song allows unlimited or even one-time transfer to a "portable device" (code word for "Mp3 player" in this case). Also, some songs are fixed-term - they expire after a while - sometimes in as little as 24 hours.

To get around this, convert every song to Mp3 format. Either that, or upgrade your music service subscription to the highest pkg they have available and never cancel (Napster's basic music svc, for instance, does not let you transfer to an Mp3 player, but their "Napster To Go" upgrade does allow transfer).

-Tha Mp3 Doctor

If NONE of these changes work,
Try this: disconnect the player from the computer, turn it off, hold in the volume + button, and reconnect the player to the computer while holding the volume + button in. Keep holding the volume + button for an additional 5-50 seconds. Windows should eventually go into recovery mode and revive the player- it will pop up a window that says Found New Hardware Wizard.

Make sure the music is in the correct format.
The format of the songs could be wrong in one way or another. Each Mp3 player has a product spec sheet that lists which type of music file it is compatible with (Mp3, WMA, WAV, AAC, etc). You can't play iTunes songs, which are AAC format, on a player that only accepts Mp3 or WMA format.

The second formatting issue has to do with the DRM license on the songs you have downloaded. Right click a song that gave you an error, click on "Properties," and click on the "License," "Media Usage Rights," or "Digital Rights Mgmt" tab (wording varies by configuration). Not every song allows unlimited or even one-time transfer to a "portable device" (code word for "Mp3 player" in this case). Also, some songs are fixed-term - they expire after a while - sometimes in as little as 24 hours.

To get around this, convert every song to Mp3 format. Either that, or upgrade your music service subscription to the highest pkg they have available and never cancel (Napster's basic music svc, for instance, does not let you transfer to an Mp3 player, but their "Napster To Go" upgrade does allow transfer).

-Tha Mp3 Doctor

There are a few different possibilities.

1)Your subscription to your digital music service such as Napster, etc has expired. Sorry - unless you renew your subscription, you will not be able to play these songs again.
2) Your songs have DRM-encryption on them. To check and see, right click on an individual song name in Windows Media Player, and click on "License" or "Digital Rights"; if the affected songs have DRM encryption, then get DRM-removal software.
3) Your songs do NOT have DRM-encryption on them. In this instance, follow the procedure for item#2, except click on the link in the License or digital Rights tab that says "acquire license" (make sure you are connected to the internet first).

Well to purchase the rights for the song you can (and should !!) use Napster. Its completely legal, the software is free. You can choose to pay per month for a thing called napster to go. You can have that cause your mp3 player is comatible with that special. its 15 $ a month, you get unlimited downloads to your mp3 player! and all legally. Or you have the option to buy songs or albums for 1,19$ the song or about 9,99$ the album. And the selection of artist is huge. go to www.napster.com for usa, and www.napster.ca for canada.

Where did you download the songs? Napster?Rhapsody? Any online music stores? Try synchronizing them using their software. If you have ripped songs from a cd you may want to rip them again and before ripping them check this option on your windows media player software. Tools > Options then under RIP MUSIC remove the check mark that say's Copy Protect Music or choose the file format as MP3. Then format the device using the windows media player software(for version 10 = click on the sync tab then choose the pencil like icon on the far right, for version 11 = right click on the sync tab choose the player and choose format) use after doing that rerip the songs using the windows media player software.

Nice. That worked great.

Thanks for posting.