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Zune Marketplace Subscription Works with non-Zune MP3 Players

By: Grahm Skee on December 3, 2007 3:33 PM

zune-sansa-sync.jpg

The Zune Marketplace subscription will allow you to sync two different Zunes and two different computers with the same account. What I found out by accident is that you can actually use a completely different brand of player for the second device. You may not even need a Zune; you may be able to sync two non-Zune PlaysForSure MP3 players. I have only tried this on one account so I may need some of you to further verify this. So please let me know if anyone else is successful.

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I did this on an updated Vista computers using the Zune software and Windows Media Player 11. What happened was I connected a bunch of MP3 players to charge them and by accident my Sansa View started synching the library automatically though WMP. WMP saw my Zune subscription folder and authorized the Sansa View to download the tracks as the second device. I would also imagine that you could not use a Zune at all, use the Zune Marketplace Subscription to download tracks and sync them to two PlaysForSure MTP based players.

Now if we can only get the Zune Software to recognize other MTP based players or get the Zune on WMP11, we could crack that pesky ecosystem open.

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Comments

Joe on December 3, 2007 4:36 PM

wow, this is sweet, great find enzo!

Lawrence on December 3, 2007 8:33 PM

why would one want to use the Zune software for their mp3 players- inless they already have a zune and don't want to buy the tracks again..

LunarFlame17 on December 4, 2007 1:33 PM

Mae is an awesome band by the way.

ACE on December 4, 2007 1:43 PM

BTW - the new terms of service with the Zune Pass allow up to 3 Zunes...

EnzoTen (Grahm) on December 4, 2007 2:09 PM

@ACE

hmmm... i may have two Zunes registered on my account then. Ill see if i can drop one and pick up another non-zune.

Welcome from zuneboards.com =) Have you or any of your members been able to do this?

Charlie Quidnunc on December 4, 2007 2:46 PM

I have a MarketPlace subscription and I can sync albums and songs to my Windows Mobile 5.0 cell phone. It only works when I connect the phone via USB cable (no bluetooth sync) and have ActiveSync enabled. In Windows Media Player 11.

Connect the phone via USB and wait until it syncs. Then open Windows Media Player 11. Click on Sync. You may have to page through the sync devices until you find the storage card on the phone. Then drag albums (I get them from my file system folders) onto the Sync window, and then click "Start Sync". It takes a while, but it works.

Sansa is Fun on December 15, 2007 8:54 PM

I tested the Zune Marketplace on my Sansa e260 and the e260 Synced fine with Windows Media Player 11 after I formated the Sansa e260.

DreadNt on December 22, 2007 5:19 PM

This last post...where you synch with your Sansa. Some of the earlier posts indicate that you need to have at least one Zune to make this work. Do you have a Zune? And, does any of the DRM stuff associated with subscription cause you problems with your Sansa? I don't have a Zune, but the Zune Marketplace looks like a better alternative to Rhapsody (I tried Rhapsody once, and it was a bear).

d307 on December 26, 2007 10:43 PM

Does anyone know if this would work with my iPod?

Andrew on January 6, 2008 8:04 PM

I had a problem with this. My wife and i both have Zunes on the Zune pass subscription and two different computers. I tried to sync my Nokia N81 8gb to windows media 11 and i was able to sync a lot of songs that i downloaded through the subscription. However, there are some that are not able to sync and have a little blue icon next to them which if you click it will tell you that you do not have sync rights. Is it because i have 2 different computers and 2 different zunes?

Travis on January 18, 2008 8:00 PM

I bought a 1gb Sansa Clip as a third device because of this article; it works GREAT! Thanks a bunch!

Justin on March 4, 2008 5:45 PM

Do you know if Zune Marketplace works with Sandisk Sansa View 16gb. I have a bunch of songs that i download from it when i had a zune(Two with poor firmware)and i took those songs and drag them into the bestbuy/raphsody program, but it keeps saying error when i try to transfer. Do you think these songs might need to be converted for it to work?

Alex on May 13, 2008 11:56 PM

I also accidentally found this out when WMP11 found the Zune subscription folder and my wife's gigabeat s60 was synced with all the new music I had just downloaded with the Zune pass. Curiously, even though MS has changed the policy to 3 devices, when looking at the properties dialogue for the newly synced files, they no longer show syncing rights. I wanted to get a third device for working out...but now I'm not so sure that this will be a possibility. Also, are we going to be able to de-authorize the gigabeat anyway?

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