How to Buy a Hard Drive to Store MP3 Files

By eHow Computers Editor

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Music lovers often complain of a storage problem, especially when they want to download and store several MP3 files on their computer. The better the quality of audio, the more space is required to store the MP3 format. Here is how to buy a hard drive to store MP3 files.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

MP3 files

Step1

Assess your MP3 collection and decide on the size of the harddrive. Generally a 4 GB hard drive is capable of storing up to 2,000 songs or 150 hours of MP3 files assuming a quality of 128 kbps streaming. Also, 196 kbps can occupy twice the space required for the same audio clip.

Step2

Find out the storage capacity of hard drives available in the market. The 60 GB size can store portentially 30,000 songs of 128 kbps quality.

Step3

Make a choice between portable and non-portable hard drives. If you have to travel a great deal and want to enjoy music, portable hard drives are available. For those who listen to music sitting at their desk, a portable hard drive may not be as useful.

Step4

Surf online and visit some of the popular Web sites selling MP3 players and hard drive storage devices. Choose a product and a secure payment method when buying online.

Step5

Confirm that the product that you’re interested in falls within your budget.

Tips & Warnings

Make sure you are getting ‘goodies’ when buying a portable hard drive. High quality earphones, belt clips and arm bands are often available in the drive player kit.
Look for an interface that helps you find the way to your MP3 files easily.
Ask for availability of MP3 download subscription while buying your hard drive. Many stores have interesting offers for free downloads.
Verify the return policies and warranty.
Seek branded products in accordance to your budget. Compromising on sound quality can be frustrating for music lovers.