First, be sure you have an U2start.com account, that's absolutely free and you can create a new one in 30 seconds. Create one here.
Then, visit the show page for the recording you like. Click on "audio" or "shows" to visit that page and click on the "audio" tab to find the available recordings.
You can download the show on an external site, usually Mega.nz. Sometimes, recordings are split into two or three files. In order to play the files, you need all parts. Download them to your computer. If you have trouble downloading the files, try the Google Chrome browser on a computer or laptop.
Generally you can just pick the first source, because we order them on sound quality. Other sources are often just downloaded by collectors or people who prefer a good audience recording rather than a good soundboard recording. Sometimes sources are equal in quality, then it's just for you to decide which one is better. Most of the times it's that personal that we can't make the decision for you.
Many recordings include a sample so you can play a bit of the recording before you download it.
Generally, for most recordings, you download the recording files (usually .zip or .rar, sometimes one, sometimes more), then you extract the individual files to your computer. After that, you can play those files either on a computer or you transfer them to another device such as a phone.
You can find information and guides below and on this page on how to do each of these steps.
That depends on the nature of the problem, usually they boil down to the following frequently occurring problems:
1. A temporary problem at the external site, such as Mega.nz. In that case, try again later.
2. The file is not available, possibly removed. In that case, report it here so we can sort you out.
3. The download does not work on a phone or tablet. In that case, try it on a computer or laptop.
4. The download site does not seem to work in general. In that case, try the Google Chrome browser.
In general it might work if you try another browser such as Google Chrome. Or a computer or laptop instead of a tablet or phone.
If you keep experiencing issues, either try again later, contact us or look at the support pages of Mega.nz here.
All the recordings (or at least the majority) are packed in zipped files with WinZIP or WinRAR to make the filesize smaller.
To unpack the recording you need ALL files of a download, so if there is a part 1 and 2, you need both.
Once you do, use the following guides to unzip the zipped files into audio files:
How to unzip a .zip file on a Mac
How to unzip a .zip file on Windows
How to unzip a .zip file on Android
How to unzip a .zip file on an iPhone
How to unzip a .rar file on Windows or Mac
Frequently occurring problems are as follows:
1. An error pops up that the archive/file is damaged or incomplete. It might be that the download was not downloaded in full, in that case, try again or try again at a later time.
2. It also often helps to update your version of WinRAR/WinZip etc.
2. I do not know what file to open, I have multiple parts. Always unarchive from the first part, you do need the other parts too but you only need to open the first, it will automatically find the rest.
3. Despite all this help, I still get errors trying to unzip or unarchive. In that case, report it to us here so we can help you out. Describe your problem as best as you can.
Frequently occurring problems are as follows:
1. It might be that the download was not downloaded in full, in that case, try again or try again at a later time.
2. It also often helps to update your version of WinRAR/WinZip etc.
3. Always unarchive from the first part, you do need the other parts too but you only need to open the first, it will automatically find the rest.
4. Despite all this help, I still get errors trying to unzip or unarchive. In that case, report it to us here so we can help you out. Describe your problem as best as you can.
We are happy to refer you to this great guides to help you play lossless files on the device of your choice:
How to Play FLAC Files (wikihow)
How to play FLAC Files on the iPhone
How to play FLAC Files on an Android device
The tool we recommend to do so is MediaHuman's Audio Converter which is completely freeware and available for both PC and Mac. Simply drag & drop (or add) your lossless files, select MP3 as the desired output format and click the button to start the conversion.
You can find an easy step-by-step guide on this page.
You can do this via iTunes, or on newer Mac computers you can do it via the Finder. Below you can find some how to guides:
How to put MP3 files on an iPhone
How to sync music to an iPad
How to transfer MP3 to iPhone without iTunes
You can do this via Google Play and your computer. Below you can find some how to guides:
Add music to your Android device
How to transfer music from a PC to an Android
You can ask your questions in the general audio recording topic, let us know where you got stuck and what recording you are trying to download or play and we will help you out. If you get an error message along the way, do share which message it is so we can help you better.