Frequently Asked Questions

  1. How does Music-Alerts work?
  2. Why does my feed load really slow?
  3. What the #@%? is RSS?
  4. How do I add/remove an artist from my feed?
  5. How soon do you get the alerts?
  6. Why don't I have any alerts?
  7. Why are some of my alerts are wrong?
  8. How do I use the Music-Alerts Facebook Application?
  9. Can I get email alerts?
  10. Why did you start Music-Alerts?
  11. Who are you?
  12. What features do you have planned for the future?
  13. I got a charge on my Alltel bill that says 'Music Alerts' - is that you? How do I get it removed?
  14. How can I contact you?

How does Music-Alerts work?
Type in a comma-separated list, a title, answer the spam question, and hit the "create feed" button. We give you an RSS Feed that will update with alerts as new albums get announced. The feed also includes albums released within the past 180 days, just in case you missed anything. The information comes directly from Amazon, so we have information for pretty much any artist you can think of (and if we don't, complain to Amazon, not us). No lengthy sign up process or unnecessary steps. Pretty cool huh?

Music Alerts example

Why does my feed load really slow?
If you have a long list, the feed might take a while to load the very first time (each request with Amazon takes a while). After the first time, we save your alerts on our server and check for updates every 3 days so it should work pretty quickly after that. If you have a REALLY LARGE list - over 50 or 75 - you'll probably find it more efficient to break it up into several smaller lists.

What the #@%? is RSS?
We devoted a whole page to RSS that should answer all of your questions.

How do I add/remove an artist from my feed?
You can now add an artist to your feed using your feed key. You currently can not remove an artist from your feed. If your feed contains too many artists you don't want to receive alerts for, feel free to create a new one (hint: if you have a long list, copy and paste the description tag from the old feed so you don't have to re-type all of the artists).

How soon do you get the alerts?
Within a few days of Amazon listing the product in their marketplace. We check for updates every 3 days, so that's the longest you'll ever go without knowing.

Why don't I have any alerts?
We only show alerts for upcoming releases and albums released within the last 180 days, so it's likely that your artists don't have any new releases.

Why are some of my alerts are wrong?
Well, there's a chance we made a programming error. But more likely than not there's a problem with the data on Amazon...so complain to them (or at least do a quick Amazon search before contacting us to make sure we really did mess up).

How do I use the Music-Alerts Facebook Application?
First install the application by going to http://apps.facebook.com/music-alerts/. After the installation, you will be able to enter a comma-separated list of artists just like on Music-Alerts.com. Your profile will then show a summary of your favorite artists and their new releases, and by clicking "View Alerts" you will be able to add/delete artists, view all upcoming album releases, subscribe to your RSS feed, and click to buy or download the album.

Can I get email alerts?
Nope, not at the moment. Maybe in the future. Try RSS, I bet you'll like it :)

Why did you start Music-Alerts?
I was frustrated trying to keep up with release dates for my favorite artists. One night I looked around for a service that would allow me to receive alerts before a new album came out. I couldn't find one (other than signing up to each individual bands' newsletter), so I decided to start one.

Who are you?
My name is Adam McFarland. I'm the co-founder of Pure Adapt, Inc, a web-development company located in Albany, NY. If you like this site, I'd encourage you to check out our other offerings.

What features do you have planned for the future?
Nothing in particular. The service does what I want it to do. However, we're always open to suggestions. If you think you have a good one, feel free to email us.

I got a charge on my Alltel bill that says 'Music Alerts' - is that you? How do I get it removed?
Music-Alerts is a 100% free service and we have not, did not, and will never bill you for anything. When you sign up for your account, we do not even ask for your name or email address. We literally keep no personal information of yours whatsoever.

We suggest that you contact Alltel immediately and find out who or what has been charging your bill so that you get this unfortunate situation resolved.

How can I contact you?
Please DO NOT contact us regarding an Alltel charge - we are not the ones charging you (see the question directly above). All other inquiries can email us at info [at] music-alerts [dot] com.