Welcome to BearShare FAQ

The most frequently asked questions are answered here, so make sure to give it a good read before you contact support and interrupt them from their eternal coffee break...

Instant Messages:

Q:

Where is Instant Messaging in Bearshare? I can't seem to find it.

A:

Instant Messaging is only available in BearShare and up. Go to http://www.bearshare.com to update to the latest version. If you're unsure of the version number that you are using, click "Help", then click "About Bearshare". You'll get a pop up indicating the version of Bearshare that you're using. If the version that you have ends with a number lower than 20957 (i.e., 6.0.0.20957), then it is highly recommended that you update.

Q:	How do you add friends to your Friends List?
A:	Click the '+ADD A FRIEND' button located on the bottom-left hand corner of Bearshare.

Q:	Do I need to be a subscriber to use Instant Messaging in BearShare?
A:	Not at all, instant messaging in Bearshare is free like the rest of the software, and is there for everyone.

Q:

Can other users see my email address?

A:

No they can't, only your nickname (screen name) is displayed. You can easily change your nickname, and any other desired details, in your Account Settings. To go there, click "Tools", then click on "My Account Settings". You can also get to your account settings this way: A window will pop up displaying all of your account details sorted in various sections (General Info, My Profile etc). Make all the necessary changes, and then press the "Update" button to save them.

Q:	What happened to the album artwork displaying when I click on certain albums?
A:	It's still there, just click the "Image" button in the bottom-left hand corner of Bearshare. You can change between displaying 'Friends', or 'Image' by using the 2 corresponding buttons.

Q:	Does Bearshare automatically save my conversations in a file for me to review later?
A:	No, you can do it manually for the conversations you wish to save: Click 'File', then 'Save Conversation As...'. Specify a filename and a location to save the conversation (e.g., Desktop).

Q:	Can I transfer files from my computer to other users through Bearshare Instant Messaging?
A:	The ability to send non-premium content will be available soon.

Q:

How can I share a song with a friend?

A:

There are multiple methods of doing this: You can right-click on any song (in your library, in your search results etc.), and click "Send Song" -> "Share this song with a friend". This will open a window in which you are able to specify the email address of the recipient. In an Instant Messenger conversation window, you can click "Actions" -> "View User's shared files". A full list of the user's tracks will be displayed allowing you to get a feel for the person's music taste and also download whichever ones you may want. When the user you are chatting with plays a Premium track in his/her Bearshare, you will be able to see what he or she is listening to. This information appears at the top of the conversation window. To download that song, you can easily click on its title to immediately begin the download. If you click on the artist's name, you will be taken to that artist's page presenting all of the relevant albums that are available for download. The easiest way however, is to just click on the "Listen Together" button, and the song will just start playing. Also, make sure that you have "Share my profile with other Bearshare users" checked on your profile page, otherwise users will not be able to see your shared content.

Q:	I wanted to send a Premium song to a friend, but it's not working, what could be the problem?
A:	The person you are sending the song to must live in a Premium enabled country (US, Canada), and have an active subscription or free trial in BearShare. Also, make sure that you have "Share my profile with other Bearshare users" checked on your profile page, otherwise users will not be able to see your shared content.

Q:	How can I change my display picture in Bearshare Instant Messaging?
A:	This can be done in your Bearshare profile: Click the "My Profile" button located under your current display picture in the Instant Messaging window.

Q:	I've added a friend, but I've changed my mind, and do not want to talk to him/her anymore. How can I block him/her from seeing that I'm online and engaging in conversation with me?
A:	In the conversation window, click "Actions" -> "Block user". This will prevent the user from seeing your online status. Blocked users disappear from your Friends list. To learn how to unblock users, click here.

Q:	How do I unblock a user? We're back to being friends again!
A:	In the main Bearshare window, click "Tools" -> "Instant Messenger Settings" and then click "View my Block list". In the Block list, you can select users you wish to unblock, and click "Allow".

Q:	I feel like meeting some new people, how would I go about doing that?
A:	Well, you can click the Community button - that always works! Also, if you're on an artist page in Discover, you can click the Online Fans button. This will give you a list of users who are fans of that specific artist. Just add them to your Friends list, and start chatting away!