Downloading and Streaming Audio Files
Frequently Asked Questions

Note: To access your Download/Streaming products: Log into your Member's Area; then click on the "My Downloads and Seminars" link; finally on the next page displayed, click on your product.
Note: Go here for eBook Questions, including if your eBook is not readable from your device, or has not shown up on your Kindle or Apple device.
Note: Go here for Seminar Streaming and Downloading information

Welcome to our audio download and streaming instructions and troubleshooting guide.

Our three most frequently asked audio download questions:

  • I have a Kindle, and your audio file has not yet appeared on my Kindle. Or, How do I get your audio files to show up on my Kindle?  Answer: As with any product not ordered from Amazon, you will need to download the audio files first to your computer, then drag and drop the files on to your Kindle. If you do not want to download the audio files to your Kindle (which allows you to listen offline), you can stream them directly to your Kindle. Log into our website, go to your products in the My Downloads section, and click on the streaming option next to each track to listen.
  • No download button showing up:  If you are attempting to download audio from your Member's Area directly to an iPhone or iPad, Apple will not allow this unless your purchase is from an Apple website. However, you can stream the audio to your iPhone or iPad if your device is logged into your Member's Area.  In order to get the MP3 audio file onto your device, you would first need to download the file to a computer. Then after putting the file in your music library folder you would sync it with your iDevice with a program such as iTunes.
  • I have an iPad, iPhone, or Apple device. How do I get your audio files on it? Answer: You can stream any of our audio directly into your Apple device without needing to sync it to your computer first. To download, you will need to download the audio first to your computer, put it in a player such as iTunes, and then sync it to your device. This is due to Apple's proprietary programming and is true for all audio programs that do not come from iTunes or an Apple site.No
  • My new product is not showing up in my Member's Area. Answer: This is almost always because you ordered a product that you already have. The same product will only show up once. Check your downloads in your Member's Area to see if you previously ordered this product. If so, email us and let us know if you want a refund or to exchange for another product.

General Download Information Index

General download overview
Streaming and download instructions
Where do I find my audio I just purchased to stream or download?
Download notes for Apple, Android devices
Zip File information

Size of audio files
How long will the download take?
Download suggestions for slower speed connections
Download speeds general information
Where are my audio downloads stored on my computer?

Do you have DRM on your files?  (No)
What are the technical specifications of Music Download files?
Are there any restrictions on how I use the audio I purchase?
Can I download another copy of my audio files after the initial purchase?
Can I return an audio download after I buy it?
How do I play the audio I downloaded?

Burning CDs
Downloading files to an iPod type device
What if I don't have a computer or Internet connection
Quick Trouble Shooting Guide

General Download Overview - note this information is for Downloads not Streaming

Generally, the download process is quite simple and most people find it easy to download.  Overall, the process of downloading audio files consists of the following:

  • Install audio management software on your computer such as iTunes.
  • Download the audio files from our website into a folder in your computer or onto an external hard drive.
  • Open your audio management software and follow instructions to add the downloaded files to your audio library. 
  • After you have the files loaded into your library, you can sync it with your listening device.
  • Most players and devices come with extensive instructions. You can also use Google to pose any question, such as "How do I download to my android phone?"

Streaming and download instructions for purchased audio products

Step 1  Go to our website at www.orindaben.com

Step 2  Log in to the Member's Area using your email address and password. If you forgot your password, please do not create a new account or you will loose all of your previous order history. Instead, please use the “Forgot your Password” link to receive an email with instructions on how to create a new password.

Step 3  Once you are logged in to the Member's Area, scroll down the page a bit and click on the "My Downloads and Seminars" link.

Step 4 When you have clicked on this link, you will see a list of MP3 audio products you have purchased  that are ready for you to download or stream.

Step 5  To download, click the Download Now button next to each of the track(s) and send it to folder you have set up on your computer to receive the download. You can listen immediately by clicking on the STREAMING PLAYER link.

If you are downloading, you will need to chose where to download your MP3 audio to on your computer. You can put it anywhere in your computer you want; we suggest creating a folder for your downloads. We suggest that unless you are familiar with zip files, that you not select the zip files at this time, but instead download the audio track by track. At this point, once the download is in your computer, you can play it directly on your computer with your computer's media player. Or, you can then use a CD burning program and burn the audio onto a CD.

Downloading note: Downloads are 128kbs quality audio. If you have a slow speed, low bandwidth internet connection we recommend that you download the meditation as you may find the streaming option starts and stops when you play it.  You can then listen to this meditation on your computer without interruption, burn a CD of it, or put it on an MP3 player. Streaming should work fine on your mobile device.

We have thoroughly tested all of our audio files, and they contain the complete audio journey or music and have no glitches in them. If you have received an incomplete download, delete the audio or music completely from your computer and download it again. If you find a downloaded journey or music piece cuts off part way, this is usually caused by a glitch in the Internet during the download process, and requires that you delete the corrupt file and download the journey or music again.

You can download audio you have purchased as often as you choose.

Streaming Audio Option (This option is not recommended for slower Internet connections)

  • Click on the blue link "Streaming Player" link next to the journey or talk title to listen without downloading to your computer, called streaming audio. 
  • What is a Stream? A stream is a digital media file that is delivered to your computer on a real-time basis from the Internet; therefore, you need an active Internet connection while listening.
  • Streaming: If you want to listen to the journeys and talks without downloading them, such as if you are listening on another person's computer, you can use the streaming option.  This option works best with a high-speed connection or through your mobile device.  If you do not have a high-speed connection, this can result in stopping and starting (also known as "buffering"), based on Internet congestion at the time of listening. Our streaming is done at 128kbs, CD quality audio.
  • Sound Quality Problems with the streaming audio? This is most likely due to Internet or local network traffic. If audio sounds too fast, too slow, scratchy, or distorted, you may want to try a different playback method and if that still doesn't solve it, you may want to consider contacting the technical division for support associated with your media player.
  • A copy of the streaming file is not saved on your computer's hard drive.
  • Make sure your default player or Windows Media player is not set to minimize or be hidden behind another window if you are listening on a computer

You can listen to streaming as often as you like.

Our staff is unable to assist you with technical support or to walk you through the download or streaming process.  As much as we would like to assist you, we have found that there are too many types of computer systems and browsers, MP3 software and players, as well as the individual settings and ways you have configured your computer and browser to be able to track down what the problem might be or to walk you through the download process, which can be different for every type of browser and computer system.  Please consult your computer technician for assistance.

Where can I find my download or streaming files on your website after I purchase them?
You can access your downloads by going to the Member's Area and logging in using your email address and password. Click on the "My Downloads and Seminars" link, and there you will find all your audio you have purchased. Click on the audio you want to stream or download. Scroll down the page and you will find your audio with a link to either stream the audio or download it. If you do not find your audio, many times people have downloaded an audio they already have, so a second one will not show up.  In this case you can contact us to change your selection or receive a refund.

Download notes for Android, Apple devices
Mobile units data useage note: Playing download MP3 audio does not count toward your data usage. Every time you play streaming audio does count as data usage.
Streaming does not require any apps, however downloads do require apps.

Android Devices: You will need an application for your android phone to download music or audio from most sites, just like iTunes for Apple products, but one for the android phone. People have told us they like the app Tunee for the android phone.  Please try downloading this or any other application that works on your android phone, and let us know if you still have any problems.  You may also want to check with your Wireless Provider to make sure you are able to download large files to your phone as some providers put a limit on data and charge for going over a certain amount of bytes. The streaming option should work on your device.

Note for Apple Devices: Apple Devices including iPad, iPod, and iPhone: Because of Apple's proprietary formats, you cannot download our audio (or anyone else's audio) directly to your Apple device unless you purchase it from an Apple retailer. As a result, you will need to download our audio first to your computer, then sync your Apple device with what is on your computer. You can also download to your computer and then drag the files to your device. The streaming option should work on your device.

For all wireless and handheld devices: You may be able to download our audio to your computer and then drag the files to your device. You may want to check with your Wireless Service Provider to make sure you are able to download large files to your phone or tablet as some providers put a limit on data.

NOTE ABOUT ZIP FILES: Zip files are basically "packaged files" containing all the tracks and PDF from an audio course. They have to be unzipped before they can be accessed. For zip files, you need to download them to a place on your computer first, then unzip them, then you can listen to them or put them in an audio library like iTunes.  If you downloaded the zip file directly to your audio library, like iTunes, it will not open without unzipping the file first.

You can then bring the MP3 files to your audio library, like iTunes, following the iTunes instructions, such as File/Add folder (for adding a number of MP3 tracks at once) or drag it from your iTunes library to your iDevice library for adding one track at a time. Once the audio is added to your iTunes library, you can then plug in your iPod or iPad and add the audio to your device. If the audio does not appear in your iTunes as planned, you can download any program again and again from LuminEssence. We know all of our audio works fine for our customers all over the world, so we do not offer refunds on any of the downloads. For information about adding tracks to iTunes, you can go to iTunes help and read their instruction manual, if you haven't done this before, if our instructions don't work.  

Size of audio files
All of our files are in MP3 format and are encoded at a 128 KB rate, which is a high quality file. As an example, the 14 journeys in the light body albums are approximately 17-25 MB for each journey; the entire course is approximately 2.2GB. 

System Requirements and Download Size
Check if you have enough hard drive space left to download these files! As an example, one average 28 minute journey is approximately:
28 MB at the 128 bit record rate.
Seminar Audio File Downloads Size Examples
Light Body Consciousness Level 1
589 MB

To access the PDF transcript manual that came with your audio, on the same page as the download page above the audio track listing, you will find a link to the PDF file.  All you need do is click on the link to read it, or select download and put it somewhere on your computer where you can find it again and open it directly on your computer.

How long will downloading a file take?
The amount of time that it will take to download an audio file is controlled by your Internet speed and Internet congestion at the time you are downloading the files.  The faster your Internet connection, the more rapidly you will be able to download files. You might also pick a time when the Internet is less busy, such as late at night or early in the morning to speed up your downloads.

Download suggestions for slower speed connections
Since we are offering each talk and journey or music pieces as an individual track, you are in control of how many programs you download at a time.  For instance, a typical journey averages about 25 minutes in length.  Download times might be as follows:

For a 25 minute audio Orin and DaBen journey:

58 minutes for a 56k modem
24 minutes for a 128k modem
12 minutes for a 256K modem
2 minutes for DSL
1 minute for cable
30 seconds or less for high speed broadband

Download speeds general information:

  • Depending on the speed of your Internet connection, it will take a while to download. It is NOT instant even with T1/DSL/Cable. Download times can vary depending upon the time of day and net congestion, your ISP (Internet Service Provider), your computer, your Internet connection, and so on. 
  • There are excellent download managers that will set up multiple windows in your browser, and download a number of files simultaneously, even while you sleep. Many browsers such as Internet Explorer and Firefox contain a download manager that will allow you to select files to download, queue them up, and download them while you do other things.
  • You can set your computer to download a journey before you go to bed, and have it available the next morning.  You may consider opening multiple tabs or windows in your browser, and downloading several journeys at one time.

Where are my audio downloads from orindaben.com stored on my computer?
The location of your audio files depends on your internet web browser and your operating system.

  • Files are saved to your computer using your Web browser's default save location. Search for ".mp3" files on your computer or check your Web browser settings to determine the default location for saving downloaded files.
  • Many browsers can be set to ask you where you want to put your download files.  In this case, you can create folders for your download files to be put into, and then direct your browser to download the audio journeys you purchase into whatever folder you designate. 

Our files are DRM-free.  What does DRM-free mean?
Digital Rights Management or "DRM" commonly refers to software that is designed to control or limit how a file can be played, copied, downloaded, shared, or accessed. DRM-free means that the MP3 files you purchase from orindaben.com do not contain any software that will restrict your use of the file. The courses and audio you purchase from us are free of Digital Rights Management software so that you have the flexibility to play them on any of your media players, computers, or burn them to CDs.

What are the technical specifications of MP3 Music Download files?

  • Bit Rate: We encode our MP3 files using variable bit rates for good audio quality and smaller file sizes, aiming at an average of 128 kilobytes per second (kbps). This is considered CD quality.  Using a variable bit rate allows us to allocate a higher bit rate to the more complex sections of music files while using a smaller bit rate for the less complex sections. The average of these rates is then calculated to produce an average bit rate for the entire file that represents the overall sound quality. 

Are there any restrictions on how I use the audio I purchase?
When you purchase any of the Orin and DaBen, or Thaddeus music MP3 Downloads, you are also accepting and bound by the LuminEssence MP3 Music Downloads Terms of Use and all copy/share permissions.

Can I download another copy of my MP3 files after the initial purchase?
You can download your files multiple times for your personal use only. 

Can I return a Download after I buy it?
As indicated in the LuminEssence MP3 Downloads Terms of Use, music, audio meditations, eBook and audio book downloads are not returnable, refundable, or exchangeable once they have been purchased and downloaded. If you need assistance with a purchase or download, please contact customer service.  To prevent duplicate purchases, we suggest you log-in to your Member's Area, and check the "My Orders and Seminar Payments" link, then view your past orders to make sure you are purchasing something you have not already purchased from us.  Usually, if we show that you own the audio in tape or CD format, you will receive a 50% off credit on your final invoice.  You can view any special offers you are eligible for when you log-in to the Member's Area and view the "Special Member's Offers" link. 

If you have ordered a duplicate product that you already own, let us know and we will assist you in changing the order to another product or giving you a refund.

How do I play the audio I downloaded?
You can bring the audio files into your computer, sync them with an MP3 player, burn CDs, or listen to the downloaded files directly on your computer.  If you plan on listening to the journeys directly on your computer, you will need speakers, or a headphone jack and headphones. Your computer will need to have a sound card and play sound, which is usually a common computer feature. 

Streaming should play on all devices without needing Flash or an MP3 Player.

Use these links below to get the free Windows Media player, Flash, and iTunes. There are many other media players as well, such as RealOne Player and QuickTime, as long as the media player plays MP3 files.  Many computers come with default media players so you may want to check to see if your computer already has a media player on it as well.
Download Windows Media Player
Download iTunes

iTunes comes with a wonderful tutorial, as do other players that we suggest you read for additional assistance.

Once you have the media player of your choice on your computer, locate the file you want to play from the folder you saved it in. Double clicking on the file will launch the media player and the audio will begin. If you can't find the folder, do a search for *.MP3 files and find the files you downloaded. 

Burning CDs
Now that you have downloaded the audio files, if you want to put them on to a CD, you will need a CD burner and CD burning software such as Nero Burner, Roxio, CD Creator, or any of those on the market. We do not endorse any one product over another. Your CD player will need to play CDRs, (CDRs are the format used when you burn a CD) and almost all CD players made after 2003 will do so.

Our audio files are encoded and downloaded as MP3 files. You can burn them as CDs, putting up to 78 minutes of journeys on a file, or as MP3 CDs, putting a whole seminar onto one CD.  You can print out any of the covers from our website, and use them as a cover for your CDs to create an album.  If you select to use the MP3 CD option on your CD burning software, make sure you have a CD player that plays MP3 CDs.

If you have decided to burn CDs or download the audio journeys, and do not want to learn how to download, you can ask a friend to burn CDs for you, or ask a local computer person or sound engineer to burn the CDs for you. 

Downloading files to an iPod type device
Think about getting an iPod or MP3 player - we highly recommend this option!
If you have been thinking about getting an iPod or other MP3 device - we highly recommend them!  You can put all of your CDs, tapes, and downloads onto them, creating an audio library of everything you like to listen to, if you buy players with enough memory. 

You can easily plug the iPod type device into any of your existing stereo systems with an inexpensive cord; you can play it through all stereo equipment that has an "AUX" line in.  You can listen with headphones, and take your entire audio library with you anywhere you go.  At the touch of a button you can listen to whatever meditation, lecture, audio book, or music you choose, and change it in a few seconds to something else if you want. 

The benefit of using a MP3 player is that they are a digital format so the audio will not skip, the file is merely being read by the machinery within the player and there isn't any room for skipping. They are so small you can easily take them with you anywhere, plug them into your auto, listen with headphones, hook up to other stereo equipment, and always have your entire audio library available. 

Another benefit of an MP3 player is the fact that you can create playlists of your favorite music, or lists of music for different moods, occasions, and times. You can add/remove audio whenever you want simply by plugging it into your computer and downloading new audio to it.

There are many MP3 players available including iPod, SanDisk, Panasonic, and Sony to name just a few. These players come in variable gigabyte sizes. There is not one product we recommend over another and each device should come with instructions and list system requirements.  Information on how to download to an MP3 device comes with the device.  You will also need an audio manager, such as iTunes, which is usually free.

NOTE about zip files: Zip files are basically "packaged files" and they have to be unzipped before they can be accessed. For zip files, you need to download them to a place on your computer first, then unzip them, then you can listen to them or put them in an audio library like iTunes.  If you downloaded the zip file directly to your audio library, like iTunes, it will not open without unzipping the file first. We suggest that unless you are familiar with zip files, that you not select the zip files at this time, but instead download the audio track by track.

What if I don't have a computer or Internet connection?
If you do not have a computer or Internet access, you can burn CDs of the audio. You are welcome to have a friend or outside company burn them or download them for you if you do not have a computer or Internet access. You may consider checking with some local computer companies, or a local recording studio. In addition, many libraries now have the equipment to burn CDs. 

Quick Trouble Shooting Guide
Troubleshooting MP3 downloads:  In certain cases, anti-virus programs, firewalls, or your browser settings may prevent files from downloading.  Please refer to the tips below for system settings you can check that may be interfering with a successful download file. 

General Issues
The issues listed below are common system settings that can impact your ability to download files from orindaben.com.  Please refer to your system browser documentation for specific instructions on adjusting your settings.

  • Temporarily Disable Anti-Virus Programs:  Anti-virus programs such as Norton or McAfee may prevent your downloads from completing.  If you have these programs installed and you are experiencing issues downloading your audio, we recommend you temporarily disable your anti-virus program.
  • Enable Cookies: Orindaben.com uses cookies to confirm your purchases and manage your MP3 file downloads.  You will need to enable your browser to accept cookies from orindaben.com to successfully download files. Read more about cookies.
  • Disable or Adjust Firewall Settings:  If you have a firewall installed on your computer, you may need to adjust your firewall settings to allow for successful downloads.
  • Enable Downloads from orindaben.com: You may need to add www.orindaben.com to your list of trusted sites or allow downloads from orindaben.com if your browser displays a security.
  • Enable Download Notifications: In certain cases, your browser's security settings may be preventing file downloads without displaying any notification.  If this occurs, your download will fail, but your browser will not let you know why it has blocked the action.  Check your browser's security settings to make sure that notifications are enabled so you know if your browser is blocking downloads.
  • If you are a using satellite Internet connection and are experiencing problems with your audio downloading at an extremely slow rate or stopping all together, your satellite Internet provider may be limiting the amount of bandwidth for your connection and you will need to contact them directly.