General Questions

By creating an account you enjoy benefits you won't get through many other download sites. Because we host copies of your purchases, you can re-download them at any time for free. That means your purchases are safe if your computer crashes or your hard drive fails.

We collect your personal account information to provide you with the best service and experience. We won't share your information with third parties not affiliated with us without your permission. See our complete Privacy Policy for more details.

Log in and click My Account, then click Reset Password to choose a new password. However, usernames can't be changed from your account at this time. Please contact Customer Service for help.

Some content providers—like publishers, music companies and movie studios—determine how their files may be used after download. Rights-protected files (or DRM files) may limit the number of times you can re-download titles or what software and devices you may use them with.

Most of our downloads are rights-protection-free. You can re-download those files at no additional cost, in multiple formats, and use them on a variety of devices. A few files may be rights-protected, limiting the number of downloads you can make. The product description will clearly identify rights-protected files.

To download media files, log in or create a new Family Christian Store account.

1. Using any web browser, go to Family Christian Store and click the My Downloads link. New media will appear under the New tab.
2. Select your device from the Device drop-down menu, and then choose the appropriate file format from the Format drop-down menu. (For MP3 audiobooks, choose Windows or Mac and choose ZIP as your file format.*)
3. When you've made your selections, click I Agree to accept Terms, and then click Download. If you're prompted with a pop-up window asking where to save your file, choose your destination and click OK. If downloading begins right away, your file will appear in the location you've already set in your system preferences (usually your desktop or a downloads folder).
4. Once the file has finished downloading, import your new files to your favorite application or device. Visit our Support page for step-by-step instructions on transferring files to several popular devices.

*See our instructions on opening zipped MP3 audiobook files.

Download speed will vary depending on your internet connection, time of day, number of users on your network, your PC capabilities and several other variables. On our end, we're doing everything we can to ensure your downloads are as fast as possible. If you experience excessive download times (in excess of 60 minutes or more), please contact customer service.

Windows PC running XP or Vista, or Macintosh running OS 10.4.8.

Nope. Family Christian Store purchases never expire, which makes them terrific gifts!

To cancel your account, please contact Customer Service.

MP3 Audiobooks

Audiobooks have been around for many years on cassette tapes and CDs. Just like music, audiobooks are now available as MP3 files so they can be played on devices like the iPod, iPhone, Zune or other MP3 players. And, yes, listening to an audiobook counts as reading!

Audiobooks work exactly the same as digital music, so if you're used to playing MP3 music files, MP3 audiobooks will be a piece of cake. You can listen to them on the iPod, iPhone, Zune, ZEN or any other MP3 player.

You can also listen to audiobooks on your Mac or Windows computer using a music player application like iTunes or Windows Media Player.

See our Support page for more information on listening to audiobooks.

Currently, all audiobooks are MP3 files.

64-Kpbs MP3 files.

Yes, as long as you have blank writable CDs and a writable CD drive (CD-RW). Bear in mind each CD can only hold a maximum of 72 minutes of audio, so a five-hour audiobook would require five CDs.

Burning Audiobooks to CD in iTunes (Mac and Windows)
Detailed instructions on burning CDs from within iTunes (via apple.com).

Burning Audiobooks to CD in Windows Media Player
Detailed instructions on burning CDs from within Windows Media Player 11 (via microsoft.com).

For instructions on burning CDs from other audio applications, please view the manufacturer's documentation.

After you download the audiobook, you can transfer it to any audio device that plays MP3s. A few files may be rights-protected, limiting the number of downloads you can make, or what devices you may use them with. Product descriptions will clearly identify rights-protected files.

See our Support page for more information on transferring audiobook files.

Yes! Kindle supports MP3s, though files must be rights-protection-free in order to work with Kindle. (You're in luck—most of ours are!) You don't need to install any additional software on Kindle or your computer to add MP3 audiobooks. Simply transfer files by connecting Kindle to your computer with a USB cable.

See our Support page for more information on transferring audiobook files.

eBooks

An eBook is an entire book in a digital file. You can read eBooks on handheld devices like a Sony Reader, Amazon Kindle, iPhone or personal computer. It reads the same as a regular printed book, only without the bulk of paper.

Reading eBooks is similar to reading paper books, only an eBook is digitally displayed on a handheld reading device or personal computer. Many devices allow you to bookmark pages and even increase or decrease type size to suit your preference.

See our Support page for more information on devices and applications for reading eBooks.

We support the following eBook formats: EPUB, PDF, LIT, PDB and PRC. You can download additional formats of most purchases from your account at no extra cost. Please note, not all eBook titles are available in all formats. Each publisher chooses the formats for their particular titles.

One of the first steps during the download process is choosing the type of eBook reader you own. Whether it's a handheld reader such as the Sony Reader, a mobile phone or your home computer, we'll show you a list of file formats that work with your hardware. Some devices are capable of reading multiple formats; in those cases we'll list multiple formats for that device.

We've listed some of the most popular choices and their corresponding file formats below:

Device	Format
Amazon Kindle	PRC
Apple iPhone/iPod Touch	EPUB, PDB, PDF
BlackBerry	PDB, PDF, PRC
Mac Computer	EPUB, PDB, PDF
Palm-based PDA/Smartphone	PDB, PDF, PRC
Sony Reader	EPUB, PDF
Symbian Smartphone	PDB, PDF, PRC
Windows Computer	EPUB, LIT, PDB, PDF, PRC
Windows Mobile	LIT, PDB, PRC

Yes! Kindle uses the eBook file type Mobi (PRC), though files must be rights-protection-free in order to work with Kindle. (You're in luck—most of ours are!) You don't need to install any additional software on Kindle or your computer to add eBooks. Simply transfer files by connecting Kindle to your computer with a USB cable.

See our Support page for more information on transferring eBook files.