Singstar: can't transfer Singstore songs between PS3s

[takuya]

I'm not sure about Warhawk because I bought the BD version. But the other day I decided to reformat my HDD because of the Linux partition. So I backed up all my data to an external HDD. And I restored the data, everything were there. Including those games that I bought off the PSN. From the updates plus the addons for all the games. So my guess, if you make a backup data, everything should be there.

The only reason that EVERYTHING was there is that you backed up and restored on the SAME PS3 CONSOLE. If you had used another console (or possibley even just swapped the drive) the games would not have been restored. I know this because I had to get a new console and did the same thing. When I was restoring the drive, it told me that certain items could not be restored because it was a different console (probably by a serial number id in the firmware) and I had to redownload all my games again. I am not sure about a new HDD though, have never tried that.

As to the OP's question, if you use the same PSN account on both consoles but cannot download them to your's then they are probably locked out just like Warhawk. Sony really needs to come up with a better way of doing things than the way this is implemented...

@OP
I havent tried it, but can't you just set up another user and add a new PSN account without it deleting your original master account? I am pretty sure you should be able to. Use the new account to purchase the songs again and then they should be usable by any account on that console....maybe I am wrong, but it really shouldnt affect your current account in any way.

EDIT: WAIT, YES I HAVE. I have multiple accounts (USER and PSN) on my machine. I recently used my credit card (same card btw) on my Hong Kong account to get some paid downloads there - all the while leaving my US account alone. The purchase functions work fine for both users account and PSN ID's and I dont have to delete one to use the other. I can also still access Warhawk on my main user account without any problems at all.

So here is your solution - set up another USER account on your console, add a PSN ID, then add a credit card to the new PSN ID (it CAN be the same card as your original ID, too) and then you should be good to go.

[Thxxx]

I've been having the same problem and just cam across your post, and was wondering if you had found a solution. I used my copy of singstar in my gf's parents PS3 so we could play it, and downloaded 2 or 3 tracks. I deleted them when I left, and when I got home tried to download them again, it said no they're locked to another PS3 blah blah blah.

Im in the same boat, I wouldnt mind paying for them again, it just annoys me that I cant have those tracks AT ALL without creating another master account!!

[ToAks]

ah man, i didnt know about this, thanks for sharing this with us so we won't go into the same pit.

[voom99]

I have a question - what if you upgrade to a new PS3 hard drive (eg. go from a 60gb to a 500gb) - could I redownload the tracks I have already bought off the Singstore for no charge? Or would I have to pay again to get those songs back?

[gerrypace]

Hi

I had to return my PS3 due to the well known problem of dvd-player not playing dvd's anymore. A replacement PS3 came back and the familiy was preparing for a karaoke night. BTW, I was aiming for the attic and a book.

But first I had to set it up, and get all the songs from singstore restored.
Problems, not allowed because the songs were attached to different hardware. Ok, DRM, kind of can understand this. One buyer downloading to all the boxes in the neighborhoud etc etc.
But not very keen on shopping online through PS3, if it, God forbid, should have another breakdown.

But then I want to buy the most important songs again, like the favourite of the 3 year old, and the 8 year old girl songs actually being in her native tongue.
Not allowed because already bought. Please tell me why, not allowed to buy twice. What kind of regulation is that. not even communists would understand this one.
Is there a way I can get around this. I was thinking about setting up another master account, but then I just loaded it with money, and I guess my email-address is already taken, by me.

[Reekme]

As fare as i know right now Singstar songs are locked to the PS3 they where downloaded on and can not be unlocked. There is no way around this at this time.

[gerrypace]

the onlinestore invites you to buy games online etc. If PS3 have some kind of failure the games you have paid for are lost forever? Not even just that, but you are not allowed to buy them again, because you have already bought the items once.

DRM is one thing, so attaching the item to one specific piece of hardware is understood, not completely acceptable but...

But being blocked from buying the item again is another story.
It is a rush to get alpha-tested equipment out before competitors, so being the first one to pick up a new box from the store, and then having to connect all your songs/games to the first and unstable initial release of a product could really block the consumer experience completely.

[no1kevlin]

Those last two posts are so far from truth it almost made me laugh!

Yes, it is true that Singstore works differently from the PSN store in that DRM limits the songs you download to the machine they are downloaded to. If your PS3 breaks or you replace it you can get your so be back. All you have to do is contact Sony Customer Services( who are always nice and helpful!) and they will delete the songs from your purchase history so that they can be repurchased and downloaded again.

I know this as fact as this is something I have done myself.

[micromagic]

All you have to do is contact Sony Customer Services( who are always nice and helpful!) and they will delete the songs from your purchase history so that they can be repurchased and downloaded again.

Did you have to re-buy the same songs after they deleted your history or did they let you have them back for free? I suppose it's worth doing a system back-up in which case if there was a problem with the PS3 I'm guessing the back-up would restore all the Sing Store songs.

[no1kevlin]

They applied a credit to my PSN wallet for the amount I spent on the songs.

As for system back up, I suppose that would work but if anyone is thinking of doing that and then switching the hdd to another ps3 don't waste your time; the Singstar songs are drm linked to the ps3 serial number not the hdd so you couldn't share songs that way.

[micromagic]

They applied a credit to my PSN wallet for the amount I spent on the songs.

I think that's pretty fair then. I've spent a fortune on the Sing Store, good to know that they are reasonable if your PS3 happens to break.

[Smurfn]

They applied a credit to my PSN wallet for the amount I spent on the songs.

As for system back up, I suppose that would work but if anyone is thinking of doing that and then switching the hdd to another ps3 don't waste your time; the Singstar songs are drm linked to the ps3 serial number not the hdd so you couldn't share songs that way.

Does that mean you would keep them if you upgrade your own harddrive? I am worried about losing them all when I upgrade the harddrive.

[Bitbydeath]

But Warhawk doesn't have media downloaded into it.

If I bought 50 tracks and downloaded them onto my PS3 today and then my PS3 died and was replaced tomorrow, it looks like my 50 tracks would be gone forever. I don't think even a backup would restore them to the new machine.

AND I couldn't buy them again without creating a new master account.

With Warhawk, just download it again.

I'm really stuck now, because no matter what I do, I lose tracks and money

Backing them up will allow you to copy them between machines but you will still need to put them on the same account.

If you didn't back them up and you lost all your songs all you need to do is log back in with the profile that bought them and download them again for SingStore. (It keeps a list of everything you have bought so it won't cost you anything).

You cannot transfer songs between different account names though, for obvious reasons. (eg that is the same as copying a CD and giving it to a friend)

[gerrypace]

Is it possible to buy a game from PSN Store, and then go over to my friend, log in with my master account and download the game to his box as well? Cool

[sonickev]

Backing them up will allow you to copy them between machines but you will still need to put them on the same account.

If you didn't back them up and you lost all your songs all you need to do is log back in with the profile that bought them and download them again for SingStore. (It keeps a list of everything you have bought so it won't cost you anything).

You cannot transfer songs between different account names though, for obvious reasons. (eg that is the same as copying a CD and giving it to a friend)

Sorry for the late follow up, but all of this that you have said is not true. The songs are locked to a machine and it doesn't matter whether you have a backup or whether you try to play them under the same account, you have to go to Sony and asked them to unlock them from the machine they were downloaded onto so that you can download them again onto a different machine.

I now have all of my songs on one machine. It took just a few days, but sony had to be contacted to unlock them from the machine that they were originally downloaded onto

[Bitbydeath]

Sorry for the late follow up, but all of this that you have said is not true. The songs are locked to a machine and it doesn't matter whether you have a backup or whether you try to play them under the same account, you have to go to Sony and asked them to unlock them from the machine they were downloaded onto so that you can download them again onto a different machine.

I now have all of my songs on one machine. It took just a few days, but sony had to be contacted to unlock them from the machine that they were originally downloaded onto

I haven't tried different changing between different PS3's but have with different HDD's... figured the backup function would work much the same?

[gerrypace]

Hi
It sounds like the unique hardware ID is not based on HDD then, that makes sense. if you are able to backup to different HDD, and then can play from this HDD. So replacing HDD should still leave you happy. I guess they have thought of that.
The problem is when you switch player so that the unique hardware ID changes.
Are you still able to play?

The songs and games bought online is really to be viewed as upgrades to the hardware. So when hardware crashes, you can say goodbye to the songs and games as well. You are better off buying a DVD for your favourite games, more long term investment.
And that you are not even able to buy again using same master account must be a glitch

If some users are able to get through the support layers and actually get their songs back, congratulations to them. I've been waiting patiently for one month now...:gta:

[sonickev]

Hi
It sounds like the unique hardware ID is not based on HDD then, that makes sense. if you are able to backup to different HDD, and then can play from this HDD. So replacing HDD should still leave you happy. I guess they have thought of that.
The problem is when you switch player so that the unique hardware ID changes.
Are you still able to play?

The songs and games bought online is really to be viewed as upgrades to the hardware. So when hardware crashes, you can say goodbye to the songs and games as well. You are better off buying a DVD for your favourite games, more long term investment.
And that you are not even able to buy again using same master account must be a glitch

If some users are able to get through the support layers and actually get their songs back, congratulations to them. I've been waiting patiently for one month now...:gta:

It works like this (and this only applies to song within singstar)...
When you download the song, the store records the hardware ID of your playstation against that song.
Any player that has an account on that PS3 can play singstar and use all of the songs downloaded to the HDD, regardless of who downloaded them.
If you log in on the same master account, but on a different ps3...
1. you will not be able to download the songs that you have already purchased and downloaded
2. Any songs your purchase and download will not be available on the other PS3

Backing up and restoring makes no difference to this situation because it is the store that knows the hardware ID and it is the store that prevents you from downloading the song to a different hardware.

The only way to unlock songs from one hardware so that you can download them again is to contact Sony support and request this. It takes a couple of days, but you have to find someone that understands the problem first, otherwise you will just go around in circles.

So call them and tell them (if they dont know) that the songs in singstar are not the same as other downloads from the store. Tell them that the songs are locked to the hardware. If they refuse to believe you or do not understand then ask to speak with their senior and just keep going until you find someone that understands the difference between singstar and the playstation store. Then you will get a result.

My result was from the singstar forums on facebook. I posted my problem on their wall and they contacted me immediately.

[GlamorousGirl]

I am having the same problem. I own 2 ps3 consoles. One is in my bedroom, one in the living room. I have been collecting songs for several years and spent a fortune. But they are all on my bedroom console, and my fiancé does not want me to play it (boring to him). So I tried to play downstairs, but can't download any of my songs. I don't understand this - people other than myself, who didn't pay for the songs, can play on the other console but I can't play with the songs I paid for on another console? Am I seriously expected to create a "fake" second master account (isn't that not even allowed??) and purchase the songs twice??

[GlamorousGirl]

Hi

I had to return my PS3 due to the well known problem of dvd-player not playing dvd's anymore. A replacement PS3 came back and the familiy was preparing for a karaoke night. BTW, I was aiming for the attic and a book.

But first I had to set it up, and get all the songs from singstore restored.
Problems, not allowed because the songs were attached to different hardware. Ok, DRM, kind of can understand this. One buyer downloading to all the boxes in the neighborhoud etc etc.
But not very keen on shopping online through PS3, if it, God forbid, should have another breakdown.

But then I want to buy the most important songs again, like the favourite of the 3 year old, and the 8 year old girl songs actually being in her native tongue.
Not allowed because already bought. Please tell me why, not allowed to buy twice. What kind of regulation is that. not even communists would understand this one.
Is there a way I can get around this. I was thinking about setting up another master account, but then I just loaded it with money, and I guess my email-address is already taken, by me.

This is ridiculous too. Even if I was willing to buy the songs again for the second console they don't want my money??

[ps3freak18]