Apparatus, methods, systems, and data structures for providing a music-subscription service customer with a portable music device that has been preloaded with customer-selected music. A music-subscription service provider receives a customer order to purchase a portable music device, and also receives the customer's selection of less than all of the music available on the music-subscription service provider's music database. The music-subscription service provider uses a computer to download the customer-selected music to the portable music device ordered by the customer. The music-subscription service provider then provides to the customer the portable music device that has been preloaded with the customer-selected music. The steps may be performed over the Internet and/or at a retail location.