|
Chances are good that you can find your favorite music, even if it’s obscure, at one of the number of music download sites available on the web. Here’s a listing of some of the better ones along with some information on each.
Popular music download sites
Take note: some of the following sites feature “subscription services”, in which a low monthly payment allows downloads of a large number of songs. With only a few exceptions, the music files expire when the subscription ends, and the songs can no longer be played.
The pricing and options offered by individual sites are time-sensitive and ever changing. The prices given here are on a per-song basis. Most sites also sell full albums.
- iTunes. iTunes currently has the biggest library of music on the web. It also offers downloads for music videos, movies, television shows and audiobooks as well as an extensive selection of streaming radio stations. It’s a pay-per-song site. The songs are priced from $0.99 to $1.29 each.
- Napster. Now completely legal and owned by Best Buy, Napster has its act together and has created a very good download site with a large library of songs. It offers a subscription service with several monthly payment options that allow mp3 credits for the downloading of files. Songs can also be bought individually at an average cost of $0.99 per song.
- Rhapsody. Although not as extensive as iTunes or Napster, Rhapsody features a good library of songs and, like Napster, it offers both subscription and pay-per song options. Average cost per song is $0.99.
- Amazon MP3. Amazon.com boasts a collection of over 10 million mp3s available for download. It is a pay-per-song site; the cost is generally $0.69-$1.29 per song.
- eMusic. Offering subscription plans starting at $11.99, eMusic claims a library of over 7 million songs. A plus for eMusic: the songs don’t expire if you cancel the subscription. This site features mainly indie artists, and you may not find the mainstream music you’re looking for.
- Walmart Music. Accessed through Walmart.com, Walmart Music sells on a per song basis at prices of $0.64. $0.94 and $1.24 each. As you might expect, Walmart is one of the best values you’ll find.
- Zune Marketplace. Zune is a subscription-based site that offers unlimited downloads for a monthly price. A “Zune pass” costs $14.99 per month. The subscription currently comes with 10 monthly song credits that don’t expire when the subscription ends. The rest do.
- Other music download sites include: Audio Lunchbox (independent artists), Batanga (Latin), Payplay.FM (independent artists), Last.FM and Puretracks.
- If you're a classical music fan, check out Classical Archives, Classics Online, Classic Cat, Classical.com and Musopen. Most classical music is in the public domain and can often be legally downloaded for free.
Peer to peer web sites
There are also a number of p2p (peer to peer) web sites that feature free file sharing. Think twice before patronizing these sites. Although the sites insist that they are legal, some of the services they offer are not. The bottom line is this: if you acquire music that isn’t paid for, you’re breaking the law and it can potentially cost you a whole lot of money.
|
