2. Amazon MP3 Download store: The best part about Amazon's new MP3 store is that it's backed with Amazon's strong standing in online shopping. With its reputation as an online retailer, Amazon is starting to move into digital music and book sales (it's new Kindle device is all the rage among bibliophiles). Amazon provides an MP3 download service with unlocked MP3s that can go in any device. Unfortunately, they offer an almost identical catalog to eMusic; thanks to licensing laws, they can't offer MP3 versions of the major label releases. However, you might be surprised how many albums they can offer, and the prices range from $5.99 to $9.99 per album (more for double disc releases, of course). Amazon, does require you to download their MP3 Downloader to purchase full albums, but it's a very small application available for Windows and Mac users. Amazon also uses their 1-Click purchasing service for MP3s, making it even easier to download your digital songs. Although it's only been around for a couple months, Amazon is proving to be a large contender in the growing digital music market.
3. Napster: Once the RIAA's worst nightmare, Napster sparked an illegal peer-to-peer file sharing service that allowed users to download free music. Due to a long legal proceeding, the site shut down in 2002, but was bought out by Roxio, Inc., who turned Napster into a legitimate, legal music purchasing web site. While Napster provides a better collection of music (including the major record labels), it does lock in users to their subscription-based service. It also does not provide support for the iPod or Zune MP3 players. It does offer a free seven-day trial, and the monthly subscription plan allows you to download as many MP3s as you want. Of course, if you ever cancel your subscription, you'll lose your music, unlike eMusic's subscription service. While Napster's not the best choice out there, it's a good choice for music lovers who mainly stick to the pop charts and radio top 20 hits.
Certainly, these three MP3 Web sites are the most popular for legal music purchases, and probably the best ones out there. But we all love freebies, so where are all the sites that provide free and completely legal MP3s? There are a few out there, and here are the best ones:
4. Jamendo: Jamendo promises to "open your ears" to new independent artists, and it's completely free. The attractive Web site would appeal to users of all ages, although it's geared to those who already use social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace. Jamendo reminds me of the old mp3.com, a Web site that once hosted free MP3s from artists who wanted to get their music out to new fans. It's a similar set-up: you can listen to a streaming audio version of the album, and if you like what you hear, you can download a .zip file of the band's album, write a review, or add them as your friend. It's an excellent service that seems much better than Myspace and its subsequent clones.
Article comments
1 - wyly
Kevin:
You said this about Napter: "While Napster's not the best choice out there, it's a good choice for music lovers who mainly stick to the pop charts and radio top 20 hits."
How did you come up with this? Napster's music library is over 5 million songs. Top 20? Gimme a break! I subscribe and I can tell your readers it is well worth the price. You have no idea what you are missing until you try it. Of course, if you just listen to the same 20 songs over and over it's not for you. Exactly the opposite, though, of what you just wrote in your blog.