Websites for buying and downloading (legal) music online

[panda81]

Just wondering where do you guys go to buy music online...looking for the cheapest place with the most diversity (i.e., not only Top 100 Billboard or etc). Thanks!

 

[seoulman]

I buy most of my online tunes on iTunes~ :biggrin:

Is that too mainstream?

 

[ugodrainville]

Amazon. I have found that they are usually cheaper than iTunes and also are DRM free MP3's (iTunes are DRM'ed M4P's)

 

[Bill N]

We broke free of itunes

I too use Amazon and also other similar sites. If you watch their specials you can buy albums for less than $3 most of the time. 3 ipods, 2 drop and drag mp3 players. CD players in the house and cars.

We have as a household finally broken free of Apple when it comes to music downloads. While I respect their attempt at security, it makes for a PIA when it comes to dealing with M4P's and such. We purchase *all* of our music.

 

[Marcona]

Amazon. I think it is much better than Apple iTunes for numerous reasons. For instance - no special software needed, no DRM & typically better pricing.

 

[DearLeader]

If your're not just into "Hits" check out emusic.com

no drm, with a monthly charge (think it's $11).... and 50 downloads/month... they have a huge catalog of classics and other rarities....

 

[ChrisA]

Just wondering where do you guys go to buy music online...looking for the cheapest place with the most diversity (i.e., not only Top 100 Billboard or etc). Thanks!

Of course Apple's iTunes is the most common and biggest of them all, by far but there are others. Amazon has a smaller catalog but all of Amazon's music is DRM free and it's 10 cents cheaper then iTunes. But then iTunes works seamlessles with your iPod

The other one I use a emusic.com This is very different than either iTunes or They have music you can't find on the other sites, the prices are far less and the bit rate is good with no DRM (192K MP3 files) But you have to buy in blocks. You pay a fee and that gives you credit for X number of downloads. They carry a lot of very old jazz and classical recording you can't find in other places. prices are very low compared to the others.

That said I mostly buy CDs and then import the tracks from CD into iTunes and keep it in "Apple lossless" format. Lossless takes more room but the quality is "perfect" and disk space is cheap. I can buy CDs for as little as $7.00 at Amazon.com and if the CD has 10 tracks that works out to .70 per track. Cheaper then an MP3 download and I get a physical CD, liner notes and so on. So first look at the discount and/or used , on-line CD outlets. Mostly I never pay more then $10 for a CD. and at $10 it is cheaper than an MP3 download, unless you count emusic.com Sometime public libraries sell off their surplus for like $1 per CD.

I have about 7,600 tracks in lossless format in my library and currently have a few dozen CDs still for be copied in.

 

[LindaZ]

stock20 is great....

 

[ugodrainville]

But then iTunes works seamlessles with your iPod

Amazon's MP3's also work seamlessly with iTunes. The Amazon downloader automatically downloads my purchases and then imports them into iTunes.

On my mac I have a free app, Gimmie Some Tune, that fetches album art and lyrics. I usually throw away the jewelcase that the CDs come in anyways...if I kept every jewelcase for every CD that I owned, I would seriously need a small shipping container to warehouse them...I find that CD wallets are better for that, but that is a whole different topic altogether...

 

[wbeem]

I stick with iTunes. It's easy and well integrated. It has some music with DRM and some without protection at higher bitrates. Going to Amazon to save 7¢ a song doesn't compete with the ease of use.

The customer service has been very good for me. A few times I've had problems or even lost some songs and an e-mail request has always resolved my issues.

 

[Spudsbud]

Limewire.com
FREE.

 

[Stef]

Limewire.com
FREE.

And all the crap it puts on your computer is free too! :smile:

Limewire and the like are bad news.

 

[williadw]

I have used Amazon.. and even.... Walmart.com.

 

[rocketliv]

I am an itunes girl

 

[ugodrainville]

you might also check out MP3suite...it is the pay version of limewire...however it is definitely buyer beware on there...my wife has downloaded songs that were incorrectly tagged (completely different artist than what file indicated) but it runs $35 to purchase the software and access the members only downloads...

 

[ugodrainville]

I stick with iTunes. It's easy and well integrated. It has some music with DRM and some without protection at higher bitrates. Going to Amazon to save 7¢ a song doesn't compete with the ease of use.

The customer service has been very good for me. A few times I've had problems or even lost some songs and an e-mail request has always resolved my issues.

It is not so much the costs savings but more of the fact that I prefer my music in MP3 format as opposed to M4P format. I know for a fact that MP3s will play on EVERY portable music player out there...M4Ps will only play on players from Apple (I love Apple BTW, total fanboy here...) I also like the fact that the music has no DRM from Amazon...if for example Apple were to go out of business (not likely, but never rule it out) it would really suck for all my M4Ps to go dark...

One could argue the route of purchasing an album via iTunes and then proceeding to burn it to CD and then re-importing it into iTunes...but that sounds like a huge waste of effort when I can get the same album for $1 cheaper at Amazon and already in MP3 format...also if you have an iPhone and the song you purchase from iTunes is not allowed for ringtone creating, then you are totally SOL for making that M4P a ringtone...however if you have an MP3 then you can use any iphone ringtone maker to make said song into a ringtone...

 

[dhudspith]

Amazon... just say 'NO' to DRM I-Tunes crap.