Best Websites for Music Downloads
Top Ten Websites for Downloading Free and Paid-for Music
While vinyl and the music CD are still with us, the rise of the Internet, mp3 players and the iPod mean that music downloads are big business. Which are the best sites?
- iTunes.com is the industry leader and is operated by Apple. The site supplies almost any music you might want to listen to. iTunes’ downside is that its only possible to play the downloads on an iPod which means that Apple is locking customers into both player and music. It’s also fairly expensive with albums costing about the £8 mark and single tracks 79p. (About US$15 and US$1.50 respectively.)
- Napster.com offers a similar selection to iTunes, with prices which are broadly similar, but unlike iTunes, its downloads are not tied to one type of player. They are in WMA format, but the company plans to make most of its catalogue available in mp3 format in the near future. It is also possible to take out a monthly subscription (for £14.95/US$28) which allows for unlimited downloads. Great if you have a long list of ‘must-have’ tracks. Less so if you are more selective in your tastes.
- Bignoisemusic.com offers the same WMA format as Napster with similar prices to iTunes (although single tracks are a little more expensive). What Bignoisemusic does offer, however, is a way of salving buyer’s consciences over their high levels of consumption, with 10% of all sales being donated to Oxfam.
- MP3sparks.com is based in Russia and offers very cheap downloads. Albums are as low as US$1.38 (70p), but there is some debate as to whether or not the service is legal. This debate is unlikely to deter all but the most virtuous music downloaders.
- With We7.com, the downloader can get that most valued of commodities, the free download. There is, however, a catch. Each free download comes with an advert attached to the front of it, proving once again that there really is no such thing as a free lunch. For those preferring to have their music advert-free, each track will cost 70p (US$1.30).
There are also a number of legal free music download sites, including:
- One of the best is myspace.com where many artists, including a large number of really excellent unsigned bands, put their music up for free. A great place for the experimenter to browse and extend their knowledge and repertoire of the music scene.
- Epitonic.com offers a wide range of music downloads in both mp3 and WMA format.
- Bleep.com is the free download site for a number of independent labels and offers mp3 format. While it is possible to listen to the music for free, downloading it costs from £6.99 (US$13) per album.
- Artistdirect.com is another ‘Independent’ download site which, like Bleep.com, allows free listening, a few free downloads, but generally charges for downloads.
The copyright of the article Best Websites for Music Downloads in Music Media is owned by Alistair McCulloch. Permission to republish Best Websites for Music Downloads in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
