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| Online Music Stores | | By Sean Carton for Screenager Central |
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You've probably been hearing a lot lately about people, from kids to grandmas, getting into trouble for illegally downloading music over the Internet. Suddenly, something that lots of people treated as harmless can get you into big trouble. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is now suing people (including the parents of teens who illegally download) and charging them with fines of up to $75,000 per song! Luckily, there are some fantastic new legal music downloading services that let you go legit without emptying out your piggy bank. |
Before we check out the different services, lets get a few details straight. Not all online music stores are created equal:
- Not all services let you download music. Some provide what's called "streaming audio" sort of like online radio stations, that only let you listen to the tune once (in other words, you can't save the song).
- Not all downloads are yours to keep. Some services only let you listen to the tune as long as you pay a monthly subscription fee. Don't pay? Can't play. These are called "tethered" services. Some only let you listen to the song for a set number of times, or only let you listen on your computer (in other words, you can't burn the songs to disc or send them to a portable player).
- Not all services work on all computers. Most services require the Windows operating system. Others only work on Macs. Unfortunately, few let you use both systems.
- Some services are "pay to play," others require subscription fees. Think about how you listen to music before you fork over your allowance. If you only download a few songs a month, pay-per-download (or "pay to play") sites are best. If you download a lot, check out subscription-based services (where you pay a flat fee per month or per year).
- All services require credit cards. You may have to ask your parents to sign up for you. (Hint: It might help to remind them of the $75,000 per song fine for NOT paying!)
- Not all services have all kinds of music. Make sure the site has the type of music you want before signing up. Search on your favorite artists and see if the site offers music by them.
- If you have an MP3 player, make sure you check to see that it's compatible with the service to which you're subscribing. Most sites have a page (usually in the "FAQ" or "Help" sections) that tells you what players will work with the service.
- Don't believe the hype. Spend some time poking around the service to get a feel for it before buying in. There's no "best" service. The best one is the one that works for you.
Below is a list of the most popular services and what each of them has to offer. Happy listening!
- Apple iTunes Music Store
- Description: Apple's music buying service is fast, easy to use, allows you to burn music to CDs, and doesn't require a subscription. Not all the major labels are here but it's a great place to find current hits and oldies. More artists added every day.
- Songs: 200,000
- Pricing: $0.99/song. Album fees vary. No subscription required.
- Formats: Proprietary
- Platform(s): MacOS X
- Preview?: 30 second
- Playlists: Yes
- Restrictions: Play music on 3 computers, unlimited iPod synching, burn playlists 10 times.
- Notes: Kind of weak on alternative music, not all albums can be purchased in full. Very easy to use.
- PressPlay
- Description: The streaming downloads and online radio stations make it easy to find stuff you're looking for and discover new songs.
- Songs: 300,000+
- Pricing: $9.95/month unlimited.
Portable Download Packs are $5.95/5 pack, $9.95/10 pack, $18.95/20 pack
- Formats: WMA downloads, streaming, Net MD for portable songs
- Platform(s): Windows 2000, Windows XP
- Preview?: Streaming
- Playlists: Yes
- Restrictions: Songs can only be played while membership is active. You can only save tracks on two computers. "Portable Packs" can be downloaded and played forever.
- Notes: Very easy to use. Streaming format lets you listen on your computer without having to download songs.
- MusicMatch
- Description: Claims to be "the world's most popular music service." Many people already use Musicmatch Jukebox for playing MP3s, so learning how to use the service is simple.
- Songs: Over 10,500 artists
- Pricing: $4.95/month Platinum (Artist on Demand), $2.95/month Gold (Radio)
- Formats: Streaming
- Platform(s): Windows 98/Me/NT/XP/2000
- Preview?: Streaming
- Playlists: Yes
- Restrictions: Streaming only. You can't download music to player or CD.
- Notes: The service is really just online radio. Fine if you only want to listen to music while at your computer.
- FullAudio
- Description:A membership-based service that lets you listen to audio streams, online radio, and download some tracks to CD.
- Songs: Hundreds of thousands
- Pricing: $4.95/month basic service, $9.95/month basic plus unlimited downloads and ability to burn music to CD ($.99 per track)
- Formats: Windows Media Player
- Platform(s): Windows 98/Me/NT/XP/2000
- Preview?: Streaming
- Playlists: Yes
- Restrictions: Not all downloads are burnable. Many can only be listened to while subscription is active.
- Notes: Hard-to-use Web site. Unfriendly, confusing descriptions.
- AOL MusicNet
- Description: For now only available to AOL subscribers. The interface has been described by some as hard to use.
- Songs: 350,000+ songs
- Pricing: "Basic" - 20 streams and 20 downloads @$3.95 /month
"Standard" - unlimited streaming and downloading @ $8.95/month
"Premium" - unlimited streaming and downloading plus the ability to burn 10 songs to CD each month @ $17.95 /month
- Formats: AOL users only. Burning is through client
- Platform(s): Mac, Windows
- Preview?: Streaming
- Playlists: Yes
- Restrictions: Only available to AOL subscribers
- Notes: Limits on burnable downloads could be a problem if you want to take lots of music with you.
- Emusic
- Description: A great selection of music, MP3 format, and a 14-day/50 song free trial makes this service the one to try if you're into alternative music.
- Songs: 250,000 + songs, over 900 independent labels
- Pricing: $9.95/month for 12 months, $14.95/month for 3 months
- Formats: MP3, Streaming
- Platform(s): Mac, Windows, Linux
- Preview?: Streaming
- Playlists: Yes, through MP3 player
- Restrictions: None (within the law)
- Notes: One of the best! The site was a little slow at times but the selection and lack of restrictions make this one a keeper.
- MP3
- Description: A huge, FREE site with bands of every description. Not a lot of popular music but tons of cool new bands to explore. And did we mention that it's free?
- Songs: 750,000
- Pricing: Free
- Formats: MP3, Streaming
- Platform(s): All platforms with MP3 players
- Preview?: Streaming
- Playlists: Yes
- Restrictions: None (within the law)
- Notes: Not a lot of stuff you've heard of but lots of stuff to discover. If you like new music, this is the place to go.
- Liquid
- Description: Lots of big label music, a great recommendation engine, and an easy-to-use Web site make this one worth checking out.
- Songs: 300,000+
- Pricing: Around a dollar per song
- Formats: WMA
- Platform(s): Platforms supporting WMA (Windows ME, XP, 2000)
- Preview?: Yes
- Playlists: Yes
- Restrictions: Not all are burnable or transportable
- Notes: A good selection and no subscription requirement make this service attractive if you just want to try out what it's like to buy music online.
- Epitonic
- Description: Free independent music from a huge range of labels. Not for those who want to listen to pop.
- Songs: "Thousands"
- Pricing: Free
- Formats: Streaming, MP3
- Platform(s): Anything supporting MP3
- Preview?: Streaming
- Playlists: Yes
- Restrictions: Only select tracks available
- Notes: They don't try to be everything to everybody. Instead, online editors try to pick the best songs to serve up.
- BuyMusic
- Description: You can buy everything here from songs to portable players to CD-Rs. Lots of popular music.
- Songs: 300,000+
- Pricing: Around a dollar per song
- Formats: WMA
- Platform(s): Windows
- Preview?: Streaming
- Playlists: Yes
- Restrictions: Not all are burnable
- Notes: Nothing special to recommend (or condemn) the service. Pretty plain vanilla.
- Rhapsody Digital Music Service
- Description: Streaming service
- Songs: Over 25,000 albums (approximately 250,000 songs)
- Pricing: $9.95/month All Access (radio and burn), $4.95/month Radio PLUS
- Formats: Proprietary using Windows Media 8
- Platform(s): Windows 98/Me/NT/XP/2000
- Preview?: 30 second
- Playlists: Yes
- Restrictions: Not all songs are burnable. No portable players supported.
- Notes: Can listen from anywhere client is installed.
- Streamwaves
- Description: The first browser-based service to support all five major record labels. Unfortunately you can't burn anything to disc, so it's worth it only if you exclusively want to listen to music at your computer.
- Songs: "Hundreds of thousands"
- Pricing: $7.99/month for 12 months, $11.99/month for 3 months, $13.49/month for 1 month
- Formats: Windows media player
- Platform(s): Windows 98/Me/NT/XP/2000, Mac OSX
- Preview?: 30 second
- Playlists: Yes
- Restrictions: Listen only. No burning or portable support
- Notes: The best thing about this service is its Web site -- the multi-pane view makes it very easy to browse and play music.
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