Mp3 download websites

For those who wish to avoid the legal murkiness of Mp3 download websites, there are several Internet services which are completely sanctioned by the music industry. The most popular of these are Napster, the iTunes Music Store and MP3.com.

Napster

Napster is the company that popularized MP3 downloads. Although the original version of Napster was shut down by court order, it has been revived as a commercial service offering music streaming and downloads.

Streaming is the Internet's answer to radio. It allows you to listen to music as it is being transferred to your computer. Rather than waiting for the whole song to download, users can hear the song shortly after it begins to transfer.

Streaming technology is designed to prevent users from capturing the audio for later use. It is intended as a one shot deal - listen to the stream but once it is finished the music is gone.

There are ways to capture streams, and this is one reason why Napster and other MP3 sites often limit their free streams to 30 seconds. Paid streams are another matter. Napster charges a monthly fee and in exchange you can listen to an unlimited number of songs.

These songs can be stored on your computer but you need to maintain your Napster membership in order to access them. Songs can also be purchased. Purchasing songs gives you the right to burn them to CD or store them permanently on your computer hard drive. 

iTunes Music Store

The Apple iPod is the most popular portable audio player on the market. It is bundled with the iTunes software which can be used to connect to the iTunes Music Store for purchasing songs. Like Napster, the iTunes music store allows you to preview music clips before buying them. Songs are available for purchase and albums can be bought too.

Songs bought from the iTunes Music Store are protected with Digital Rights Management (DRM). This restricts the way they can be used. For example, they can only be burned to CD a limited number of times. The songs can be broadcast on a private network, but the number of computers that can receive the broadcast is limited to five at any one time.

The iTunes Music Store is the most popular music service on the Internet. It also carries other digital products such as videos and audio books, and all purchases can be transferred to the owner's iPod.

MP3.com

MP3.com serves as a clearinghouse for a number of online music stores. It provides information about artists and songs and allows users to post their own reviews. 30 second previews are available, and if you like what you hear, you are directed to an online music store to buy the song. The stores associated with MP3.com include Napster, iTunes, Rhapsody and MSN Music.  In order to buy music from any of these stores, you must meet their normal requirements. For example, you must have an account set up with iTunes in order to buy music from them through MP3.com.

MP3.com also includes a good selection of free music and video streams. These are available on a rotating basis for promotional purposes, and also feature lesser-known independent artists.