Take Some Time To Learn About Music Downloads
Only download the songs that you like off of an album. Most people consider purchasing the full album cheaper, but when you take into account the amount of filler songs you may not actually appreciate, individual tracks are the way to go. This not only ensures you are paying less, but the music downloads will take up less space on your hard drive.
Keep in mind that while music downloads can be high quality, they will not have the same type of quality that you will get from a CD. Many music downloads rarely come close to CD quality even if they are ripped right from the disc. This may not be the best option for some avid music lovers.
If an album has several songs that you like, you may want to get the whole album. Buying an album instead of buying several individual songs is often a lot cheaper, regardless of the retailer. Plus, you'll get more music for your library. You may even be glad you took a chance and find other favorite tracks.
When deciding on a site to download your music from, check out reviews for their user interface. This is especially important if you are a newbie. Some have very complex user interfaces that can be difficult to navigate. Others are more user friendly, and they are a better choice for a beginner.
To increase your free music download opportunities, look for companies that are sponsoring free music download campaigns and events. Companies from Apple to Starbucks give away music as part of their overall brand promotions. It's an easy way to add new music to your library without paying a dime.
Try to get the best quality music out there. Check out how many kilobytes per second the songs are on each file. The higher the kb/s, the better the track will sound. Know what tunes you already own prior to making a purchase. Don't waste money buying songs twice! Most services have a history page for you to use.
Rather than trying to download music illegally, think about using a legal online radio station. Pandora, Slackr, and Last.fm are all options for those who want to listen to music without illegal downloads. Most of these sites also have apps available if you have a smart phone at your disposal.
If you want to quickly find songs you might like, check out the lists on Billboard.com. They provide you with a ton of ideas thanks to informing you about which songs are hot right now in each genre. They also have historical lists you can peruse as well for all genres.
Consider choosing FLAC, a lossless music download format over MP3s. An MP3 music download is heavily compressed and every few seconds of the actual file is altered. Generally, the bass lines, drumming and vocals are much more compressed and less prominent if you listen to them through headphones. An FLAC format is compressed, but it is done in a way that the quality of the recording is not hindered.
While free music downloading sites should be avoided, there are free streaming sites that allow you to build playlists. As for downloading music, avoid any site that has not been established for a Band significant amount of time, whether paid or free. Go with one you know you can trust so that you can be rest assured your music will always be available to you.
One way to get a low quality version of a song is to view the music video on YouTube and rip it using software. That said, this method is illegal and you can be charged if you are ever caught. Keep this in mind if you are considering this process. For quality sounding music, ensure that what you are downloading is high quality downloads. Be certain to check the file size of any music file. A higher number will give you a better sound quality on any player.