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Downloading music online used to be a dream on the coffee table. People even talked and fantasized about the imaginary music jukebox that can play music on order and anyone can just download whatever music they want from an inexhaustible jukebox. Today, downloading music online is a piece of cake. And you have a few options. Anyone can be downloading free or paid music online. Before you get too excited, we shall take a look at both options to download online music and how you can save your money while downloading music online.

Free Music MP3 Downloads

Now, downloading online music can be free but you need to know where to go to. Here are just a few places you can go to on the internet to find free music MP3 downloads.

Indy.tv – Indy makes it possible for you to find new independent music. Go ahead and download Indy. It allows you to rate the songs you listen to. What I love about Indy is the artificial intelligence is quick to pick up what kind of music you love and would keep sending you music that you would find enjoyable.

Epitonic – Epitonic gives you a chance to listen and download music online of independent and underground artists in US. They are normally in MP3 or WMA format and generally playable on our computer.

Paid Music MP3 Downloads

Downloading paid music online should not be unfamiliar to you. These are several established places to download music for a fee.

iTunes – iTunes is synonymous with iPod music. You can find a whole range of music genres there. Each music MP3 download costs 99 cents. Downloading is fast and easy and the search function is sophisticated.

Connect – Connect is Sony’s pay-per-track service. It serves many different brands of music from a large network. But the problem is it is not so user-friendly. The music files are in ATRAC3 format, a proprietary audio format which can be recognized and played only on Sony MP3 players.

There are also other online music stores that offer similar downloading services. Each site can vary in the number of music MP3 downloads they have, the music genre, the customer service and so on. These sites allow downloading music online for a membership subscription fee. Most nowadays charge you a one-time fee for unlimited access. For more details on how downloading music online can be done cheaply, check out my music download blog.

When it comes to new music we are really spoiled for choice as artists, bands and DJs keep us entertained with tracks and albums being released every few days.

The great news for us is that we no longer have to wait in line at the record store or sneak a copy of our sibling’s latest CD purchase to get the new tracks we want; instead we can simply download music straight into our computers or music systems. Accessing music using today’s technology is really as simple as a few clicks of a button, so if you’re fed up with scratched CDs or cracked cases you can try downloading music straight onto your iPod instead.

The download market has taken the music industry by storm in recent years and almost all artists and bands will have allowed their music to appear on some of the most popular download sites at some time or another. Most musicians are really embracing this new way of selling their music and are even setting up their own fan sites and MySpace pages where they can regularly release new songs for download before they hit the high street music stores.

If you’re keen to be down with the kids and try out downloading for the first time there are a few simple things you should know before you get started. First and probably most importantly is making sure you keep your bank details safe. When you purchase songs via the web you will be required to hand over your account details so it’s prudent to check whether the site you’re on is a reputable one, and that you have assurances that your details will be kept private. If in doubt it’s always best to go with a well known company so you can rest easy that your details and payments are safe.

The same thing goes when downloading your track as there are a plethora of viruses around that can seriously harm your computer. As a rule of thumb never download anything that you have any reservations about and always check out the authenticity of your chosen download site before making any purchases.

Once you’re feeling confident about your chosen download site you can set out to pick the tracks you want. Most sites will have a 30 second preview of a song so you can try before you buy. Once you’ve made up your mind you will just be a few clicks away from owning that track.

Access to this new music is instant and won’t take up any room on your shelves but if you just can’t part with your precious CD collection it’s a good idea to keep some blank CDs to hand so you can burn your newly downloaded tunes as and when you like. It’s important to remember that once you download music it’s illegal to give it to a third party, whether you are getting any money for it or not, so keep your downloaded copy safe and never pass it on.

No matter what your style and taste of music downloading can be a quick, easy and cheap way to get the music you want without spending hours queuing up at the local music store.

Music downloading is here to stay, it’s legit, it’s legal, and everyone is doing it. The internet is a disruptive technology, and music downloading was the first real poster child for all that disruptive behavior. Apart from a few unmentionable topics, music was and still is one of the biggest looked for and downloaded items on the internet. And just as well it should be. It makes perfect sense. It fits, it’s convenient, it better for the artists, and in the long run, better for the consumer. The only guy it’s not great for, is the big money middle men. But hey, they had their chance and blew it. More on that later.

Long Live The Nobodies

Indies are the heart and soul of the music world. At one point in time every musician was an indie looking for their big break. They did what they did for the love of their art. Because it felt good. Along the way some found their big break, lost their soul, and sold out. You know the ones. Their the ones whose first big album was great, and all the rest sucked. Some got their big break, and stayed true to their art, and kept their soul. They just keep cranking out great music for years on end. The internet loves indies. It’s the great equalizer. Any artist can have an online presence, promote their music to an audience of millions, and let consumers download their music to their hearts content.. They don’t need mister megabucks-big-corporate-middle-guy. And boy is the old middle guy worried.

Napster vs The Big Boys

A few years ago, Napster started off as the music bad boy of the online world. Breaking all the rules (what rules?) and trash talking the big boys with one of the largest grass root movements ever seen. Everybody and their hamster was downloading free music, and there was nothing anyone could do. Until . . . the big boys took those trash talking music computer geeks to see the judge. And hey, the big boys won, Napster lost. Actually, nobody really won. The consumer lost, cause now they had to drive to the mall to get their music. Napster was put out of business (temporarily). Even the big boys lost, cause now there were a hundred little napsters doing the exact same thing, plus they let the best tech available for music downloads slip out of their fingers, instead of using it as their own distribution channel. Bad bad bad big boys.

Download Me Now . . . Please

Now everyone wants you to download their music. iTunes, Amazon, Cnet, Cousin Eddy . . . everyone. Even Napster, is back in the music download music. Pay for and legit of course. The big boys are still worried. The indies are on the rise, and I don’t have to drive to the mall to get my favorite music. Lucky me.

Welcome To My Future – The Musical

Things are only gonna get better. As the internet gets bigger and faster, their will be more choice and convenience for music consumers, more artists will be able to make a decent living, and the latest collection of blond bimbo divas with their boy band boyfriends will only be a footnote amongst the praise being leveled on the rising wave of talented and genuinely artistic indie stars. Of course someones gotta lose in this whole new paradigm. Here’s hoping it’s mister fat-cat-do-nothin record promoter that’s been relegated to selling the best in new wave vacum cleaners to my inlaws.

Owning a Zune is great but you probably are wondering how to get those Zune music downloads other than using the marketplace. Free download networks are not the best place to download music for your player simply because there are too many risks involved such as the legality of the songs, poor sound quality as well as computer viruses, adware and spyware.

There are already several onlines services that provide Zune music downloads for a price cheaper than a family meal at a fast food outlet. A site like this is worth considering if they provide a user-friendly download area where it is easy to find your desired songs. You may want to take note that it is a must that they come complete with simple to follow instructions and manuals teaching you how to download the songs and music.

On top of songs, expect to find a suite of music in different genres in the paid services. Those outstanding ones also provide the tutorials on how to rip and burn the movies, music and videos on CDs, VCDs, and DVDs so that you also can enjoy them outside of your MP3 player.

When it first started, their library only had songs in them. But times have changed as the industry gets more competition. Nowadays, you would also find movies, videos, TV shows, games and other media content such as audio books as well.

Some sites provide the software needed to download the songs for free as well as CD burning programs. Others charge you a fee for their software so be mindful of this. All in all, it is better to select a service that gives you all the essential software for free.

The good news is, in order to enjoy such benefits, you need not be working long hours to save up $1000s of thousands just to feed your Zune with 1000 Zune music downloads. All it takes is a petty sum of lesser than $50. And you get more than a million songs, movies and TV shows to download at any time you wish.

Look out for the above factors when choosing a site to download music to Zune. Make sure they have them. The last important thing you want to make sure the service you subscribe for has is a top-class customer support. Most would claim they can deliver that high level of service but only a handful few can actually live up to it.

But the sad news is with so many sites offering Zune music downloads, it can be really painful going through each one, making comparisons of their pros and cons. If you find it overwhelming, then go over to my music blog and read a thorough review of the top sites for Zune music downloads.