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Where to download music legally

Legal downloading has at last entered the mainstream. A handful of major vendors, such every bit iTunes and Napster, offer catalogues of more than a million tracks in all genres, while a small simply growing number of labels and artists have started selling MP3s directly from their own websites. At that place are even many legal freebies to exist had: various sites provide tracks past upwards-and-coming artists keen for exposure, while labels frequently dish out a costless song to aid promote an anthology. Below are links to a few of the major players. Things change all the fourth dimension, and this list is far from exhaustive, and then continue checking back to run into what'southward happening

Licensed retailers and other suppliers

Amazon Hundreds of free downloads in MP3 format: some from loftier-profile artists and others from up-and-coming talent. Perhaps Amazon is either trying to drive traffic before it starts charging, or hopes its downloads will push upwards CD sales.

Artist Direct Another Stateside CD store that offers a few freebies, but this fourth dimension they're streams rather than existent downloads and hence can't be saved to your difficult drive or transferred to your MP3 player.

AudioLunchbox An excellent catalogue of independent music, available for ¢99 per track. The files are available equally high-bitrate, unprotected MP3s (and also in the open-source Ogg Vorbis format) and then will work with all computers and players. Enough of freebies, also.

Bleep Established in 2004, primarily as a vehicle for distributing music from Warp records, Bleep quickly expanded and now offers a good range of electronic and indie sounds. For 99p per rail or £6.99 an anthology yous go variable bitrate MP3s that offer superb sound quality and compatibility with all computers and devices. Unusually, yous tin can preview entire tracks before you buy.

Big Noise Of the various websites serving up the enormous OD2 catalogue (encounter beneath), this 1 stands out for the reason that it'south run by Oxfam, who get 10% of whatsoever money you spend. Standard prices are 99p per track for downloads, or 1p a shot for streams, though things are cheaper if you purchase credits in majority. Neither Macs nor iPods supported.

Connect Sony'due south pay-per-track service features music from all the major labels and many indies, merely compatibility is an issue. Tracks are downloaded in Sony'southward ain ATRAC3 format, which will just play dorsum in Sony MP3 players or the same company'due south SonicStage jukebox software (which y'all have to install earlier you start to download). Tracks range from 79p to 99p, with albums starting at £7.99. PCs only.

Domino Records Eccentrically cool dwelling to the likes of Adem, James Yorkston and Four Tet, equally well as bankable US acts like Will Oldham and (Smog), its regularly updated annal of free downloads covers its impressive catalogue.

EMusic This US-based merely globally bachelor subscription service charges $ix.99 per month for 40 tracks. Their 600,000-song catalogue consists entirely of tracks from independent labels and artists, and so you won't find many of the best-known acts. But for ¢25 per rail, and with an first-class esoteric selection, who's lament? Unusually for a major subscription service, the files are MP3s, which can be played back on any organisation or device.

Epitonic Gratis downloads - in MP3 and WMA format - of independent or hole-and-corner artists (mainly from the U.s.a.), with smart editorial and personalised radio streams to boot. Well worth a expect and listen if you lot desire to expand your musical horizons.

HMV HMV's first UK download service was an off-the-shelf store from OD2 (seebelow). In September 2005, withal, the company joined forces with Microsoftto launch a bells-and-whistles jukebox program with built-in music store. Aswith Napster, it's a Windows-but service that offers more than 1,000,000songs (plus sectional content), either equally "permanent" downloads (at 79p pertrack) or via unlimited access to "temporary" downloads, which keep playingfor equally long equally you remain a subscriber (£fourteen.99 per month). All downloads canbe transferred to MP3 players, though non iPods.

Insound A vast collection of costless indie MP3s, from an online shop selling CDs and gig tickets to a U.s.a. market.

Intomusic.co.uk A UK site concentrating on the independent and culling end of the market. MP3 downloads showtime at effectually £0.47 (well-nigh are £0.sixty), and there are subscription and buy-in-bulk payment options for smashing users.

iTunes Music Shop United kingdom iTunes, produced past Apple simply available for Mac and PC, is a jukebox software package (probably the best available) for organisng and playing music, ripping CDs and transferring songs to iPods. It also provides admission to Apple's iTunes Music Store, the most successful download service past a vast margin. Its broad-ranging catalogue of 1.5 1000000 tracks is available for 79p a pop; albums vary, but virtually price in the region of £viii. The only downside is that the file format - DRM-protected AAC - ways the music will only play back using iTunes or iPods.

Matador Free MP3s featuring tracks from bands such every bit Pavement, Mogwai and Pretty Girls Brand Graves.

Mperia.com A garage version of iTunes if you like. Any artist can sign up, upload and sell their piece of work. Listeners can join groups to assist one another separate the clay from the diamonds. The artists keep seventy% of their profits, and they pay nada up front.

Napster After beingness shut down as an illegal peer-to-peer service, Napster has successfully reinvented itself as a major histrion in the legitimate online music market, with 1,000,000+ songs and counting. Standard downloads are 79p each, though y'all could instead opt for a subscription package. This way, you pay £9.95 a month (£fourteen.95 if you lot want to be able to transfer the songs to an MP3 player) and can download as many tracks as y'all similar, but they'll only go along playing as long you're a member. Not uniform with Macs or iPods.

OD2 OD2, founded by former Genesis frontman Peter Gabriel, is the outfit behind almost of the United kingdom's major digital download retailers. Having signed deals with all five major record labels and some indies, it handles the technology and licensing for the following loftier-profile stores, plus Big Racket Music (mentioned in a higher place).OD2-based services, which but work with PCs and non-iPod MP3 players, tendto operate on a pay-as-you lot-get basis - you buy a bunch of "credits", whichyou tin can then spend on streams or downloads, according to your preferences. Ministry of Sound MSN Music MTV UK MyCokeMusic.com Packard Bell Tiscali Music Lodge Wanadoo

Playlouder PlayLouder is currently making headlines for its planned "music Internet service provider", which will combine broadband internet access with legal peer-to-peer file sharing. For now, though, PlayLouder is a music site featuring news, reviews, a whole agglomeration of attitude and plenty of MP3s. Join the Singles Social club for free downloads of 3 selected bands each month, or get directly to the MP3 Shop for a decent pay-to-download selection with a rock and alternative flavour. Tracks are 99p each; albums are priced by the number of songs, up to a maximum of £7.99. Variable-bitrate MP3s ensure unusually expert sound quality and compatibility with all computers and players.

Sub Pop Characterization whose back catalogue includes Afghan Whigs and Nirvana - but downloads, though free, are simply available for more recent signings such as The Shins and Rosie Thomas.

Tesco If the grocery-style branding doesn't put you off ("Starting time downloading great music at everyday depression prices"), you'll discover a decent-plenty range of mainstream tracks at the ubiquitous 79p toll-point. Everything is in protected WMA files, so Mac and iPod owners need non utilize, but at least the audio quality is high - 192 kbps.

Trax2Burn 1 for the clubbers. Pick from hundreds of tracks from 20 or so dance labels, including Finish Recordings, Underwater and FatBoy Slim'south Southern Fried. Tracks are in MP3 format, at 99p each, with super-high bitrate versions available on some tracks for a pocket-size premium.

Virgin Similar arch-rival HMV, Virgin recently closed its pre-fab OD2 store andlaunched a major United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland digital music service of its own. Equally with Napster, itoffers protected WMA files that will play back on PCs and many MP3 players,either via a 79p pay-every bit-y'all-get option or through an unlimited monthlysubscription plan (£9.99 for calculator just; £14.99 if you lot want MP3-playercapabilities). Virgin'due south clean-looking jukebox software takes a leafage out ofiTunes' book, just iPods aren't supported.

Vitaminic.com Well-nigh of the MP3s available via this international site are complimentary, uploaded by unsigned artists keen to promote their work. Others are 99p or you tin go complete access for a twelvemonth $69.99 a year, or $39.99 for vi months.

Wippit This UK-based service offers a bit of everything - in terms of content (some mainstream, but mainly lesser-known stuff), file format (MP3s and/or WMA, depending on the tracks) and pricing model (tracks cost between 29p and 99p, or a £4.99 monthly subscription gets you unlimited access to an always-changing pick of 60,000 tracks). Macs and iPod owners welcome, though they should stick to the MP3s.

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