Everything You'll Ever HAVE TO KNOW About Music Downloads
You have so many options when downloading music from the Internet. Not only is there a huge amount of bands, genres and records to choose from. There are also numerous retailers to buy from, as well. Use these tips to help you find the music you are looking for at a great price.
Always make sure that you download your music from a legal website. If you download music illegally, you can face harsh fines. In many cases you can be fined up to $500 per song. The artists deserve to be paid for the music they make, so download only legal copies of the songs that you love.
One way to get free music is to rip it from YouTube videos. The upside of this is that you can use simple software to accomplish the task, and it allows you to avoid paying for each song that you download. The downside is the quality of the music might not be the highest.
Safety is key when it comes to downloading music. That means you shouldn't download any music for free if it isn't offered directly by the artist, production company or some other promotional company. If you do, it is illegal and you can face major fines if you are caught.
Check your file size when downloading music. Most music files are about two to five megabytes. If you find that a file is much smaller, it might be a text file disguised as a music download. By downloading it, you could be putting your computer at risk of viruses, jeopardizing your personal information.
Peer to peer software may seem like a great way to get free music, but the fact is that it opens you up to viruses, malware and more. To keep your computer free from these problems, stick to downloading through iTunes or from online retailers like Amazon.com or HMV.com.
Free Music Archive and The Internet Archive offer free music that is completely legal to download. Check them out if you are working on building your collection. They often contain music from obscure or lesser known artists, and the music spans every genre. Downloading is simple once you are at the site.
Even though iTunes is the most prominent name in the world of music downloads, it is not the only player in town. Amazon also runs a digital mp3 service that features affordable music and a huge database. In fact, Amazon does even have some material that you can not find on iTunes.
If you purchase your music through iTunes, pay the extra cash for iTunes Match ($25 per year). This music service gives you access to your entire library on the web - not just the songs you've recently purchased. iTunes Match looks at all of your songs and matches them with a cloud version. It's an excellent way to increase your cloud-based music library.
Check out sites online which aggregate deals on sites like iTunes and Amazon when it comes to music. For example, DealNews provides up to the minute updates on what is on sale on many different sites, including those which sell MP3s. You can even subscribe by email for alerts.
Be sure to check the file format before downloading any music. You've got to be sure that the file you get is compatible with whatever system you are using. If unsure, a good bet is to stick with MP3 files. This file extension is about as universal as they come.
Torrents are still around for sharing all sorts of files. If you are looking for songs which are hard to find but posted by their authors, that's a good place to look for legal MP3s. You can find a great deal of independent artists that way, exposing yourself to new music.
Make sure that the sites that you get your music downloads from are secure and safe. Even sites that are legal paid downloads could allow malicious software to enter your computer. You should avoid music websites that have a ton of pop-up ads. Some may contain viruses, spyware, adware, and the like.
To avoid getting ripped off when fireplace background downloading music, choose a website that is popular such as Amazon, Rhapsody or iTunes. These popular download services are generally more secure than lesser known ones since they have to maintain their reputation. Therefore, you don't have to worry as much about having your personal information stolen.
You can find free MP3s just by searching for free music archives. They include public releases which are free. You might find some amazing songs you fall in love with.
Always ensure that when you're downloading music files, they really are music files. Most music files will be around 2MB to 5MB, but in some rare cases may even go up to 10 MB. However, if the file you are downloading is less than 1MB, so it is measured in kilobytes, they are generally text files.
Before downloading music, make sure you've got anti-virus software on your computer. Many users have gotten a virus because they neglected this step. An anti-virus program will prevent this from happening. It also scans it afterwards and it cleans any malware that got through.
As this article has proven to you, there is a lot more to downloading music than you have thought there was. However, since you have read the article above, you are aware of the ins and outs of music downloading. Put the tips above to use and have fun with your new downloads.