Question about MP3s (you're going to think I've been living in a cave)

[Tuvok Obama]

Okay, I'm not completely ignorant about MP3s. For years I've used MP3 Maker Gold to rip MP3s from my CD collection, creating a data base from which I could burn custom CD-R mixes, or data CD-Rs that could be used to play the MP3 tracks on my portable CD player.

I've also downloaded MP3s from independent artists who offer them for free.

So I understand the basic MP3 concept, but what I have no experience in is buying MP3s.

I remember reading, a few years ago, about a controversy that involved the customers finding out they didn't actually own the MP3s they paid for. (This may have involved more than one company, I don't remember.) If I recall correctly, the buyer ceased to own the MP3s once his or her subscription to the seller's site lapsed, and the songs could no longer be burned, played, etc.

So this is where I'm at now: I'm tired of buying CDs and ripping them to MP3, and would like to start buying individual MP3s online.

Where do I start? What companies should I avoid? Are there companies that don't require monthly subscriptions, and will allow me to purchase (and own outright) individual MP3s?

Any help with this will be greatly appreciated. :thumbsup:

P.S. In this case, Google is not my friend. In this case, Google is a massive list of competing MP3 sites, and I assume many or most of them are just waiting for a sucker like me, who knows virtually nothing about buying MP3s, to come along and start shoveling money into their shopping carts. I'm hoping for company names or links that DUers have used and found satisfactory.

Thanks again!

[NightWatcher]

1. Itunes was selling tunes but limiting how you could use them, now they are DRM-free

DRM= digital rights management.

What I gather is now once you buy it, it's yours even if you want to make a hundred copies or put it on a hundred devices.

I could be wrong, but this is how I took the news from them when they converted to DRM free.

[Tuvok Obama]

2. Have you used iTunes, and would you recommend them?

[NightWatcher]

4. I've bought a ton of music online from them and I would recommend

it's probably not the coolest place to buy music, but it's idiot proof and that's what I like

[gmoney]

6. iTunes is very good...

at least on the Mac, and I hear good things about the PC version. It's an especially good match if you have an iPod for your music player.

One of us, one of us...

[qb]

3. To my knowledge songs bought on iTunes are not MP3...

They can only be played with iTunes or iPods. They can be burned onto a CD and then converted to MP3.
I bought a couple of MP3s from Amazon.com and didn't have any trouble.

[Initech]

8. Apple uses that weird M4A format.

I've had a few issues with that when converting my collection to MP3 and transferring it to my PC.

[Tuvok Obama]

10. Thanks for the heads-up on iTunes

I want to avoid any converting process. I don't have an iPod. I just recently bought a Philips GoGear, and the uploading process is so simple (as compared to burning a CD-R mix, or burning a data CD-R of MP3 files) that I'm looking forward to a simpler, two-step process -- that of downloading MP3s and uploading them to my player.

[gmoney]

5. emusic.com is good if you like more eclectic stuff...

They do have a monthly subscription set-up, but it's a pretty good deal, in that you can get 3 or 4 albums worth of music for about $10. You can cherry pick tracks, too, and if you play the game of signing up (they often have 50 or 75 free songs as an enrollment incentive), downloading your songs, then closing your account, they'll eventually entice you back with another batch of free songs if you join up again, but you can cancel again after you've downloaded your music.

It's worth a look around to see if the music they offer suits your tastes.

Amazon also sells MP3 music, and is competitive or maybe slightly cheaper than iTunes, and frequently have specials on albums for $4 or $5, and they do a daily special, usually a full album for 99 cents or 1.99.

http://www.amazon.com/MP3-Music-Download/

[Tuvok Obama]

9. I see emusic.com accepts PayPal

which is great because I'm trying to avoid using a credit or debit card.

(Amazon would have been perfect, since I'm already so familiar with their site. But even though I can buy products from them using their online checking system, they want a credit card for their MP3 downloads.)

[Initech]

7. I'd avoid subscription-based sites like Napster and Rhapsody for that very reason.

I use iTunes not for downloading music (although thankfully they got rid of DRM), but rather for cataloging and organizing my music collection, and iPod/iPhone transfers.

If you want to use iTunes the songs are now DRM free which means you can download the albums and not have to worry about how many copies you make.