The proliferation of P2P file sharing networks on the Internet makes it very tempting and easy for someone to get themselves into a lot of trouble with the Recording Industry Association of America. The increasing sophistication of technology has made it much easier for the RIAA to track who is illegally making songs available for download and the people who are downloading them.
Very recently a student of Utah State University was sued by the RIAA for doing just that. The RIAA is negotiating a settlement of about $3,000 dollars. In another case a 12 year old child was prosecuted for file sharing and the case was settled for $2,000. I'll outline a solution for acquiring legal free music downloads for iPods below which will keep you in good graces with the RIAA.
There are a number of Internet sites that offer free music that's legal to download to your iPod. Accessing these services will prevent law suits against you for illegally acquiring downloads from P2P file sharing networks. Additionally, a number of the file sharing networks will bombard you with popup ads and the files can include a number of viruses and trojans.
The Dilemma
A number of sites like Yahoo Music and iTunes offer music downloads at a per download fee of 99 cents. These sites are certainly legal and will keep you out of trouble with the RIAA. The only drawback about these sites is the songs are coded with DRM and will no longer play on your computer if you discontinue your membership with them. The aforementioned sites are two of the top music download sites available with iTunes being number one.
Another site that's ranked second only to iTunes is eMusic. Their advantage is all their songs are DRM free, in MP3 format and will play on any platform. They offer a monthly subscription which allows a limited number of downloads. But the drawback is they specialize in independent or "indie" music artists. Although you own the music you download, their selection of the major recording labels and music artists is very limited.
The Top Solution
A more economical solution for acquiring unlimited iPod music downloads of the major recording labels without the hassle of per download fees, is to sign up for a membership with one of the numerous iPod music download services. These services typically advertise free music downloads and for all intents and purposes that's true in most cases.
Because, for the most part, they offer a lifetime membership for around $35 to $45 dollars. This one time fee includes unlimited downloads of iPod tunes and the fee is basically to offset administration costs, customer service and to keep their server computers online.
The iPod music download sites typically offer more than just music downloads. Your membership generally includes access to music videos, TV shows, movies, iPod games and cheats, conversion software and other related software. Some require you to download free software you would use to access the music, movies and other downloads. And some offer a rich assortment of incentive software like DVD burners and the Google free software package.
In Summary
The very nominal one time fee required for a lifetime membership is really a no brainer compared to the major sites charging you about a dollar per download. Because, the cost of 35 songs with one of them, would pay for a lifetime membership, with unlimited iPod downloads of not only music but all the aforementioned files. The download speeds are very good, there's no DRM hassle and your tunes continue to play on your computer even if you discontinue your membership. Best of all, you won't get into trouble with the RIAA.
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Sunday, January 11, 2009
iPod Music Downloads - Top 3 Key Tips Enabling Positive Experiences
iPod music downloads can be a very positive experience if you know the rules of the game. With the enormous number of "unlimited music downloads" sites on the Internet, you can be overwhelmed or confused as to which one is right for you. I'll outline 3 primary things to consider as a minimum while you make up your mind about them.
Scam Sites
The first and foremost thing to consider is whether the site you're at is just there to take your money. Sad to say, but in the real world, there are a huge number of scam sites on the Internet. In the case of iPod music downloads, you may want to do your homework and thoroughly research a site before you reach for your credit card.
One site in particular is very attractive and shows they offer movies, games, TV shows, almost anything you want. But when you click the "Register" link to sign up, a credit card selection page appears showing a grayed out disclaimer on the bottom. If you left click and drag to highlight the paragraph you'll find out they DO NOT host iPod downloads of any sort! In fact they're only selling you, for $37, a list of other sites that DO offer a download service.
The disclaimer reads as follows,
"Disclaimer: This website is a database (ie: an index) to other websites that host downloads. This website does not facilitate in the download process in any way. This website is not affiliated with, nor has control over any of the websites it links to ..."
It seems to me you can get what they have to offer for free using a Google or Yahoo! search for iPod music downloads like I did. So it's best to thoroughly research the site you're interested in before you spend your money. A Google search with the site's name and the word scam would be a good place to start.
Quantity of Music/Video Files
The top download sites have millions of multi-media files; movies, videos, games, songs. The ones I use claim to have access to about 100 million files. Be certain to look on each site for the number of download files available in their database. You can also search the related iPod or music download forums for info on the site. If others are satisfied with their service, chances you will be too.
My account with one of the sites requires you to download a free utility which will search for songs based on the title or the artist's name. The search results sometimes include several hundred results. Naturally a number of the results are the same song, but there is a star rating system indicating the quality of each file. The majority of the files are mp3 format but some are in WMA format.
Price
Your options for quality iPod music downloads are numerous. But if the site passed the first two tests above then you should consider the long term cost. Prominent sites like Yahoo and MSN can be very expensive. For instance a Yahoo music account will cost around $70 per year and MSN charges about a dollar per song. So your typical "unlimited music downloads" site is a bargain, since they mostly offer a lifetime membership in the 35 to $50 range.
In Summary
As with anything in life, if it looks too good to be true a lot of times it is. But in this case, the nominal fee for joining one of these unlimited music download services can be well worth it. Because, the real fact is many of them use a P2P file sharing utility similar to the one I was required to download.
The iPod music download services that use it are basically charging you the same price as the utility's owner. So effectively, you're getting their customer service for free. Some of them offer additional free software incentives, game downloads, and movie and video downloads included in the membership fee.
Most of the services I looked at also include free iPod music conversion software. I'm happy with my account and I download several tunes everyday. But I did my homework and researched the sites for authenticity, file quantity, customer satisfaction and price before I spent my money.
Scam Sites
The first and foremost thing to consider is whether the site you're at is just there to take your money. Sad to say, but in the real world, there are a huge number of scam sites on the Internet. In the case of iPod music downloads, you may want to do your homework and thoroughly research a site before you reach for your credit card.
One site in particular is very attractive and shows they offer movies, games, TV shows, almost anything you want. But when you click the "Register" link to sign up, a credit card selection page appears showing a grayed out disclaimer on the bottom. If you left click and drag to highlight the paragraph you'll find out they DO NOT host iPod downloads of any sort! In fact they're only selling you, for $37, a list of other sites that DO offer a download service.
The disclaimer reads as follows,
"Disclaimer: This website is a database (ie: an index) to other websites that host downloads. This website does not facilitate in the download process in any way. This website is not affiliated with, nor has control over any of the websites it links to ..."
It seems to me you can get what they have to offer for free using a Google or Yahoo! search for iPod music downloads like I did. So it's best to thoroughly research the site you're interested in before you spend your money. A Google search with the site's name and the word scam would be a good place to start.
Quantity of Music/Video Files
The top download sites have millions of multi-media files; movies, videos, games, songs. The ones I use claim to have access to about 100 million files. Be certain to look on each site for the number of download files available in their database. You can also search the related iPod or music download forums for info on the site. If others are satisfied with their service, chances you will be too.
My account with one of the sites requires you to download a free utility which will search for songs based on the title or the artist's name. The search results sometimes include several hundred results. Naturally a number of the results are the same song, but there is a star rating system indicating the quality of each file. The majority of the files are mp3 format but some are in WMA format.
Price
Your options for quality iPod music downloads are numerous. But if the site passed the first two tests above then you should consider the long term cost. Prominent sites like Yahoo and MSN can be very expensive. For instance a Yahoo music account will cost around $70 per year and MSN charges about a dollar per song. So your typical "unlimited music downloads" site is a bargain, since they mostly offer a lifetime membership in the 35 to $50 range.
In Summary
As with anything in life, if it looks too good to be true a lot of times it is. But in this case, the nominal fee for joining one of these unlimited music download services can be well worth it. Because, the real fact is many of them use a P2P file sharing utility similar to the one I was required to download.
The iPod music download services that use it are basically charging you the same price as the utility's owner. So effectively, you're getting their customer service for free. Some of them offer additional free software incentives, game downloads, and movie and video downloads included in the membership fee.
Most of the services I looked at also include free iPod music conversion software. I'm happy with my account and I download several tunes everyday. But I did my homework and researched the sites for authenticity, file quantity, customer satisfaction and price before I spent my money.
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