I’m considering the different music download services…there are in particular some older songs I would love to get copies of.
I was wondering what services folks on the boards prefer?
I don’t really want a service with a monthly fee–I had rather buy-as-I-go, because there’s really just maybe 30 or 40 things I’d like to track down and then I’m pretty much done with it.
I would like plain-jane MP3 with no DRM so that I can move the files around at will and play them on my little SanDisk MP3 player and on the PC using whatever software I wish. I despise DRM and am ethically opposed to its existance, so I really don’t want to give money to companies that support or use it.
A good selection of oldies plus a good selection of IrTrad would be great.
I like iTunes, but the IrTrad is fairly slim and the files are protected. You can just make a CD and rip it to get rid of the protection, but some people don’t like that.
I did the eMusic for a bit, and there are some very nice things. Their billing thing is interesting in that you sort of purchase your choice of a number of songs/month. There’s like a 10 songs/month plan, and 15 songs/month, 20, etc. And you get something like 25 free just for signing up. I did one month, bought my songs, and cancelled. They didn’t even curse at me for it. I think I did have to cancel over the phone, though, which was an unexpected inconvenience.
eMusic looks good except for two things: I wish I could check their lineup of available tracks first, and I really don’t like the monthly subscription thing.
I wish they had pay-as-you-go; if they did, I’d jump at the chance.
You can look at all the tracks they have, and hear 30 second samples from them. Just go to their home page and start browsing or searching. Here’s a link for 100 free tracks when you sign up: http://www.emusic.com/iriver/
Albums with just a few long tracks are particularly good deals. I’m just another satisfied customer, although their prices have been creeping up. And how can you resist:
