Downloading music has always been one of the most popular uses of the Internet. However, things have changed a lot over the last few years. If you have not been downloading music recently, you may need some help navigating the various options. Use the following tips to find your way around.
If you are on the Internet looking for free music downloads, you have to be extremely careful. Downloading music without paying is illegal and is punishable by law. Another reason you want to avoid this is because hackers use music downloads as a way to send viruses to your computer.
If you are looking for a cheap way to download music, try using a free service instead of downloading. Service such as Pandora or Slacker will let you listen to music from any device. You do not have to store the files on your phone or tablet; just listen to them streaming online.
If you come upon a free music download service, use caution before proceeding. A common ploy of hackers is to offer free music to naive Internet surfers. A virus can be attached to a music file easily, and you can infect your computer without you knowing it.
Try browsing the daily deals sections on Amazon.com and iTunes for some great music downloads. Some of the tracks sell for about a penny a piece. Most of this is older music, but a lot of it is considered “classic.” This is also a great way to find some interesting albums or tracks that you may never have considered for your collection.
You should make sure your antivirus program is up to date when you download music. You don’t want to regret it later. So be sure to take every precaution possible. If you use a P2P client, this is of particular importance. Scan each file prior to opening it. It’s not hard to download a file you had no intention of downloading.
Remember to check the size of a music file before opening it. It is not difficult to inadvertently download files accidentally. This can harm your computer. Look to the file size to make sure it feels about right for what you are downloading. If it’s way too small or way too big, then don’t open it at all.
If you are worried about the legality of the site you are downloading from, the easiest way to tell is if they charge you for each song. If there are no charges associated with the music you are downloading, then the website is probably stealing music and you could end up breaking the law.
If you are looking for free, legal music downloads, consider using a free music archive. A couple popular ones are Free Music Archive and The Internet Archive. These are nonprofit sites that contain all kinds of free, legal music from many genres. These are great for securely and legally experiencing some new artists or getting some rare tracks from some of your favorites.
For safety sake, download music only from sites you know and trust. This will ensure that the song doesn’t have some sort of virus in it which can leave your computer a mess or your private data open to criminals. Stick to sites like Amazon or iTunes who scan the files they provide.
If you download music from a peer-to-peer service, take the time to clean up the metadata of the files you get. The metadata is the who, what, and where of the file. Things like the artist name, the album name, the track title, and the genre. A little clean up can go a long way to your digital player being able to deliver the best experience for you.
When deciding on a site to download your music from, check out reviews for their user interface. This is especially important if you are a newbie. Some have very complex user interfaces that can be difficult to navigate. Others are more user friendly, and they are a better choice for a beginner.
Know that sometimes things aren’t what they seem. If you are using a dubious peer-to-peer network a file labelled as music could be something else completely. It could be something malicious. See if there are any reviews or comments on the torrent before downloading. It’ll help you make the best decision.
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.
Avoid the temptation of downloading popular music from new websites that promise you free music downloads. Due to copyright reasons, most legitimate music downloads are available only with a fee. Websites that advertise free downloads of the latest songs need to be scrutinized because there are often strings attached to their offer which makes the download much more complicated.
Try to only download music from providers that remember your purchases. This way, if you ever lose a file, you can revisit the website and just download it again for free. This is a great substitution for backing up your files, which of course you always intend to do, but never actually get around to.
Check out mainstream MP3 stores and look for their free music section. Often this is populated with songs from up and coming artists which are worth checking out. For example, MP3.com has a whole category dedicated to free songs. You can sample each and then download those that sound great.
By reading this article, you have learned a lot about downloading music from the Internet. You should know more about the various sites that offer downloads, as well as how to find the songs that you want. Virtually any song ever recorded is available for download, so building a great music library is a snap.
