If you have decided that downloading music is something you want to do, you need as much information about the subject as possible. This article was written for people just like you. To learn more about downloading music, keep reading for some great advice.
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.
If you plan to download music online, be sure to install a reputable antivirus program. This will ensure that all songs you download don’t contain any malicious code. You don’t wan to end up ruining your computer just to get a free song! Antivirus software protects you from that fate.
When you download a song online, check its size. If it is less than 2 megabytes, unless it is a very short song, it is likely to be a virus. Most viruses are just text and they don’t take up much hard drive space, so be wary of small files.
Do not download music illegally through file-sharing websites. What seems like a good idea to get free music can come back to bite you. Many internet service providers are now working with publishing companies to find and prosecute online pirates, and you do not want to be one of the unlucky ones.
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.
Make sure any sites you are downloading music from contain adware, virus and spyware protection. Any reputable site will offer all three. Remember that downloading things from the Internet can be dangerous, compromising your privacy and your expensive computer. To keep yourself safe, never download anything if these three things are not present.
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.
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.
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.
Be careful with free peer-to-peer music download services. Many of these sites straddle the line of legality. What you may be thinking is ok is actually putting you in jeopardy of prosecution if the service is caught and they report on their users. Do your research before joining any peer-to-peer music download service.
Avoid downloading music from websites that do not let you test the quality of their music. Some sites claim that they have the highest quality downloads of the music, but when you purchase and download it, it is low quality or edited. Avoid this by only sticking with sites that have some type of “Preview” or “Sample” options.
Stay away from websites that offer free music downloads. Most of them are not only illegal, but they are scams. Some will ultimately force you to download software which can damage your computer and is often riddled with viruses. Other websites are downright illegal and take money away from the musicians.
If you want a discount on your music downloads, look for gift card deals at local retailers. A lot of music download venders (iTunes, Spotify, etc.) have gift cards, and sometimes these cards are offered at a discount to their face price. So a $50 iTunes card may be sold for $45. It’s a way to save a little money on your music.
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.
Always check the size of files that you are about to download. Most mp3 files of standard song length, five minutes or less, are going to range from two to five megabytes in size. Smaller files are probably extraneous text files you don’t need, and larger files might be harmful things you don’t want. Just make an exception for jpeg files that might be album cover artwork.
Many people want to enjoy their music on as many devices as possible. After reading about music downloading, you should be able to do it too. Once you understand the correct process, it’s a breeze.
