Best Music Download Sites

iTunes tops other sites for ease of use

iTunes (*Est. 69 cents to $1.29 per track) is the most popular service for music downloads, thanks in no small part to the success of the iPod. If you have an iPod (or an iPhone or iPod touch), iTunes is most likely your best choice. High per-track costs and the lack of a subscription service are two major complaints we've seen echoed in many quarters about iTunes, although most everyone agrees that the iTunes interface is excellent. The biggest threat to iTunes is that many online music stores are now selling MP3 tracks, which can be loaded onto iPods. The iTunes store has over 13 million tracks, but the iTunes file format (AAC) is incompatible with non-iPods.

In September 2010, Apple rolled out iTunes version 10, which includes, among other updates, a new social networking feature called "Ping" that allows you to share your music tastes (based on your collection) with friends. Ping also lets users follow their favorite artists (provided the artist is participating in the network) to find out about new releases and local concerts and events. Reviewers are on the fence as to whether this feature will attract a vast numbers of users and some say Ping is little more than a marketing tool for the iTunes store since nearly every post has a "Buy" button attached to it. Editors at TechCrunch say Ping is limited since it lives in iTunes and doesn't interact with other social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. (There has been talk that Apple will team up with Facebook, but a deal has not yet been finalized.) In addition, at launch, Ping's comment sections were plagued with spam.

Some users on Arstechnica.com express frustration with Ping, saying it does not acknowledge music not purchased from iTunes. One user says, "if you've got a bunch of music that you've ripped from CD, or bought through AmazonMP3 or Lala, it may as well not even exist as far as Ping is concerned, unless you want to go through the onerous process of finding it all manually in the iTunes store and liking it there." A later update (iTunes 10.0.1) fixed this issue, allowing users to use Ping with their entire iTunes library.

For owners of other MP3 players, there are lots of other choices. AmazonMP3 may have come on the scene later than some of its other competitors, but its library has grown by leaps and bounds. The site now rivals iTunes, with more than 13 million songs spanning all genres. Amazon.com sells individual tracks (*Est. 69 cents to $1.29) and albums (*Est. $5.99 to $9.99) for purchase in the form of DRM-free MP3 files, though, like iTunes, there's no subscription service available. Reviewers appreciate the fact that this file format imposes no restrictions on your purchases; users are free to listen on a PC or transfer the tracks to other devices, including iPods. AmazonMP3 also has a tool that automatically transfers purchases to iTunes or Windows Media Player.

AmazonMP3's pricing is comparable with other large music download sites and the site frequently offers deals such as $5 albums. There's also a nice mix of mainstream and independent artists represented. Some reviewers say that the search function isn't especially user-friendly, though. Digital Trends points out that being able to download an entire album is a nice option, but doing so requires installing AmazonMP3's software application onto your computer.

Walmart.com's Music Downloads is as no-frills as its stores, reviewers say. And in keeping with its brick-and-mortar operations, its per-track price (*Est. 64 cents and up) undercuts that of most other music download services. Some users might appreciate the fact that Wal-Mart won't sell any music that carries a Parent Advisory label for explicit lyrics. However, Wal-Mart's music catalog is less than half the size of iTunes, Napster and others and it does not offer a subscription service. Reviewers at TopTenReviews.com (where the service places 7th) note that it is best to use Internet Explorer when downloading from Walmart.com since it is not completely compatible with other browsers.

The Zune Marketplace is a download service designed for use with the Zune player, Microsoft's challenger to Apple's iPod. Since our last report, Zune Marketplace has simplified its pricing and eliminated the confusing point system. The "Zune Pass," an unlimited monthly subscription (*Est. $15), includes 10 song credits each month. Single-song downloads can be purchased by non-subscribers (*Est. 99 cents to $1.29 per track). The Zune Marketplace now offers movie and TV show downloads. Reviewers aren't wowed. "Each Zune software release seems stuck in a world two years behind its major competitors," PCMag.com's Jamie Lendino says.

Subscription-based music-download sites

Once the bad boy of the music download business for its free (and unregulated) file sharing, Napster is now a subscription service (*Est. $5 per month and up) that allows unlimited streaming onto your PC. Napster boasts a catalog of more than 10 million songs, more than half of which are DRM-free. In addition to streaming, the subscription service provides credits that you can use to purchase individual songs in MP3 format (*Est. 49 cents to $1.29 each), which can be burned onto a CD or loaded onto any MP3 player, including the iPod and iPhone. Napster also offers a free version of its service where you can listen to a track for free for up to three times. After the third time, you can purchase the single song or sign up for a Napster subscription. Napster has mobile app for iPhone and Android for listening on the go. The Napster To Go service, with which you can download an unlimited number of songs to a compatible (non-iPod) MP3 player (*Est. $15 per month) is still available as well. If you let your Napster subscription lapse, you lose access to the unlimited streaming, but can keep downloaded tracks. Members who cancel paid subscriptions are automatically switched to the free version, Napster Light, where they can manage and listen to purchased songs.

In reviews, Napster generally does well and is usually neck-and-neck with iTunes. PCMag.com's Jamie Lendino says Napster's latest subscription and streaming options "one-ups just about everyone when you take into account how much control Napster gives you over your music -- at least on the desktop."

If your taste runs beyond the usual mainstream fare that can be found at most music download sites, eMusic (*Est. $12 per month and up) bears some consideration. Like AmazonMP3 (*Est. 69 cents to $1.29 cents per track), eMusic offers music in DRM-free MP3 format, which can be played on virtually any PC or MP3 player -- including an iPod. eMusic uses a unique subscription-to-own program. Songs are not available on a per-track basis. Instead, users purchase a number of downloads per month (24, 35 or 50) at a fixed cost (*Est. $12 to $21), resulting in a low per-track cost (*Est. 40 cents to 50 cents). eMusic also offers an audiobook subscription service, in which you receive one or two audiobook credits each month for a fixed rate (*Est. $10 to $20).

Until Spring 2009, eMusic was known mainly for its wide selection of indie groups and emerging artists. Last year, however, the service signed a deal with Sony Music Entertainment to make its back catalog of songs available on the site. The move is designed to help eMusic keep up with some of the bigger competitors by offering some mainstream music in addition to its more offbeat collection. While the deal only allows songs two years and older to be sold in the site, it is unlikely that will matter much to the eMusic subscriber. Daniel Krep at Rolling Stone says, "Top 40 tracks aren't the service's bread and butter, as eMusic has gained a following for being the destination of music seekers 25 and older thanks to its deep independent catalog and its low-cost, listener-friendly subscription model."

Janet Ingber, writing at AFBAccessWorld.com, finds the music download site easy to use despite some learning-curve hiccups at first, and appreciates the DRM-free MP3 files. However, she has a lot of trouble finding tracks from some better-known artists such as the Beatles and Tim McGraw. (Her review dates from before the Sony deal.) Rick Broida at PCMag.com, however, is "ears-over-heels for eMusic." He loves the ability to get MP3s without the nuisance of DRM issues, adding that eMusic makes competitors' "heavily armored downloads seem particularly draconian." He notes that big-name artists remain scarce, but that even there he sees some improvement. Broida also says that "half the fun is discovering new artists," and that eMusic provides a lot of tools to make that easier. (Broida's review was also written prior to the agreement with Sony and the move towards offering DRM-free tracks by many more download sites.)

Rhapsody is another online service that has gone through some transitions since its original launch. In 2008, Rhapsody absorbed Yahoo! Music Unlimited, and Verizon Wireless also signed on to distribute Rhapsody music content to mobile devices. All of these services offer music downloads in WMA format. Free "Rhapsody to Go" apps are now available for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Rhapsody currently has a catalog of over 10 million tracks, comparable with Napster.

One thing most critics point to as a positive is that Rhapsody has a better search interface than some other services, including Napster. At present, a Rhapsody offers two subscription plans, Rhapsody Premier (*Est. $10 per month) allows unlimited music streaming and unlimited access on one mobile device. The Rhapsody Premier Plus (*Est. $15 per month) provides the same features as Rhapsody Premier and unlimited access to songs on up to three mobile devices. Both plans allow purchase of individual tracks (*Est. 69 cents to $1.29 per song). If you don't have a subscription, tracks are 99 cents each.