The biggest frustration when choosing a music service is that your music player essentially determines which online venues you can use. All digital audio players (including iPods) can play MP3 files, but if you use media files encoded in a DRM-protected format, such as Windows' WMA or Apple's AAC, your media player will be able to play those files only if it has appropriate support built in.

  • For iPod owners, iTunes is your best option. Other services may have some limited compatibility; for example, non-DRM-protected MP3 files downloaded from eMusic, Walmart.com or AmazonMP3 can be played on an iPod, but not WMA files downloaded from most other services. Music compatibility issues might change if Apple chooses to relax its format restrictions on the iPod, but there's no sign of that happening in the immediate future.
  • Take note of the digital rights management (DRM) policies associated with each service. These are the controls placed on a file that affect the number of computers to which the file can be transferred, the number of times a track can be burned to a CD and the number of times it can be uploaded to a portable media device. For example, whereas iTunes allows users unlimited CD burns, Walmart.com's WMA files limit users to ten burns. Napster offers both DRM-free and restricted tracks for download.
  • Try before you subscribe. All subscription services give you a free trial period, so be sure to check them out before committing to one or the other. Peruse the catalogs and check out your specific areas of interest. You'll likely be satisfied by any site's selection of alternative rock or top-40, but if your tastes run to jazz or classical, do some sample searches and see what comes up.

How copy protection affects your purchase

Music downloads come in a variety of formats, called codecs. MP3 is the most flexible format, since almost any portable music player will play an MP3 music file and it's not copy protected. More and more sites, including AmazonMP3, Napster and eMusic, are offering DRM-free MP3 downloads. Previously, music download services primarily used the WMA format, which places restrictions on how you can use that music. For example, some music services will restrict how many times you can burn a track to a disc. DRM also allows services to offer subscriptions whereby you "lease" music instead of owning it (which means that all the music you've leased disappears if you discontinue your subscription). Almost all MP3 players (except for iPods) can play songs in WMA format.

Apple now has deals with four major record labels; EMI, Sony, Universal and Warner Music, to offer DRM-free tracks. With this change, Apple added a tiered pricing structure to the iTunes store with older tracks starting at .69 cents each and the most popular songs priced at $1.29. Users with previously purchased DRM-restricted songs from iTunes can upgrade their entire library to DRM-free for a price of 30 cents per track. Currently, there is no option to convert tracks one by one.

Despite the move to DRM-free music, iTunes users may still find that they don't have as much freedom to transfer their tracks between devices or applications as they'd like. iTunes uses a proprietary codec called AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) for all of its tracks. AAC songs can only be played on iPod music players and through the iTunes software on your computer. Even DRM-free AAC tracks still have some restrictions; while you can play the tracks on as many computers as you want, you still can't play the tracks in Windows Media Player or on a non-iPod player. To play a song you've purchased from iTunes on another player, you'd have to first convert it to the WMA or MP3 format with third-party software or burn it to a CD. By contrast, iPod/iPhone users can purchase and play tracks from indie-oriented eMusic (*Est. $10 per month and up), AmazonMP3 (*Est. 99 cents to $1.29 per track) and Napster (*Est. $5 per month and up) with no conversion required.

One problem with buying Apple's AAC-coded songs is that you're buying into an uncertain future; to date, Apple has refused to license this technology to other manufacturers. iPods are popular now, but five or 10 years down the road, the story could be different -- and if Apple doesn't soften its stance, that means you'll have little choice but to continue buying AAC-compatible Apple music players in the future, regardless of whether other devices are better.


Bitrates

Online music stores sell music in varying bitrates, which is roughly proportional to sound quality. The typical bitrate for most music downloads is 128 kbps, but some services go up to 160, 192 or even 320 kbps. However, sound quality is also affected by the quality of your music player, your headphones and/or your computer speakers. If you have audiophile-quality equipment (or ears), you're better off going with a service that offers at least a 192 kbps bitrate for music downloads.

Back to top