Napster

We found some excellent, detailed professional reviews of Napster at CNet.com and PC Magazine. Both articles are geared toward a technology-friendly audience. CNet.com has the most detailed coverage plus a helpful ratings breakdown. Which? is a U.K.-based consumer advocacy service; editors review a wide variety of consumer products and services. Its music download service ratings compare eight sites for ease of use, speed, flexibility, range and music quality. TopTenReviews.com has a useful side-by-side comparison of several music download services along with a detailed review of Napster. There's also a nice write-up by site guide Mark Harris at About.com.

With a huge catalogue of over six million songs, Napster has become the reviewer favorite among music download sites. Along with the large library, there's a good selection of radio stations. Reviewers say sound quality is excellent and hardware compatibility is broad -- Napster's WMA files work on everything but iPods, but the service is working on building a selection of MP3 music, which are playable on any music player, including iPods. You can also get unlimited streaming for a monthly subscription fee. iTunes (*est. 99¢ per track) is the only other site with a superior music selection, but it doesn't have any subscription options. If your tastes run more to the independent labels, eMusic (*est. $10 per month and up) doesn't use Digital Rights Management, meaning terms of use and access are much less restrictive.