Music Downloads Reviews

For this update we found the best reviews of music download services at computer-oriented magazines and websites. PC Magazine reviews the most music sites, and its individual reviews have plenty of details. CNet.com covers fewer websites that offer music downloads, but does a better job in clearly outlining the differences between them. Links lead to full reviews with ratings, but a few are rather old. Another useful and especially interesting music downloads roundup comes from an unlikely source: AFBAccessWorld.com, a website for blind and visually impaired people. The review's author, Janet Ingber, signs up for five major download services, and reports what she found concerning catalog size, usability, customer service and other features.

Most reviews of music downloads favor the bigger sites, which have had the most time to mature and expand their catalogs. If you're mainly interested in mainstream pop or alternative music, reviews say most online music services have very similar catalogs, but things are more uneven if your tastes run to jazz, classical, world or indie recordings (see the section on other musical genres below). Unfortunately, most reviewers don't delve too deeply into genre issues, but instead tend to focus on price, user interface, compatibility with iPods or MP3 players, and (sometimes) copyright concerns. If music that veers from the mainstream is of interest to you, we suggest checking out the catalogs of any online music sites you are considering before committing to a long-term relationship. Most sites for music downloads will let you browse their catalogs before subscribing and/or offer a free trial.

iTunes (*est. 99¢ per track) is, of course, the largest and most popular service for music downloads, thanks in no small part to the success of the iPod. Most major online music services offer their songs in a file format that includes DRM (digital rights management) to prevent unlimited copying and distribution; iTunes is no exception, but Apple uses a format called AAC that is only compatible with Apple's iPod players. Most other download services use the more popular WMA format, which the iPod, of course, does not support. (For more information on music file formats and DRM, see "Music formats and DRM" further below in our Full Story.)

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

If you own an Apple iPod, reviews say most will be happiest with iTunes despite that service's lack of a subscription plan. For others, reviews say that Napster provides lots of musical content and good usability. Yahoo! Music has now expanded its library by merging with MusicMatch, but we've seen some complaints about the interface. It does stand out as a bargain for those who want a subscription service. eMusic is also low cost, and is a great place for content from indie labels and emerging artists, as well as for classical music; but those looking for mainstream fare will likely be disappointed.

We found very good reviews for Rhapsody, especially for ease of use and an excellent search interface. Be aware, however, that Rhapsody is joining with MTV's Urge and Verizon to offer a new service called Rhapsody America. Details aren't yet available.