Downloading music has been controversial since the early 1990s, when legal battles began over digital music. It is difficult to discern what is legal from what is not, and people sometimes hesitate to use new sites to download music.

Spyware and viruses are enough to make any person nervous. The Recording Industry Association of America’s (RIAA), which has been aggressive in its pursuit of illegal downloadings, gives you compelling reasons for being cautious about downloading music.

You can download music as long as you are aware of potential lawsuits and take precautions against malicious software. Individual songs can be purchased rather than entire albums. Also, you don’t need a large collection of CD cases. Digital music is definitely the future. So it’s worth researching how to get legal, safe music downloads mp3juice.

First, ensure the site is legal. Some companies located outside the US claim they are exempted by US music distribution laws. They state that they can offer music for downloading without a license. This is a highly questionable claim. It is possible that a site is selling songs for a low price.

Legality should be considered in addition to price, format, digital rights management, (DRM), extras, and selection. The top two factors, price and selection are quite similar among the major download sites. The infamous-but-reformed Napster offers roughly the same amount of tracks as Apple’s iTunes, and the per-track price for both sites is 99 cents. Napster also offers an unlimited monthly subscription that allows unlimited song downloads per month for one price. This is something iTunes has yet not explored. This makes Napster more affordable, argue many users.

Selection is an important aspect of many people’s lives. It is even more important than the price. It doesn’t matter if you are looking for a specific album or a band. You don’t want your favorite site to download music to not have it. You can expect it to happen occasionally – but it is time to move on if you don’t find your favorite music on any particular site.

You need to be able to access your music on your portable music players. Some services and sites offer only one format. This means that you can only use their software to download the music. This is very restrictive and can frustrate you as your entire music library may be in this format.

DRM is a problem that divides the internet community. This allows music distributors control over what happens to music that you download. Downloading music from a music site can allow you to burn CDs. Some sites limit the number of times that you can burn a song, or playlist. Others require additional payment. Other sites will not allow you any CDs made from downloaded songs.

The extras you get with your music downloadings could be enough for you to decide between the two. Many music download sites will offer additional files when you download albums. But, not all malicious files. These files look like liner notes on CDs. This is a great way to get the extra cover art and notes that bands include on their CDs.

These information should help you make an educated decision about the site that is right for you when searching for legal music downloads. You can find a lot of reviews on sites online to help you choose between different options. If in doubt, use a well-respected service to avoid any problems with viruses or spyware.