MP3 Music Sites (Companion Thread to MP3 Player Postings)

[VikingJuice]

I've looked at a lot of online music services that "sell" digital music in various forms.  Many have various clauses and procedures that don't actually let you OWN the music and instead, you own the right to LISTEN to the music and you are essentially RENTING the music. 

Someone posted about Etunes.com on Cn's thread and after I looked at it, I couldn't tell for sure, if they let you OWN the music outright to do whatever you want with it.  I think they allow that.

Does anyone have any info on these places or maybe your personal preferences for acquiring digital music the legal way?  Certainly I'm still going to upload stuff from other sources but want to know the best way to shop for it too.

[Gamplayerx]

I'm boring.  I just buy the CDs and then rip them.

[Bennyhana]

Personally, I like Rhapsody.  I have a computer at home, I have a computer at work, so I have music in both places.  Whatever I want to listen to, for a flat monthly fee.  The only thing i don't like about it is that I can't use my mac as a PNP server for my little streaming device I have in my shop - instead, I have to have a windows machine at work.  But it could be much worse; I could have to listen to the radio or pay a buck a song.

[SockmonkeyHolocaust]

emusic.com is wonderful, although the tastes tend to run to less pedestrian ones. I still enjoy it immensely.

Once you pay for the download, you download an MP3 with no DRM and, here's the important part, you can then download the MP3 from their service as many times as you like.

Right now, they have a trial period where you can download 50 songs free in the first two weeks. It's good.

If you decide to use it, let me know. I have an "invite a friend" feature that nabs me free downloads if you sign up and I have my eye on the new Bouncing Souls album.

[VikingJuice]

emusic.com is wonderful, although the tastes tend to run to less pedestrian ones. I still enjoy it immensely.

Once you pay for the download, you download an MP3 with no DRM and, here's the important part, you can then download the MP3 from their service as many times as you like.

Right now, they have a trial period where you can download 50 songs free in the first two weeks. It's good.

If you decide to use it, let me know. I have an "invite a friend" feature that nabs me free downloads if you sign up and I have my eye on the new Bouncing Souls album.

I'll do that because I'm probably going to sign up in the next day or so.

[Gamplayerx]

Personally, I like Rhapsody.  I have a computer at home, I have a computer at work, so I have music in both places.  Whatever I want to listen to, for a flat monthly fee.  The only thing i don't like about it is that I can't use my mac as a PNP server for my little streaming device I have in my shop - instead, I have to have a windows machine at work.  But it could be much worse; I could have to listen to the radio or pay a buck a song.

I totally forgot about Rhapsody. 

[Bennyhana]

emusic.com is wonderful, although the tastes tend to run to less pedestrian ones. I still enjoy it immensely.

Once you pay for the download, you download an MP3 with no DRM and, here's the important part, you can then download the MP3 from their service as many times as you like.

Right now, they have a trial period where you can download 50 songs free in the first two weeks. It's good.

If you decide to use it, let me know. I have an "invite a friend" feature that nabs me free downloads if you sign up and I have my eye on the new Bouncing Souls album.

I'll do that because I'm probably going to sign up in the next day or so.

make sure to read their TOS.  There was another online music store that I considered before I made my choice, and what I didn't like about them was that they sold you a file (I think this was before DRM existed) and you were not allowed (though I'm not sure they could enforce this) to do anything with the file besides have it on your single computer and burn it to a single CD.  I think.  Anyway, I thought that sounded dishonest, so I went with the company that stated up front I wasn't going to be owning anything.