Buying Music Online

From LoveToKnow Music

Why leave your home when you can be buying music online? Whether you want to buy CDs, buy mp3 songs, or want full albums, you can easily buy all of your music online.

From Online to Your Ears

If you want to buy music online you have two main options: purchasing digital music to download to your computer or buying CDs and having them shipped to your home. The former is usually cheaper and is faster than waiting on the mail. Both choices are simple and have a number of retailers just waiting to fill your music needs.

Buying Music Online - Digital Songs

Music is rapidly becoming a digital affair. From records to cassettes and CDs, music is always on the forefront of technological advancement. With broadband internet connections rapidly becoming the norm, buying and downloading music files is increasingly popular. Digital music distribution is cheaper than manufacturing CDs and listeners can get what they want when they want it. It's the new way for buying music online. That is, until something new comes along...

There are two major types of services for buying music online: monthly subscriptions and per-song charges. Both are less expensive than purchasing CDs. Depending on how much music you plan on buying, choose the appropriate service type to meet your needs. There are also a few websites that offer both services, such as Rhapsody and MusicMatch. This great music download comparison chart lets you see the basic features of several popular websites at a glance.

Pay Per Song

The biggest name in buying music online is undoubtedly iTunes Music Store. Simply sign up and download the iTunes software. When you're ready to buy some music, just fill your queue and use a credit card to pay. Songs are 99 cents each, then they're yours to download, burn to CD or listen to from your digital music player. It's simple and very inexpensive, plus you don't have to buy songs you don't like. Spend as much or as little as you want!

Two other services similar to the iTunes Music Store are Yahoo! Music and Wal-Mart's Music Service. These competitors offer slightly different plans and pricing and have varying libraries of music available.

Monthly Subscription for Buying Music Online

Monthly subscription websites allow you to download as many songs as you like for a low monthly fee. The pioneer of this service is the once-criticized Napster, now a major player in the legal music distribution world. Napster charges $9.99 a month and has an enormous library of music to choose from. You can also check out eMusic and Rhapsody for other options.

Buying Music Online - Other Options

Not into digital music just yet? Don't worry, the internet has you covered. You can still purchase new and used CDs from many reputable online retailers.

Amazon Music

Amazon.com, one of the internet's most popular sources for books, video games and music, offers a great selection of new and used CDs. You can even find older forms of media such as vinyl records and cassette tapes.

CD Baby

A great source for independent artists, CDBaby is one of the best. Find your favorite unknown artist or search for something new on this easy-to-use site.