Downloading Music - File Guide

Downloading Music – File Types

There are several file formats you'll come across in your quest for music. Each has a different advantage and disadvantage over its peers. By and large, the most popular music format is mp3 due to its impressive compression and good music quality. However, there are a few others you'll come across, so it's important to know what's out there.

OGG Music Files

Ogg music files are rapidly gaining a foothold in the music community. The ogg format is free and open-source, meaning programmers can tinker with the code and can expand upon the interface at their leisure. This brings good music quality with relatively low file sizes to boot. Ogg files can also be video files, so make sure the file you're downloading is exactly what you want.

WAV Music Files

Wav files are seldom used for music other than short clips under 30 seconds. Wav files are predominantly used for sounds such as the signature beep of a Windows error. Music in wav format is impractical because of the large file sizes and poor sound quality in comparison to other formats.

MIDI Music Files

Midi (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) music files are an entirely different breed than mp3 or ogg files. Midi songs are impressively small in size, usually only a few kilobytes at most. The catch is that the file contains no music, only notations that instruct your computer what sounds to make. This creates a very limited sound range and excludes vocals but is great for home composers belting out tunes on their PC.

WMA Files

WMA stands for Windows Media Audio, the files commonly found on Windows-based computers. WMA files are gaining popularity and have a smaller file size (on average) than mp3 files without sacrificing quality. As an added bonus, all Windows PCs support this format natively. The Macintosh equivalent of WMA/WAV files are the AIFF file format.

MP3 Music Files

The mp3 file format is the most common type of music file you'll find on the web. These files are relatively small in size, about one megabyte (MB) for each minute of music (depending on quality). The exchange is you sacrifice a little in sound quality, though perhaps only audiophiles can note the difference. Most bands distribute demo tracks in mp3 format, and files downloaded from P2P clients such as Kazaa are almost always in mp3 form.

Other Music File Formats

You'll come across dozens of other file formats in your quest for music. The above listed file types will encompass over 99% of the music you download. If you come across a file your music player can't handle, go to your favorite search engine and type "play ___ files", filling in the blank with the three-letter file suffix. You'll be jamming in no time.

Downloading Music – Sources

There are a number of great resources on the internet for downloadong music to your computer. The ever-popular MP3.com is one of the best sources for free mp3 songs on the web. You can find a more comprehensive collection of download links in our article Downloading Free Music.

You can also use an online music downloading program such as iTunes or Limewire. These programs allow you to search for and download music of all genres straight to your computer.

Find more links about downloading music and get some more info in our category article.

Playing Your Songs

After you fill your hard drive with Free Music songs, indie bands and your own ripped CDs, you'll need a good music player to listen to them! The default player on Windows and Macintosh systems will do the job, but more enterprising listeners will want to download either WinAmp or 1by1, two wonderful (and free) music players that will likely suit your tastes.

Related Music Links

• Downloading Free Music
• WinMX Free Music Download
• Downloading Legal Music
• Kazaa Free Music Download
• Limewire Free Music Download