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Facts About Downloading Music Legally

Napster led the music file-sharing revolution in the late 90's, but this and other sites were found to be in violation of copyright laws. In response, the music recording industry has responded with a number of websites that allow users to legally obtain music for a small fee.
  1. Napster

    • Napster has paired with Best Buy to become a pay music site. The company offers trials of its service and offers a few different subscription plans.

    eMusic

    • eMusic is a strong competitor in this market, offering introductory free downloads, music starting at 25 cents, and compatibility of its files with all MP3 players.

    iTunes

    • Apple's iTunes store remains a popular source for legal music downloads. The release of iTunes Plus cut the rates for some songs to 69 cents, and most albums retail at $9.99.

    Direct from artist

    • Many artists, especially those without major contracts, sell their music from the own websites. In addition, some artists offer downloads from their MySpace pages.

    RIAA

    • The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) maintains a list of legal music download sites (see Resources).

Digital Music

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