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Pros & Cons of Downloading Music From Napster

Napster began in the late 1990s as a peer-to-peer music file sharing service. As thousands of users freely swapped music files online, the music industry, fearing loss of millions in revenues, sued Napster. Napster eventually declared bankruptcy. Electronics retailer Best Buy purchased Napster in 2008.
Napster is the second most-popular digital music service available (after Apple's iTunes) and offers a number of benefits for subscribers. But for many people, Napster has drawbacks as well.
  1. Pro--Multiple Subscription Levels

    • Napster offers a variety of membership levels. Its premier subscription is Napster To Go, which allows all of the service's features (see Benefits) for a single monthly fee. The second subscriber level, Napster, is similar to the premier level, except that subscribers must purchase tracks to transfer them to a portable device. The bottom level, Napster Light, has no subscription.

    Con--Not Compatible with All Devices

    • Napster downloads are not compatible with the iPod, far and away the most popular digital music player. Further, Napster software is not compatible with Macs. There is a subscription level at which iPod users can convert tracks for transfer to their devices, but many iPod or iPhone owners may consider it more trouble than it's worth.

    Pro--Accessibility

    • Tracks are always accessible. If their PC or hard drive crashes, subscribers at all levels can still access their tracks on the Napster website.

    Con--Larger File Size

    • Napster songs are in .wma format rather than MP3 format. The .wma files are larger in size, which may pose a problem for people whose MP3 players hold only a few songs.

    Pro--Transferring Tracks

    • Napster To Go subscribers can stream unlimited full-length tracks on their PCs and transfer tracks to up to three compatible portable devices (MP3 players or cell phones), all for one monthly fee.

    Con--Canceling Means Loss of Files

    • Subscribers don't own the songs they're streaming and transferring. So, if they cancel their subscriptions, the tracks on their PCs and portable devices no longer work.

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