Napster and other alternatives to ITunes

tenofspades · 05/05/08 - 14:22

I don't know if anyone uses Napster but need some clarification.

There is Napster Lite where you pay a usual 79p a track and you can use these songs anytime on your mp3(nonIpod) or PC.

There is napster membership where you pay 9.99 a month but you can only access those songs on your PC, additionally when that subscriptions ends- you can't access those songs??

Then there is napster-to-go membership where you pay 14.99 a month, so that you can take those songs on to your mp3 player as well as your PC. But I'm presuming also if you cancel subscription you can't use?

Other than Napster and Itunes, what else is there in terms of legal music downloading and that? I know Play.com sell mp3 downloads as well. Anyone else?

[Deleted User] · 05/05/08 - 14:56

Napster uses Digital Rights Management, which means yeah if you cancel your membership the music stops playing. Play.com and the below stores *don't* (if you ensure you choose mp3 as your download format). Mp3's cannot be made to expire etc, so always make sure the legal music you purchase are mp3s or DRM free other formats (e.g. I like 7digital because they offer it as DRM free mp3 and AAC)

Mainstream:
http://www.7digital.com

World:
http://calabashmusic.com

Indie:
http://payplay.fm
http://cdbaby.com/
http://www.digstation.com
http://amiestreet.com/
http://www.mp3tunes.com/store.php

Classical:
http://www2.ham.deutschegrammophon.com/home

Free:
http://www.we7.com

Emusic are a DRM-free subscription service, but after a bad experience with them I can't recommend.

grassmarket · 05/05/08 - 15:18

Basically if you use Napster you are renting the songs - you get a new license to play them every month as long as you keep subscribing. If you stop you can't play them anymore. Or even if the record company withdraws the album for whatever reason, you can't play them anymore.

Another website with free tracks is

archive.org

Mainly American classic rock.

Another US classic rock website that offers free streaming, but paid DLs is

Wolfgang's Vault.

tenofspades · 06/05/08 - 09:04

Okay, thank you.

joshua321 · 06/05/08 - 16:34

There are millions of options, but I think napster light is pretty good for an i-tunes like experience (pay-per-track, syncing to your player etc). If you don't sign up for the other types of napster membership on install, it defaults to napster light.

Others with no software install :

http://www.wippit.com/

http://www.tescodownloads.com/servlets/2452328105705Dispatch/53/call?htmltemplate=./index.html

http://www.woolworths.co.uk/web/jsp/browse/index.jsp?cat=cat30002

Others with software install:

http://hmv.com/hmvweb/navigate.do?ctx=1000;-1;-1;-1&pGroupID=8

http://sib1.od2.com/common/musicmanager/upgrade.aspx?shid=0170002E&installsuccessurl=%2fcommon%2fhome%2fviewpage.aspx%3fshid%3d0170002E%26overridename%3dPull_moreonstreaming (MSN music)

[Deleted User] · 06/05/08 - 18:28

MSN music are shutting in September, so no point in downloading from them. This means music you purchase from them will still play fine on your PC, but if you do a reinstallation of Windows (having backed up your music on a hard drive etc), you won't be able to reactivate the music license to play the tracks.

TheBigM · 06/05/08 - 19:15

Amazon are selling non-DRM'd mp3s now just like play.com
There are several shops out there powered by OD2, i think mycokemusic is one. Sonic Selector is powered by OD2.

[Deleted User] · 07/05/08 - 11:53

Amazon MP3 downloads are still only available in the US though. Or has that now changed?

[Deleted User] · 07/05/08 - 13:03

You can download from them, but it's complicated.

You have to temporarily delete all your UK address details from Amazon, and use a random US address (e.g. a friend's). You can use your card details, as Amazon don't seem to verify that your card matches the address.

You also need a program called Hotspot Shield which is a US proxy. After you run that log into Amazon.com, and you can download what you want. After making the purchases and the songs have started downloading, disconnect HS as downloading will then be a lot faster, and you only need the proxy to be able to get past the initial payment-and-start-download stage.

BumbleSquat · 10/05/08 - 03:56

Is legalsounds.com legal? You pay 9c (US) a song. A 12-track album would cost $1.08.

soundbox.com is also an American site but they're 14c a track.

Toxteth O'Grady · 10/05/08 - 10:33

Fromez wrote: »

MSN music are shutting in September, so no point in downloading from them. This means music you purchase from them will still play fine on your PC, but if you do a reinstallation of Windows (having backed up your music on a hard drive etc), you won't be able to reactivate the music license to play the tracks.

And the record industry wonder why they can't stop piracy!

What other product can you buy that suddenly stops working just because the place you bought it from has closed down!?

[Deleted User] · 12/08/08 - 13:21

To listen to a vast catalogue of free and legal music on demand, you can also use http://www.deezer.com !:cool:

[Deleted User] · 17/08/08 - 22:59

I have used several and my favourite is emusic.com withoput a doubt. I don'y know the UK rates but I pay $24.99 a month for up to 100 mp3 tracks that I own without limitation, tracks donot roll over though. Oh and my daughter in the UK uses my account to download songs without any trouble.

Hey there!

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Napster and other alternatives to ITunes

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