| Below I will talk about my top 10 tips to help you find a | | | | millions of songs. The songs are stored on servers |
| legal music download site. Hopefully they will help you | | | | with a finite amount of space unlike the tangled web |
| divert away from illegal download sites. | | | | of computer to computer file transfers from the illegal |
| 1. Pay for use | | | | sites. |
| This is one of the most effective ways to identify | | | | The other reason for the limited choice is that it is |
| whether a site is legal or not. Look for download sites | | | | highly unlikely that they will get an agreement from |
| that charge you per song, or per month or per year. | | | | every single record label to distribute their music online. |
| If you see a site offering free music downloads for a | | | | The quality of every online music catalog depends on |
| certain trial period, then this doesnt necessarily mean | | | | the Music Studios that are providing the material. |
| that the site is legal. Many legal sites use this as an | | | | Established, and therefore popular artists usually switch |
| enticement, so do not be put off by that. | | | | labels at least once during their singing career. So you |
| 2. Size Limits | | | | might have access to their newer materials, but not |
| A legal music download site generally distributes music | | | | the older songs, or vice versa. |
| from reputable labels and artists. This means that you | | | | 6. No Adware or Spyware |
| will not find a wide range of mixes and custom files | | | | Legal music download sites like their offline retail |
| that will almost certainly slow down your connection, | | | | counterparts are getting an actual fee for their service. |
| and therefore take forever to download. Moreover, if | | | | They dont want to scam or upset their customers by |
| these files are small it assures the music retail industry | | | | placing dangerous and annoying spyware and adware |
| that the music site is actually selling real legal music, | | | | programs on their computers. |
| and not the massive files associated with computer | | | | 7. Music Only |
| games and movies etc | | | | The fact is that a legal music download site will only |
| 3. Volume limits | | | | have music on it to download. This means that you |
| Legal music download sites usually distribute their | | | | wont be able to download computer games, movies |
| material on a per song basis. One of the major | | | | or anything else like this. |
| advantages of buying your music online is that you | | | | 8. Copyright Notice |
| dont have to spend $17 for an entire album if you only | | | | A clearly written copyright notice should be provided |
| want 3 or 4 songs. Legal music sites will actually setup | | | | on the site stating:a) The nature of the site owners |
| download limits as well as transfer rate limits. As a | | | | authorization to distribute legal music files onlineb) What |
| result, this prevents dishonest customers from setting | | | | you can do with the files once you have paid for |
| up their computers to copy hundreds of files in a few | | | | themc) Any limitations on either party as far as use |
| hours. | | | | and distribution of the files. |
| 4. Larger databases, Larger costs | | | | 9. No file sharing allowed |
| The larger the databases that the legal download sites | | | | You are only allowed to use the files for personal use. |
| have, the more it will actually cost you. This can | | | | Unlike a CD (physical product) you cannot purchase |
| actually lead to paying a bit more than a normal CD in | | | | songs, use them and then sell them to another party or |
| the shop IF the store has literally hundreds and | | | | distribute them free of charge to friends, family, web |
| hundreds of thousands of songs because they could | | | | surfers etc. |
| cost between $1 - $3. Therefore, dont go for the | | | | 10. Backed by a big label? |
| exceptionally large databases. The reason why these | | | | Most of the legal music download sites are backed by |
| sites are more expensive than the illegal music sites is | | | | at least one major music label. People are looking for |
| because they are obliged to give a portion of their | | | | songs that are popular, on the radio, playing in the clubs |
| fees back to the recording industry. | | | | or on MTV. All of that commercial material comes out |
| 5. Limited Choice | | | | of the studio system. If the label does not provide the |
| Most of the legal music download sites dont have the | | | | material, subject to fees, taxes and copyright notices, |
| capacity or copyright authority to distribute hundreds of | | | | then the site cannot legally distribute them. |