Downloading Tunes FROM THE WEB: GUIDELINES

If you are someone who spent many years collecting a lot of music albums, CDs or cassettes of your favorite music in the past, you know how much time and space that takes up. But the current music downloads that are available today are easy-to-use in so many ways. This article will get you started with some great advice.

If you are looking for a cheap way to download music, try using a free service instead of downloading. Service such as Pandora or Slacker will let you listen to music from any device. You do not have to store the files on your phone or tablet; just listen to them streaming online.

In order to make sure the music you want to download fits into your monthly budget, consider using a site that charges a subscription fee, rather than a fee for each download. You can budget the exact amount of money you want to spend on downloads each month and know that you won't go over that amount.

Many artists have put up their own music for download at under one dollar per song. This is a good way of getting a copy of your favorite song and directing all proceeds back to the artist instead of to a third party distributor. The artist gets paid in full for his work, and you get a great song.

When downloading music online, make sure that you only download files with the correct extension. Never download files with .exe file extensions. This extension can harm your computer. It can hijack your computer system and completely destroy it. Even worse, you could open yourself up to identity theft or other security issues.

If you are looking for music for your iPod, consider a subscription based site. There are several available, and they allow users access to a huge library of tunes for a one time membership. In most cases, the membership is for life. This is a great way to save money while still finding the music that Snoop Dogg you love.

If you are a user of Apple products, you'll want to check out iTunes for your music downloads. iTunes downloads will give you a seamless music experience across your Mac, your iPhone and your iPad. You won't have to worry about conversions or where to download the music again as it'll all be right in the ecosystem you are used to.

If you're downloading music from a little known source, make sure you have recently updated antivirus software running during the download. Anytime you aren't sure of where the file is coming from, it's a must to protect your computer. These files could be laced with malware and spyware. You'll need top antivirus protection to secure your computer.

If you do want to download music through peer to peer software, be sure to pick a reputable program. That said, you may find that the music you seek isn't available on the network you have chosen. Be very careful of the programs you choose to ensure you don't end up with a virus.

Make sure you download music legally. There are a lot of easy ways to download music, but many of the most common ways that people download music are illegal. Educate yourself about what legal methods of music downloading are, so that you don't have to worry that you are committing a crime when you listen to your music.

When deciding on a site to download your music from, check out reviews for their user interface. This is especially important if you are a newbie. Some have very complex user interfaces that can be difficult to navigate. Others are more user friendly, and they are a better choice for a beginner.

If there are certain songs that you always listen to, create an offline playlist of your music downloads instead of streaming them from the cloud. This is especially important if you're on a cellular data plan. These cloud files can eat up a lot of your monthly data plan. But if the songs are saved right on the device, it uses none of that data bucket at all.

Avoid music websites that require you to install their software to download any music you buy. If you are not dealing with a known entity like Amazon, iTunes or some other similar site, installations can be dangerous. It may load your computer up with spyware, slowing it down and reporting your activities to marketers. You also run the risk of having your identity stolen.

As this above article already mentioned, it's very simple to download pretty much any song you are looking for these days. But, to be sure you are really taking of advantage of what these downloads offer, it is helpful to have information. Use the tips above and enjoy downloading music.