music download
Music is an incredibly powerful art form that has defined popular culture around the world. From the first vinyl records to boom boxes, to cassette tapes and now streaming services, music has moved with the times and gives us a wider selection than ever before.
One of the most popular ways to get your favorite tunes is by downloading it online. This can seem daunting if you’ve never done it before, so here’s a comprehensive guide to help you make the most out of your music download experience.
Pros of Music Downloads
When you download a track or an album, you have it in your library forever. Depending on the service you chose, you may be able to play your download on multiple devices and platforms as well making it a convenient way to listen on the go.
Most services provide high-quality audio files, so you’ll be able to listen in the best possible sound. Without streaming, you won’t hear any ads in between songs, giving you a much more enjoyable listening experience. By downloading songs, you’re also investing in the artist and their work, whereas streaming only gives them a tiny fraction of a cent per play.
By downloading your music, you also don’t risk running into any copyright restrictions as each purchase or download of a song is completely legal when using legitimate services.
Where to Download Music
There are numerous websites and apps that you can use to download music today. iTunes is probably the most well-known name, but there are others such as Amazon Music, Google Play Music, Spotify, and 7digital. And of course, many independent artists offer their own downloads from their own websites or Bandcamp.
It’s important to note that there are also plenty of services (both online and on-device stores) that offer illegal music downloads. Obviously, we advise against these and suggest sticking to legitimate services instead.
Prices
The cost of downloading music varies from service to service. Typically, you’ll find individual songs priced at a few dollars and albums typically between $10-15. However, prices will depend heavily on the quality of the recordings and tracks too, so better quality audio files will cost slightly more.
Downloading Process
Once you’ve found a suitable service and selected the music you want to download, the whole process is straightforward and relatively easy. You must of course create an account on the site first which takes only a few minutes. Then, you add all the tracks you want to buy to your basket and then complete the purchase by entering your payment details.
Depending on the store, once the payment goes through, you’ll either receive the music files immediately or via an email with a file download link. In some cases, for music you already own, the retailer might also offer to match the song with their existing version and simply add it to your library for no extra cost.
Compression and File Sizes
When downloading music, you’ll notice that different services offer different file sizes. Increased file size will often result in improved sound quality. The most common formats are WAV, AIFF, FLAC or ALAC (for Apple Mac users) all of which offer excellent, “loss-less” sound quality.
On the other hand, you’ll also find compressed formats such as MP3, WMA or AAC that take up far less space as they typically reduce quality slightly. Unless you have a limited storage capacity, we recommend downloading loss-less audio files for the best experience.
Conclusion
Getting your music by downloading it online is quick and easy; from signing up for an account and adding the tracks to your basket, to completing the purchase, downloading, and then adding the songs to your music library.
By being aware of what you want to achieve when downloading music, such as quality, or convenience, you’ll be able to select the right service and format for your needs, giving you the best music experience possible.