| The Web abounds in sites that offer music downloads. Some services charge per online music download, while other websites require a monthly fee for a limitless number of downloads. It has been reported that compact disc sales are in decline (19% in the last couple of years), and digital music download sales are speedily escalating. Revenues from online music sales are researched to have increased virtually threefold last year, with iTunes by Apple accounting for over 85 percent of single track downloads. Nevertheless, this does not mean that Apple is the sole source of online music. Nowadays, legal music download services account for about 6% of record studios' revenues, which is an increase compared to the situation observed two years ago.
There are two types of music download services - 'rent' and 'buy' sites. 'Rent' websites are music sites involving a monthly fee paid to gain access to the whole music catalog. 'Buy' services charge per soundtrack, such as iTunes, where a song can be burned onto a CD providing it is paid for. Then the CD can be ripped to the computer. Some online music services require a monthly fee for unlimited listening rights, but also charge to purchase a soundtrack.
Some digital music download services charge 9 cents per song. Besides, these services have songs that can be downloaded in any format and quality. At times music download sites are so cheap and user-friendly that many Internet users choose to download songs from these websites instead of ripping CD collections onto the computer.
For any person downloading soundtracks onto an iPod or iTunes, it is probably the optimum solution. For any music not being downloaded onto an iPod, any other music source will work. When seeking the optimal quality music downloads, one should seek music download sites containing the largest choice of music, a regularly updated choice, and high quality downloads. Normally, the price directly depends upon quality. In this case, a question arises: Is it worth spending extra cash? The answer is typically 'yes'. |
