It really is possible to get great quality downloads, as long as you understand the process. Knowledge is key when trying to figure out the best way to download music. To get started, read the information that follows.

If you are on the Internet looking for free music downloads, you have to be extremely careful. Downloading music without paying is illegal and is punishable by law. Another reason you want to avoid this is because hackers use music downloads as a way to send viruses to your computer.

Amazon and iTunes are popular markets for finding downloaded music. You can set up a free account and browse songs from millions of artists. In many cases, you can even listen to a small sample of a song before you buy it. This is a great way to access a lot of music all in one place.

Do not purchase music that you already have. You certainly don’t want to pay twice and download something you’ve already purchased before. Just check your history on the sites you buy from.

Look at the specials on Amazon’s music download site. You may be able to find music you want for a huge discount here. The discounts regularly change, so check in daily for the best deals.

You can obtain free and cheap music downloads from some band websites. Some popular bands like to give away rare tracks, live tracks, and rough cuts that you won’t find on their albums. These are usually free or really cheap on their own websites. This is a great way to not only get music from a band you like, but to get access to cool extras that you won’t find at large online music retailers.

Remember that you should check the sound file’s size before you open it. You never know what could be hidden in there. This may be extremely dangerous for your computer. Pay close attention to the file size. Don’t open anything that appears too tiny or too big; in fact, you should delete it.

Try to only shop for music occasionally. With music downloads so easily accessible, it can be distressingly easy to overspend and lose your excitement for music. Try to only shop for music once every month or so. Until then, make a list of songs that you enjoy and bands that you would like to hear more from.

For safety sake, download music only from sites you know and trust. This will ensure that the song doesn’t have some sort of virus in it which can leave your computer a mess or your private data open to criminals. Stick to sites like Amazon or iTunes who scan the files they provide.

Even though iTunes is the most prominent name in the world of music downloads, it is not the only player in town. Amazon also runs a digital mp3 service that features affordable music and a huge database. In fact, Amazon does even have some material that you can not find on iTunes.

Do your research when it comes to which subscription service you use. The legal downloading of individual songs can get expensive. These days, there are a lot of places online that you can pay to subscribe to if you wish to save some cash. When you are looking for a subscription service, take note of the way in which the music is stored and any limits to downloads.

Not all free music is illegal music. Major online retailers of mp3 files routinely put out free samplers for you to enjoy. Older music performed by many artists might fall into public domain. Some artists even release tracks for free sheerly for the promotional benefits they get out of it.

Make sure that the sites that you get your music downloads from are secure and safe. Even sites that are legal paid downloads could allow malicious software to enter your computer. You should avoid music websites that have a ton of pop-up ads. Some may contain viruses, spyware, adware, and the like.

Did you realize The Internet Archive isn’t just for websites? It also provides a huge catalog of free MP3s which you can easily download. This will help to archive the web.

Even if you are downloading from a familiar source like Amazon or iTunes, make sure that your download device has security features and antivirus protection. You never know what is out there. Always scan any files you download before you open them or transfer them to another device, just in case.

These tips can help you look at the process of downloading music in a new way. This article gives you a great start when it comes to learning more. Be sure you read through all you can about this subject so you can get a great understanding before downloading anything.