Downloading music has always been one of the most popular uses of the Internet. However, things have changed a lot over the last few years. If you have not been downloading music recently, you may need some help navigating the various options. Use the following tips to find your way around.
A good tip to think about when you’re looking to download music is to be completely sure that you’re downloading the right version of whatever it is that you want. You might want something specific, perhaps the radio version of a song. It can be difficult to make sure you download exactly what you want.
Keep track of your library so you don’t make a mistake. Try not to throw money away on songs you’ve already bought. Most services have a history page.
Before downloading any music on a new site, make sure you read the reviews on that site to avoid downloading a virus. Read reviews that talk about malware or viruses. If there are any reviews indicating that the website has malicious files, you should avoid it. Even if there are no bad reviews, you should still be careful.
Don’t try to download music from a place where you can’t trust where it’s coming from. For instance, you shouldn’t use pirating software to get your music. This is because you could end up downloading a virus or spyware. It’s also against the law to do this, so only get downloads from trusted sources.
Watch the file sizes of your music downloads carefully. A normal music download will be somewhere between 2 megabytes and 5 megabytes. If you see something much less or much more, there could be something fishy about the file. It may be spyware and not the song you were hoping it was.
If you are looking for free, legal music downloads, consider using a free music archive. A couple popular ones are Free Music Archive and The Internet Archive. These are nonprofit sites that contain all kinds of free, legal music from many genres. These are great for securely and legally experiencing some new artists or getting some rare tracks from some of your favorites.
Aside from the legalities of downloading free music, you also have something else to worry about when choosing free music files from different sites. Hackers often offer these files, so think twice before you join the bandwagon and download free music. It’s much better to legally get your music by paying for it the right way.
Any website that offers legal music downloads will have a copyright notice somewhere on their site. This notice will show that the site’s owners are authorized to sell and distribute the music legally online. This notice should also tell you what you are and are not allowed to do with the music after you purchase.
If you’re someone that enjoys a few different songs from artists, you should purchase their whole album. Albums are often quite bit cheaper than buying the songs singly, no matter what retailer you are using. You’ll have more to listen to, too. It may even introduce you to your new favorite song.
If you download music from a peer-to-peer service, take the time to clean up the metadata of the files you get. The metadata is the who, what, and where of the file. Things like the artist name, the album name, the track title, and the genre. A little clean up can go a long way to your digital player being able to deliver the best experience for you.
Look online to find out more about tweaking your network speed. It is likely that your computer isn’t optimized right out of the box. That means you need to learn a bit about these alterations to your settings to get the fastest downloads for your online music needs. Custom information for your computer set-up can be found on the internet.
Pay attention to music formats. Music files come in many different formats. Some of these formats are specific to certain music players or music playing devices. Don’t download music you can’t use. What are you going to use to listen to the music you’re downloading? Determine the type of file you will need.
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.
By reading this article, you have learned a lot about downloading music from the Internet. You should know more about the various sites that offer downloads, as well as how to find the songs that you want. Virtually any song ever recorded is available for download, so building a great music library is a snap.