# Need on-line music service advice **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 24, 2005, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-on-line-music-service-advice/295996 "2005-03-24T03:20:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2005, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-on-line-music-service-advice/295996/1 "2005-03-24T03:20:52Z")
Where should I go to purchase my on-line tunes? I’m not fond of Kazaa a) because it’s illegal and b) because it’s a pain in the ass to have all that junk on your computer. So who should I patronize to download some tunes? ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2005, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-on-line-music-service-advice/295996/2 "2005-03-24T03:24:30Z")
I love the iTunes Music Store, just for simplicity (plus, it integrates with my iPod.) I do sometimes wish that it had more artists (it’s missing some pretty big names because of licensing issues) but I’ve had little trouble finding most popular stuff. ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2005, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-on-line-music-service-advice/295996/3 "2005-03-26T16:42:41Z")
Now I darned well know that many of you get your music on-line. TELL ME WHERE (and why you use that, rather than another, service). Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Lennon\_Lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Lennon\_Lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lennon_Lives)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2005, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-on-line-music-service-advice/295996/4 "2005-03-26T17:07:34Z")
Another big vote for iTunes. I love it, although no Beatles or John Lennon but I’ve got most of their stuff on CDs. LL ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2005, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-on-line-music-service-advice/295996/5 "2005-03-26T17:25:29Z")
The answer depends on what kind of device you use. [E-Music](http://www.emusic.com) lets you download to your heart’s content for a flat monthly fee–but they probably won’t have your first choice of new music or top-of-the-line oldies, and they won’t be easily compatible with your I-Pod (but they’re dandy for RealJukebox, Windows Media or WinAmp). I-Tunes is great if you have a CD burner or an I-Pod. Otherwise, don’t bother. It’s a buck a song or a per-album price that works out to about a buck a song. If you use an I-Pod, it’s very difficult to transfer tunes that didn’t come from I-Tunes or an actual CD. No easy free rides here. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-on-line-music-service-advice/295996/6 "2005-03-27T03:54:38Z")
I use iTunes for purchase and ripping and [Live Music Archive](http://www.archive.org/audio/etree.php) for concerts. Everything ultimately goes through iTunes, though. Emusic looks good from what I’ve seen of it. More obscure stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-on-line-music-service-advice/295996/7 "2005-03-27T04:09:16Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > The answer depends on what kind of device you use. [E-Music](http://www.emusic.com) lets you download to your heart’s content for a flat monthly fee–but they probably won’t have your first choice of new music or top-of-the-line oldies, and they won’t be easily compatible with your I-Pod (but they’re dandy for RealJukebox, Windows Media or WinAmp). The iPod plays MP3s. Another vote for iTunes. ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-on-line-music-service-advice/295996/8 "2005-03-27T04:25:02Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > [E-Music](http://www.emusic.com) lets you download to your heart’s content for a flat monthly fee–but they probably won’t have your first choice of new music or top-of-the-line oldies, and they won’t be easily compatible with your I-Pod (but they’re dandy for RealJukebox, Windows Media or WinAmp). This is incorrect. Emusic does NOT have the “all-you-can-download” plan (anymore, they used to), and the files are plain old .mp3 with no restrictions, so they work with just about any player out there. E-Music has several (3, I think) rate plans you can subscribe to. I pay them $9.99 per month to download 40 songs. This is the most basic plan. The benefits (to me) are that the music is legal, the files are .mp3 with no restrictions on what you’re allowed to do with them, if you ever accidentally delete your file, you can re-download it for no fee, the catalogues they have are pretty deep. The downsides are that they don’t have a lot of new or popular stuff. They seem to have a lot of jazz, classical and independent stuff (which is cool by me, but your tastes might differ). ---
**Author:** ![flex727](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/258eb7/32.png) [@flex727](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flex727)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-on-line-music-service-advice/295996/9 "2005-03-27T17:08:48Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > If you use an I-Pod, it’s very difficult to transfer tunes that didn’t come from I-Tunes or an actual CD. Is this true? If so, why? ---
**Author:** ![MannyL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MannyL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MannyL)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-on-line-music-service-advice/295996/10 "2005-03-27T18:40:57Z")
I use Raphosody to listen to music online but haven’t bought any tracks from them. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2005, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-on-line-music-service-advice/295996/11 "2005-03-27T18:54:13Z")
> [@flex727](#): > > Is this true? If so, why? It’s not true. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2005, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-on-line-music-service-advice/295996/12 "2005-03-28T20:36:55Z")
I’ve got 50+ free iTunes music credits waiting to be used… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2005, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-on-line-music-service-advice/295996/13 "2005-03-29T00:56:51Z")
I definitely like iTunes. I also use [allofmp3.com](http://allofmp3.com), as it’s quite a bit cheaper. They have different selections, but neither one carries the more obscure older stuff.