# Where do people download music (legit) these days? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 15, 2012, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-people-download-music-legit-these-days/618832 "2012-04-15T12:35:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2012, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-people-download-music-legit-these-days/618832/1 "2012-04-15T12:35:29Z")
Basically, what the title asks. What sites do people recommend for legitimate music downloading. I used to like Napster’s subscription service until they were acquired by Rhapsody. I find Rhapsody’s selection, interface and search functionality lacking. iTunes and Amazon don’t offer subscription services AFAIK. Spotify and Pandora are streaming only, which doesn’t work for me. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2012, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-people-download-music-legit-these-days/618832/2 "2012-04-15T12:52:50Z")
I think most people use Itunes and [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com). ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2012, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-people-download-music-legit-these-days/618832/3 "2012-04-15T12:59:42Z")
Itunes for me. I just bought some music this morning. I bought Alabama Shakes new song, “Hold On”. Got it for 99 cents even. ---
**Author:** ![ShadiRoxan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@ShadiRoxan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadiRoxan)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2012, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-people-download-music-legit-these-days/618832/4 "2012-04-15T13:08:12Z")
Amazon. I have gotten credits from them, they don’t charge tax, and I can get it from my phone. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2012, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-people-download-music-legit-these-days/618832/5 "2012-04-15T13:57:13Z")
If you liked subscription service but don’t care for rhapsody then you might want to give MOG a try. I use both but the MOG iPod app has a better interface. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2012, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-people-download-music-legit-these-days/618832/6 "2012-04-15T14:03:14Z")
MOG has the option of streaming (or downloading) at 64kbps ACC+ or 320kbps mp3. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2012, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-people-download-music-legit-these-days/618832/7 "2012-04-15T14:13:24Z")
Amazon and Google Music. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2012, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-people-download-music-legit-these-days/618832/8 "2012-04-15T15:36:34Z")
Emusic has a decently priced (albeit not as good as in the past) subscription service. Only problem is it’s catalogue. It’s mainly indie label stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-people-download-music-legit-these-days/618832/9 "2012-04-15T15:51:15Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Spotify and Pandora are streaming only, which doesn’t work for me. I use and love Spotify. With a premium subscription, you do have access to an offline mode, where you can sync your selected music to a phone or computer (up to 3 devices) and listen to them when you’re not online. There’s a limit of 3,333 songs that can be synced to offline mode. Still might not work for your needs, but just saying Spotify is not strictly streaming. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-people-download-music-legit-these-days/618832/10 "2012-04-16T00:00:44Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I think most people use Itunes and [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com). Seems that way. I like the subscription services though because I can just download like, every song by The Ramones or whoever and it’s still the same $10 a month. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-people-download-music-legit-these-days/618832/11 "2012-04-16T00:24:18Z")
Beatport and Google Play. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-people-download-music-legit-these-days/618832/12 "2012-04-16T02:12:39Z")
I use Amazon mostly for whatever I want to download, and Amazon secondary sellers for CDs (plus the occasional cassette or LP). Compared to the Itunes store, Amazon is consistently cheaper and has sales along with very good bargain-priced classical downloads (finding any kind of good deal on Itunes is difficult if not impossible). ---
**Author:** ![SunSandSuffering](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@SunSandSuffering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunSandSuffering)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-people-download-music-legit-these-days/618832/13 "2012-04-16T09:49:34Z")
[legalsounds](http://www.legalsounds.com/) It’s crazy cheap and probably exploits some Russian copyright loophole but there you are. ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-people-download-music-legit-these-days/618832/14 "2012-04-16T09:53:25Z")
Beatport and Juno for techno / drum & bass etc. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-people-download-music-legit-these-days/618832/15 "2012-04-16T10:06:08Z")
> [@SunSandSuffering](#): > > It’s crazy cheap and probably exploits some Russian copyright loophole but there you are. There’s no “copyright loophole”; according to their website they’re doing the exactly the same thing as any other music download service—namely, they pay licence fees to the national recording artists’ agency. The agency and record companies take their cut and pass off the meagre remains of the royalties to the artists. Download services based in America pay their fees to the RIAA, those in Germany pay them to GEMA, and those in Russia pay them to RMIS. If RMIS happens to charge lower licence fees than the other two that’s not a “loophole”; that’s just different prices in different markets. ---
**Author:** ![SunSandSuffering](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@SunSandSuffering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunSandSuffering)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-people-download-music-legit-these-days/618832/16 "2012-04-16T12:58:47Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > There’s no “copyright loophole”; according to their website they’re doing the exactly the same thing as any other music download service—namely, they pay licence fees to the national recording artists’ agency. The agency and record companies take their cut and pass off the meagre remains of the royalties to the artists. Download services based in America pay their fees to the RIAA, those in Germany pay them to GEMA, and those in Russia pay them to RMIS. If RMIS happens to charge lower licence fees than the other two that’s not a “loophole”; that’s just different prices in different markets. Sorry, wasn’t trying to be snarky, thanks for the info. Just musing on how much gets to the artist when the whole album only cost $0.79 to download. It’s almost easier to download the albums again rather than dig them out of my badly organised collection. ---
**Author:** ![phreesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@phreesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phreesh)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-people-download-music-legit-these-days/618832/17 "2012-04-16T15:52:23Z")
I go to the library, get out dozens of disks, burn them, and return them. This may by a legal gray area, however. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-people-download-music-legit-these-days/618832/18 "2012-04-16T16:12:32Z")
> [@phreesh](#): > > I go to the library, get out dozens of disks, burn them, and return them. > > This may by a legal gray area, however. If so, it’s the same legal gray area I was in during high school in the early 1980s, when I was checking record albums out of the local library, and recording them on cassettes before returning them. The technology changes, the idea doesn’t. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-people-download-music-legit-these-days/618832/19 "2012-04-16T16:49:53Z")
> [@phreesh](#): > > I go to the library, get out dozens of disks, burn them, and return them. > > This may by a legal gray area, however. If by “legal grey area” you mean “violates copyright law” then, yes, you are correct. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-people-download-music-legit-these-days/618832/20 "2012-04-16T17:01:16Z")
People with a little ready cash ought to be able to pay protection to RIAA, ASCAP and BMI. $10,000 could buy you a Get Out of Piracy Jail Free Card good for five years. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-people-download-music-legit-these-days/618832.md?page=2)