Downloadable Music Hits New Highs
Thousands of sites offer millions of downloadable music files and fans are downloading more than half a million
songs every day. More and more people are discovering this easy and affordable way
to grow their music collection.
Is It Legal and Safe?
We hear it on the news all the time. Download music online and you
could be sued, fined, or go to jail. Then there's concern about
inadvertently downloading a virus. Nevertheless music downloads, done
correctly, are safe and legal.
Perhaps the greatest danger is using file-sharing services like Kazaa and
Grokster. The technology is legal, but using it to share music files is a
grey area. And since we don't know who uploaded the file, there is some risk of
getting something we don't want.
Free Music Downloads Are Plentiful
Most songs are copyrighted, so we need to know which are legal to download.
Many musicians want to share their music by offering free downloads. Why?
It increases the artist's exposure and free tracks lead to more CD, concert and
merchandise sales. Plus it boosts a musician's image and popularity.
An excellent source for low or no cost downloads is web sites created for a particular genre of music. Their mission is to promote the
artists' work. Sites are usually supported by advertising, donations or fees, and visitors are free to download
all the songs they want.
Downloads Are Bargains
Fifty years ago record shops sold 45 RPM "singles" for about a dollar, and 33
1/3 RPM albums for five to ten dollars. According to government
inflation statistics, what cost a dollar in 1955 would be $7.19 in 2005. And a
$5 record album 50 years ago would cost nearly $36 today!
Considering download prices range from 69 to 99 cents for a
single track and complete albums around $7 to $10, it's not a bad deal at all.
Think about it... What are the odds of finding a station selling gasoline for 29
cents a gallon (1955 average) today? With CDs selling in the $15 to $20 range,
paid music downloads really are a bargain.
Most music download sites offer a free trial period. During the trial you can
download perhaps 50 to 100 songs at no cost. Cancel before the trial ends and
the songs cost nothing. Of course they hope you'll stay and pay, which as we
just pointed out, is a cheap way to build a music collection.
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