Hi what music download sites do you use?

I have an iPod and use iTunes for organising and managing my music but I don't like to download from iTunes as it's too restrictive.

Although I rarely play them much anymore I'm still a bit wedded to my CD's and can't quite bring myself to completely desert buying music that way BUT there is plenty of stuff I just want to try out first.  All my stuff is backed up on hard drive and gets copied to my iPod.  Some goes to my OH and the children too either as a CD or for their iPods and it's easy to lose iTunes music by forgetting to deauthorise computers and you can't copy it very often either.

I prefer Amazon for downloads but not everything I want is available.  I'm currently looking for Cat Power - Dark End of the Street.  It's an EP released on Vinyl only in December 08 and iTunes have it but I can't find it anywhere else.  If you know somewhere I can download it I'd be grateful but any recommendations for good sites will be welcome, I have a music addiction!!

I use Amazon as well and I'm not sure what other sited you could use. I like Amazon cause it's easy and seems safer.

Ive seen one called limewire before that had a big selection of music but dont know how safe it is.

> Tunes as it's too restrictive.

Really?! I love iTunes, I found it so easy to set up & maintain!!

My OH uses Limewire but I think that's file sharing so not sure how safe or legal that is?! He's like yourself really into music & is always downloading 'random' music!!

try Mininova

I use iTunes, my OH uses Play.

I am another big Itunes fan...

I have used Limewire before but I dont think its particularly legal, I dont use it anymore, much prefer Itunes. I'm really, really into music and downloading, so dogs a babe if you want to PM me please do! :-)

>> Tunes as it's too restrictive.
> Really?! I love iTunes, I found it so easy to set up & maintain!!

Yes love iTunes for everything except downloading.  Downloaded music is ok from them if you store your music on one PC but a problem if you want to move it around between several laptops etc and you can only copy it a finite no of times.  I made 'alternative Christmas' CD's for some friends this year and once I reached 5 (? - I think that was the limit number) it restricted access to those tracks that originally came via iTunes, music from other sources was ok.

I don't mind the slightly 'grey' nature of some download sites but viruses are a real problem even with very good security.  I have a huge music library I'm not prepared to risk, even though it's backed up on separate hard drives it makes me a bit nervous!

Also, does anyone know if you can share music files via IM?  My brother and I swap files via flash drives but it would be helpful to know if there was a more instant (online) way of doing it.  Is it possible to email music files? 

> try Mininova

Ooh good content here, thank you.  Bonnie Prince Billy and Cat Power, but sadly no Handsome Family which is my usual test of true American wierdness, although it does have 16 Horsepower!  I'm off to explore...

Dogs a babe, when you're making the CD's, which programme are you using to make them ?

My brother, who is a bit of a computer whizz, set up an all singing all dancing virus programme on my PC so that I could use it along with music download sites, and I have to say, (touching wood with every part of my body!!!) its been great so far. I once got a virus though on my old PC before the virus software was added and I lost my entire music collection of about 3,000 songs - luckily I'd backed most of them up on CD !!!

I'm sorry I can't help with the IM thing - but I would think it would be possible to email music files, I get emails at work that have videos etc on them which open with windows media player, so I guess it depends on what type of files they are ??

As an aside, the bit rate size of the iTunes download isn't as good as that on, for example, Play, which means the quality of a download from Play is much better than that of iTunes.

> Dogs a babe, when you're making the CD's, which programme are you using to make them ?

Nero - although I think my OH has changed it since then but I've not looked!

"digital rights management frustrated paying customers by limiting the number of devices on which they could play legally downloaded songs"  It's this that has caused the problem and iTunes has a well documented history of tying up their music - I don't think anyone else is quite so obviously restricted.

I've never looked at BIT rates Earl - I'd better start paying attention!!

I can't use any Itunes files when I'm making a CD using Nero. What I do is create a playlist in Itunes then burn it to disc - that way, you can put as many Itunes songs as you want on there. It's then easier to transfer the files to another machine or device.

Earl, thats interesting to know about Play - I will check it out. What's their range of music like compared to Itunes?

I think they're pretty good.  OH has got some quite off the wall stuff.  What you do is create a folder, say on your desktop for ease.  Then when you download, you browse to find your folder.  Once the music is in the folder, just drag it over to your iTunes.  It's a bit more work than downloading from iTunes, but I think the end result is worth it.  The bit rate difference is something like 329 compared to 138 from iTunes or thereabouts.

Also, when we're downloading our own music to iTunes, we do it at the higher rate.

I have to admit, that I never knew any of this until OH started using my old iPod.