| The Internet abounds in services that offer digital music. Some websites charge per digital music download, whereas other sites require a monthly fee for an unlimited number of downloads. It has been estimated that compact disc sales are in decline (19% in the last few years), and digital music download sales are quickly raising. According to some reports, revenues from online music sales raised virtually threefold last year, with Apple's iTunes accounting for more than 85 percent of single soundtrack downloads. Still, this does not mean that Apple is the only source of online music downloads. Nowadays, lawful music download websites account for approximately 6% of record studios' revenues, which is an increase compared to the situation observed a couple of years ago.
There are two kinds of music download websites - 'rent' and 'buy' websites. 'Rent' sites are music services involving a monthly fee paid to have access to the whole music catalog. 'Buy' websites charge per download - iTunes, for instance - where a song can be burned onto a CD provided it is paid for. Then the CD can be ripped to the computer. Some online music sites offer to pay a monthly fee for limitless listening rights, but also charge to buy a song.
Some online music download websites are as cheap as 9 cents per average song. In addition, these services have soundtracks that can be downloaded in any format and quality. Sometimes music download sites are so cheap and easy to use that many Internet users choose to download soundtracks from these services instead of ripping CD collections onto the pc.
For any user downloading soundtracks onto an iPod or iTunes, it is probably the optimal option. For any music not intended for being downloaded onto an iPod, any other source of music will work. When looking for the optimum quality music downloads, one should seek music download services offering the largest choice of music that is regularly updated, and high quality downloads. Ordinarily, the price directly depends on quality. In this case, a question arises: Is it worth spending extra cash? The answer is positive. |