MP3

[Rob_the_Saint]

Can anyone recommend a good MP3 website for downloading music onto CD? Ideally free, but I don't mind paying a small amount.

[GHA EFM]

I'm pretty sure that's illegal Rob. I use tapes, personally.

 

Why do you ask?

[Rob_the_Saint]

It was an enquiry for a 'friend', GH.

 

I trust your tapes are all pre-recorded ones?

[Laz]

Good to see the 1951 Copyright law being abused. You might want to keep quiet about these things, Rob.

[GHA EFM]

Rob. Tell your 'friend' to try www.kazaa.com

 

You heard that from Laz though, not from me.

 

;-)

[Laz]

Why don't you people just go and buy the CDs from HMV?

[SAINTS64MAD]

because its cheaper!

[G Angel]

Rob,

 

Clearly it depends what sort of music you are into, but www.emusic.com is an entirely legal (I should know) site based in the States where you pay a small monthly subscription fee (c.$10) and can then d/l as much as you want as long as it's hosted on the site. And it hosts full albums as opposed to selected tracks. You have the opportunity to dl/ 50 tracks for free to see if you like the service. It has a reasonably broad range of several kinds of music - but definitely favouring the more specialist musical palate - little chart / pop stuff. It would be interesting to know what you think. In the last week I have d/l full albums by the likes of Sonic Youth / Iannis Xenakis / Rapoon / Birchville Cat Motel / The Cramps / Senor Coconut / Foetus Corruptus / Loren Mazzacane Connors / Songs:Ohia / Bardo Pond / Jad Fair / Yo La Tengo / Dead Voices on Air / Cat Power / Dr. John / Holy Modal Rounders / Negativland / Residents / New York Dolls / MC5 ... the list is endless. There is more normal stuff there, but this sort of site is great to see whether or not something could be more interesting than you would otherwise give credit. Likewise www.epitonic.com is an well-run site offering free MP3s for your more experimental needs.

[Rob_the_Saint]

That's extermely helpful, Mr G, thanks very much. While I have no intention of breaking any laws, I object to paying £13.99 for a CD of which the artistes only receive a fraction. Maybe, or hopefully, sites like these will influence a change in pricing policy, who knows?

[trevinho]

If I might stick my nerdly oar in here, might I suggest that you download WinMX from http://www.winmx.com. It's an interface programme that allows the free exchange of MP3s. Slightly different to kazaa. Download is about 750k, and it's fairly self-explanatory from there on. Doesn't cost so much as a bean.