Posted by raisinb on April 23, 2008, at 10:22:32
In reply to I bought myself an IPOD shuffle - advice?, posted by TexasChic on April 2, 2008, at 21:19:41
I am pretty late to this thread so sorry, but I have a lot of wisdom on this topic!
If you have a PC: You can get a subscription to Napster.com for 14.99 a month and download unlimited songs. Unfortunately, these songs are in a format not compatible with your iPod (wma) and they also will expire (stop working) when you stop paying your Napster subscription. This is due to the DRM software they put in the files.
However, you can download a free program called "Fair Use for Windows Media" (google it). When you run your tracks through it, it removes the DRM. Then they can be imported into iTunes (just use the "add folder to library" under the File menu) and they'll be yours forever.
IMHO, this is the best way to get all the music you want for about 15 bucks a month. It takes a few extra steps, but if you are a music geek it's totally worth it. When I was doing this, I'd sometimes download six or eight albums a week.
If you have a Mac, you can't do this; there's no FairUse for a Mac, and Napster will not work on a Mac
If you don't want to go the FairUse route, you can use Russian websites (the legality of these is still up for debate, but there are several currently running and legal for the near future). There's legalsounds.com, mp3million.com, and mp3fiesta.com. On these sites, tracks will run you between 9 and 11 cents apiece.
Obviously I spend way too much time thinking about these things :) Hope this helps.
poster:raisinb
thread:821287
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20080329/msgs/824951.html