| We've
talked about what makes legal download
sites different than
file sharing sites. We've also
discussed that on legal music download sites part of
your fee for the song goes to the
artists, just as it would if you
bough the CD in a store. But what
happens when you pay a fee to be
part of a file sharing
network? The answer to
this question is quite simple.
100% of it goes into the pocket
of the site owner, with a portion
perhaps going to an affiliate
promoting it. Bottom line,
absolutely nothing goes to record
company or artist. So how do you
know if you've found a legal music
download site? Well, there are
clues in the fee you pay. No
legal music site asks for a one
time fee in exchange for
unlimited downloads. (File
sharing programs also offer
annual fees for unlimited music
downloading, but not legal
sites). On a legal music site you
will either pay from .79 to .99
cents per song, or you will pay a
monthly subscription to download
music.
Another
sign that you are on a legal
music site is if you see the site
offers a free trial. I have never
seen a file sharing system offer
a free trial. They only want your
money up front. For example, eMusic.com offers 50 free mp3
downloads during your free
trial, but if you read the fine
print there is a monthly fee to
continue on the site. Buy.com on the other
hand allows you to download and
pay for each individual song.
Also,
look for restrictions in the
terms of agreement. For example, legal music sites only have
agreements in certain countries
based on their contracts with
record companies representing
each artist.
If in
doubt about whether you've found
a legal music site, bookmark our
site or sign up for our newsletter. We guarantee
our site only features links and
reviews of legal music sites.
Click
here to see some of the top
legal music downloads.
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