[mofey]

Hello everyone!

Let's create a list of reliable sources that offer cheap and legal digital music for sale...

 

[jagorev]

Since CDs are a digital format, and can be converted to MP3 or the lossless format of your choice for free, I would suggest looking in your local used record store.

Not only do you get high quality sound, you also receive a secure physical medium with liner notes and lyrics.

 

[Sladeophile]

Yeah, after having downloaded a fairly huge share of mp3s in the past few years, I have mostly changed over to buying used cds or from yourmusic.com because mp3s SUCK! CD's, as flawed as they are, are so much better...
Slade

 

[Uncle Erik]

My favorite place for downloads:

http://www.archive.org

They have music, but they also have movies and other assorted videos, too.

It's all free and it's all legal. All the works they have there were either released directly to the public domain or are now in the public domain due to expired copyrights. Nothing to worry about!

Be sure to check out the movies, too.

 

[bwu]

eMusic is easily the cheapest service out there - $9.99 gets you 40 songs per month - and they have an excellent selection of the more indie and experimental kinds of stuff. Their MP3s are LAME-encoded VBR. (alt-preset standard I believe)

Mindawn has more obscure stuff (especially in the progressive rock area of things), isn't as cheap, but offers lossless FLAC downloads alongside lossy OGG. Their pricing system seems somewhat similar to iTunes but is based on song lengths.

 

[mofey]

So most of you guys simply buy used CDs from a local store?

 

[jagorev]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mofey So most of you guys simply buy used CDs from a local store?

Or from online used CD sellers on eBay and Amazon, or from yourmusic.com

(Using the banner above if you want to sign up for yourmusic will help support head-fi).

 

[Febs]

You might want to be wary of putting much money into allofmp3 these days:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/05...ofmp3_illegal/

 

[SAP7]

haha i think EVERYONE knows that. No need to even point it out.

Its cheap... it works...

 

[iancraig10]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SAP7 haha i think EVERYONE knows that. No need to even point it out. Its cheap... it works...

It's an insult to musicians. No regard whatsoever for your country's talent = bands going down. If you like the download, help the band and buy the cd or the industry could just collapse.

Ian

 

[SAP7]

If I want an album, I have to buy it. If I bought from this site and liked, I'd buy it. I can't get over not having the cd....
I need something to have hold of.
Besides, its a better source!

 

[swmtnbiker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Guidry Though I think that music artists ought to take the corncob out of their rearends and allow fans to buy their music online...

In most cases it's not the artist that's standing in the way of online music distribution and sales, it's the record companies. There is a well established and deeply entrenched manufacturer/distributor/retailer network in the music industry and online music sales cut too many people who are currently in the loop out of the profits. One of the main reasons that you're paying $18 for that new CD is because of all the fingers that are in the pie. Other than piracy concerns, this has been and will continue to be the single largest stumbling block to the industry's acceptance of online music retailing.

I just wish that I could buy and download more LOSSLESS music online. Legitimately. I'm not interested in purchasing lossy-encoded music - at all.

 

[iancraig10]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Guidry Though I think that music artists ought to take the corncob out of their rearends and allow fans to buy their music online (especially in the case of out of print or deleted titles like Tool's Salival, which is the main reason I went to allofmp3.com) Does Tool really only want 150,000 people to hear the tracks on Salival and watch the DVD's (as that was the print run of the box set)? That's the part that blows my mind. Why would you want to limit the number of people that can hear your art to only those who purchase physical media? Why not let the music free and let it get into the hands of whoever wants to listen to it (so long as it's legal)?

So you're doing Tool a favour by listening to their music? Tool produced the album to make money.

The problem is growing. File sharing. CD's that are borrowed. etc All money not going back to the artists and the money is NOT very good either for the musician from CD sales.

Would you be a technician for nothing? The music is copyrighted and you buy the right to listen to it. If someone steals it for you and sells it to you cheap, you are still part of the process.

If you don't buy their CD's, Tool will cease to be sooner than they and probably you wish.

Ian

 

[Ingo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iancraig10 So you're doing Tool a favour by listening to their music? Tool produced the album to make money. The problem is growing. File sharing. CD's that are borrowed. etc All money not going back to the artists and the money is NOT very good either for the musician from CD sales. Would you be a technician for nothing? The music is copyrighted and you buy the right to listen to it. If someone steals it for you and sells it to you cheap, you are still part of the process. If you don't buy their CD's, Tool will cease to be sooner than they and probably you wish. Ian

I'm not defending piracy in any way, but those artists are still making more money than I will ever make. The fact is, everyone in the process is greedy. There's a band here in Arizona that isn't signed with any major record label, get's almost no radio airplay, but has a huge following throughout the Southwest. They don't make any money on their record sales. In fact, in their CD booklets, they specifically mention that it's ok for you to share it with your friends as long as you don't profit from copying it. They make plenty of money from touring and that is what they live off of.

 

[iancraig10]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ingo I'm not defending piracy in any way, but those artists are still making more money than I will ever make. The fact is, everyone in the process is greedy. There's a band here in Arizona that isn't signed with any major record label, get's almost no radio airplay, but has a huge following throughout the Southwest. They don't make any money on their record sales. In fact, in their CD booklets, they specifically mention that it's ok for you to share it with your friends as long as you don't profit from copying it. They make plenty of money from touring and that is what they live off of.

Now hang on a minute. I'm with a record label and I'm not as rich as you think!! I make more money on live work.

There are bands that actively encourage mp3. I know that in U.S., Estradasphere are even keen for people to record them. Great for young guys getting started. Gets them known. Bloody good players by the way and really friendly/helpful guys.

I agree that the companies get greedy, but CD's have remained at the same price and even come down.

But it's wrong to assume that if you make CD's, you're really rich!!

At the grand age of 52, I need the money just as much as you do from your job. I don't think to myself, I hope people are listening to the CD's.... even if they're pirate copies!!! There comes a time when you don't want to keep touring and you rely on the CD sales for your pension. Can you honestly see most guys touring until they die? (Except for the Rolling Stones and they're bloody mental!!)

Also, with the money situation. Music is a business. The songs have to be written. They then need to be arranged. They then need rehearsal with the band to get a definitive version for the album. The album has to be recorded. Then you have to go on tour to promote the album and pay for adverts.

How much for a year's work then? (For one CD) Not to mention ancilliaries. Engineers. etc.

Anyway, piracy/stealing is wrong even if CD's are too expensive.

Ian