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Comparison of digital music stores

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Phefner (talk | contribs) at 16:56, 31 May 2007 (→‎Boutique/Specialized Music Stores). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

The following tables compare general and technical information for a number of online music stores. Please see the individual articles for each store for further information. This article is not all-inclusive or necessarily up-to-date.

General Music Stores

The following table lists online music stores that carry a very wide selection of songs by many record labels and artists. Only stores that carry over 1 million songs and offer a wide general selection of music are listed below.

Site Selection Geographic Restrictions Pricing (price/audio in USD) Platform Format DRM Preview Trial Other
AllofMp3 ? None ~0.03/Mb of song Platform Independent MP3, FLAC, OGG, AAC, WAV, WMA, MPC, APE, OFT No ? ? the legality of AllofMp3 is currently controversial
Arkade[1] 11,000 Tracks, 5,000 Artists None Prices determined by Artists avg 0 to 1.50 Platform Independent MP3 No 120 seconds Free packs for artists
Audio Lunchbox >2,000,000 songs, >5,000 labels [2] Need valid US credit card [3] 0.99/song flat or priced by credits; monthly subscription plans 40 credits mo/9.99, 125 credits mo/24.99; yearly subscription plans [4] Platform Independent [3] 192 kbit/s VBR MP3 [3] No[3] 30 seconds None. 50 free credits upon subscription
BuyMusic >1,000,000 songs [5] United States [6] 0.79-0.99/song, 9.99/album [6] Windows 98 or above, IE 5.01 or above [6] 128 or 192 kbit/s WMA [6] Yes PlaysForSure [6] ? None
Emusic >2,000,000 songs, >100,000 artists, >200,000 albums, >40,000 labels Varies by track. Monthly subscription; 9.99/30 songs a mo, 14.99/50 songs a mo, 19.99/75 songs a mo [7] Windows 98 or later; linux; Mac OS 9/X [8] 192 kbit/s VBR MP3 [8] No 30 seconds [8] 25 downloads download concerts
iTunes >3,500,000 songs [9] United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and select European countries [9] 0.99/song usually 9.99/album [10]; varies by country Mac OS X; Windows 2000 & XP 128 kbit/s AAC, 256 kbit/s AAC for EMI Music Catalog [11] Partial, none on EMI Music Catalog,[11] FairPlay for rest 30 seconds [10] None Podcasting; charts; videos; movie trailers; audiobooks
Musicmatch >1,000,000 song [12] ? subscription[13] 5.99 a mo [12]; 0.99/song to download [12] Windows XP or above, IE 6.0 or above, MusicMatch JukeBox [14] 160 kbit/s WMA [12] Yes, PlaysForSure [12] 30 seconds 7 days Yahoo Music store, Streaming Radio
Napster >3,000,000 songs [15] United States, Canada, Germany, or United Kingdom [15] monthly subscription [13] 9.95, untethered 14.95 [16] Windows 2000 or higher; IE 5.1 or above to subscribe; Windows Media Player 9 or above to transfer to portable music players [17] 128 or 192 kbit/s WMA [16] Yes, PlaysForSure [16] Entire song 3x [15] 7 days
PayPlay.FM >1,300,000 songs [18] None 0.88/MP3 song, 0.77/WMA song MP3 - Platform Independent, WMA - Windows 98 or higher; [Windows Media Player]] 9 or higher 192 kbit/s MP3 or 192 kbit/s WMA (DRM) per user choise No [19] 30 seconds None
Puretracks >1,300,000 songs [20] United States and Canada [21] 0.99/song, 9.99/album usually Windows 98 or higher; [Windows Media Player]] 9 or higher [21] WMA [21] Partial, PlaysForSure for majority and none for 50,000 songs [20] 30 seconds [15] None
Rhapsody >3,000,000 songs United States [22] subscription [13] 9.99 per month (unlimited); non-tethered at 14.99; 0.99/song, 0.79 if subscribing [23] Windows 98 or later, Mac OS X, linux [22] 128/160/192 kbit/s (depending on subscription) WMA Yes, PlaysForSure [23] 30 seconds 14 days 25 Free streams a mo [23]
Sony Connect ? ? ? Windows 2000 or above, IE 6.0 or above [24] ATRAC Yes OpenMG ? ? free PlayStation Portable video downloads
Urge >2,000,000 songs United States [25] subscription [13] 9.99 per mo (unlimited); non-tethered at 14.99; 0.99 a track [25] Windows XP or above, IE 6.0 or above, Windows Media Player 11 or above [25] WMA [25] Yes, PlaysForSure [25] ? 14 days [25]
Walmart Music > 1,000,000 songs United States [26] 0.88/song, album varies [26] Windows 98 or above, IE 6.0 or above, Windows Media Player 9 or above [27] 128 kbit/s WMA [27] Yes, PlaysForSure [27] 30 seconds None
Zune Marketplace >3,000,000 songs United States[28] subscription[13] 14.99 a mo or ~0.99/song Windows XP or higher [29] 192 kbit/s WMA [30] Yes, (not PlaysForSure) [30] 30 seconds None.

Boutique/Specialized Music Stores

Some music stores have begun to stock less songs in favor of better serving a specific demographic. These stores cater to people interested in specific genres or ideals such as open music. The following table lists some of these niche music stores.

Site Catalog Selection Geographic Restrictions Pricing (price/audio in USD) Platform Format DRM Preview Trial Other
Ambient.us 32 labels Ambient music ? 9-11/album Platform independent 320 kbit/s MP3 No [31] 30 seconds None
Amie Street ? Independent music ? depends on popularity - free-0.98/song [32] Platform independent [32] depends on what artist uploads No[32] 1 minute None
Audible.com >35,000 titles Audiobooks ? By book or monthly/yearly subscription; 14.95/1 a mo, 22.95/2 a mo, 229.50/24 year Platform independent 4 quality levels .aa Yes Can't convert to MP3, can burn to CD once ~10 minutes per sample One month Includes magazine subscriptions
Baby Toys Records ? Classical, electronic and rock music None $34.98 per year Platform independent Ogg Vorbis, 190 kbit/s No Full tracks in low quality None
Beatport >350,000 artists, >67,000 albums, >49,000 labels [33] Electronic music Varies by track [34] Varies but usually between 1.49 - 2.49 a song Platform independent 320 kbit/s MP3, 192 kbit/s VBR MP4, or WAV. No ~2 minutes None
Bleep.com >4,000 artists Electronic and indie-rock music None 1.35/song; 9.99/album [35] Platform independent [35] 320 kbit/s VBR MP3, FLAC [35] No [35] Entire song in 30 second intervals [35] None
Calabash music >95,000 songs, >2,000 labels International music Varies by track [36] 0.99/song when bought one at a time, 0.80/song when buying 10 songs, 0.75/song when buying 20 songs[37] Platform Independent [38] 160 or 192 kbit/s MP3 [39] No [39] 1 minute None
classical.com >64,000 songs[40] Mostly classical music, with some jazz and international[41] ? Varies by song. 0.99-1.49/song, monthly subscription 8 songs a month for 11.99 a mo, yearly subscription 8 songs a mo for 115 a year[41] Platform Independent [41] 128 or 192 kbit/s MP3 or WMA [42] No [41] 1 minute [41] 15 day trial [41]
djdownload >95,000 songs, >2,000 labels Dance music Varies by track [43] Varies by quality and song. Usually ~ 2.00 for 192 kbit/s and 0.50 higher for 320 kbit/s version. Platform Independent [43] 192 or 320 kbit/s MP3[43] No 1 minute None
eclassical ? Classical music ? Varies by song. 0.49-0.79/song[42] Platform Independent [42] 192 kbit/s MP3[42] No [42] ~30 seconds None
Fonogenic >45 artists [44] Hand-picked music[45] ? 0.99/song or 9.99/album Platform Independent 192 kbit/s MP3 [45] No 30 seconds None
Independent Music Online 220+ Artists Independent artists None Artist sets the price, average is 85 cents per track. Windows/Mac/Linux 160 kbps in .ogg, .m4a, .mp3 formats. FLAC also available. No up to 1 minute Also includes interviews with artists, and educational lectures for download.
Insound ? Independent music ? 3-9.99/album Platform Independent [46] 192 kbit/s MP3 [46] No [46] None None
Klicktrack [47] ? ? None Set by artist/label but generally 0.99/song and 9.99/album Platform independent MP3 >192Kbit No 30 seconds of any part of the song None
Magnatune 7507 songs, 240 artists, 525 albums [48] Hand-picked music [49] None [50] User chooses; $5-18 album [51] Platform Independent 44k/16 bit WAV, FLAC, OGG, AAC, VBR MP3, 128 kbit/s MP3 [52] No Entire song [53] None 128 kbit/s MP3 licensed under the CC-SA-NC license [54]
Mindawn ? Independent and experimental music None [55] FLAC: 1.24/every 10 minutes of song or less, 8.99/album; Ogg: 0.99/10 minutes of song or less, 6.99/ album [55] Windows, Mac OSX, Linux [55] OGG, FLAC [55] No [55] Entire song [55] None
MusicGiants >400 artists, >1700 albums High bitrate music United States [56] 1.29/song, ~15/album [56] Windows, IE 6.0 or above, Windows Media Player 10 or above [56] 1100 WMA [56] Yes PlaysForSure [56] 30 seconds None
Music is Here >600,000 tracks [57] Independent music Varies by track [58] 0.99/song Platform independent WMA, MP3, AAC, OGG VORBIS, MPC, FLAC; varying bitrates No 30 seconds None
Smithsonian Global Sound ? International music None [59] 0.99 for up to 5 minute songs, 1.49 for 5-15 minute songs, 3.49 for songs over 15 minutes[55] Windows 97 or above, Mac OS X, linux [59] MP3, FLAC [59] No 30 seconds [55] None
SNOCAP ? ? Need valid US credit card Set by uploader/store owner (0.39 fee per download by SNOCAP) Need Adobe Flash Plugin MP3, WMA Partial, on WMA only 30 seconds None Integration available for MySpace music pages
Zunior >40 labels Canadian independent music Varies by track [60] 8.99/album in MP3, 10.99/album in FLAC [60] Platform independent [60] 192 kbit/s MP3, FLAC [60] No [60] 35 seconds [60] None

References and Notes

  1. ^ "Arkade Home". Retrieved 2007-05-11.
  2. ^ "Browse By Label". Retrieved 2007-03-20.
  3. ^ a b c d "Audio Lunchbox Help". Retrieved 2007-03-13.
  4. ^ "Audio Lunchbox Registration". Retrieved 2007-03-13.
  5. ^ "Visiting BuyMusic at Buy.com". Retrieved 2007-03-20.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Visiting BuyMusic at Buy.com". Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  7. ^ "Emusic FAQ". Retrieved 2007-03-13.
  8. ^ a b c "Emusic Technical Help". Retrieved 2007-03-13.
  9. ^ a b "iTunes Store". Retrieved 2007-03-12.
  10. ^ a b "iTunes Music Store". Retrieved 2007-03-12.
  11. ^ a b "EMI Music launches DRM-free superior sound quality downloads across its entire digital repertoire". EMI. 2007-04-02. Retrieved 2007-04-02. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ a b c d e "Musicmatch Jukebox". Retrieved 2007-03-13. Cite error: The named reference "Musicmatch" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  13. ^ a b c d e Music expires and doesn't work when subscription ends unless the song is bought individually.
  14. ^ "MMJB User Guide V3" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-03-20.
  15. ^ a b c d "Napster FAQ". Retrieved 2007-03-13.
  16. ^ a b c "Subscribe to Napster". Retrieved 2007-03-13.
  17. ^ "Compatible Devices". Retrieved 2007-03-13.
  18. ^ "PayPlay.FM website". Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  19. ^ "PayPlay.FM Starts Selling 1,300,000 Tracks of DRM-Free Music". Retrieved 2007-05-29.
  20. ^ a b Nowak, Peter (2007-02-27). "Puretracks takes lead in rights fight". Financial Post. Retrieved 2007-03-13.
  21. ^ a b c "Puretracks 2.0". Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  22. ^ a b "Rhapsody Online Help". Retrieved 2007-03-13.
  23. ^ a b c "Rhapsody FAQ". Retrieved 2007-03-13.
  24. ^ "Experience CONNECT Music". Retrieved 2007-03-13.
  25. ^ a b c d e f "URGE FAQ". Retrieved 2007-03-13.
  26. ^ a b "Walmart Music Downloads Questions". Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  27. ^ a b c "Technical Requirements". Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  28. ^ "Zune FAQs:Sign Up". Retrieved 2007-03-13.
  29. ^ "Zune Software Release Notes". Retrieved 2007-03-13.
  30. ^ a b "Zune Marketplace Review by CNET". Retrieved 2007-03-20.
  31. ^ "Ambient.us: How it Works". Retrieved 2007-03-18.
  32. ^ a b c "Amie Street FAQ". Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  33. ^ "Beatport 3.0". Retrieved 2007-03-18.
  34. ^ "Beatport Forums:Territories". Retrieved 2007-03-18.
  35. ^ a b c d e "Bleep FAQ". Retrieved 2007-03-18.
  36. ^ "Why do certain songs disappear?". Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  37. ^ "Pricing and Payment Terms". Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  38. ^ "How do I download?". Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  39. ^ a b "What can I do with tracks?". Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  40. ^ "Classical Subscription". Retrieved 2007-03-20.
  41. ^ a b c d e f "Classical FAQ". Retrieved 2007-03-20.
  42. ^ a b c d e "Why choose elcassical?". Retrieved 2007-03-20.
  43. ^ a b c "djdownload FAQ". Retrieved 2007-03-18.
  44. ^ "Artists". Retrieved 2007-03-20.
  45. ^ a b "About Fonogenic". Retrieved 2007-03-13.
  46. ^ a b c "Insounds Digial Album FAQ". Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  47. ^ "Klicktrack". Retrieved 2007-04-18.
  48. ^ "Magnatune Stats". Retrieved 2007-03-13.
  49. ^ "Magnatune Stats". Retrieved 2007-03-13.
  50. ^ "International". Retrieved 2007-03-13.
  51. ^ "The Business Model". Retrieved 2007-03-13.
  52. ^ "Download Example". Retrieved 2007-03-13.
  53. ^ "Why we are Not Evil!". Retrieved 2007-03-13.
  54. ^ "Open Music". Retrieved 2007-03-13.
  55. ^ a b c d e f g h "Mindawn Customer FAQ". Retrieved 2007-03-18.
  56. ^ a b c d e "Music Giants FAQ". Retrieved 2007-03-19.
  57. ^ "Music is Here!". Retrieved 2007-04-12.
  58. ^ "Music is Here!". Retrieved 2007-04-12.
  59. ^ a b c "Smithsonian Global Sound Customer Support". Retrieved 2007-03-18.
  60. ^ a b c d e f "Zunior FAQ". Retrieved 2007-03-18.
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