Read THESE POINTERS Before Downloading Your Music

Downloading music has always been one of the most popular uses of the Internet. However, things have changed a lot over the last few years. If you have not been downloading music recently, you may need some help navigating the various options. Use the following tips to find your way around.

One way to get free music is to rip it from YouTube videos. The upside of this is that you can use simple software to accomplish the task, and it allows you to avoid paying for each song that you download. The downside is the quality of the music might not be the highest.

Consider joining an online forum of music enthusiasts. Many will share their downloads for free. This allows you to explore different genres of music or the latest cd from a known artist without committing a lot of time or money to the task, making it easier to build your library with an eclectic blend of tunes.

Use previews before you buy an album. Music previews let you listen to a sample of the song before you choose to purchase it. Such samples are freely provided by the major downloading retailers. You'll save money using this method by only buying albums you really enjoy.

A good tip to use when thinking about downloading music is to make sure you aren't tying up your internet connection with other things. You probably want your music to download as fast as possible. This means you'll want to halt anything that might be taking up any of your bandwidth.

Watch the file sizes of your music downloads carefully. A normal music download will be somewhere between 2 megabytes and 5 megabytes. If you see something much less or much more, there could be something fishy about the file. It may be spyware and not the song you were hoping it was.

Beware of using illegal means to download your music. There are many peer to peer networks out there that'll give you access to lots of music. But this does open you up to potential legal problems and big fines if caught. These free files might also contain hidden malware. Overall, it's a better and safer option to just purchase what you love.

Make sure you have broadband internet connection if you download music online. If you have a dial-up connection, the download will be much slower and the files will take forever to transfer. So if you want to enjoy your music right away, a broadband connection is the way to go.

When you download a song online, check its size. If it is less than 2 megabytes, unless it is a very short song, it is likely to be a virus. Most viruses are just text and they don't take up much hard drive space, so be wary of small files.

Do some research on a potential download site before you make a go of downloading there. Read other people's reviews of the site and even scour online forums for posts related to the site. You want to know how reputable and safe this website really is. Others have likely experienced it, so benefit from their knowledge.

Avoid the temptation of downloading popular music from new websites that promise you free music downloads. Due to copyright reasons, most legitimate music downloads are available only with a fee. Websites that advertise free downloads of the latest songs need to be scrutinized because there are often strings attached to their offer which makes the download much more complicated.

If you are having problems downloading with a peer to peer program, check your firewall. Unless you allow the program, you won't be able to do any uploading or downloading. Windows comes with a firewall built in, and this will have to be altered to allow for your program's actions.

If there is a specific band you like, sign up on their website. You may be offered samples of new music or even a free MP3 from time to time. On top of that, you can get discounts when you buy tour tickets or their album online along with other perks.

Those who download files from various websites need to have an up-to-date antivirus software on their computer. This antivirus program protects your computer two different ways. First, you can scan a file before you download it. Your antivirus program should inform you about any suspicious coding or viruses. Occasionally, a virus will trick your antivirus program and get onto your hard drive. If this should happen, your program can neutralize and remove the virus and protect your computer media bar tv from damages.

As stated above in the introduction, downloading music online is fun and easy. Finding the best deal and the best services is the hard part. Luckily, the article you just read is full of helpful information on downloading music. Put these helpful tips and tricks to work and rock on!