Free Music To Download To Mp3 Player

Knowing where to get music during the age of albums and tapes was easy. The local record shop was essentially the only option if you were looking to pick up some new music. But today, an MP3 player can hold seemingly endless hours of music--so how do you fill it up? Read on for some suggestions on how to top off your MP3 player.

5 Great MP3 Download Tools to Get Music Free + 2018 Addition. The free software also includes a player at the bottom of the program, so you can always.

If you already have a collection of MP3s or other audio files on your computer, moving them to your MP3 player is a snap. Some Windows-compatible MP3 players simply show up in the My Computer screen and allow you to drag and drop your media. Other players include extra software to assist you in this task.

If you have a lot of music on your computer that isn't in MP3 format, make sure the player you purchase supports the format you need. If you already have an MP3 player and it doesn't recognize your media, several programs on the market will convert assorted audio formats to MP3.

Also, make sure that your MP3s are tagged correctly. MP3 players read artist, song, and other information from the ID3 tag that is embedded in the MP3 file. Navigating through a music collection is a pain if these tags are blank or incorrect. Many third-party programs can scan your music collection and automatically update ID3 tags via the Internet.

An MP3 player allows you to consolidate huge stacks of CDs into one compact unit. Most MP3 players come with a program that will 'rip' songs from your CDs onto your computer. If yours didn't come with one, many software programs are available to assist you. Both Windows Media Player 10 and a third-party program called Nero can easily rip songs to MP3 format. Technically inclined owners can use Exact Audio Copy and LAME, a pair of free open-source programs, to pull songs from their CDs and encode them into a variety MP3 formats. Or, to save time, Riptopia is a service that converts your CDs to high-quality MP3 files for you at a rate of just $.99 per CD. Riptopia is available in packages of 50, 100, or 200 CDs.

Several subscription based services let you fill your MP3 player with thousands of songs for a low monthly fee. The largest of these are Napster and Rhapsody. You can purchase individual songs from either company; however, their main business model is closer to renting than owning. Songs acquired through the monthly subscription fee are in WMA format and encoded with Digital Rights Management (DRM) to prevent unauthorized duplication, so make sure that your MP3 player is compatible with this format. Both Napster and Rhapsody provide DRM-free songs that are compatible with a wider variety of MP3 players, including iPods, but you must purchase these songs individually. If you discontinue your Napster or Rhapsody subscription, songs that you have not individually purchased will deactivate and cease to work.

If you have or are considering a Zune, the Zune Pass is a subscription-based service that accompanies the player. For $14.99 per month, you can download and listen to millions of tracks from Zune Marketplace whenever you want. The songs are yours to keep as long as you keep your Zune Pass valid. The Zune Pass can be purchased for either one or three months at a time. Songs that you download with a Zune Pass can be copied to up to three computers and three Zune devices, but they can't be burned to CD. Learn more about the Zune Ecosystem or read through the Zune Help Guide for more information.

Peer-to-peer (P2P) networks started the online music craze and have polarized the music industry. Virtually every album released today is available through them; however, most P2P sites have no permission to distribute copyrighted music. This has led to highly publicized website shutdowns and numerous lawsuits against downloaders. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) employs several companies who do nothing but monitor P2P activity and report illegal file trading to copyright holders. If you value your criminal record, stick with MP3s from legitimate sources.

You have several ways to usher your crates of records and shoeboxes full of cassettes into the digital age. An MP3 player equipped with a line-in port can connect directly to your record or cassette player, allowing you to record and save your music collection right on the device. If you already have an MP3 player, consider a USB turntable. It can record albums directly to your computer. Or, check out the Ion Tape2PC and BTO PlusDeck2c, both of which enable you to convert your cassette collection to digital. These items typically include software that can filter out pops, scratches, and tape hiss--leaving you with clean digital recordings of your vintage tunes.

Browsing, sampling, and buying music through online shops is quick and easy. Online music stores offer millions of songs for you to purchase, usually for around a dollar each. To deter the unscrupulous and maintain their business model, many companies pack Digital Rights Management (DRM) into each song to prevent unauthorized copies. This can make selecting the right online shop a confusing matter, since some MP3 players might not be compatible with a particular store's file format or DRM. Here is a rundown of some of the major online music stores, and which players are compatible.

Amazon MP3

You can find millions of songs from your favorite artists right here at Amazon.com. Most songs are between $0.89 and $0.99, and most albums are between $5.99 and $9.99. Best of all, every song from Amazon MP3 is DRM-free and encoded in high-quality 256-kbps MP3 format. This means that they will play on any MP3 player, so you don't need to worry about file format compatibility or licenses that expire.

Using the Amazon MP3 online store is easy. You can browse by price or genre; shop Top Downloads or New and Future Releases; and search for songs, albums, or artists using the search box at the top of any Amazon MP3 storefront page. All songs have 30-second samples, and every album has a Preview All button--allowing you to 'audition' every track. Once you sign up, you'll find that the 1-Click ordering makes buying music very easy. Additionally, the Amazon MP3 Downloader application lets you download entire albums with one click and automatically adds your music to iTunes or Windows Media Player.

iTunes

Apple's iTunes store offers millions of songs, most of which are $0.99. Browsing and buying is easy, and the iTunes software also lets you create playlists, burn CDs, subscribe to podcasts, and even print jewel case inserts. Songs purchased from iTunes are protected with Apple's FairPlay DRM. All iPod players are compatible with this format, but very few other players are. According to Apple, the Creative Labs Nomad line and SonicBlue Rio series can play songs downloaded from iTunes. If you have a non-iPod player, check the specifications to ensure compatibility before you purchase music from iTunes.

Zune Marketplace

Like Amazon MP3 and iTunes, Microsoft's Zune Marketplace offers millions of songs to buy through a slick interface. To purchase songs, you must first buy Microsoft Points--a system that Xbox users are familiar with. Each block of 400 points costs $5, and the standard price for a song is 79 points. This makes the actual price about $0.99. The Zune Marketplace also has a subscription service called Zune Pass. For $14.99 a month, you can stream and download as many songs as you want; songs can be copied to up to three computers and three Zune devices. Until recently, all songs purchased from Zune Marketplace had proprietary DRM. Microsoft now offers the majority of its music catalog as DRM-free MP3 downloads; however, the Zune Marketplace software will sync with Zune MP3 players only. If you have a non-Zune player, you'll have to manually copy Zune Marketplace downloads on your own.

While the best-known MP3 player is Apple's iconic iPod, other manufacturers such as Trio, Eclipse and SanDisk also produce dedicated media players. Each model comes with apps or instructions for filling it with music, but most players can be loaded in one of three ways: with iTunes, with Windows Media Player or as a drive mounted on your computer. If you have an advanced device such as an iPod Touch, you may also download music directly onto the device.

Computer Connection

Step 1

Connect your MP3 player to your Windows PC or Mac using a USB cable. Many players come with either a mini- or micro-USB cable or a proprietary cable. One end fits a port on the player and the other fits a standard USB jack.

Step 2

Open iTunes if you are using an iPod or iPhone. ITunes, available for both Windows and Mac OS, automatically detects connected Apple devices. Click your device and then click the 'Music' tab to set up sync options, or expand the icon to display the Music folder on your device, then drag and drop your music from your iTunes library into that folder.

Step 3

Open Windows Media Player if you are using Windows and your device isn't an iPod. From your Windows Media Player library, click the 'Sync' tab, then click 'Sync Options' and choose 'Set Up Sync.' Enable or disable 'Sync this Device Automatically' and click 'Finish.' Choose the files or playlists you want to sync and click 'Start Sync.'

Find the MP3 player's drive icon if you want to drag and drop music to it on the desktop. After you connect the player, look for its icon in 'My Computer' on Windows or on the Mac Desktop. If it's formatted appropriately, the player will appear as a removable drive. Double-click the icon, locate its music folder, then drag and drop or copy and paste your MP3 files from your computer onto the drive.

Direct Download

Step 1

Tap 'iTunes' on an iPod Touch or iPhone to open the iTunes Music Store. To use the Music Store, you must first create an Apple ID and add a credit card for purchasing.

Step 2

Navigate to the album or song you want to buy and tap on the price to reveal the 'Buy' button. Tap the 'Buy Now' button and enter your Apple ID password to begin downloading.

Sync your iPod with iTunes to back up your new songs on your computer. If you are using iCloud, the songs will appear in iTunes on your computer automatically.

Tip

• If your MP3 player won't sync using any of the above methods, it may require proprietary software to download music. Consult your user manual for details.

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