The best shops to buy digital music you can keep forever
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As for music streaming, convenience is often a king. That is why most people are satisfied with listening to music through online platforms such as Spotify and Apple MusicS However, streaming music comes with its restrictions. On the one hand, you don’t really have any music you listen to, which means it can be taken away for a second if the license holder wants. If you are someone who wants more freedom when it comes to music and actually owning the music you love, we suggest a step forward and cancel your subscription to these streaming platforms and do something different. You can buy either physical copies of your music or through a digital music store.
You can now be confused why we mention a digital music store. First, buying digital music, such as MP3 or Flac files, has more advantages than you realize. Once you have purchased these files, they can be stored on any device, which means it is yours to save forever. Digital music stores also offer immediate downloads after your purchase and often has a choice between different formats, such as MP3 or AAC, to save space and money. But if space limitations are not a problem, most sites also offer losses or ALAC versions for a A noticeable increase in qualityS (They usually cost the same as mp3.) Of course, if you prefer physically media and don’t worry too much about storage, you can buy CDs and RIP the Music The old -fashioned way.
Whether you want to store only one album or a variety of music over the centuries, we have rounded the best digital music stores there. Some of these names you will recognize, such as iTunes and Amazon, but there are also some of our personal favorites that do not receive the love we think deserve, such as Bandcamp and Qobuz. No matter who you choose, many of these stores offer apps for both Android and iOS, which allows you to easily listen to the music you buy. You can also use the music applications that come pre -installed on your phone.
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Average album price: $ 10
Maximum bit speed: 256Kbps (AAC)
iTunes may no longer be the star of the Apple composition, considering that Apple Music It is currently the focus of the company, but it is still one of the largest digital markets. iTunes still set the standard of downloading music for loss, and its catalog should provide everyone but your most unhappy needs. Technical iTunes does not sell mp3. Instead, he sells songs in his own AAC format, which can be read by almost any modern player.
If you are using Macos Catalina or above, you can access the market from Music> ITunes StoreS If you want to download files without losses, keep in mind that you will need music membership, but you will not be able to save the music if your subscription is over.
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Average album price: $ 10
Maximum bit speed: 320kbps, no losses (up to 24kHz)
With the support of many indie -musical labels, Bandcamp (now a Part of Epic Games) is perhaps the best alternative to iTunes or Amazon, especially if your tastes flow to the more esoteric ones. The site allows you to download in any format you like (MP3, FLAC, no Apple loss) and at first glance as many times as you want without paying extra. In addition, the site works regularly Bandcamp Friday Events that give 100% of the artist’s receipts.
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Average album price: $ 10
Maximum bit speed: 256kbps
If you are a member of Amazon Prime, Amazon Music makes a lot of sense. Get (limited) streaming service and a music store to buy mp3 from, in addition to streaming and Automatic tears on physical disks that you buy. The Digital Music Home Page is quite dramatic – just a bunch of blocking buttons instead of an art coverage – and includes prominent connections to Amazon Music Unlimited streaming.
Note that although Amazon has shaken his Digital Locker service, which stores your mp3, mp3 you buy from Amazon will still be available for streaming and downloading.
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Average album price: $ 10 (CD quality), $ 15 (24-bit)
Maximum bit speed: Without losses (up to 24/192)
If you are only interested in high quality downloads-and under that I specifically mean 24-bit Hi-Res – The Qobuz Download Store is the cheapest. As a Qobuz music streaming serviceHe takes care of a wide variety of music genres, from pop to jazz to Death Metal to everything you can think of. The site also offers sales of new versions, including a recent Metallica promotion. If you are an ultra-KEEN Audiophile, you can register for the $ 180 per year’s elevated streaming package, which also gives you discounts up to 60% when downloading Hi-RS.
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Average album price: $ 10
Maximum bit speed: 320kbps, no losses (up to 24kHz)
If your flavors move to dance music by sprinkling indie then you will find a lot of love BleepS The site also has a good selection of 16-bit and 24-bit Flaces that are not subject to the prices of some competitive suppliers.
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MP3 Frequently Asked Questions
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I previously recommended 7digital For its wide selection of MP3 (and also FLAC files), but the site has not been updated for some time. While the company is acquired by Songtradr music licensing companyThe first page of the store has not changed for three years and the search for new versions (bad bunny, lynos, gorillas, etc.) comes out empty. It is yet to be seen what the acquisition will bring, since 7digital has once been a great resource for both Music Discovery and more cheap downloads. 7digital representatives did not respond to my request for more information.
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Despite the growth of streaming, millions of MP3 are still available for sale and the number of songs is increasing all the time. All the stores listed here allow you to download songs legally on a computer or directly on your phone and most offer special Android applications. Keep in mind that due to Apple restrictions, iOS users may not be able to buy music from sources other than iTunes on their phones.
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Google Play Music stopped selling MP3 at the end of 2020 when the company moved to music only on YouTube. All of the above services offer an excellent alternative to Google Play Music, and some like Bandcamp offer higher quality losses for the same price. One of the features that YouTube Music wore from Google Play Music is Music Locker, which allows you to upload your own music library.
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MP3 is known as Loss Format as it removes audio information to reduce file sizes, even at a maximum speed of 320kbps. For comparison, FLAC is a “no loss” format as it does not remove information and instead compresses music similarly to the ZIP file. As a result, the FLAC sounds better than MP3, especially the one that is torn with a low 128-kbps bit speed.
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