Okay, so a few hours of Black Friday shopping madness was enough for you, eh? I don't blame you. So I guess the music lover on your shopping list is getting an iTunes gift card or Amazon credit this year. There are certainly worse things.
How To Buy Music (Big Box Edition)
How To Buy Music (Amazon.com Edition)
How To Buy Music (Record Store Edition)
In honor of Cyber Monday, let's take a look at the highs and lows of buying music online the legal way. There are all sorts of way to buy songs online (Bandcamp, Rhapsody, etc.), but the undisputed kings of MP3 sales are iTunes and the Amazon.com MP3 Store, so let's start there, okay?
iTunes or Amazon?
Depends. If you exclusively use an iPod, iPhone, iPad, or anything else with a lowercase "i" in the name, then the iTunes Store is the easiest, obvious choice. Personally, I like to use the Amazon Store because my debit card number is stored online as part of my regular Amazon account, so when I download a song or two, the funds are immediately withdrawn from my account. It's little things like that, ultimately, that'll help you decide which service you prefer.
How much are songs? Albums?
$0.99-$1.09 (or $1.29 for new or buzzworthy tracks... grumble) is the standard price for both services. As far as album prices go, they're generally pretty comparable (anything over $9.99 for a single CD's worth of music is, in my opinion, deplorable price gouging), but Amazon wins here for their regular sale price discounts. Remember when Lady Gaga's Born This Way only cost $3.99 on Amazon? You won't find deals like that on iTunes.
Do they have everything?
Just about. If you're looking for something super obscure, up and coming, or out of print, there's a good chance you won't be able to download it legally. I won't tell the internet police if you don't...
Drawbacks?
One major drawback on iTunes (Amazon does it sometimes, but not as often) that drives me crazy is their maddening insistence on Album Only policies. For example: you want to download the three new songs on R.E.M.'s greatest hits but you already have all their albums and don't want to pay for the entire thing all over again. Too bad—iTunes loves to make you pay for the whole bunch. Another bad thing about downloading music in general is that, if you lose it, accidentally download it, etc., then you're just out of luck. Be sure to back up your MP3 files as soon as you download them!
Format?
iTunes downloads arrive as high-quality AAC files, while Amazon downloads are in high-quality mp3 format. If that makes a difference to you, then buy according.
Anything about iTunes/Amazon I don't already know?
When you buy a new music CD on Amazon.com, they usually credit one free song download to your account. I know, so what, but those come in handy when you only kinda sort of like that new Nicki Minaj song but wouldn't be caught dead with the whole album. The more you know...
Happy hunting, Ologists! Check back this Black Friday, I'll be running through the do's and don'ts of buying music on iTunes and the Amazon MP3 Store. See you guys then.
For more music gift ideas, check out our ongoing Shopify playlist series.
Want to connect with fellow Music Ologists? Join the discussion over on My.Ology for a chance to win $1,000!
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