Napster was the pioneer of the MP3 revolution. It allowed users to connect
directly to each other's computer and share MP3 files, sparking the mass
exchange of music. Lawsuits chased at its tails consistently, and they finally
won over; Napster was forced to shut down its servers. However, quickly they
were back with a redefined perspective on the world of downloading music. They
came boasting a 1,000,000-song library as well.
Napster, however, offers a different approach geared towards a different
sort of client. A monthly fee of $14.95 will give you unlimited access to their
massive library. You can download as many songs as you please, filling up your
Dell Pocket DJ or your Creative Zen Micro (among many others). The great thing
is the price tag. You could, potentially, own 1,000,000 songs for $14.95 a
month. The catch is that you have to pay every month you want to have access to
the system or listen to your songs. You can't sign up for one month, download
10,000 songs, and keep them forever. Life isn't that sweet. Instead, Napster
offers you the ability to access protected WMA files. Each month you most renew
your "lease" on the music, otherwise your songs will lock and you
will be unable to play them.
There are inherent downsides to this method, however. First, and most
notable, is the restriction on your choice of MP3 player. Your MP3 player must
support protected WMA files. There are some MP3 players that do support
protected WMA files, but still do not work with the Napster library. You must
check the Napster website (http://www.napster.com/) to check if your MP3 player
is compatible. Not surprisingly, the iPod does not support such a feature.
Another fault in this method is that you must have access to the Internet to
renew your lease of the music. Thus, if you are on the road, traveling, etc,
and are unable to connect up and pay your fee, your songs will stop working
automatically and you are simply out of luck. There aren't late fees or
misunderstandings; if you don't log on and pay, you don't listen. This can
cause problems for travelers who may not have access at the right time.
Napster also gives you the option of purchasing each song for ninety-nine
cents per song, just as iTunes does. This is their attempt at curbing the
inherent faults in the monthly system, and it serves well. However, their
library is only 2/3 the size of iTunes, making it more difficult to track down
those songs you love. This system is great for those of you that have a
compatible MP3 player and are short on cash. It allows you to access a massive
library (though smaller than iTunes), download and refill your player at your
will, and pay only a small fee for access; be aware of the downfalls of the
system, however, for if you get caught off guard, you may have no music to
listen to. If you want to stick to purchasing your music, rather than renting
it, you may be served better with iTunes, as you are more likely to find what
you are looking for.