Some sites such as eMusic allows you to download a set
number of mp3s per month from a variety of independent and small-label
bands. While the selection is nowhere
near as impressive as that of iTunes, you can still find performers such as The
Pixies, Tom Waits, Ray Charles, and George Carlin. eMusic also provides a free 30 mp3 trial, which
can be a great way to test the waters and get some free mp3s in the process.
Russian MP3 Sites
I do not endorse Russian MP3 sites, because while some of
them aren’t exactly illegal, they are
highly immoral. You basically pay money
to one of these services in the same manner as iTunes, except the sites are
based out of Russia or another foreign country
and therefore can avoid paying the record label or artists that made the music. This results in no overhead for them and
extremely low MP3 costs for you.
So, where does your money go? Er…nowhere good. These sites have been linked to Russian gangs
and drug trade, so though it’s tempting to download 20 albums for 5 dollars, it’s
best to avoid these types of sites. For
that reason, I will not provide any names of these sites, or links to them.