Music downloads for mp3 players without copy restrictions are now being supplied by US digital music service, Rhapsody. Tunes from Universal, EMI, Sony and Warner will be available through this service. Rhapsody have joined Napster and Amazon in offering the music download service to customers in recent months.
Owned by MTV, Rhapsody used to charge between thirteen and fifteen dollars for a subscription service that offered unlimited music downloads but are now offering the service to keep up with the service from Apple. Tunes will now cost 99 cents for a single mp3 track and up to ten dollars for an album. Rhapsody's songs do not play on iPods.
After a slow start and numerous problems with piracy, the British music industry reports that music downloads and the legitimate sales of digital music is going from strength to strength, with 85% of all UK top 20 singles now being accessed through digital services.
For those who have recently purchased one of the spangly new iPhone 3G's, just be aware that the unlimited download feature only works in the UK. Once you are out of the country and begin downloading music you could find yourself faced with massive bills running into thousands of pounds as it cost 3 pounds for every megabyte downloaded in the EU and 6 pounds for every megabyte in the rest of the world. This means that it could cost up to 18 pounds to simply download one song if you in, say, America and nobody wants to start paying those sorts of prices.
It is also important, when travelling abroad, to check all your internet data services with your mobile supplier as some automatic services will also charge extortionate prices once outside the UK and will need physically disabling before you leave.
Owners of Nokia phones will now get a year's unlimited music downloads through Sony when they buy a new Nokia handset. This is not a completely new service as Nokia were offering the same through music giants, Universal, last year. However, with Sony and Universal music on offer, the possibilities have broadened dramatically. Even cancelling your subscription will not see you losing any music downloaded to date - it is yours to keep.
It would seem the music download war is on. Mobile phone networks and internet music sites all offer various types of facilities and iPhone have a service all their own that ensures music downloaded through their service won't work anywhere else.
Tesco have also jumped on the bandwagon of music downloads, offering a selection of more than 3.3 million tracks that can be put onto iPods and mp3 players from their Tesco Extra store in Portman Road, Wokingham. Once they see how the service is taken up, it should, hopefully, be available through many more stores across the country with the possibility that they will branch into movies and TV show downloads also. Not the usual thing you would expect to pick up from your local supermarket.
With the many new services being offered for those who like to download digital music, the industry is constantly coming up with ways to avoid piracy from those who steal the music and share it with others to avoid paying for it. Earlier this year, the Canadians announced proposals to make all internet users pay a $5 tax to compensate for all those that carry out this crime. This has been met by stiff opposition from all those who do not carry out such illegal services and the chances of the government being able to push it through are extremely remote.
Author Resource:-
Music expert Catherine Harvey looks at the music companies offers for music download services.
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