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Online Music Store Comparison
Compare music stores by price, quality and restrictions (incl. DRM).
"I want to buy songs online. I hate DRM and proprietary file formats. Where should I shop for my music?"
Tags: music, store, compare, online, song, price, file format, bitrate, DRM, digital restriction, proprietary, comparison, table, chart
Click "Go" to sort/filter by song catalog, minimum price/song, restrictions, file format, bitrate, etc. (requires Javascript)
(If you want to print out this page, print before pressing "Go" for better results.)
(ctrl-click to sort/filter multiple columns)
|
2.0 |
0.89 |
5.99 |
USA |
None |
None |
MP3 |
256 |
256 |
- |
|
2.0 |
0.99 |
0.00 |
USA |
None |
None |
MP3 |
192 |
192 |
- |
BuyMusic |
1.0 |
0.79 |
9.99 |
USA |
Windows |
DRM |
WMA |
128 |
192 |
- |
Itunes |
6.0 |
0.99 |
9.99 |
USA+23 Countries |
Win/Mac |
DRM (Partial) |
AAC |
128 |
256 |
2M Songs DRM Free |
|
1.0 |
0.10 |
0.00 |
None |
None |
None |
MP3 |
192 |
320 |
- |
PayPlay.FM |
1.5 |
0.88 |
0.00 |
None |
None |
DRM (Partial) |
MP3 |
192 |
192 |
Offers WMA With DRM |
PureTracks |
1.3 |
0.99 |
9.99 |
USA/ Canada |
Windows |
DRM |
WMA |
128 |
128 |
- |
Rhapsody |
3.0 |
0.99 |
0.00 |
USA |
Windows |
DRM |
WMA |
128 |
192 |
- |
Walmart Music |
1.5 |
0.88 |
0.00 |
USA |
Windows |
DRM |
WMA |
128 |
128 |
MP3 Also Available |
Zune Marketplace |
3.0 |
0.99 |
0.00 |
USA |
Windows |
DRM |
WMA |
192 |
192 |
- |
- In each column, most desired value emphasized in bold type.
- Song Catalog: Number of songs in millions. Updated November 22nd, 2007.
- Minimum Price per Song: All prices in USD (US Dollars).
- Minimum Price per Album: A price of "0.00" means that the store does not offer albums.
- Bitrate: Amount of audio information (detail) measured in kbps (kilobits per second). Higher bitrate = higher quality.
- MP3: MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3. Popular audio file format. Wide support. Platform-independent. De facto standard.
- WMA: Windows Media Audio. Proprietary audio file format. Developed by Microsoft. Supports DRM.
- AAC: Advanced Audio Coding. Audio file format. Uses proprietary technology. Supports DRM.
- DRM: Digital Restrictions Management. User-hostile, anti-competitive schemes that violate your fair use rights (see below).
- Note to PureTracks Branding Team: We think there is nothing "pure" about DRM or Linux-unfriendly file formats.
- Link Policy: We do not link to sites that support DRM or operating system restrictions.
- This chart is offered for entertainment purposes only.
- A link is not necessarily an endorsement of the music store or the songs it sells.
- While every effort has been made to create an accurate comparison chart, we cannot guarantee the accuracy, reliability or suitability of data.
- All trademarks are property of their respective owners.
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Why I Hate DRM and Proprietary File Formats (Rant)
DRM (Digital Restrictions Management) Schemes:
- violate my fair use right to make backup copies for personal use
- violate my fair use right to "space shift" - transfer songs I own to my mp3 player, cell phone, etc.
- violate copyright law by extending length of "copyright" beyond what is allowable by law
- are used to control market share (through vendor lock-in)
- are used to kill free market competition (by locking competitors out of market)
- are used to increase company profit at the expense of consumers
- are usually poorly or maliciously coded (can compromise security of my PC)
- inflate my hardware and software costs
- will cost consumers an estimated $9 billion by 2012
- bring absolutely no value to consumers
- do nothing to protect artist rights
Media Companies Who Use DRM Schemes:
- make me pay for the DRM used to steal my fair use rights
- try to sell these stolen rights back to me (to increase their profit at my expense)
- make me pay more for less in terms of functionality and freedom
Proprietary (Closed) File Formats:
- cause interoperability problems
- limit my future choices of operating systems and hardware
- lead to vendor lock-in
- stifle competition
External Resources:
Sources:
Translations:
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