Download And Streams Instructions
When you've found the song you want to hear or purchase, you arrive at the Downloads and Streams page. Here's where you get the song, from whichever listed music service you prefer. All you have to do is click your choice, and MP3.com will launch whatever application (iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc.) is needed to handle it, if any.

Downloads Vs Streams
To draw a comparison to the old style of music listening, a download is like buying a single, and a stream is like hearing the song on the radio. Downloaded music lives on your computer, and can be transferred to any compatible portable device. Streamed music is fleeting - once you hear it, it's gone, just like radio.

File Formats
Digital music, like any other computer file, is always in a specific format, whether it's MP3, WMA, AAC, or something else. This column tells you what that format is (MP3, WMA, etc.).

What is DRM?
DRM stands for Digital Rights Management. Several online music services wrap their song files in DRM in order to have control over what you do with the files. It's a hassle for consumers, but the flipside of the coin is that without it, record labels would only post a tiny fraction of what's available today on the Internet.

How do I download from MP3.com?
This part's easy… any time you're on a song, artist, or album page, and you see a button called "Download It," click the button. Even if the download lives in a store such as the iTunes Music Store, which exists within iTunes, MP3.com will open up iTunes and you'll see the song there. So essentially, you can use MP3.com as one easy-to-use front-end for all of our listed music stores.

What are the differences between Music services?
There are two main types of downloadable music services: a la carte downloads, and subscription downloads. A la carte download stores typically charge 99 cents per song download, and allow you to play the song forever, assuming you live that long. Subscription download stores charge a flat monthly fee and allow you to download all the tracks you can eat for as long as you keep paying the subscription. This allows easy access to a vast quantity of music, but you'll need to keep paying the monthly fee in order to listen to the music. Some sites offer both types, and some offer streaming only, with no downloads.

iTunes
This is Apple's online music store – the one that started it all. It offers a la carte downloads and podcasts, with no subscription available at this time. Songs purchased from iTunes play on any iTunes-compatible MP3 player.
www.itunes.com Napster
This online service offers a la carte downloads as well as subscriptions. Songs purchased from Napster work with any Napster-compatible MP3 player.
www.napster.com Rhapsody
This service also offers both a la carte and subscription downloads, and includes lots of top-notch editorial reviews and recommendations.
www.rhapsody.com MSN Music
You can access the MSN Music store either online or from within Windows Media Player. It offers a la carte downloads that can be transferred to any MSN Music-compatible MP3 player.
music.msn.com