One great platform for music downloads is the extremely popular iTunes. Not only is it easy to find the music you want, it is easy to download and transfer the music to an iPod or iPhone. iTunes usually has good deals on music.

If you decide to sign up for a subscription based site for downloads, make sure to check out reviews on their library of music first. Some might only have old songs that you are not interested in owning, and others might have poor quality downloads. While some are legitimate, it is worth while to do your homework first.

If you are looking for a cheap way to download music, try using a free service instead of downloading. Service such as Pandora or Slacker will let you listen to music from any device. You do not have to store the files on your phone or tablet; just listen to them streaming online.

Beware of using illegal means to download your music. There are many peer to peer networks out there that'll give you access to lots of music. But this does open you up to potential legal problems and big fines if caught. These free files might also contain hidden malware. Overall, it's a better and safer option to just purchase what you love.

If you are having problems downloading with a peer to peer program, check your firewall. Unless you allow the program, you won't be able to do any uploading or downloading. Windows comes with a firewall built in, and this will have to be altered to allow for your program's actions.

Many artists have put up their own music for download at under one dollar per song. This is a good way of getting a copy of your favorite song and directing all proceeds back to the artist instead of to a third party distributor. The artist gets paid in full for his work, dietary supplements and you get a great song.

Do some research on a potential download site before you make a go of downloading there. Read other people's reviews of the site and even scour online forums for posts related to the site. You want to know how reputable and safe this website really is. Others have likely experienced it, so benefit from their knowledge.

A website that offers legal music downloads will usually not have a wide range of custom files and mixes available. This is because they are distributing the music from reputable labels. If the website has a dozen versions of the song you are looking for, you are probably not on a legal download site.

A good tip to consider when you're downloading music is to organize the music you download into a neat folder. You don't want to lose any of the music that you bought and paid for. It's important that you have it all organized so that you can easily access it when you want.

For safety sake, download music only from sites you know and trust. This will ensure that the song doesn't have some sort of virus in it which can leave your computer a mess or your private data open to criminals. Stick to sites like Amazon or iTunes who scan the files they provide.

When you get music off the Internet, make sure you are picky about the sites you use. You might want to stick to reputable sites since you're much less likely to get malware or viruses from them. You always want to keep important and private information safe.

A great tip when downloading music is to preview similar artists on itunes. Most of the time, itunes will show a dozen of similar songs and artists on the right whenever you highlight a song in your library. This can be a great way to discover new music that you like.

Make sure you download music legally. There are a lot of easy ways to download music, but many of the most common ways that people download music are illegal. Educate yourself about what legal methods of music downloading are, so that you don't have to worry that you are committing a crime when you listen to your music.

Check your file size when downloading music. Most music files are about two to five megabytes. If you find that a file is much smaller, it might be a text file disguised as a music download. By downloading it, you could be putting your computer at risk of viruses, jeopardizing your personal information.

Avoid the temptation of downloading popular music from new websites that promise you free music downloads. Due to copyright reasons, most legitimate music downloads are available only with a fee. Websites that advertise free downloads of the latest songs need to be scrutinized because there are often strings attached to their offer which makes the download much more complicated.

Make sure any sites you are downloading music from contain adware, virus and spyware protection. Any reputable site will offer all three. Remember that downloading things from the Internet can be dangerous, compromising your privacy and your expensive computer. To keep yourself safe, never download anything if these three things are not present.

You should always have an antivirus program if you download music on a regular basis. An antivirus program will scan a file before it is downloaded, letting you know whether the virus has a virus or not. If a virus somehow gets into your hard drive, then the antivirus program can neutralize and remove the virus.