Music downloading: where do I begin? How can I find all of the songs I'd like to download? Where are the best places to look? What more do I need to know to make the process a piece of cake? This article will tell you all you need to know.

Try browsing the daily deals sections on Amazon and iTunes for some great music downloads. Some of the tracks sell for about a penny a piece. Most of this is older music, but a lot of it is considered "classic." This is also a great way to find some interesting albums or tracks that you may never have considered for your collection.

Choose your P2P service wisely. This can be your key to getting the music you want. Read up on reviews and talk to people you know to find the best service to suit you. Look for testimonials by other users to make sure that you won't regret using any particular service.

Be careful with music download sites that force you to download files prior to getting the music you want. Often times these files are nothing more than spyware that will hijack your computer. It'll mean lots of pop-ups and strange software behaviors. It's best to choose an alternative solution to protect your machine.

If you are looking for free, legal music downloads, consider using a free music archive. A couple popular ones are Free Music Archive and The Internet Archive. These are nonprofit sites  that contain all kinds of free, legal music from many genres. These are great for securely and legally experiencing some new artists or getting some rare tracks from some of your favorites.

Make sure that your MP3 player is completely compatible with the music you are downloading. Different sites offer downloads in different formats, and if the site best DJ mixers you are turning to for your music offers a different format than your MP3 player uses, it could cause you problems. To avoid costly and time consuming issues, check before you download.

Any website that offers legal music downloads will have a copyright notice somewhere on their site. This notice will show that the site's owners are authorized to sell and distribute the music legally online. This notice should also tell you what you are and are not allowed to do with the music after you purchase.

When downloading through peer to peer networks, play with your settings until you are getting good results. While they may seem complex and over your head, you can find explanations of what those settings do online, making the process of tweaking them much easier. The more you fiddle, the better your downloads can be.

You have to always pay attention to the size of the files you're downloading. A music file is going to regularly be anywhere between two and five megabytes. If you notice anything much smaller than this, beware. This is usually only going to be a text file and might contain a harmful virus.

There are literally thousands of sites which host music files. Even though many of these website are safe, there are still a great number that contain some infected files. Downloading just one of these infected files could possibly destroy your computer, so it is wise to be cautious. Before downloading a file, always scan it first with your anti-virus program.

Stay away from any music downloads that require a peer to peer client, also known as p2p software. No matter how slickly designed such sites are, they are probably just an access point for music pirates and torrent users. Avoid these, as almost all torrent activity is a legal risk.

Were you aware The Internet Archive does not just archive websites? The Internet Archive has a broad swath of free MP3 tracks you get to download easily. The strategy is to actually archive the whole Internet, which can benefit everyone immensely.

Take advantage of free trial periods. If possible, always try before you buy. Don't commit to any sort of subscription before you know it's right for you. Many of the larger online music services offer free trial periods. Make sure the program you choose is easy to use and convenient.

If you want a discount on your music downloads, look for gift card deals at local retailers. A lot of music download venders (iTunes, Spotify, etc.) have gift cards, and sometimes these cards are offered at a discount to their face price. So a $50 iTunes card may be sold for $45. It's a way to save a little money on your music.

Purchase downloads only from music services that permit you to download the music files only, and not a bunch of other applications. Most people are aware that well known sites like iTunes are safe, but that doesn't mean all sites are safe. Use caution on unfamiliar websites. If a site is claiming to offer free downloads, it is highly likely that your files will come packaged with harmful software.

If you have, or want to have, a massive MP3 library, store it on the iCloud. This allows you access to all of your songs from any device logged into iTunes. While you can't play music without an internet connection, you also don't have to wait for songs to download and clog up your device.

Check out your music service's store on a weekly basis. There are normally all sorts of music download sales going on. Multiple albums could be cut down on price - some even to half off. This is an excellent way to fill out your library at a discounted cost.

A great way to access music for free is by turning to a web site like best DJ needles that works with independent artists. NoiseTrade allows independent artists to get more exposure while allowing users to enjoy music for free. This site helps you support a small artist without downloading illegal content from the Internet.

With so much information in mind, you should be ready to go and download music now. Just put each tip to use, one by one, and you'll find the process is truly a snap. That means that you can easily listen to great tunes on your latest device just by using your new knowledge.