Music Downloads and CD Burn Information

The following text provides some insight as for music downloads and cd burn techniques.

So you've got your favorite mp3 on your hard drive. OK... you have several mp3s on your hard drive.

Now you want to take your music downloads and cd burn them - that is, create a CD copy. What to do? What's the cost? Could you do it for free?

As much as I would like to answer your question in five seconds this truthfully depends on the digital music service and the cd burning software you've selected.

So let's summarize the digital music services first - including the cost of downloads and burns, and how many copies you may make for each mp3.

- download songs for 99 cents each - no more, no less
- allowed up to seven (7) burns per song downloaded
- summary: one song download plus seven burns allowed for the download = $0.99.
- Read full review

Napster

- you could download songs for 99 cents each using the Light service, OR
- you could download an unlimited number of songs with Napster Premium (simply known as "Napster") for $9.95 per month.
- you could download an unlimited number of songs with Napster To Go for $14.95 per month, with the extra convenience of transferring your songs
to a portable mp3 player such as iPod. - to take the music downloads and cd burn them would cost you 99 cents more each, usually. Can be as low as 80 cents if purchased with "Napster Track Packs".
- allowed an unlimited number of burns of individual songs. Specific playlists may be burned up to seven (7) times.
- summary: one song download plus unlimited burns allowed for individual downloads = $0.99.
- Read full review

Rhapsody

- no a la carte service unlike iTunes or Napster.
- you could download an unlimited number of songs with Rhapsody for $9.99 per month.
- you could download an unlimited number of songs with Rhapsody To Go for $14.99 per month, with the extra convenience of transferring your songs to a portable mp3 player such as iPod.
- There is also a Rhapsody 25 service. It resembles the iTunes jukebox and features 25 online radio stations and 25 on-demand streams per month, all for free.
- The Rhapsody streams are so superb and begin so fast that it's difficult to differentiate between the streams and an mp3 stored on your computer.
- to take the music downloads and cd burn them would cost an extra 79 cents each.
- summary: one song download = $0.79, but you have to pay between $9.99 - $14.99 per month for a subscription service.
- Read full review

- There is no legality issue with the above services to take the music downloads and cd burn them.
- With peer-to-peer music services, it may or may not be legal to burn copies of mp3's downloaded from those networks.
- There is no limit to the number of times to take p2p music downloads and cd burn them a song from peer-to-peer networks.
- If you do decide to download from p2p networks, you will have to do so from networks whereby you pay a fee prior to using them. Now, don't fret - the fee is very low.

For more information on p2p programs including music downloads and cd burns, read this article.

This depends on what type of software you wish to use. If you have Windows installed on your computer you probably would want to use the Windows Media Player, which should be on your hard drive.

If you are uncertain how to access or use the Player, then reviewing the how to burn cd on window media player article could help.

For other cd burners, click here.

If you don't you can head to your local CompUSA store and buy one of the following drives:

DVD drives:
Plextor PX-712A
Memorex 16X double-layer drive
Lite-On SOHW-832S
Sony DRU-700A
BenQ DW1620

CD-RW drives:
Lite-On LTR-52327S
Samsung SW-252FRNS
TDK VeloCD

If you feel the need to order online, then the best route to do so will be through www.ebay.com.

(Canadian residents could use ebay.ca)

Once you reach the ebay site, just type in one or more of the above names in the search box, and place a bid.