Overview:
2006 yielded some great sites, but MyMusicInc tops our charts. This site offers a huge selection of music,
games
,
software
, & more. I found the latest artists, and my "hard to find" favorites.
Membership Price:
$17.95 - 24.44
Payment Type:
Credit Card or Electronic Check
Operating Systems:
Windows, Mac, Linux
Refund Policy:
100% Satisfaction Guarantee
File Selection: MyMusicInc is one of the few sites that doesn't claim to have millions or billions of songs, files, or MP3's. I believe that this is very smart because there is no way to verify how many files a site is actually providing. MyMusicInc does insist that they have "the largest music network" and my tests showed that MyMusic does indead have a huge selection.
FreeMusicReview's minimum test requires searches in the basic genres of rock, hip hop, country, gospel, classical, pop, and jazz. I really tried to put MyMusicInc to the test by searching for every genre that I could think of or find on Billboard and other top music information sites and blogs. Every time, MyMusicInc had file selections that I could download that related to my search criteria.
I really couldn't believe it. I even found music from specific countries like Germany, Spain, South America, the Middle East, India, China and more.
Download Speed: Downloading files on MyMusicInc easily met the FreeMusicReviews minimum acceptable standard which is that 75% of downloads should take 2 minutes or less on a DSL connection. Most downloads were extremely fast and took less than 30 seconds to complete. When I performed downloads on multiple files, at the same time, over 60% still finished in under 2 minutes.
Expect significant slowing if you are using dialup connectivity (56k modem).
Sound Quality: After downloading more than 250 songs, I have concluded that MyMusicInc simply provides the most exceptional sound quality of any site I have tested. The files sounded the same whether I listened to them on the client, burned them to cds, or saved them to my iPod or my Zoon. Friends and family all enjoy listening to my "mixes."
I was so impressed with the clarity & overall sound quality of the music that I can't give it anything other than an "A+" (my best ever.)
Customer Service: MyMusicInc is one of the largest music downloading sites on the internet. It is amazing that they can keep up with all of the traffic. As a result it can sometimes be difficult to contact the Customer Service team. I have been forced to leave messages more than one occasion, but every time, I have received response within one business day (once they even responded on a Saturday). I don't recommend calling during "peak hours", holiday, or school vacations. Instead, I use the members area online (See below).
Despite the issues discussed above, every "live" interaction with a representative of MyMusicInc has exceeded my expectations. Conversations were very helpful and courteous. All of my questions were answered thoroughly, and in a timely manner.
I
was most impressed with the completeness and accuracy
of the information provided on the secure, members-only
website offered to individuals that sign up with MyMusicInc. I found that I could answer my own questions whenever I had them with the simple click of a mouse. I recommend going to the members site before contacting customer service.
Ease of Use: MyMusicInc has a very cool website initially geared towards the
sales process. Once you become a member, their top of the line client software makes downloading anything from music to games and movies as easy as counting to 3.
Their client is very user friendly, and allows searches based on type, including Audio, Images, Video, Documents, and Programs; and within each type by Title, Artist, Genre, and many other methods. This is "top of the line."
Software Compatibility: MyMusicInc offers software for most versions of Windows (95, 98, ME,
NT, 2000 and XP), as well as Mac (OS X and Classic) and
Linux.
Member Benefits: MyMusicInc offers several benefits to their members, including CD/DVD
recording software, Music Player and more.
Exchange/Refund Policy: MyMusicInc is
one of the few services that offers (and honors) a 100%
customer satisfaction guarantee.
2006 yielded some great sites, but MyMusicInc tops our charts. This site offers a huge selection of music,
games
,
software
, & more. I found the latest artists, and my "hard to find" favorites. Overall i was very satisfied with my experience, with download speeds on a 28k dialup being my only complaint. MyMusicInc has resolved this allowing us to recommend it as our "Top Pick of 2006".
Free-Music-Downloads is one of the most popular music download sites on the web.
We found their service to be similar to that of MyMusicInc, but do to high traffic, email customer service response time took up to 2 hours. Part of its popularity is due to its above average selection of game
downloads
. If you are an avid gamer, tour this website first.
EZMP3's provides just what it claims... "Over 12 Million Songs". In addition to millions of mp3 songs, I was pleasantly surprised by the number, and quality of
movie
downloads. There were so many files to choose from, it was difficult to distinguish movie files from music files. EZMP3's allows you to search for multiple files & formats simultaneously, which may have complicated my search.
AllCoolMusic puts the BLING in downloading. They use a state-of-the-art client that provides enhanced sound quality which is superior to its competition. This website uses Flash technology which slightly slows the page loading speed, but once you become a member this is no longer a problem. This site is a favorite among user who enjoy pop, hip hop, r&b, or rock music.