iTunes Music Store Alternatives
Macintosh & iPod users looking for an alternative to iTunes Music store have a fairly good alternative: eMusic. I joined eMusic recently and found that it works very well.
Unlike most other download services which use an incompatible DRM format, eMusic sells completely unprotected MP3 files which work perfectly in iTunes and will play on an iPod. Their basic service gives you 40 downloads a month for $9.95. Unlike other subscription services, if you cancel your subscription your music will still work. Unfortunately their music selection is very limited, although they have a decent selection of indie artists & international music.
When you download a song from eMusic, it automatically launches their download manager application which lists all of your downloads and lets you pause & resume a download. Double-clicking a completed download will open iTunes and add it to the library.
For World Music fans, Calabash Music also has a Mac-compatible download service which sells unprotected MP3 files for $0.99 each.
