When downloading music, you may need some tips to do it properly. The process does require a bit of know-how, and this article is here to provide just that. Read on to learn and take advantage of the advice gathered from around the web in order to help you.

When you download music, always keep track of songs and albums that you have already purchased. Don’t waste money buying songs twice! Check out the history of the music you purchased.

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.

Free Music Archive and The Internet Archive offer free music that is completely legal to download. Check them out if you are working on building your collection. They often contain music from obscure or lesser known artists, and the music spans every genre. Downloading is simple once you are at the site.

Make sure you have broadband internet connection if you download music online. If you have a dial-up connection, the download will be much slower and the files will take forever to transfer. So if you want to enjoy your music right away, a broadband connection is the way to go.

Stick with trusted websites for your music downloads. The biggest problem with untrusted sites is that they can contain viruses, but you might also be putting yourself in legal jeopardy if you download music from a less respectable site. Take the time to research a site before you download to make sure it is both safe and legal to use.

If money is tight, you may want to buy a CD from Amazon.com instead of buying a digital track for 99 cents. CDs these days, especially used ones on Amazon, are really cheap. You can buy many of your favorites for just a few dollars. Then when you get it, burn the songs from the CD to make them digital downloads. So for the price of 1 or 2 songs, you’ve just gotten 10 to 15 songs.

If you download music from a peer-to-peer service, take the time to clean up the metadata of the files you get. The metadata is the who, what, and where of the file. Things like the artist name, the album name, the track title, and the genre. A little clean up can go a long way to your digital player being able to deliver the best experience for you.

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.

Downloading music is not difficult to get the hang of. Patience and advice is all you need. Use these tips so that you can start to build a great collection of your favorite music.