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Classical Music Downloads - Tips for Finding and Downloading Classical Music

Napster and iTunes

By , About.com Guide

Here is the easiest and best way of getting classical music to your ears without having to leave the comfort of your own home. With the success of Napster and iTunes, finding, downloading, and taking your classical music with you wherever you go is a snap. Each service has their own benefits and drawbacks, which I'll explain in further detail below. For more in depth information about each music platform, visit About.com's Guide to Digital Music's reviews of Napster and iTunes.

Benefits of Using Napster

  • Huge selection of classical music downloads
  • You can listen to music without having to download it, saving you precious hard drive space
  • Pay a low monthly fee for the Napster premium service or use their free version
  • Easy to use
  • Compatible with over 75 portable music players
Drawbacks of Using Napsert
  • Can't burn tracks to CD unless you purchase them
  • Some artists' music is not available on Napster service
  • Once your membership is over, all of the downloaded music to your compatible MP3 player will expire
Benefits of Using iTunes
  • Huge selection of classical music downloads
  • Buy entire albums or single tracks
  • Easy to use system
  • iTunes software is free and readily available to download
  • Enjoy the other benefits of using iTunes, like downloading your favorite TV shows, movies, audio books, podcasts, and more
  • Easy to burn CDs from purchased music
Drawbacks of Using iTunes
  • Portable devices only compatible with iTunes are the iPods
  • Purchasing many tracks can get rather pricey
  • Downloading music to your computer takes up a lot of hard drive space if you don't have an iPod or a second hard drive

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