Top 7 Digital Music Services

Apple's iTunes Store is regarded by many as having the biggest selection of music tracks on the planet, over 6 million in fact. If you own an iPod or intend to purchase one then the iTunes Store is the perfect place to fill up on your favorite music. However, Apple's online store is more than just a digital music service; there are other sub-stores which provide music videos, audiobooks, free podcasts and more.

Amazon MP3 is a relatively new online music service, but don't let that put you off. Since its launch in 2007, it has increased its music catalog to over 3 million tracks. The most impressive aspect of the Amazon MP3 service is that all the digital music comes as high quality DRM-free downloads (MP3). Which means that there are no restrictions on what you can do with your purchases.

Napster is both a subscription based service and music store that contains over 4 million songs to choose from. Selecting the subscription route gives you the opportunity to pick as many songs as you like and listen to them providing you keep your subscription going. You can alternatively buy your music outright rather than subscribing and enjoy your music without the need for regular monthly payments.

The RealNetworks Rhapsody music service provides millions of digital music tracks for you to buy or subscribe to using their membership service. You can share music with others by using a 'rhaplink' which you can embed into e-mails, websites, blogs etc. If you want to showcase Rhapsody first before committing yourself financially, then you can listen to 25 full length music tracks for free every month using the free Rhapsody software.

eMusic is a subscription based service that provides a digital music catalog of over 2 million tracks. A free trial is offered, giving you the chance to try out their service by downloading up to 25 free music tracks. The big plus is that all downloaded tracks are DRM-free MP3 files that play on the majority of digital music players. This service is iPod friendly and there are no restrictions on how many times you can copy or burn downloaded files.