BUGS WITH BENEFITS: Why Paying More For Mp3 Downloads Makes Cents

It is 2:00 AM and everyone in the house is asleep. You’re at the computer about to do something naughty. Something so nasty it’s illegal. You’re bad and you love it! But free mp3 downloads are more than just a way to keep a nickel out of Eddie Van Halen’s pocket. It’s a good way to fry your computer.

Downloading anything could potentially put your computer at risk. Unfortunately the world is full of bugs creating a big sloppy mess. But, the probability of getting bugged from a service that assures your computer’s safety is reduced to an extreme. With totally free music downloads, it is not a matter of it, but rather when you get infected.

Downloading from sites featuring totally free mp3 downloads is cheap. But it comes with a price. Three words: Spyware. Adware. Viruses. When you want the comfort of knowing where your download is coming from, you need a site you can trust. This is really just the beginning of why paying a flat, low fee each month makes “cents” and pays off in the end.

Why Pay When You Can Get It For Free?

I know, I know. Paying a subscription for free downloads is like spending $9 on a banana split at a gourmet ice cream shop when screen name: BigBob126 is giving it away for free. Aside from the obvious bug analogies I could make, does BigBob126’s ice cream come in 20 million flavors? And how long will it take him to give you your ice cream?

Going to a site you know has unlimited downloading capabilities for millions of songs and videos and paying a few dollars to do it makes sense. Benefits:

•    Faster downloads
•    Finer quality cuts
•    Safety (no spyware and no viruses make Jack a happy boy)

On several sites you will find file sharing done by peers. This concept isn’t unique or remarkable. But what I like about this is that you feel like you’re a part of a community of music lovers. I’ve discovered a certain type of sterility with the some other services offering mp3 downloads.

Of course, being a part of something does not make something great. Be sure what you’re getting is worth the subscription price. Consider this…

The Math Speaks Volumes

Hold the cost of paying a monthly fee, to paying by the song. Let’s say a song costs $1.29. Heck! Let’s say it costs 99 cents for the mp3 download. You buy Ludacris’ new album CD for $10.99. There are 11 songs. You just spent about 99 cents per-song.

Now, set that aside. A monthly subscription for a premium plan on a site offers unlimited mp3 downloads. In a week you’ve found peers who recommended 37 songs, all from artists you really love. The second week you download 5 albums (76 songs), the third and fourth you download 15 songs. Seven albums and 56 songs later…

You see where I’m headed, don’t you? A small, monthly fee is much more cost effective for getting the music you like when you want it, right from the privacy of your home.

For one of the largest selections of 100% legal music and videos for downloading go to bearshare.com . They offer mp3 free downloads music that can be burned to disks, as well as saved to playlists. I’ve found these simple features incredibly helpful and the monthly fee is more than worth it.