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With streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music, accessing your favorite albums and songs is affordable and easy. But there's a few drawbacks: the rights holders can remove your favorite tracks at any moment, plus it doesn't help to finance anyone but the labels and the really big artists. However, there are a number of ways to support your favorite bands, and one of these is to invest in physical media like vinyl or CDs, or you can go completely digital and yet still claim permanent ownership. It's also better for the environment, probably. Here are the best ways to buy digital music and keep it forever.
Why should I buy digital music?
Buying digital music, such as MP3s or FLAC files, has more benefits than you realize. Once you purchase music, it can be stored on any device, meaning it's yours to keep forever. Digital music stores also offer instant downloads after your purchase, and there's often a choice between different formats, such as MP3s or AAC to save space and money or lossless FLAC, ALAC or WAV versions for a noticeable increase in quality. (They usually cost the same as MP3s.) If you prefer physical media and aren't too bothered about storage, you can buy CDs and rip the music the old-fashioned way.
Whether you want to buy a single song or a whole album, we've rounded up the very best digital music stores out there. From iTunes and Amazon to Bandcamp and Qobuz, most of these stores offer apps for both Android and iOS, allowing you to easily listen to the music you purchase. Or you download them onto your phone, a computer or even a Walkman.
Read more: Best MP3 Players for 2025
Apple Photo Gallery 1/1 Apple Best catalog of digital music iTunes Pros One of the biggest music catalogs of any service
AAC files can be read by most music players and phones Cons No lossless options
Transition from iTunes to Apple Music has been awkward Average cost per album: $10 Maximum bit rate: 256Kbps (AAC) iTunes may no longer be the star of the company's lineup, given that Apple Music is the focus right now, but it's still one of the biggest digital marketplaces. iTunes still sets the standard for lossy music downloads, and its catalog should furnish all but your most obscure needs. iTunes doesn't sell MP3s, it sells songs in its own AAC format, but they can be read by almost every modern player. If you use MacOS Catalina or above you can access the marketplace from Music > iTunes Store. If you don't have a Apple Music membership you can still listen to your iTunes purchases in the Music app, but if you want to download lossless files keep in mind you will need a subscription. ... Show more Get it now See at Apple
Bandcamp/CNET Photo Gallery 1/1 Bandcamp/CNET Best for indie music Bandcamp Pros One of the best ways to support the artists and labels that you love
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