Great Places to Listen to Music Online

The first step in getting into cybermusic listening is to understand the different formats available and their respective strengths and weaknesses. Apart from the usual wav and midi formats, which can play on any Windows media player, Real Audio and its emerging competitor MP3 are the most popular formats for sound files. Real Audio, one of the first formats to offer real-time streaming CD quality sound, allows you to listen to music without downloading it to your hard-drive thus saving you disk space and time as files are relatively small. MP3, on the other hand, allows you to download tracks directly to your hard drive or other storage device and listen to them at your leisure whenever you want. There are even portable MP3 players that allow you to take your MP3 files wherever you go. The major drawback to this format is that file sizes tend to be on the large size and take up lots of drive space. Both of these formats require you to download a special player which can decipher these formats.

So now you know what you are getting into, you can get into it. Your first stop on your musical trek through cyberspace should definitely be Artist Direct. According to the blurb on the web page, the site features "Anything you could ever want to know about music and it's the only place to feature official store channels run by the artists themselves. No one brings you closer to your favorite artists and the music you love." From Backstreet Boys Direct to Pink Floyd and Roxy Music, the news, views, tour and artist info and of course, the free music downloads and clips are all easily accessible. The majority of files are in MP3 format. And because the site features official store channels, you can be sure you are not violating any copyright laws while you are enjoying the cool sounds of your favourite artist. Bookmark this site now!

Audio Highway is another excellent site that features tunes from the latest albums and singles and by artists both well-known and obscure. The site includes a streaming radio-type player that allows you to listen to a rotating selection of top singles in various categories, from rock to golden oldies. If you can handle the rather annoying advertisements - "after all someone has to pay for all this free stuff" - you should enjoy many hours of listening pleasures. There are also MP3 files by your favourite artists to download.

If you prefer listening to live radio broadcasts online, there are a number of resources available to you. One of the most comprehensive is the WindowsMedia.com Radio Station Guide. You can find links to DiscJockey.com Teen Idols which delivers a variety of pop and dance tunes from the Backstreet Boys to Debbie Gibson. The page invites you to "tune in to WROR for your Oldies fix and for some international flavor, check out the soft -rock mix from Italy's own Radio Primiero. An easy to use search engine allows you to find radio stations that match your musical tastes. You can also subscribe to a newsletter which will inform you when new stations are added. Music is not the only kind of radio you can find on this excellent site; links to talk radio broadcasts are also on hand.

The WindowsMedia.com site also features a music download page which lists the latest free and not so free downloads from a variety of sites. Visit http://windowsmedia.microsoft.com/music/downloads.asp to enjoy the best in Internet music downloads at CD quality sound.

If MP3 is your thing, the best place to go is the MP3 Web at www.mp3web.com. This mega-site features a search engines that allows you to search for your favourite songs in MP3 format, links to band web sites, information and links to MP3 hardware and software and downloads of the latest hits. Updated regularly and easy to navigate, this site offers the best in MP3 information, links and news. Another must-see!

If you are looking for information on Real Audio files, visit the official Real Audio web site at www.realaudio.com where you can download the latest version of the RA player - sometimes for free and sometimes not, depending on the version. While you are there check out the latest news on Real Audio and the links to official music files in RA format online.

The official MP3 web site at www.mp3.com offers information on the technology behind MP3 as well as a community section with chat facilities and links to file downloads, software info on players, encoders, plug-ins and utilities and hardware purchases. You can download the latest players here as well as finding out where to purchase portable ones. The site also houses a good collection of free music downloads.

If you are interested in sampling music before you buy, try one of the CD sections of big online stores like Amazon.com and CDNow. You can usually listen to full or partial tracks from albums and singles by your favourite artists. The selection is much larger than with personal download sites and you can purchase your CDs at the same time, often at discount prices.

MP3 and Real Audio are not the only fish in the see. Beatnik allows many of the same functions as the other two, including real-time streaming radio networks and sound embedding in web pages. You need the Beatnik player to listen to these files, but you can download it from www.beatnik.com. The official site also contains information on recording your own music using Beatnik and adding sounds to your web page. A good resource for music lovers and musicians alike. The All About Music web site located at www.music.com offers a comprehensive database about music, artists and albums with the latest news, releases and downloads. Sign up for their free music newsletter and learn more about the site, its services and the music it is all about.

These sites, representing the best of the Music Web, are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Internet music resources. Search any leading engine with keywords and phrases such as "listen to music" and "mp3" and you will find hundreds upon thousands of links to sites with everything from lyric databases to music downloads. So get surfing and happy listening!