Because these terms are relatively generous, the major record labels and top-selling acts don’t sell their music here. But over 5,500 independent record labels do, making eMusic a rich destination for music lovers. eMusic's catalog has over 730,000 tracks from over 31,000 artists, and includes rich archives of historically important music. Think of eMusic as a cross between a college town record store, where you’ll find lots of underground and truly independent music, and one of those used record stores where you can find amazing old classics for next to nothing. eMusic also offers recordings of live club performances from around the country through it’s eMusicLive program.

As a subscription-based service, eMusic requires you to spend a minimum of $10 a month on the service, and so is not recommended for someone who is happy buying one or two CDs per year. But for the more active buyer, eMusic represents a good value, providing subscribers an ongoing stream of reasonably priced downloads. The free trial is generous, and the subscription, which runs from month to month, can be cancelled at any time.

Getting music is a matter of browsing the eMusic Web site, and selecting individual tracks or albums to download. The downloading process is handled by the eMusic Download Manager software, versions of which are available for Windows, Macintosh, and Linux users. If you lose your files or need to download them to another computer, eMusic will let you download them again. Provided your subscription is active, repeat downloads will not count against your monthly allocation of tracks.

The variety of eMusic's catalog is one of the service's main assets. By definition, much of the music comes from outside the commercial mainstream. Like Rhapsody, eMusic has done a good job of providing paths into the catalog. The newly redesigned Web site lets you browse music by genre and subgenre, decade and region. TOP ALBUMS (listed by popularity) and EDITOR’S PICKS lists can also be browsed. These music listings can then be further refined. For example, if you are browsing albums under the category of Jazz Fusion, you can click on the REFINE BY: TOP ALBUMS link to get a list of top albums in the subgenre of Jazz Fusion. Clicking on the REFINE BY: EDITOR’S PICKS link will now restrict this list to albums that are also editor’s picks. Clicking on additional REFINE BY links will filter the list further. eMusic lets you search for music by artist, album, or track name—like most other services—but also lets you search by composer or record label.

Other tools are available to help you choose what to download. Album reviews and artist biographies are supplied from the makers of the Allmusic Web site. Columns and essays from leading music journalists, in which eMusic offerings are discussed, are also supplied. Thirty second music samples let you listen before you download. When you find albums of interest, you can bookmark them by clicking on a link marked, SAVE FOR LATER.

The CHARTS button at the top of the home page takes you to various Top 20 chart lists. These include lists of the Top 20 most popular songs, artists, albums, record labels, and live performances (taken from the eMusicLive program). As new artists or recordings come into the mix, the charts change. A scan of top artists will reveal any big-name artists whose material was recently included. Optional e-mail newsletters will alert you to new releases in your genres of interest.

eMusic's message boards allow you to discuss music with other eMusic subscribers and see what they are listening to and recommending. There are message boards for each of the major categories of music (e.g., electronic, rock/pop, jazz, classical) as well as a general message board for discussions that aren't specific to a particular genre of music. You can also create and save lists of favorite albums and songs, add your personal commentary, and then share them with other subscribers. Or, if you choose, keep them private.

Subscribers can also post reviews and ratings of albums, and view the music preferences of other subscribers. These include NEIGHBORS and FRIENDS. NEIGHBORS are subscribers who exhibit similar downloading patterns to your own. FRIENDS are subscribers whose music profiles you have chosen to keep tabs on.

Reachable from the toolbar at the top of every page, the YOUR PROFILE page is where you can access your personal eMusic information. Here you can access a list of tracks and albums you have downloaded, your SAVE FOR LATER list, your ratings and reviews, as well as any other lists that you may have created. Here you can also access the profiles of your eMusic NEIGHBORS and FRIENDS.

The EDIT PROFILE button gives you the option of making your personal information visible to other subscribers, including your name, location, gender, e-mail address, and Yahoo IM handle. You can also post an ABOUT ME statement up to 250 words long.

These subscription plans run month to month and can be cancelled at any time. Unfortunately, any unused tracks are not carried over to the next month. Additional tracks, that do carry over, can be purchased in the form of “booster packs.” A 10 track booster pack costs $4.99 (50 cents per track); a 25 track pack costs $9.99 (40 cents per track); a 50 track pack costs $14.99 (30 cents per track). These options can be managed from your eMusic account page. Gift subscription purchases are also available.

First, make sure you have jukebox software installed on your computer that will let you store, organize, and play MP3 files. Options include Musicmatch Jukebox, Media Jukebox and Apple’s iTunes jukebox software.

Next, go to the eMusic Web site (http://www.emusic.com) and sign-up for the free trial-subscription that is offered. Then, follow instructions for downloading the version of the eMusic Download Manager software that is appropriate for your computer operating system. Supported operating systems include Windows 98/ME/2000/XP, Macintosh OS 9/10, and Linux). Now start downloading and playing some music!

See Chapter 32, eMusic Discovery Plan, for a detailed seven-day plan showing you how to get up-to-speed with eMusic, and get the most out of it.

• Best selection of independent label music—great for music discovery
• Good selection of music from historically important artists
• Cost per track is 25 cents or less
• MP3 files can be played on most portable music players, including the iPod
• Rich music information including reviews, artist information, and articles
• MP3 files are free of digital rights management (DRM) restrictions & hassles
• Ability of subscribers to share discoveries through message boards and "favorites" lists
• Available to Windows, Macintosh, and Linux users

• Major label artists and music are largely absent
• “Use them or lose them” expiring downloads
• No online jukebox or premium Internet radio option is provided

• People looking to build a portable music library economically
• People interested in alternatives to mainstream commercial music
• People who prefer their music files free of digital rights management (DRM)
• Active music buyers

• Question: When is a Subscription Service Not a Subscription Service?
• eMusic Expands Classical Offering, Adds Naxos Recordings
• Finding Four-Star Jazz on eMusic
• eMusic Now Offering a Discount for Annual Subscriptions
• What's a Classical Music Lover to do?
• eMusic to Introduce Toolbar for Internet Explorer Users
• The Best Music of 2004: Who Has it and for How Much?
• Get Your Playlist On! (music mix resources)
• eMusic Adds Music Information, Community Features