All products featured on WIRED are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.
Crunch Music
www.crunch.co.uk
The up-to-the-minute source for British dance tracks from a crew of sizzling indie labels, including Platipus Records and Silver Planet. The site also weighs in with reviews of the hottest MP3 players.
About $1.60 per track
eatsleepmusic.com
www.eatsleepmusic.com
This collection of 1,500 - and counting - downloadable and streaming tunes offers something for every ear - not to mention a $49.95 karaoke package for those who want to sing along.
Free
EMusic.com
www.emusic.com
Some 10,000 MP3 tracks (including about 30 free promotional cuts), with more added regularly, ranging from alternative rock to jazz, world fusion, gospel, and hip hop.
$0.99 per track; downloadable albums $8.99
Internet Underground Music Archive
www.iuma.com
The seminal Net music source, IUMA promotes and distributes tunes from over 4,000 unsigned artists, with an emphasis on cutting-edge, indie, and techno sounds.
Most tracks free; some tracks $0.99 each
Liquid Audio
www.liquidaudio.com
A one-stop shop for downloads, with a catalog of 23 genres and some 5,400 encrypted tracks from major and indie artists. Free downloadable player available.
Free to $1.99 per track
listen.com
www.listen.com
Spanning more than 500 genres, this massive directory offers sound clips and reviews by the listen.com editors as well as users. The resource includes links to sites with legally downloadable music.
Free
MP3s on UBL
content.ubl.com/cca/rio
This Ultimate Band List site features five new MP3 files a week from pop and alternative artists who authorize free distribution. You can also click through to the listening station to hear new, streaming music before it's released.
Free
MusicMatch
www.musicmatch.com
A bookmark must for indie mavens, boasting some 1,000 MP3 tracks and links to thousands more.
Free tracks; $4.99-per-month subscription for 25 tracks from independent artists
Riffage.com
www.riffage.com
This Amazon.com of the MP3 universe sells downloadable indie tracks. Visitors can hear sample clips, read reviews, and create custom-ized playlists.
About $0.40 to $0.99 per track
Shoutcast
www.shoutcast.com
An MP3 directory of Shoutcast files available to anyone using the popular Winamp player (or a shareware equivalent). With about 500 stations or channels playing at any given time, Shoutcast offers an eclectic range of stations (from reggae to techno), as well as an option to create your own radio program.
Free
Spinner.com
www.spinner.com
The Spinner player lets users tune in to 120-plus channels of streaming music - anything from rock to urban, dance to moodfood. More than 175,000 songs available.
Free
WorldWideBands
www.worldwidebands.com
Alternative, hip hop, jazz, and blues from indie bands and artists around the globe.
Free
mp3 2000 www.MP3-2000.com
MP3.com www.MP3.com
MP3now www.MP3now.com
Mp3-Place www.MP3-place.com
Mp3Spy www.MP3spy.com
RioPort.com www.rioport.com
FileQuest.com www.filequest.com
Filez www.filez.com
FindSongs.com www.findsongs.com
Kermit www.oth.net
Lycos MP3 Search MP3.lycos.com
MP3meta www.MP3meta.com
Mediafind search.MP3.de
musicseek www.audioforge.net
Palavista www.palavista.com
2Look4 www.2look4.com
AudioCatalyst 2.01, by Xing Technology
www.xingtech.com/MP3/audiocatalyst
Converting CDs to MP3s faster than real time, the system rips, encodes, and manages files with a flexible, intuitive interface. Plays MP3 plus CD Audio, MPEG-1 Video, and WAV.
$29.95
Jukebox 4.0, by MusicMatch
www.musicmatch.com/jukebox
This player lets you manage CD-quality music from the Net, CDs, or even vinyl and cassettes. Advanced options include fade control and a customizable interface. A stripped-down version with lower audio quality is free.
$29.99
Liquid Player, by Liquid Audio
www.liquidaudio.com
The Liquid Player handles MP3, with support for the Windows Media format coming soon. One-click options let you buy songs or CDs or "Get song free." Downloads, however, are a bit slow.
Free
MacAMP, by Soft
www.macamp.com
The simple interface packs a punch, with high-quality sound and plug-ins for graphics or sound formats. Look for upgraded features.
Free
RealJukebox, by RealNetworks
www.real.com/realjukebox/index.html
The speediest of players lets you download more than 1,000 songs and record CDs - fast. Plays MP3, plus G2, legacy M2U, RealAudio, and WAV.
$29.99 with RealPlayer Plus G2
Sonique, by Night 55
www.sonique.com
A playful option, with animated menus and controls. Plays MP3, plus CD Audio, IT, MOD, WAV, and XM.
Free
Virtuosa Gold 3.1, by AudioSoft
www.virtuosa.com
An all-in-one player that downloads and plays, rips from, and burns to CD, and organizes MP3, plus LMP3, MIDI, SMP3, and WAV. Special features include fast-forward and rewind.
$29.99
Winamp 2.22, by Nullsoft
www.winamp.com
Still one of the most popular players around, coupling an easy-to-use, configurable interface with cool visualization tricks like a frequency-analysis display. Supports MP3, plus CD Audio, MP1, MP2, WAV, Microsoft WMA, and more.
$10 for consumers; $25 for businesses
Windows Media Player 6.2, by Microsoft
www.microsoft.com/windows/mediaplayer
Sparse on features, Microsoft's up-and-coming player supports the widest selection of codecs, including MP3, plus ASF, AU, AVI, ID3, MIDI, MOV, MPEG,VOD, WAV, and WMA, and can be upgraded automatically.
Free
audiohighway.com
www.audiohighway.com
A diverse library of streaming and downloadable audiobooks and music amounting to more than 5,000 items.
Free
barnesandnoble.com
www.bn.com
More than 700 book titles, as well as The Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition, can be downloaded to the Rocket eBook, a 22-ounce handheld that stores up to 10 full-length books.
$2 to $24 per title; Rocket eBook:$399
broadcast.com
www.broadcast.com
The Nile of streaming media has added downloadable options: Music, audiobooks, and now full-length movies are there for the taking (albeit only with a Windows Media Player in hand).
Free
Download.com
www.download.com
CNET's gateway to downloadable tools links you to anything from drivers to Palm apps to genealogy shareware. MP3 links are abundant.
Free
Launch.com
www.launch.com
"Everything but classical" music, music videos, and video interviews with artists. Downloadable and streaming content available through the Windows Media Player.
Free
Librius.com
www.librius.com
Sells and delivers digital books to PDAs, PCs, and Librius' 8-Mbyte, 12-ounce Millennium E-Reader.
$3.50 to $18 per title;
Millennium E-Reader: $199
Sightsound.com
www.sightsound.com
This music-download site passes on higher-than-industry-standard royalties to artists. It also rents and sells videos.
$1.99 per track; videos $14.99 and up, rentals $2.95 and up
SonicNet
www.sonicnet.com
The music network for contemporary tunes, Sonic dials you in to streaming music and video through its visual radio station, FlashRadio, and the music-video site Streamland.
Free
SITES + SOUNDS
Music Sites
MP3 Portals
Audio Search Engines
Software Players
Media sites
