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Editor's Choice

Amazon MP3 (beta)

review DATE:10.03.07

Amazon MP3
Home Page Cheap Albums Artist Page

Ratings

EditorVery Good

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review

By Rick Broida

Click here to visit Amazon MP3

See you in hell, DRM. Amazon MP3 sells unprotected mainstream music at affordable prices, without any of the Digital Rights Management restrictions that saddle songs purchased from iTunes, Napster, Rhapsody, Zune Marketplace, and most other digital-download stores. Though just launched and still in beta, Amazon MP3 already delivers an easy, enjoyable, and refreshingly fair shopping experience—one that's sure to please music consumers exasperated by DRM's hassles and limitations.

red arrow Read the Amazon MP3 (beta) full review

Company

Amazon Inc

http://www.amazon.com

Spec Data
  • Price as Tested: $0.89 - $0.99
  • Type: Personal
  • Free: No
  • OS Compatibility: Windows Vista, Windows XP, Linux, Mac OS
  • Notes: $0.89-0.99 per song; $5.99-9.99 per album

Bottom Line

Amazon does digital music right with its new DRM-free MP3 store, combining competitive pricing with an easy shopping experience and hassle-free listening.

Pros

No DRM. No subscription required. Low prices, especially on albums. High-resolution album art included with each track. Download manager automatically adds songs to iTunes or Windows Media Player library. Shoppers can preview individual tracks or entire albums.

Cons

Missing content from two major music labels. Storefront lacks pizzazz. Minimal music-discovery tools.

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