class="align-right" title="sound sunday" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/images/recurring/sound-sunday.png?323f2c" alt="free music" width="210" height="210" />Sound Sunday is a weekly feature promoting free album downloads. Every edition invites you to explore various genres and artists from around the world. This first edition of 2012 is taking you on a journey of genres from electronic beats, via pop and folk to progressive rock and metalcore.

Please share your thoughts and post your feedback in the comments. Album submissions, suggestions, and genre requests via email [tina at makeuseof dot com] are most welcome!

title="Joe Mazz Electronic Homepage" href="http://joeymazz.com/">Joe Mazz Electronic – Mad Times

Genre: electronic, beats, dub, instrumental, hip hop

style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=3332853716/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" frameborder="0" width="400" height="100">

From Joe’s website: “Joe Mazzarella is a music producer and recordist with experience in a variety of genres. Whether working with local singer-songwriters, crafting beats for rap artists, or creating lively recordings of rock bands, Joe produces professional quality tracks with sounds that stay true to an artist’s music.” /> From the album intro: “I’m always torn between the jazz world and the world of funk and groove, so even though this album has a ton of beats and grooves I couldn’t help adding in some jazz elements, some piano solos, and guitar solos by the great Jimmy Morrell!”

Mad Times is a name your price download from title="Joe Mazz Electronic - Mad Times" href="http://joemazzelectronic.bandcamp.com/">Bandcamp.

title="Moddi Homepage" href="http://www.moddi.no/">Moddi – Moddimiks 2010

Genre: alternative, indie, pop, post rock, acapella, compilation

style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=445828828/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" frameborder="0" width="400" height="100">

From Moddi’s title="Moddi Facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/floriography?sk=info">Facebook profile: “My name is Pål Moddi Knutsen, twenty-four years old as I write this. I come from an island called Senja in the far north of Norway. Whoever you are, and whatever reason you have for listening: thank you for lending me your time!” /> Moddi was title="Sound Sunday Edition December 18 2011" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-free-antistress-mp3-albums-download-sound-sunday-december-18th/">previously featured on Sound Sunday with his album Away From Home.

Moddimiks 2010 is a free download from title="Moddi - Moddimiks 2010" href="http://moddi.bandcamp.com/album/moddimiks-2010">Bandcamp.

title="Cloudbirds Homepage" href="http://www.cloudbirds.net/">Cloudbirds – Selftitled

Genre: folk

style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=2978518508/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" frameborder="0" width="400" height="100">

From their homepage: “Cloudbirds is the new roots-inspired venture of ex-The M’s bandmates Josh Chicoine, Joey King and Glenn Rischke. Using three-part harmonies and intertwining guitars, the Chicago trio moves effortlessly between heart-felt and down-home folk music.”

The selftitled album Cloudbirds is a free download from title="Cloudbirds - Selftitled" href="http://cloudbirds.bandcamp.com/album/cloudbirds">Bandcamp.

title="David Löhstana Facebook" href="http://fr-fr.facebook.com/people/L%C3%B6hstana-David/1284150648">David Löhstana – Folk & Acoustic

Genre: acoustic, instrumental, folk

David Löhstana is an artist from France. Folk & Acoustic is an instrumental album where David demonstrates his guitar skills. The tunes are upbeat and relaxing.

Folk & Acoustic is a free download from title="David Löhstana - Folk & Acoustic" href="http://www.jamendo.com/en/album/92133">Jamendo.

title="Epic Soul Factory Jamendo" href="http://www.jamendo.com/en/artist/Epic_Soul_Factory">Epic Soul Factory – Volume One

Genre: orchestral, instrumental, soundtrack, film music

From their Jamendo profile: “¿Do you like movies? ¿Do you like trailer epic music movies? Then come here to listen some of our stuff. That’s exactly what we do. EPIC SOUL FACTORY it’s a group of four film music composers: Cesc Vilà, Fran Soto, Ysmer and Pela. Epic Soul Factory compose for trailer, cinema, tv, shortcuts…”

Epic Soul Factory’s Volume One is a free download from title="Epic Soul Factory - Volume One" href="http://www.jamendo.com/en/album/85641">Jamendo.

title="Rusko Homepage" href="http://www.ruskoonfire.com">Rusko – O.M.G.!

Genre: electronic, dubstep

id="tsFrame20787" src="http://cdn.topspin.net/api/v3/player/20787" frameborder="0" width="300" height="250">

From his title="Rusko Facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/ruskoofficial?sk=info">Facebook page: (…) “Rusko brought a highly driven energy and fun approach to the dubstep massive, quickly coining his own take on the genre that infected . His sound appealed to many people outside of the dubstep world as his productions became more adventurous in formula, sound and energy. His huge hit “Cockney Thug” has been played by everyone from Pete Tong, Switch, Diplo and Santogold. And has been remixed by Buraka Som sistema, Diplo, Drop the Lime and the Scratch Perverts.”

O.M.G.! is a free download from title="Rusko - O.M.G.!" href="http://www.ruskoonfire.com/remixes/">Rusko’s Homepage.

title="Donae'o Homepage" href="http://www.donaeo.com/home/">Donae’o – Indigo Child

Genre: urban, club, dance, house

style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=3377315516/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" frameborder="0" width="400" height="100">

From his homepage: “A kingpin where all things UK dance are concerned, Donaeo (meaning Gift from God) has been a staple fixture on the underground since his anthemic debut ‘My Philosophy (Bounce)’, made when he was just 16, aired back in 2001. Regarded not just as a producer, his forays into singing, rapping and songwriting have gone on to shape the star that’s in many ways still yet to be fully revealed. (…) “Last year I feel like I found myself and it’s kind of like this; you can look at ADHD in two ways… You can take pills for it or be an Indigo Child. The only difference between me and someone else is that I’ve got a lot of excess energy but I’ve found a way to channel it. I’m about dance music and this album is definitely that.””

Indigo Child is a free download from title="Donae'o - Indigo Child" href="http://donaeo.bandcamp.com/album/indigo-child">Bandcamp.

title="SKYPILOT Facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/SKYPILOT/126219517406492">SKYPILOT – Harold (You Sold Your Brother Down)

Genre: rock, stadium, art-rock

style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=2086058588/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" frameborder="0" width="400" height="100">

Technically, this two song single doesn’t qualify for Sound Sunday. However, great music always receives an exception. The title track is my favorite song of this edition. Also check out the song title="SKYPILOT - Light From A Dying Star" href="http://skypilot.bandcamp.com/track/light-from-a-dying-star">Light From A Dying Star.

From their Facebook page: “Locals of Brisbane, Australia, SKYPILOT have emerged to play a new kind of rock music that matches haunting soundscapes, untamed melodies and soaring vocals to create an elevating stadium rock experience. Their songs take you on an emotive journey from devastating lows to dizzying heights where you feel like you could defy the laws of gravity and levitate off the ground.”

Not to be missed is the little background story for each of their songs.

Harold (You Sold Your Brother Down) is a free download from title="SKYPILOT - Harold (You Sold Your Brother Down)" href="http://skypilot.bandcamp.com/">Bandcamp.

title="We're Doomed Facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/WereDoomed">We’re Doomed – Like A Machine

Genre: alternative, progressive rock

style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=2373839771/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" frameborder="0" width="400" height="100">

From their Facebook page: “We’re Doomed is an explosive culmination of tempered skill and intelligent song-writing. A groovy yet heavy assault on progressive rock, the 4-piece Halifax-based band draws inspiration from the impending apocalypse and the human condition. With heavy riffs, syncopated rhythms, dynamic vocals, and a general disregard for the genre barriers between rock, pop and metal, We’re Doomed will melt your face faster than a zombie outbreak would overrun civilization.”

Like A Machine is a name your price download from title="We're Doomed - Like A Machine" href="http://weredoomed.bandcamp.com/">Bandcamp.

title="Empty Lungs Facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/emptylungsni">Empty Lungs – Identity Lost

Genre: post-hardcore, punk, rock

style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=4057212765/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" frameborder="0" width="400" height="100">

From their Facebook page: “Empty Lungs (…) play passionate, angry and catchy music that draws influence from punk, folk, country and post-hardcore. The bands adrenaline laced live shows have gained them a reputation as a must see act and within a few months of playing shows around Ireland they had already received attention from local media and received airplay on BBC Radio 1. (…) 2012 will see Empty Lungs enter the studio to record an EP and after that the band intend to hit the road and do some heavy touring around Europe and the UK.”

Identity Lost is a free download from title="Empty Lungs - Identity Lost" href="http://emptylungs.bandcamp.com/">Bandcamp.

title="Stand for the Fallen Facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/Standforthefallen">Stand for the Fallen – Look Where We Are

Genre: alternative, rock, metalcore, screamo, post-hardcore

style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=886419126/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" frameborder="0" width="400" height="100">

From their title="Stand For The Fallen MoshCam" href="http://www.moshcam.com/stand-for-the-fallen/sydney-805.aspx">MoshCam profile: “Stand for the Fallen is a 5 piece Post-Hardcore band from the Northern Beaches area of Sydney. Tearing up the scene, appearing at many shows around the Sydney area with their energetic live act, Stand for the Fallen are only going to move on to bigger and better things as 2010 comes to a climax.”

Look Where We Are is a name your price download from title="Stand for the Fallen - Look Where We Are" href="http://sftfband.bandcamp.com/">Bandcamp.

New to Sound Sunday? Past editions of Sound Sunday are available title="Past Editions of Sound Sunday" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/soundsunday/">here.

Feel free to get in touch with me [tina at makeuseof dot com] to share free material, suggestions, and feedback or simply add your comments below.

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View full post on MakeUseOf

class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/jdownloader.png" alt="mass file downloader" />We’ve published href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/download-manager/">lots of articles about download managers here at MakeUseOf. FlashGet, Free Download Manager, and Download Accelerator plus are some of the favorites among Windows users. DownThemAll is usually the pick when we’re going for a mass downloader compatible with our favorite browser. One that we’ve yet to feature is href="http://jdownloader.com/">JDownloader. Some would say that it’s for the more advanced user, but it’s quickly becoming my favorite.

To help you guys fall in love with this little tool, I’m here to show you how to use JDownloader, in conjunction with a free and simple web tool, to mass download images or other files from open directories and websites.

In this example, I’ll be using an open directory that I found over at href="http://www.reddit.com/r/opendirectories/">/r/opendirectories on Reddit. That’s a great little spot to find downloadable content in ridiculous amounts. From there, I’ve managed to find an open directory full of sound effects. Let’s check out one href="http://silenteternity.org.nyud.net/Sound_Effects/BBC%20Sound%20Effects%20Library,%20The/ Animals%20&%20Birds">with sound effects for animals and birds (this link may be dead before you’re able to get to it, so a screenshot is below).

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/opendirectory.png" alt="mass file downloader" />

We’re hoarders and we want it all. The next step is to go to href="http://www.webmaster-toolkit.com/link-extractor.shtml">Webmaster Toolkit’s Link Extractor. This unique little tool will extract the links and images of any website you push through. Let’s copy and paste the open directory’s URL here. Since they’re links, we are extracting HREFs, not IMGs. IMGs would be used for extracting images. Those results should show up as displayed below.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/linkextractor.png" alt="mass file downloader program" />

Copy all of the results, excluding the last one. The last one is the parent directory link, which is basically one folder up in the directory. For anyone downloading from many open directories, you’ll always want to exclude the last result. Even if you include it though, you’ll just be downloading a single HTML webpage, so it’s not a big deal. Make sure the results are copied to your clipboard.

Your next step is to href="http://jdownloader.com/downloads/JDownloader.exe">download JDownloader and get it running.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/jdownloader_main.png" alt="mass file downloader program" />

Now let’s select where you’ll be saving the files to. Click on the Settings tab and you should see the following.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/jdownloader_settings.png" alt="mass file downloader program" />

After you’ve selected your directory, click the Linkgrabber tab. The Linkgrabber is basically JDownloader’s built-in system for checking the validity of links. That way, you won’t be attempting to download 404 pages or files that do not exist. It’s a good middleman between you and getting the files you want. Near the bottom left of this window, click Add URL(s). You should then see the following.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/jdownloader_list.png" alt="mass file downloader free" />

JDownloader has attempted to pull the list of URLs we copied from your clipboard, but for some reason the application seems to handle URLs with spaces incorrectly. Links should not include spaces, anyway.

Let’s bring up Notepad now. Paste your list of URLs. From the Edit menu, click Replace…. In the Find what: field, you want to put in a space. In the Replace with field, you want to enter “%20″ (without quotes). %20 is the hexidecimal value for a space. Then click Replace All. It should then replace all spaces with the hexidecimal value, and you’ll see an awful lot of them in your list. Don’t worry, that means it worked (you do not need to include this step in the process for websites without spaces in links, which is the case 99% of the time).

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/notepadurls.png" alt="mass file downloader free" />

Now we want to copy that list of URLs. Delete the single line in the JDownloader list and paste our new list. JDownloader then proceeds to check every file in the list and gives you a total download size.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/linklist.png" alt="mass file downloader free" />

Now, click the play button at the top to start your downloads. You’ll be automatically switched to the Downloads tab and you’ll be able to monitor your download progress. Your files are now downloading!

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/linkdownloads.png" alt="mass file downloader" />

Remember, using the link extractor you can extract HREFs or IMGs. If you have a particular page, forum thread, or other website filled with images you want to save, you can use this exact same process.

If you need any help or have any other questions regarding this little method, feel free to drop a line in the comments. JDownloader is for more advanced users (in my opinion) and further unassisted configuration can get a little tricky. I’m here to help.

View full post on MakeUseOf

class="align-right" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/images/recurring/sound-sunday.png" alt="" />Sound Sunday is a weekly free album feature, exploring various genres and featuring artists from around the globe. This edition once again takes you on a journey of sound, exposing you to the works of musicians from different corners of the world.

Please share your thoughts and post your feedback in the comments. Album submissions, suggestions, and genre requests via email [tina at makeuseof dot com] are most welcome!

title="Cathedral Pearls Facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/cathedralpearls">Cathedral Pearls – Cathedral Pearls

Genre: indie, rock

style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=3635479625/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" frameborder="0" width="400" height="100">

Cathedral Pearls is a band from Spokane, Washington. The members, Caleb, Karli, Max, and Carrie title="Cathedral Pearls Homepage" href="http://www.cathedralpearls.com/">about the band: “We play pretty fun, pretty loud rock music. Music is fun for us to play and we love to share it with you.”

Cathedral Pearls is a free download from title="Cathedral Pearls - Cathedral Pearls" href="http://cathedralpearls.bandcamp.com/album/cathedral-pearls">Bandcamp.

title="Sixty Years War Collective Homepage" href="http://www.sixtyyearswar.com/">Sixty Years War Collective – Mixtape Three

Genre: electronica, folk, pop, rock

style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=2608768868/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" frameborder="0" width="400" height="100">

From the album page: “Sixty Years War Collective is presenting a series of Mixtapes, showcasing great independent artists who are not necessarily associated with the collective. For each mix, a member of the collective will pick ten of their favorite independent musicians and bands to showcase. Chris Darby compiled Mixtape Three. Click on the info about each track to find out more info about the particular artist! Big thanks to all the folks who contributed to the fall mix!”

Mixtape Three is a free download from title="Sixty Years War Collective - Mixtape Three" href="http://sixtyyearswar.bandcamp.com/album/mixtape-three">Bandcamp.

title="wHaT iF? Homepage" href="http://www.whatif.nu/">wHaT iF? – Another Scary Thing – Redux

Genre: alternative, independent, rock

style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=468472526/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" frameborder="0" width="400" height="100">

From their homepage: “Back in 1980 Pål and Conny started talking about doing something together. They had a plan. “Lets make music!” The only problem was that the plan included Påls yet unknown and unborn daughter, Linnea. So they had to wait. In the years that followed, Conny joined up with experimental film-group “fRa-film” and Pål played in various bands and set up several studios in every basement he lived above. In the year 2005 the time was right. Påls daughter, now well known (and of course, born!), started to sing on Connys forthcoming album. Pål contributed some vocals and guitars. The collaboration expanded to such a degree that the “trinity of creativity” decided that it was time for “wHaTiF?” From April the 24th (2006) their first album, “Electricity” is available on iTunes (two years later they decided to give it away for free, so its no longer available on iTUnes). During the most part of 2006 they worked on the follow up, Another Scary Thing. Early 2009 the follow up to AST was released, The Final Meltdown. Since then the group took a well needed break and recharged the batteries.”

Another Scary Thing – redux is a free download from title="wHaT iF? - Another Scary Thing - redux" href="http://whatif.bandcamp.com/album/another-scary-thing-redux">Bandcamp.

title="The Low Anthem Homepage" href="http://www.lowanthem.com/site/">The Low Anthem – What The Crow Brings

Genre: alternative, folk

From their NoiseTrade profile: “The Low Anthem is an eclectic group of multi-instrumentalists formed in Providence, Rhode Island by Ben Knox Miller and Jeff Prystowsky and later joined by Jocie Adams. The music they play blends influences ranging from folk to blues and jazz to classical, creating a sound that is distinctly their own. What the Crow Brings is the band’s first self-released, self-produced album, recorded over the course of nine months in their Providence apartment in 2007. Since the release of What the Crow Brings, the band has gone on to international prominence with the breakthrough success of 2008′s Oh My God, Charlie Darwin and this year’s followup, Smart Flesh.”

What The Crow Brings is a free download from title="The Low Anthem - What The Crow Brings" href="http://noisetrade.com/thelowanthem">NoiseTrade.

title="The Will Callers Facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/TheWillCallers">The Will Callers – Make It Alright

Genre: rock’n’roll, americana, roots music

From their Facebook page: “The Will Callers are a young generation of alt-country/rock ‘n roll musicians from the southern suburbs of Fort Worth – and although there have been a lineup change or two, the idea remains the same: good friends writing and playing music together. Jake Murphy and Daniel Slatton have been playing music together since their early High School years, and through the course of genre and lineup changes, found their niche in the alt-country/rock and roll/americana genres. The most current lineup is Jake – vocals and guitar, Daniel – drums and vocals,and Justin – guitar.”

Make It Alright is a free download from title="The Will Callers - Make It Alright" href="http://noisetrade.com/thewillcallers">NoiseTrade.

title="Andre Merritt Homepage" href="http://elektrik-city.com/">Andre Merritt – Elektrik City

Genre: rhythm’n’blues, soul

width="580" height="423" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"> name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5FSDvZIhgIk?version=3&hl=en_US" /> name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> width="580" height="423" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5FSDvZIhgIk?version=3&hl=en_US" allowFullScreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" />

From his title="Andre Merritt Facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/AndreMerrittMusic?sk=info">Facebook page: “Andre Merritt is not only a prolific songwriter, but also an obvious great vocalist. ELEKTRIK CITY is the debut album for Andre Merritt. It features superstars such as Chris Brown in an Internet favorite “Erased”, Kelly Rowland on a fan favorite “Hangover”, Tinie Tempah, and Taboo of BEP. With the collaboration of UK producers Agent X and titles such as “Prostitute”, “Neon”, “Circuit”, and “Mr. Right Now”. ELEKTRIK CITY is ground-breaking and vital to new music.” Andre Merritt has written hits for Rhianna, Chris Brown, Cheryl Cole, Omarion, and many more.

Elektrik City is a free download from title="Andre Merritt - Elektrik City" href="http://elektrik-city.com/">Andree Merritt’s Homepage.

title="LOTEK Homepage" href="http://lotek.cc/">LOTEK – Go

Genre: dub, reggae, ska, rap, hip hop

style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=4110296287/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" frameborder="0" width="400" height="100">

From his homepage: “BOOM! Is the sound that International Rudeboy Lotek makes when he takes to the stage and throws down his hip hop inflected ska reggae. Known as an outstanding producer in London for his work with hip hop superstar Roots Manuva and 2009 Mercury Prize winner Speech Debelle’s album Speech Therapy, he has been mixing up a storm in his now Melbourne based studio Counter Clockwise, remixing and tweaking local artists and releasing his new album International Rudeboy. />

From studying Sound Engineering in London, honing his craft first at the UK Motown Studios and working at West London’s Rollover Studios, he collaborated with the likes of Seal, Leftfield and Take That before moving on and becoming a regular at the Big Dada and Ninja Tunes label with his own work. He moved on to write the music for the Playstation game Getaway 2- Black Monday and went on to win a BBC Urban Music Bursary Award and used part of the prize money to travel to Eastern Europe and Australia touring writing and recording.”

Go is a free download from title="LOTEK - Go" href="http://lotek.bandcamp.com/album/go">Bandcamp.

title="Cyclamen Facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/thiscyclamen">Cyclamen – Free Demos

Genre: experimental, metal, post-rock

style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=2401235836/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" frameborder="0" width="400" height="100">

Cyclamen is the band of Hayato Imanishi from Japan. Together with guest musicians, he writes and records songs, and occasionally plays shows. After the live band split up in June 2011, they are presently looking for a drummer anywhere in the world.

Free Demos is a free download from title="Cyclamen - Free Demos" href="http://cyclamen.bandcamp.com/album/free-demos">Bandcamp.

title="Smile As She Cries Facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/SASCde?sk=info">Smile As She Cries – Can You See Us Now?

Genre: hardcore, post-hardcore, screamo

style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=3588593498/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" frameborder="0" width="400" height="100">

Can You See Us Now? was the debut EP of Smile As She Cries. The band was founded in late 2009 and played live for many months before splitting up in late summer 2011. From their Facebook page: “We are all still friends, even though our paths have diverted from one another. Keep a look out for some members in other performing groups. We’d like to thank our fans and our families for the insane support we have been so honored to receive.”

Can You See Us Now? is a free download from title="Smile As She Cries - Can You See Us Now?" href="http://smileasshecries.bandcamp.com/">Bandcamp.

title="C418 Homepage" href="http://c418.org/">C418 – Seven Years of Server Data

Genre: ambient, electronica, drum’n’bass

style="position: relative; display: block; width: 400px; height: 100px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=745008337/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" frameborder="0" width="400" height="100">

From the album page: “After cleaning up the folders on my server I decided to put up a collection of some songs as a free album. Bear with me though as this is a very varied collection from very old music to very recent remixes. Some might sound terrible and the sound quality is something that could be better (FLAC will not save you most of the time). However, I hope you appreciate this album as what it is.”

Seven Years of Server Data is a name your price download from title="C418 - Seven Years of Server Data" href="http://c418.bandcamp.com/album/seven-years-of-server-data">Bandcamp.

New to Sound Sunday? Past editions of Sound Sunday are available title="Past Editions of Sound Sunday" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/soundsunday/">here.

Feel free to get in touch with me [tina at makeuseof dot com] to share free material, suggestions, and feedback or simply add your comments below.

View full post on MakeUseOf

class="align-right" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/image228.png" alt="bit torrent clients" />BitTorrent is still a reliable and pretty fast way to download large files. It  might not be the best method out there, but sometimes it sure is the easiest. The clients are straightforward enough and the files are easy to come by. A while ago, we gave you a list of the best href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-best-torrent-clients-linux/">BitTorrent clients for Linux. You can also make use of our handy href="http://www.makeuseof.com/pages/free-torrent-guide">torrent guide.

Today, I will give you a list of the best Bit Torrent clients out there right now – each suited for somewhat different needs. However this list is not about the small technical aspects of each client, but is rather aimed at the average person who wishes to download files using BitTorrent.

href="http://www.tixati.com/">Tixati [Windows & Linux]

Tixati is a fairly new BitTorrent client that would appeal to beginner and veteran torrent users alike. The interface is very slick and easy to use, and if you’re not sure what every little thing means, you can easily focus on what you know.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/2011-10-24-11h00_32.png" alt="bit torrent clients" width="580" height="446" border="0" />

Tixati can supports magnet links, DHT and all the other usual things such as RSS. It’s highly customizable, with a wide array of bandwidth throttling options, different download and upload priorities and impressive control over user interface. With all those options in mind, Tixati is also aimed at beginners, and keeps prompting you with helpful messages and tips as well as the most important settings which you have to configure.

href="http://deluge-torrent.org/">Deluge [Windows, Mac & Linux]

Deluge is a minimalist BitTorrent client with far less options than Tixati, but it will definitely appeal to those who simply want to download torrents and maybe glance at some statistics.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/2011-10-24-11h18_18.png" alt="torrent clients" width="579" height="402" border="0" />

The interface is simple enough to use, although no helpful tips are provided for beginners.  Deluge is  a bit of a hefty download as it requires you to download and install the GTK+ runtime environment. If this is not a problem for you, Deluge offers all the usual basic features such as bandwidth throttling, and a set of plugins you can install to increase its functionality (RSS, for example, is supported only though a plugin).

Try this client if all you want to do is download, or if you’ve been around torrents for a while and don’t mind working a bit for customization.

href="http://www.vuze.com/">Vuze [Windows, Mac & Linux]

If you’re looking for a bit torrent client that will download torrents and that’s it, please don’t try Vuze. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but Vuze did something different than most other clients – they offer much, much more than just downloading torrents.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/2011-10-24-12h27_35.png" alt="torrent clients" width="579" height="551" border="0" />

Vuze ia a Java application (decide for yourself whether this is a pro or a con) which you can use to do anything from playing HD media, to searching for files; from playing games to managing RSS subscriptions. It even integrates with your iTunes library. Too much? It might be, but if you’re looking for an all-around solution, Vuze is a terrific option. Despite all these features, the regular torrent options are still rather accessible.

Download Vuze if it seems just too good to be true. Beware of the third party software it offers on installation, though.

href="http://www.utorrent.com/">uTorrent [Windows, Mac & Linux]

It’s hard to compile a list like this without mentioning uTorrent. uTorrent is probably the best-known BitTorrent client, and it still works very well. But despite its name (micro), uTorrent doesn’t feel so tiny anymore. It seems to have gone though a bloating process in the past few years, and is now a full-blown BitTorrent client for the masses, complete with third-party programs you need to opt out from during installation.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/2011-10-24-11h38_21.png" alt="torrent clients" width="579" height="545" border="0" />

These problems aside, it’s still a very good BitTorrent client which offers everything from DHT and magnet links to drag-and-drop interface for adding files. By way of helping newbies, uTorrent offers a Setup Guide which helps you test your network and configure it in order to get the best performance. This is pretty useful even if you already know what you’re doing. uTorrent also offers a rating system to help other users know which torrents are better than others.

If you think you can stomach the slight bloatedness of the client, be sure to give it a try.

Worth Mentioning: href="http://www.bittorrent.com">BitTorrent [Windows & Mac]

This is not really another client, as BitTorrent and uTorrent are pretty much the same thing nowadays. Take uTorrent, change the main color from green to purple and jiggle the UI around a bit, and you get BitTorrent.

class="aligncenter" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/2011-10-24-12h35_44.png" alt="bit torrent clients" width="553" height="501" border="0" />

BitTorrent actually feels a bit less bloated, and offers about the same features as uTorrent does. The UI is cleaner, with less options in it, which could be a pro or a con, depending on how you look at it. BitTorrent is also not available for Linux (as far as I could see), which could be somewhat of a deal breaker for Linux users.

Bottom Line

I’m always in search for a balance between functionality and minimalism. When it comes to Bit Torrent clients, Tixati is the surprising winner for me. It has all the option an average person could want, but still feels lightweight enough and easy to understand.

Which client do you use? Have any recommendations for clients we missed? Share in the comments.

Image credit: href="http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/388663/388663,1244813837,32/stock-vector-blue-tsunami-31905667.jpg" rel="nofollow">Shutterstock

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class="align-right" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/images/recurring/sound-sunday.png"/>You are listening to Sound Sunday!

Whether you’re walking in rainy Vancouver or tanning in sunny Lisbon, take note of the sounds around you. Every location, every season, and every hour has a unique pattern, an acoustic fingerprint. If you constantly walk around with the plugs in your ears, you’re missing out! Or maybe not? If you’re in dire need of fresh tunes, plug into Sound Sunday.

The comments are open for feedback and suggestions. Also feel free to send me an email [tina at makeuseof dot com].

title="Sidecar Rider Facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sidecar-Rider/100301232258?sk=info">Sidecar Rider – Aquele Peso Em Mim

Genre: indie, alternative, pop, rock

classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="400" height="100" data="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=1456380227/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" type="text/html"> name="movie" value="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=1456380227/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" /> name="quality" value="high" /> name="allowNetworking" value="always" /> name="wmode" value="transparent" /> name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /> name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" /> width="400" height="100" data="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=1456380227/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" type="text/html">

The Canadian, Brazilian and Scottish band of four lives and plays in São Paulo, Brazil. Aquele Peso Em Mim is their second album, following their 2010 debut Choir of Crickets.

Aquele Peso Em Mim is a free download from title="Sidecar Rider - Aquele Peso Em Mim" href="http://sidecarider.bandcamp.com/album/aquele-peso-em-mim">Bandcamp.

title="American Songwriter Magazine" href="http://americansongwriter.com/">American Songwriter Magazine – The Country Way

Genre: american, singer & songwriter, country, folk, sampler

classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="400" height="100" data="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=3640287252/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" type="text/html"> name="movie" value="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=3640287252/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" /> name="quality" value="high" /> name="allowNetworking" value="always" /> name="wmode" value="transparent" /> name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /> name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" /> width="400" height="100" data="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=3640287252/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" type="text/html">

From the title="American Songwriter Magazine" href="http://www.americansongwriter.com/2011/04/cmt11/">website: “In conjunction with our new country music issue, American Songwriter and CMT proudly present The Country Way Digital Volume 2, featuring 31 must-hear tracks from some of our favorite artists. And the best thing about it? It’s free!”

The Country Way is a free download from title="American Songwriter Magazine - The Country Way" href="http://americansongwriter.bandcamp.com/album/the-country-way-digital-sampler-vol-2-presented-by-cmt">Bandcamp.

title="Nodding by the Fire MySpace" href="http://www.myspace.com/noddingbythefire">Nodding by the Fire – At Home in the Wilderness

Genre: indie, acoustic, folk

classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="400" height="100" data="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=1425170389/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" type="text/html"> name="movie" value="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=1425170389/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" /> name="quality" value="high" /> name="allowNetworking" value="always" /> name="wmode" value="transparent" /> name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /> name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" /> width="400" height="100" data="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=1425170389/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" type="text/html">

From their title="Nodding by the Fire Last.fm" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Nodding+by+the+Fire">Last.fm profile: “Nodding By The Fire is a four piece instrumental band from Spain. Although the band sound is not limited and hold an eerie edge the band approach are more focused along folk stream, indie and acoustic vibes.”

At Home in the Wilderness is a free download from title="Nodding by the Fire - At Home in the Wilderness" href="http://noddingbythefire.bandcamp.com/">Bandcamp.

title="The Dead Ends Facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/TheDeadEnds?sk=info">The Dead Ends – Cellar Doors

Genre: alternative, rock />

classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="400" height="100" data="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=4130845758/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" type="text/html"> name="movie" value="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=4130845758/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" /> name="quality" value="high" /> name="allowNetworking" value="always" /> name="wmode" value="transparent" /> name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /> name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" /> width="400" height="100" data="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=4130845758/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" type="text/html">

The Dead Ends is an alternative rock band from Auburn, Alabama. The three guys just released their debut album Cellar Doors. It’s a promising piece, starting out with a powerful rock song (Mother and Father). Further into the album, every track invites a little bit of melancholy into the sound, reinforced by singer Will Fargason’s doleful vocals.

Cellar Doors is a free download from title="The Dead Ends - Cellar Doors" href="http://thedeadends.bandcamp.com/">Bandcamp.

title="ElectroSound Moscow" href="http://electrosound.ru/">Tulo and I/Dex – Footpaths of Autumn

Genre: ambient, electro, acoustic, breaks, dubstep

classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="400" height="100" data="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=4188051890/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" type="text/html"> name="movie" value="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=4188051890/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" /> name="quality" value="high" /> name="allowNetworking" value="always" /> name="wmode" value="transparent" /> name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /> name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" /> width="400" height="100" data="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=4188051890/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" type="text/html">

From the Internet Archive album intro: “This album is the common work of sound designer from Byelorussia Vitaly Harmash (I/Dex) and Kriipis Tulo (Tulo) from Latvia. It is a crystallization of sounds searches and findings, autumn sun, full of warm romantic waves. (…) These tunes bring to listeners the cooling breeze of Baltic Sea and the freshness of bright and clear autumn sky. Recorded live during improvisations by Kriipis Tulo and I/Dex at Tokctoka Studio, Riga/Latvia.”

Footpaths of Autumn is a free download from the title="Rulo and I/Dex - Footpaths of Autumn" href="http://www.archive.org/details/esnet5">Internet Archive.

title="bryface Homepage" href="http://www.waveformtown.com/">bryface – How To Dodge Lasers

Genre: electronic, synthesizer

classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="400" height="100" data="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=1782094093/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" type="text/html"> name="movie" value="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=1782094093/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" /> name="quality" value="high" /> name="allowNetworking" value="always" /> name="wmode" value="transparent" /> name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /> name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" /> width="400" height="100" data="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=1782094093/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" type="text/html">

From his homepage’s album intro: “THE KORG DS-10 is a piece of synthesizer software for the Nintendo DS that I picked up a while ago. Its portable and tactile nature singlehandedly enabled me to overcome constant writer’s block and begin composing electronic music again – on the go. (…) Everything you hear on this album has been synthesized, composed and arranged from scratch. I’ve tried to capture a wide variety of musical styles, and draw from all sorts of influences including – but not limited to – video games, nature, sci-fi landscapes, random present thoughts in my head, and various life experiences imaginary and real.”

How To Dodge Lasers can be downloaded for free from bryface’s title="bryface - How To Dodge Lasers" href="http://www.waveformtown.com/howtododgelasers/">Homepage.

title="Matthe Mayfield Homepage" href="http://matthewmayfield.com/">Matthew Mayfield – NoiseTrade Sampler

Genre: acoustic, rock

From his NoiseTrade page: “My new album, ‘Now You’re Free’, is everything I want it to be. Honest, anthemic and diverse. The songs are full of hope, which in some ways is very new to me. They are the sound of a fresh start. I’m excited about attempting to change something with this record. It could be someone’s mood for a few minutes, the temperature in their room, or the way they watch the sunset driving down the interstate. Music has changed everything for me. I want to be a part of that for other people.”

The NoiseTrade Sampler is a free download from title="Matthew Mayfield - NoiseTrade Sampler" href="http://noisetrade.com/matthewmayfield">guess where.

title="Courrier Homepage" href="http://www.courriermusic.com/">Courrier – A Violent Flame Sampler

Genre: alternative, rock

From their NoiseTrade page: “Like a new wind in an often dry and monotonous music ”business,” Courrier’s music is refreshing indeed. With a penchant for melody in the likes of alternative-rock bands like Coldplay, Death Cab for Cutie, and Kings of Leon, Courrier writes songs as soothing as they are sincere. It is in this duality that Courrier finds their message. In the beauty of existence and the pain of experience, lead singer Austin Jones’ voice even reflects the honeyed grit of reality, while the ascending harmonies and radiant guitars anthem the intimate.”

The A Violent Flame Sampler is a free download from title="Courrier - A Violent Flame Sampler" href="http://noisetrade.com/courrier">NoiseTrade.

title="Skyhook Homepage" href="http://www.skyhooktheband.com/Skyhook/Skyhook.html">Skyhook – Rough Mixes

Genre: alternative, rock

From their NoiseTrade page: “Skyhook hails from Nashville, Tennessee and is made up of band members Dane Allen, Josh Giles, Seth Wharton, Andrew Gomez, Ben Miller, and Evan Thon. Skyhook’s edgy sound is a concoction of stellar vocal harmonies overlaid with mind-bending guitars and dynamic progressions. But the lyrics rule the day for these guys. Originally a worship band who made waves and turned heads at the various national festivals, Skyhook’s ultimate goal is to create and perform musical art that serves their generation with a message of hope and a challenge to pursue authentic change by repositioning one’s life close to the heart of the Creator.”

Rough Mixes is a free download from title="Skyhook - Rough Mixes" href="http://noisetrade.com/skyhook">NoiseTrade.

title="Jason Poe Homepage" href="http://www.jasonpoemusic.com/">Jason Poe – Now Is The Winter

Genre: alternative, pop

From Jason’s title="Jason Poe Facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/jasonpoemusic?sk=info">Facebook Biography: “A great pop song is easy to spot, but hard to create. That’s why singer/songwriter Jason Poe is obsessed with creating cleverly crafted hooks, relying on a piano and leaving his acoustic guitar behind. His catchy choruses and thoughtful lyrics leave listeners wanting more. Taking cues from musical greats like Paul McCartney and Brian Wilson, Jason has positioned himself somewhere in the musical spectrum between Aqualung and The Fray.”

Now Is The Winter is a free download from title="Jason" href="http://www.noisetrade.com/jasonpoe">NoiseTrade.

New to Sound Sunday? Past editions of Sound Sunday are available title="Past Editions of Sound Sunday" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/soundsunday/">here.

Feel free to get in touch with me [tina at makeuseof dot com] to share free material, suggestions, and feedback or simply add your comments below.

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class="align-right" src="http://www.makeuseof.com/images/recurring/sound-sunday.png" alt="" />Party this Sound Sunday!

This edition is heavy on punk and rock, with a little folk and electronic sounds mixed in. Since it also contains a lot of shorter EPs, I decided to give you one additional album to make up for it. As you may have noticed, I’ve been playing around with the title a little. This has become necessary to convince the search engine algorithms that the content here is indeed unique. Do you find it unique enough?

Feedback and comments are most welcome. Feel free to email me [tina at makeuseof dot com] with genre requests or album suggestions.

title="..." href="url">Josh Barsell – What’s The Plan

Genre: alternative, indie, pop, rock

classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="400" height="100" data="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=775192182/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" type="text/html"> name="movie" value="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=775192182/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" /> name="quality" value="high" /> name="allowNetworking" value="always" /> name="wmode" value="transparent" /> name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /> name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" /> width="400" height="100" data="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=775192182/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" type="text/html">

Originally from Boston, Josh Barsell started out as founder of the band Transit in 2001. The band soon moved to Los Angeles and after playing many shows over the years, Transit split up in 2006. Still in LA, Josh recorded his first solo record at Sunset Sound this May.

What’s The Plan is a free download from title="Josh Barsell - What's The Plan" href="http://joshbarsell.bandcamp.com/">Bandcamp.

title="The OutBreaks Homepage" href="http://www.theoutbreaks.com/">The OutBreaks – The OutBreaks EP

Genre: alternative, indie, rock

width="580" height="81"> name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F12875442" /> name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F12875442" allowscriptaccess="always"> href="http://soundcloud.com/theoutbreaks/02-when-it-attacks">When It Attacks by href="http://soundcloud.com/theoutbreaks">theoutbreaks

From their Biography: “The Outbreaks have been apart of the Chicago music scene since 2006. (…) The Outbreaks rhapsodizes on soulful singing, truthful lyrics, poignant keyboard lines, punchy guitar licks, and driving back beats – a simple formula that produces memorable songs.”

The OutBreaks were title="Sound Sunday Edition April 10th" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-free-mp3-albums-download-sound-sunday-37/">previously featured on Sound Sunday with their EP Places.

The OutBreaks EP is a free download from title="The OutBreaks - The OutBreaks Homepage" href="http://www.theoutbreaks.com/">The OutBreaks Homepage. You can stream the entire album at title="The OutBreaks - The OutBreaks EP" href="http://www.purevolume.com/theoutbreaks">PureVolume.

title="A Brighter Life Facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/abrighterlifemusic">A Brighter Life – Where Tonight Can Go

Genre: pop, rock, punk

classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="400" height="100" data="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=3103976244/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" type="text/html"> name="movie" value="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=3103976244/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" /> name="quality" value="high" /> name="allowNetworking" value="always" /> name="wmode" value="transparent" /> name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /> name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" /> width="400" height="100" data="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=3103976244/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" type="text/html">

The 5 piece punk band from Columbia, South Carolina has a sound that is strongly reminiscent of Blink182. Where Tonight Can Go is their debut EP, which they have been promoting with gigs in and around their corner of the world. Let’s hope they will soon follow their music and cross the borders.

Where Tonight Can Go is a name your price download from title="A Brighter Life - Where Tonight Can Go" href="http://abrighterlife.bandcamp.com/">Bandcamp.

title="Like Pacific Facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Like-Pacific/154742304553594">Like Pacific – The Worst…

Genre: pop, punk

classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="400" height="100" data="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=2745628612/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" type="text/html"> name="movie" value="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=2745628612/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" /> name="quality" value="high" /> name="allowNetworking" value="always" /> name="wmode" value="transparent" /> name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /> name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" /> width="400" height="100" data="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=2745628612/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" type="text/html">

From their Facebook Biography: “Five dudes with a common love for fast, hard-hitting, melodic music. No glitz, no glam, no flashy shit.  This is what we do, get stoked or get fucked. Say it like you mean it Pop Punk!”

The Worst… is a free download from title="Like Pacific - The Worst..." href="http://likepacific.bandcamp.com/">Bandcamp.

title="Asbestos MindViz" href="http://www.mindviz.com/asbestostheband">Asbestos – High Hopes

Genre: hardcore, punk />

classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="400" height="100" data="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=406686678/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" type="text/html"> name="movie" value="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=406686678/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" /> name="quality" value="high" /> name="allowNetworking" value="always" /> name="wmode" value="transparent" /> name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /> name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" /> width="400" height="100" data="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=406686678/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" type="text/html">

From their MindViz profile: “Asbestos have been going since 2006 and started off as a old school hardcore punk band. Since then our styles have changed a lot using a wide range of hardcore influences.”

High Hopes is a free download from title="Asbestos - High Hopes" href="http://asbestos.bandcamp.com/">Bandcamp.

title="Rice Cultivation Society Facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rice-Cultivation-Society/123492833110">Rice Cultivation Society – Leaves Again

Genre: experimental, folk, indie, rock

classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="400" height="100" data="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=3587275011/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" type="text/html"> name="movie" value="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=3587275011/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" /> name="quality" value="high" /> name="allowNetworking" value="always" /> name="wmode" value="transparent" /> name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /> name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" /> width="400" height="100" data="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=3587275011/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" type="text/html">

You would think this is something like a big band. Rice Cultivation Society, however, is merely a one person collective with an associated live band.

Leaves Again is a name your price download from title="Rice Cultivation Society - Leaves Again" href="http://ricecultivationsociety.bandcamp.com/">Bandcamp.

title="Cold Tear Records Homepage" href="http://www.coldtear.com/">Subforms – Fragments

Genre: experimental, alternative, electronic />

classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="400" height="100" data="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=1342128625/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" type="text/html"> name="movie" value="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=1342128625/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" /> name="quality" value="high" /> name="allowNetworking" value="always" /> name="wmode" value="transparent" /> name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /> name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" /> width="400" height="100" data="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=1342128625/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" type="text/html">

From the title="Cold Tear Records artists profiles" href="http://coldtear.com/artists/">Cold Tear Records artists profiles: “Subforms is a prospective dub/techno/ambient project from the Ukraine. Two young lads (Yevgeny Konovalov, Dmitry Oleynik) have combined their efforts and experience to create a project independent of any commercial framework. Subforms play and write great minimalistic music which has never been limited, they are free to experiment with sound and style.”

Fragments is a free download from title="Subforms - Fragments" href="http://coldtearrecords.bandcamp.com/album/subforms-fragments">Bandcamp.

title="Marches and Maneuvers MySpace" href="http://www.myspace.com/marchesandmaneuversonline">Marches and Maneuvers – Apathy

Genre: indie, acoustic

classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="400" height="100" data="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=1104411215/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" type="text/html"> name="movie" value="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=1104411215/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" /> name="quality" value="high" /> name="allowNetworking" value="always" /> name="wmode" value="transparent" /> name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /> name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" /> width="400" height="100" data="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=1104411215/size=venti/bgcol=FFFFFF/linkcol=4285BB/" type="text/html">

From the Bandcamp page: “A collection of songs that should have been released a long time ago if I weren’t so lazy.” Now if you could be so kind and share a little more information about this project? We would all love to find out who you are, great singer / songwriter!

Apathy is a name your price download from title="Marches and Maneuvers - Apathy" href="http://marchesandmaneuvers.bandcamp.com/">Bandcamp.

title="Jan Grünfeld MySpace" href="http://www.myspace.com/jangruenfeld">Jan Grünfeld – Summerfrugl

Genre: folk, minimalist, shoegaze />

Summerfugl is a free preview and download from title="Jan Grünfeld - Summerfugl" href="http://www.headphonica.com/?p=1266">Headphonica.

title="The Vespers Homepage" href="http://thevespersband.com/">The Vespers – Tell Your Mama

Genre: alternative, folk />

From their Bio: “It’s two sisters, two brothers, four friends, eleven instruments, one fun little folk band. However you do the math, The Vespers are a force to be reckoned with. In the spring of 2010, the newly formed group released their debut album, Tell Your Mama, which has been received greatly by critics and fans alike. The indie release even managed to sneak on to a few top 20 lists before the year’s end.”

Tell Your Mama is a free download from title="The Vespers - Tell Your Mama" href="https://www.noisetrade.com/thevespers#">NoiseTrade.

title="Paul Dempsey Homepage" href="http://pauldempseymusic.com/new/">Paul Dempsey – Everyting Is True

Genre: experimental, folk, rock />

From his title="Paul Dempsey Facebook" href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Paul-Dempsey/18363743711?sk=info">Facebook Bio: “Paul Dempsey is the singer,guitarist and principal songwriter of Australian band, Something for Kate. Dempsey has also always played solo shows and toured solo when not busy with Something for Kate as well as producing records for other artists. /> Paul released his first solo album, ‘Everything is True’ on August 14th 2009 to an overwhelming response. His album debuted at No.5 on the ARIA chart and was nominated for 3 ARIA Awards, A JJJ Award, announced as iTunes album of the year and Paul has won the Age Music Award…”

Everything Is True is a free download from title="Paul Dempsey - Everything Is True" href="https://www.noisetrade.com/pauldempsey">NoiseTrade.

New to Sound Sunday? Past editions of Sound Sunday are available title="Past Editions of Sound Sunday" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/soundsunday/">here.

Feel free to get in touch with me [tina at makeuseof dot com] to share free material, suggestions, and feedback or simply add your comments below. />
/> href="http://flashvideodownloader.org/fvd-suite/track/s/makeuseof">Download videos from the sites like YouTube, Break.com etc. Convert videos to almost any format. /> href="http://flashvideodownloader.org/fvd-suite/track/s/makeuseof"> src="http://flashvideodownloader.org/fvd-suite/banners/aban3.gif">

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class="align-left" style="border: 0px none; margin-left: 20px; margin-top: 5px; float: right;" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Bob-Marley-VectorPic.jpg" alt="best free vector art web sites" width="200" height="188" />There are times when working with class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/convert-images-to-svg-format-with-inkscape">vector images is what’s called for. Of course, there are also times (like photography) when you have to go with raster images. Vector images can be blown up to any size without loss of quality. Raster (or Bitmap) images become jagged when made larger.

There are some mediums like Flash animation, print ads, clipart, and logo art which lend itself to the vector graphic format for its elastic nature. It is also very easy to convert from vector to raster formats, but the same ease doesn’t hold true vice-versa.

From vector illustrations to 3D drawings, vector images find a lot of creative uses.

id="more-52901"> /> But creating detailed vector images takes patience and skill. You might be creating something as simple as an icon, or as cool as a T-shirt design. Having a stock of readymade vector images is a shortcut. If you are a designing greenhorn or an old hand, check out these ten resources for some inspiration and free vector art downloads.

class="vt-p" href="http://www.vecteezy.com/">Vecteezy

class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-52909" src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Vectors-01.jpg" alt="best free vector art web sites" width="580" height="293" />

Vecteezy is a community based website that you can explore to see the work of other vector artists. All the graphics are free to download and free to use in your projects. But do check out the license first before you do so.

Free downloadable vector files include vector Icons, vector patterns, vector swirls, flourishes, backgrounds, wallpapers, Illustrator brushes, and many more.

class="vt-p" href="http://vectormadness.com">Vector Madness

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This website includes many free design resources for the vector artist. From free T-Shirt designs to stock vector images, the site has 7,800+ free vector image files and packs. You can access the categories from the left hand column.

class="vt-p" href="http://www.vectorish.com/">Vectorish

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Like a lot of creative image sites, you can not only download free stock images but also submit your own. The vector images are very neatly laid out with each image pack’s information and license type mentioned on the right.  You can use the search box or jump to the categories (Abstract, Icons, Illustrator, Misc, Nature, Swirl, Symbols).

class="vt-p" href="http://qvectors.net/">QVectors

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QVectors is another neatly organized web resource for quality vector images. Each image or image pack gets its own page with information like a star rating, comments, a full preview, and links to other Vectors You Might Like. You have a whole lot of categories including Silhouettes which is really handy for presentations.

You can register on the site and upload and download vector files as a member. The site’s blog also keeps you in the know of what’s happening all around the site.

class="vt-p" href="http://all-silhouettes.com/">All Silhouettes

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When we are talking of silhouette images, All-Silhouettes.com is a great collection of 8,694 free silhouettes as symbols, shadows, objects etc. You can explore the silhouette clipart from the categories mentioned on the right or use the tag cloud.

class="vt-p" href="http://www.vectorportal.com/">Vector Portal

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Vector Portal’s tagline says – Everything vector, everything free. Great! You have some uncommon types of vector stock vector images like Coat of Arms, Beams and Bursts, Sketches, Monochrome Vectors, and more.

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class="vt-p" href="http://www.brandsoftheworld.com/">Brands of The World

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There are times when you need to download and use a logo for some graphic work or a presentation. Brands of the World are a niche resource for free vector formats of brand class="vt-p" href="http://www.makeuseof.com/dir/tag/logos/">logos. You can also showcase your own interpretation of a brand’s logo by submitting your vector image. Most files are free but there’s also a non-free stock logos section.

class="vt-p" href="http://www.iheartvector.com/">I Heart Vector

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iHeartVector.com positions itself as a royalty free vector resource. But there is a totally class="vt-p" href="http://www.iheartvector.com/category/free/">free section too with 209 vector packs and files free for personal and commercial use. You can access it from the Categories dropdown.

class="vt-p" href="http://www.deviantart.com/">Deviant Art

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Anybody who colors a pixel or draws a line surely visits this largest community of digital artists on the web. So, how do you start searching in this crowd of digital chaos? You use the search bar and find out free vector files available for download. Or alternatively, you can click on the Resources and Stock Images link.

class="vt-p" href="http://coolvectors.com/">Cool Vectors

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A cool website to share your vectors or download free ones. Vectors are rated and arranged in categories available from a dropdown. One of the categories you can check out is the colorful Spills & Splatters.

The above ten free vector stock image websites will give you options galore for your projects. But before you download and use, do check the license type for each image. They have been created by some incredibly creative people for our creative uses. Are you one of them?

Let us know about your favored website for free vector downloads. />
/>Got Questions? Ask Them Now FREE on href="http://www.makeuseof.com/answers/">MakeUseOf Answers! />
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With the recent news that royalties from legal music downloads are now worth more than the relative decline in CD sales, it seems that MP3 downloads have firmly overtaken other forms of published music as the leading force in the music industry for the new decade.

With online music services offering users instant access to millions of MP3 downloads for a small subscription fee, it’s no wonder people are turning away from costly CDs to get their music online instead. MP3 downloads are a quick and efficient way to own your favourite music with a single mouse click, and these high quality downloads can be transferred to a range of MP3 players and devices in less time than it takes to copy or burn a CD.

The last few years have seen a change of heart among many music publishers, who used to view MP3 downloads with suspicion but are now increasingly embracing digital music for its versatility and ability to generate all-important royalties for artists and bands offered for download. In an industry plagued by piracy, it has become ever more important to ensure that paid-for MP3 download services give music lovers everything they desire, with an extensive catalogue of downloadable songs from popular artists and a departure from annoying advertisements that can intrude on the user’s listening experience.

MP3 downloads accounted for 40% of all music purchases in the United States last year, according to statistics from Nielsen Soundscan, showing that digital music is growing in popularity and acceptance among music lovers from all age groups. MP3s are no longer exclusively for young or tech-savvy music fans; the universal format can be played anywhere, whether on your home stereo or in the car or on the way to work, making it superior to other audio formats.

Of course, one other major advantage of MP3 downloads that contributes to their popularity is that they’re a great deal cheaper than buying music in more traditional forms. Generally an MP3 album can be downloaded for half the price of a CD album, making the download a much more affordable and desirable alternative. What’s more, listeners have the freedom to download as much or as little of the album as they like, saving even more by only paying for the songs they actually want.

MP3 downloads are truly bringing the music industry into the 21st century and empowering listeners with greater control over their music collections.

Aldous Huxley’s quote “After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music” is an apt saying about music. Music indeed is eternal and lives on for ages in the hearts of the million music lovers. Music seems to be a world in its own for music lovers and why not, music is food for the soul. Music for a music lover is like being in heaven. Music is one of the purest forms of art and throughout ages music has spoken about purity. In fact today with the upcoming of high end technologies, art seems to be almost forgotten. But it’s the combination of art and technology that is helping in the survival of art. In fact with the passing of time it seems that art and technology complement each other. The advent of internet has made it easier for art lovers to look about for art. The best examples that can be cited in this case are the Free MP3 Downloads online sites. These Free MP3 downloads sites are the best option to look in for any kind of music and of any age. Through these Free Mp3 Downloads one can stay connected to music and music lives for ages.

Music for music lovers has always been the sole inspirational factor wherein they draw each inspiration from music to live their lives. Music has never had any barrier nor has anyone been able to bound music. Music lovers have a world of their own and these free MP3 downloads websites have triggered this unity even further. These free MP3 downloads work at the command of your finger. The free MP3 downloads can be downloaded at the press of a button and this can be done from anywhere and at any point of time. Free MP3 downloads have made it easy for music lovers to download and save and listen to all their favorite songs that they have been looking for ages but had no clue from where to find them. In fact these free MP3 downloads sites have all kinds of songs and language seems to be no issue and definitely the age of the music is no bar.

Downloading your favorite track from any of the free MP3 downloads websites is not a very tedious or a difficult task. Rather it is very easy. All you will need to do is look for a free MP3 downloads website that has your favorite songs and then simply download the songs that you want to and then store these downloaded songs in your personal computer or your laptop. Once these free MP3 downloads are stored in your system you can enjoy these songs whenever and wherever you feel like. There is another advantage of these Free MP3 downloads websites. They can prove to be a great platform for any new comer singer who wants to make an identity for himself. He can easily put his songs in these free MP3 downloads sites and make the world fall in with love his songs and his music. Since internet is accessed by almost everyone, these free MP3 downloads sites have huge member lists and are accessed by every music lover.

There are so many websites out there to download music, but which one is the best? I don’t want to spend too much time on each one, just a couple of things to point out that I came across while evaluating each one of these methods for downloading MP3′s. So take 5 minutes of you time and read through this article and see which one is right for you. You won’t be disappointed.

Monthly Fees Apply to These

Let’s start with the 3 most popular that everyone knows about- I-Tunes, Napster, Rhapsody, and eMusic.

i-Tunes- I liken i-Tunes to AOL 10-12 years ago. Everyone used AOL as their ISP, just because they didn’t know better. Other ISP’s took you to the same internet for less than half the price. Once people caught on and realized this they started using other ISP’s. Same thing with i-Tunes. They were kind of the first legitimate music download site. Sure they have a few extra bells and whistles that other music download sites don’t have. But do you really want to pay more for the same MP3′s you could get else where? A lot of people are abandoning i-Tunes these days for less expensive alternatives. I did, and I’m glad I did. $.99/per track.

Napster- the once proud home of FREE MP3 downloads. Until Metalica went before congress and ruined it for all of us. Gone are the days of FREE MP3′s. So if that is what you are looking for, forget about it. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS FREE MP3′S. If you find something out there promising this, be careful, it’s probably illegal, so shame on you. Anyway Napster had to reinvent themselves and now you pay for their service. It’s ok, I guess, but I like others better. $12.95/month

Rhapsody- I really like Rhapsody and it has many loyal users, I used it for many years myself. It’s easy to use, they have a pretty good selection and by far the best search utility to help you find the music you are looking for. If you’re just looking for MUSIC Downloads, this is a pretty good way to go. The only downside is the monthly fees you have to keep dishing out. $12.99 for Rhapsody, and $12.99 if you want to get Real Player Plus. It was just announced recently that Rhapsody will acquire Yahoo! Music, so it should be interesting to see what benefit that will bring th Rhapsody users.

The following have the option of 1 year, 2 year, or lifetime memberships. No monthly fees apply.

These 2 are almost identical. Mostly the same features, software is almost the same to use. Some have more files available for downloading, but all in all pretty much the same thing, when it comes down to it.

Unlimitedmp3downloads.com

Liftetime membership $34.94

MP3Download.net

Liftetime membership $34.95

My Top 2 Favorites by Far:

Zune

300 Million files- This one is really popular right now. Tons of new registrations each day.

Liftetime membership $34.95 for MP3

Liftetime membership $49.95 for video and MP3

The best thing about this one is the free bonuses you get. Free DVD/CD copying software (make backup’s of your favorite DVD’s, a must if you have kids like me that destroy things), free spyware/adware/pop-up blocker/ antivirus software and personal firewall. $245 in bonus software. With all the security risks today, if you’re online a lot like I am you need these tools to protect your computer. They are all yours free when you register with Zune Empire. you really can’t beat that! Even if you never used the MP3 software, it’s worth it just get all that other software free.

K-Lite

800 Million songs and videos. Can you even get your head around that number. Talk about a selection!

No monthly fees, unlimited downloads, no spyware or adware (this is very important- some MP3 sites out there will give you real cheap access, but then flood your computer with spyware and adware. Trust me, you don’t want that.

Liftetime membership $39.95 for MP3

DVD Backup Software $9.95

DVD Quality Movie Downloads $9.95

This is a little more expensive than the others ($5.00 for Music, $19.90 for Movies and CD/DVD software) but the price is worth it when it comes to the selection and ease of use. If you don’t want the other two pieces of software, this is the best one. If you really got have that software, go with Zune Empire for $49.95.

The last 4 companies listed here are all pretty much the same thing/same price. It’s just a matter of personal preference. Having tried them all, I would highly recommend either of the last two- Zune Empire or K-Lite. They have the biggest selection, most features, and best customer support. You really can’t go wrong for $34.95. That is less than what I would pay to take my wife out to dinner at someplace half way decent.

The bottom line is, if you’re like me, you probably invested $200-$400 on a decent MP3 player. You want to get the most out of it- Music, Videos, Movies, etc. Scrounge up the $34.95 or $49.95 if you want videos, and invest in some software that will let you use your MP3 player for what it was intended for. You’ll be glad you did.

Life without music is such a drag, but internet has solved this issue for good. Where there people have to search hard for their favorite song, now there are people who use internet to conduct a simple search to get what they want. But, when you talk about free mp3 downloads, you have to face some issues again.

The reason is that there are many sites offering free mp3 music downloads, but not all these sites offer high quality music, which is the reason why you can find people having all sorts of issues when downloading a free music file. The simple solution to this particular problem is a program that searches internet on your behalf. With the help of this program you can always find your favorite music along with getting some information about what others are downloading these days.

However, you should take few things into consideration before you download one such program to find totally free mp3 music downloads. All these things help you make a better decision when selecting a free program for free mp3 music downloads.

•    Finding a program to find mp3 files is not hard, but finding the best program is the real catch. And, things get even tougher when you have to find a free program. Here, you should always make sure the program is completely free. There are some sites offering such programs that apparently looks free but comes with big cost. The cost in this case will be to be compromise your privacy. It means there are some programs that come with malware or spyware and makes living difficult for you.

•    When selecting a program for music downloads, you should compare two or more for their downloading speed. There is nothing more excruciating than downloading a song at slow speed. Though your internet connection has a lot to do with speed, you should still be paying attention to this particular feature of a program.

•    When getting a program for totally free mp3 downloads, you should pay attention to its overall features. Make sure a program offers moods, playlists, discographies and artist biographies. With the availability of all these features, it will become easier for you to access different types of info while listening to your favorite mp3 music.

•    Although it is true that these programs allow you to find totally free mp3 music downloads, you should still make sure you can use a program to buy songs. The ability to buy songs is not available in all these kinds of programs, so it is a good indicator that you’re going to download a good program for music downloads.

These are few of the most important considerations for those who are interested in using a program for free mp3 music downloads. Just make sure you find a right site and download the best program, as it is important to reap full benefits of one such program.

Gaining immense popularity in the last few years, mp3s are all the rage. Stores are racing to keep mp3 players in stocks, and sites offering mp3 downloads are enjoying unprecedented traffic. Accordingly, the demand for free mp3 downloads is on the rise. While the phrase “free mp3 downloads” often conjures up images of the peer-to-peer file sharing networks that are constantly embroiled in legal battles, there are other, legal ways to get your mp3 fix without resorting to legally questionable resources.

If you’re eager to get free mp3 downloads of your favorite artist, try visiting the official website. Many artists will release tracks from past or present albums in order to generate interest and, of course, increase sales. Fully supported by the artists and their labels, these tracks are usually of high quality, and may feature deep cuts that wouldn’t get much airplay. Record label websites also sometimes offer free tracks of up and coming artists, or known artists that could use a boost in sales.

You may also get free mp3 downloads as part of a promotion from retailers eager to capitalize on the popularity of mp3s. Some stores print codes that can be redeemed at websites, giving you access to a certain number of downloads, all for free. The libraries carried at these sites is often extensive enough to ensure that everyone can find a few tracks that they like.

Similarly, online music stores often give out codes for free downloads to encourage people to try their services, or sponsor promotions in conjunction with other companies using codes as a prize. These sites often have the most extensive libraries available, including otherwise hard to find tracks.

One important thing to keep in mind when partaking in free mp3 downloads is to make sure that they are compatible with your preferred player. While mp3 refers to a specific file format, the term is often used generically to refer to music files of any format. Additionally, files may come encoded with Digital Rights Management (DRM) protection, limiting your ability to re-copy files to multiple players or copy them to CDs.

The media attention that has been focused on mp3 downloads has sent a clear message to record labels and music vendors: people like to download mp3s quickly and easily, and free mp3 downloads is a great way to attract customers. By wooing customers with the promise of free tracks, companies achieve two things: increased overall sales, and improved customer perception.

Many music buyers are dismayed over the restrictions and legal action enacted by the music industry, and have made their preferences clear: mp3 downloads, free or otherwise, are the way of the future, and the music industry would do well to act accordingly, whether by offering free mp3 downloads, or at the very least, making music files accessible, convenient and inexpensive.

Ever wondered how to get unlimited music MP3 downloads? Music lovers probably have asked the same question many times. There are of course dozens of websites that talk about them but not everyone has the luxury to find out and look through the tons of information. The aim of this article is to show you how to find unlimited MP3 downloads and yet do so affordably in the simplest way possible. You will also discover more hot tips about MP3 music downloads.

Unlimited music MP3 downloads can be found at online music stores like iTunes for iPod, and other stores like HMV, Walmart and more. These are music giants and have some of the largest offerings in the world. Though they do not exactly have unlimited music MP3s, their collection often go in the range of millions of songs, music videos, sound tracks, music etc. Normally, it would cost you about 99 cents or below to download per music or song.

Nowadays, some music stores have taken the level of competition a bit further by offering monthly or even yearly memberships. Several offer a limited number of music MP3 downloads while others let you download unlimited number of music MP3 files. This move has totally revolutionized the way music downloads are previously handled. Needless to say, when you can access millions of music MP3 downloads for a small one-time fee, you would be downloading music online whenever you are free. You also need not think twice whether you should download this song or that since you can download both and all.

Everyday, it is estimated that tens of millions of music MP3 downloads take place around the world from these music download sites. Now that we know that there are places to download music MP3s for a lifetime fee, it is best that we also learn how to find a great site to download. There are a few important questions you need to ask before you decide.

1. How many different music genres does the music MP3 download site have?

If I were you, I would subscribe for a music MP3 download site with as many music genres as possible. Your taste for music may change with time. Today, you might like J-pop, tomorrow, it could be hip hop or even classical instrument pieces.

2. How much does it cost to get unlimited music MP3 downloads?

There are music sites that offer lifetime memberships for a one-time price. With this choice, there is no need to go with monthly plans. But even for one-time fee, never go for anything above $50. In fact, the rates nowadays are so reasonable that you can easily grab one that costs you below $40.

3. What are the usage rights for the songs you download?

Not all sites are the same for unlimited music MP3 downloads. Several membership sites allow you to download and burn the music onto CD to be played on other devices while there are others which restrict you to downloading onto your digital player only. Save the trouble by joining sites that give you no-restriction rights.

Once these three questions are properly answered, you would have found the ideal site for unlimited music MP3 downloads. To quicken the whole process, visit my music blog and see for yourself which are the best places for unlimited music MP3 downloads.

If you own a PSP (Play Station Portable) and looking for the right download site but overwhelmed by the tons of PSP download sites in the internet and cannot decide which site is credible and will give you more options then this review of the top PSP download sites will help you decide. You can stop your search now, save your time and avoid scam sites in the internet.

There are PSP scam sites out there in the internet that failed to deliver what they promised and contains malicious spyware and viruses that can harm your PC and your PSP. To avoid scams and damage to your PC and PSP here are the top PSP download sites that millions of users are now enjoying.

Unlike other sites which offers pay per download fees and monthly subscription fees, the top PSP download sites reviewed here are offering a one time payment for membership and no recurring charges ever.

The number one on the top PSP download sites is All PSP Games. This is a must have if you own a PSP. For a one time payment on membership you can enjoy unlimited downloads. It has the largest collection of PSP downloads. You can choose from millions of games, TV shows, DVD quality movies, wallpapers, themes and more. The user interface is excellent that you can perform numerous different searches all at once. You can easily convert your DVD collection to your PSP even encrypted DVD´s. The downloading speed is excellent with outstanding picture and sound quality.  You will find yourself downloading in minutes after you signed up. The site is easy to navigate and provides you with help files, user manuals and all the software you need to get started easily. It also provides you with security software to protect your privacy when you are downloading. A 24/7 technical support staffs are quick to respond in case you have concerns. Of course it offers a full refund good for 60 days. Definitely the first on the list of the top PSP download sites with excellent customer feedback.

Another excellent download site that made it to the list of the top PSP download sites is PSP X Studio. You can create your own CD/DVD library and huge PSP library collection from over 20 million games, DVD quality movies, CD quality MP3´s, backgrounds, themes and other downloads. All titles are available not only for PSP but also for other platforms. Compatible with all PSP versions and firmware. Software and full instructions on how to get started easily are provided. High speed downloading is the best quality of this site.  The round the clock customer support is excellent. This site definitely deserves to be on the top PSP download sites.

The last on the list of the top PSP download sites but definitely not the least is Feed My PSP. This site is relatively new but gaining popularity with excellent customer feedback. With highest quality digital downloads and huge selection of unlimited games, movies, music, TV shows and other PSP downloads. You can search for more than 15 billion files and get everything you want for your PSP. It also provides DVD to PSP software to convert personal DVD´s into PSP compatible format. All software and tools are provided for an easy start. If you get the lifetime access option you will get free extras and bonuses.

The top PSP download sites will definitely make your PSP experience more enjoyable and the best part of it is that you will have huge savings. You don´t have to pay for every download, once you become a member in any of these top PSP download sites you will automatically have access to unlimited downloads free of charge.

For more PSP download reviews visit Top PSP Download Sites

To get more PSP downloads visit Best PSP Downloads

Music is said to have a universal appeal. Almost everyone cherishes good music irrespective of his or her cast, creed and ethnicity. Collecting music albums is one of the commonest hobbies of people across the world. Haven’t you had a collection of CDs and DVDs to listen to in your pastime? It is by far the most soothing and entertaining pastimes. If you agree with me, you will also agree that you are one of the music buffs who keep on searching for best and cheap music downloads available online!

We always tend to get anxious when we visit a specific music downloading site that promises to be authentic. Well, in this era of cheating and deception being a universal phenomenon, it’s obvious for us to get anxious. But bear in mind that getting overtly anxious is not really necessary these days. The music downloads industry has gone far and is facing tremendous competition from the fellow sites. Everyone is trying to give hundred percent to the customers. Then how to make a good choice while choosing cheap music downloads site?

Things you should look for:

• Unlimited downloads availability
• Cheap download option
• No extra charge per song
• Reliability and good speed of download
• Money back guarantee
• Spyware protection
• Availability of free CD/DVD burning software
• Compatibility with all operating systems
• Collection of millions of songs

If the music downloads site offers these options, then hit download and download without any hassles. Most of the sites which give you these many options are reliable and can be trusted.

Some sites like Flickr, Music Platinum, Unlimited Download Center, Ares, and Sharing zone are very popular and they are really the sites that you should trust for. So, what is the most important step before you start downloading from the site? It’s pretty obvious that the comparative study of different music downloads site is the most crucial step if you do not want to fall prey to cheats!

Well, if you can do your comparative study all on your own it’s great. But it is also true that in this fast life, studying different downloading sites, comparing them, and then opting for one of them is time consuming. We want to hear music not for killing our time but for having a good kind of recreation in our day to day life. This is the reason we should go for the websites that give us a good comparative study of various downloading sites and helps us achieve our goal of reliable site without more efforts on our part.

Such sites are no doubt valuable tools in assessing the various site options when it comes to cheap music download. Gaining knowledge about different music downloads sites like Flickr, MP3 Audio Station, Hot MP3 Download, and Unlimited Media Access is in itself a great booster for our music love! We are desperate to download our favorite music video and now we have at our hand the authenticity and features of the site. Now, nothing can hold us back from enjoying our favorite hobby of collecting our favorite music albums! Let’s rock and roll!

Comparing your cheap music downloads sites is no more difficult! Visit http://www.cheapmusicdownload.net/ and satiate your thirst for quality and cheap music download!

Many industry experts are of the opinion that the reason behind the availability of Mp3 Download is the increase in demand of the music lover and listener. The usage of CD is not gone but it is certainly true that large number of potential customers is using the methods of mp3 downloading services in order to have an array of music. Through the help of mp3 down loading you can have a variety of music and songs in different version and rhythm.

However, digital downloading is very convenient and do not create any clutter in your house as well as is available instantly. Mp3 download is even much cheaper than a CD would cost you. There are many online service provider of Mp3 Download where you can cherry pick the tracks of your choice and save a great deal of money into your pocket. It is any easy procedure where you can get fabulous and melodious songs just paying off the cost of the selected songs rather than spend your hard earned money on a complete CD. Digital downloading services is one of the best ways to get music of your choice but the idea of Mp3 download has been more popular at present. Today Mp3 downloading has become legalized but in the past this facility was prohibited.

It was considered to be illegal but people managed it via peer-to-peer (p2p) websites that were available online. This P2P sites are still available in the music industry. This kind of online service provider allows the individuals to share their collection of music at very nominal rate. Here, you can sign in, search for the music you wish to download from the fellow user who has those collections. These kinds of websites are considered to be illegal such as Wippit and Napster is in the top list.

Each and every day millions of people download music around the world and especially the Mp3 download from the music download sites. But it is essential to know the right procedure and find a genuine online service provider for Mp3 downloading. Here are some points that will definitely provide you enough guidance for downloading the music and making a right choice.

1. How many diverse music genres are available in the

music MP3 download sites?

The online service provider of music should possess as many as music genres. There are different music lovers whose choice and tastes for music varies from time to time so there is a requirement that the music Mp3 download sites have a good collection of music in their list.

2. How much is the cost of unlimited music MP3 downloads?

There some online sites of MP3 download that provides membership just paying a one-time fee to the online service provider. The one time fee does not cost less than 50$ which seems to be very reasonable.

3. What are the rights do the sites have for downloading songs?

There are sites that gives you the chance to download unlimited Mp3 downloads. Several sites that offer membership permits to download music and burn them on CD where it can also be played on other devices but there are many sites that restricts this facility. So it is better that you at first become the member of the site and enjoy the facility the online service provider of Mp3 downloads are offering.