CNET editors' review
(Updated April 9, 2004)
In the ever-changing pay-to-play market, only liberal downloading and burning policies have kept eMusic afloat. Now that the company has been sold to Dimensional Associates, the free-for-all is over. Subscribers accustomed to downloading with abandon are stuck with three restrictive plans, each with a monthly charge and a monthly download limit. You can choose 40 downloads for $9.99, 65 downloads for $14.99, or 90 downloads for $19.99. Though eMusic's per-song price works out to be a comparatively cheap 22 to 25 cents, many users--especially those who prefer a mix of big-name and independent labels--will feel less limited by open-handed plans selling downloads for 99 cents each.
Setup and interface of eMusic
Compared with the open-door policy of Apple's
iTunes Music Store, which lets you browse and buy music on a case-by-case basis, eMusic's two subscription plans feel downright suffocating. All the music is available in MP3 and encoded at a
variable bit rate (VBR). The resulting quality is higher than that of standard 128Kbps recording, which is what most other music services use. At this stage, there are no copy restrictions, so you're free to transfer music to a CD or a portable player with impunity. The 30-second previews are the only way to stream music from the site.
You must access eMusic though your Web browser, but to grab and burn songs, you must download an additional utility called the Download Manager. While this bare-bones program is easy to install and use, we could have done without it. After installing the app, you can go to eMusic's site to search by genre or artist, look at the most popular downloads, and scan through collections assembled by the eMusic editors, such as '80s tunes and trucker songs. The editors' snarky style makes browsing a pleasure.
Features of eMusic
All the tunes available through eMusic are legitimately licensed from record labels and artists, so you don't have to worry about a midnight visit from the authorities. The last time we checked, eMusic carried 260,000 high-quality MP3 files from independent music labels, many of which cannot be found at competing online music stores. However, they're
all indie, so forget about Britney Spears, 50 Cent, and Madonna. The collection is skewed toward rock, but eMusic also offers a fantastic assortment of older jazz and blues. You'll even find Christian rock. When you find a tempting song, you can preview a 30-second sample, in both QuickTime and Windows Media, or download it on the spot. One timesaving option we love is the ability to download an entire album at once using the button below the album's song list.
Though eMusic is a pleasure to use, navigating its listings could be easier. Once you've selected a genre, you can view songs either alphabetically or by popularity. If you browse by popularity, you can't see how many pages are left, and if you browse alphabetically, you can see only one letter at a time. When we last reviewed this service, its community features were nil. Since then, eMusic has added message boards, which are searchable by genre, so you can bond with far-flung buddies who share your zeal for classical music.
Service and support of eMusic
In terms of tech support, eMusic gets average marks. The Web site's nicely organized, well-written FAQs address basic technical issues, billing, and general subscription questions in an easy-to-understand and friendly manner. You can also search the Help section and contact eMusic using an online form. Representatives answered our e-mail fairly quickly. But there's no telephone support, and if you have an involved question, you'll probably find yourself wishing you could call and talk to a human.
