iPhone music downloads can be easily found as iPhone supports audio in mp3 and AAC format. There are many sites offering music files for download. As downloaders, the challenge we constantly face is the difficulty in finding a site that can offer us continuous updated content and yet is affordable if not free. Let’s look at the different types of download portals and how they operate.

Free music sites. They come in the form of:

1. Public domain music sites. These sites publish music that has limited or no copyright restrictions. Users can download music legally for they own use. However, the drawback is that typically, those that fall under this category are very very old songs.
2. Fan sites based on certain TV shows or Animes that publish the mp3 soundtracks online. These sites fall in the category of illegal downloads and downloaders can be persecuted by companies holding the copyrights to these music.
3. Torrent and sites that blatantly share iPhone music downloads online. Majority of the music files from these sources are copyrighted materials and come under the same scrutiny as fan sites. However, these sites pose a greater danger to online users in that many files from these sites are either corrupted or infected with spywares, viruses or Trojan horses. They not only have the potential to wreck havoc on users’ computers or mobile devices like iPhone, users also run the risk of losing confidential data like credit card numbers and online banking passwords to hackers who published these infected files online.
4. Scams. Some sites claiming to offer free iPhone music downloads are merely scams that ask users to click on advertising banners and promising to bring them to the downloads. Most of the time, it never happens.

Paid Sites. These are your typical paid sites and they come in the form of:

1. Pay-per-download sites. These charges a fee for every file downloaded. The lowest cost for iPhone music downloads to date is around $0.99. Now, as a music lover, we all know that we listen to hundreds if not thousands of songs every year. Even by paying $0.99 for each song (which will not be the case as newer songs cost more), users will end up spending too much.
2. Membership sites. These sites, in my opinion, are the best choice as users only pay a one-time membership fee which entitles them to unlimited iPhone music downloads for the duration of the membership which in many cases last a lifetime.

I am a music lover and iPhone enthusiast. Read this article on the comparison between download portals that offer not just iPhone music downloads, but also movies, tv shows, software and games at a one-time fee here.

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