music-sharing site

Digital music store eMusic specialises in songs outside the mainstream. The eMusic Web site offers more than 3.5 million downloadable tracks from 27,000 independent labels across every genre of music, from rock and classical to hip-hop, blues, country and folk. It has relationships with well-known independent labels such as Touch and Go, Merge and Sun Records and claims to be "the world's largest retailer of independent music and the world's second-largest digital music retailer overall".

• More than 3.5 million tracks available
• DRM-free MP3 files

The subscription-based service costs $9.99 a month. For that, users can download up to 30 high-bit rate MP3 files per month. The files don't feature DRM, so users can make as many copies as they like for personal use – whether it's burning the music to disc or transferring it to a digital audio player.

Giving eMusic a try earns you 50 free tracks, which you can keep regardless of whether you become a regular. If you subscribe, you can install a toolbar that provides a free MP3 download every day, the ability to search eMusic's entire catalogue quickly, technology that analyses your previous downloads and suggests new music you may like and the ability to share other members' playlists.