I like Apple's iTunes, but then I haven't tried the others. Yes, you can use iTunes on a Windows machine. $0.99 per song.

Bill

Bob,

I use iTunes but have never bought music from them. I suspect you own a great number of CDs. Load them first, back up the files in the event of chrashes, and enjoy. If you want to but additional individuals cuts later then worry about a "one off" or subscription service.

Trade it in on a Sig Sauer. Those, I understand. The rest, nada.

I think River Rat has the right approach. As for iTunes, I'm not sure you can play songs from that service on anything not running Apple software - i.e iTunes for Mac or Windows or an iPod. (unless you burn them to an audio CD first and then re-rip the songs back into iTunes)

I'd second (third?) River Rat's idea. And I've had a lot of success downloading music from, of all places, WalMart. They've got a very extensive library (better than anyone else I can find that's legit) and being MP3, the files are transferable across platforms - something iPod isn't. The price is right - $.88 per song for singles, full album prices vary. (If you do try WalMart, use their "Classic Store" - it's a lot easier to navigate, and doesn't put any software on your computer.)

iTunes music files will play on both PCs and Macs, contrary to a previous poster's thoughts.
Plus Apple offers a LOSSLESS quality codec for converting your current CDs for the computer. It greatly compresses the file size, but loses NONE of the quality. Use that instead of MP3 format.

Hands down return that mp3 player and buy an iPod. iTunes lets you manage your own music, iTunes Music Store music, plus you can get TV shows and Movies.

Oh, and buy a Mac. Windows Sux.

CY-- I buy from both iTunes and Wal-Mart. Unlike what Bill said, Wal-Mart gives you the file in a rights-managed WMA file that doesn't play on iPods. But if you can figure out how to convert them to mp3 you're good to go.

I just hum tunes, that's free.

Oh, and CY, if you have any quantity of old cassettes / LP's, DAK makes a neat device that plugs into your soundcard and rips tracks to either wav or mp3 format, plus software to de-hiss and de-pop what you pull.