MP3s - INTRO

Ever since the downfall of on of the most popular file-sharing programs, Napster, many even better programs have taken form. Most of these allow the download of any file type, unlike Napster, however this site will focus only on mp3s. This includes the best places to download them and the proper way to organize them.

Recommended Programs

Overall

Rare Files

Underground & Little Known Bands

Popular Files

Blubster

AudioGalaxy

KaZaA Lite

Networks and Programs

FastTrack (KaZaA Lite, Grokster, KaZaA )
Gnutella (Gnucleus, XoloX, Bearshare, Limewire)
OpenNap (WinMx)
Web-based (AudioGalaxy)
Other (Edonkey2000, Blubster)

FastTrack

KaZaA Lite -A hacked version of Sharman Network's KaZaA. KaZaA Lite includes no ads, no banners, and no intrusive programs that invade your privacy. It also has no limitations to the bitrate of MP3s, unlike its counterpart. KaZaA Lite is a useful program for finding mp3s that a lot of people have. These will generally be the more popular bands, but the speed of these downloads is usually considerably high. The more users that have the song, the more locations you can download from and therefore the faster the download will be. The downside of this program is that most of it's users are running a 56k modem which makes the less popular files harder to download.

Grokster - This program is another client for FastTrack, connecting to the same network as KaZaA Lite. It is the second best FastTrack program next to KaZaA Lite.

Gnutella

Gnucleus - Gnucleus just may be the best client that connects to the Gnutella network. It features muti-source downloading, an easy to use interface, bandwidth configuration, and no spyware. However, as with all of Gnutella, the network size is limited.

OpenNap

WinMx - The best OpenNap program, WinMx has many options in its arsenal. This includes full chat capabilities, connections to all OpenNap clients, download queueing, and more. However, as with FastTrack, WinMx features many 56k users with little files to share.

Web-based

Audiogalaxy - For rare live tracks and underground bands, Audiogalaxy is the best program by far. However, it's copyright system prevents nearly all popular band's songs from being downloaded. Audiogalaxy uses a web browser to find files and a seperate program to download them.

Other

eDonkey2000 - The most useful feature of eDonkey is the ability to find files on certain websites, such as FileNexus and ShareReactor. Once a link to a file is clicked on, eDonkey will open and look for the file on it's network. eDonkey features many rare files like audiogalaxy, although to a lesser extent.

Blubster - Blubster connects to its own network. It features extremely fast network speeds and a friendly community.

Zeropaid.com - File-sharing portal and community with the latest news from the file-sharing world. Includes a comprehensive list of file-sharing programs.
All Music Guide - AMG is a great site for learning about virtually any serious band ever formed. It includes artist biographies, complete discography, and reviews.
CdCovers.cc - A gallery of nearly all cd covers
KaZaA Lite
Blubster
WinMX
eDonkey2000
Gnucleus
AudioGalaxy
MIRC
MoodLogic.net

Organzing your mp3s into folders and fixing their file names may be tedious, but it will be much easier to find the files you are looking for whenever you want. There are programs specially designed for this:

MoodLogic uses an extensive database to find information for the mp3s, then organizes them by tempo, mood, year, etc. The program can also fix the file names and make a folder for each artist. If the database doesn't find a specific file, it allows you to correct the song yourself and add the info to the database.

MusicMatch Jukebox is an mp3 player, as the name suggests. It includes a built-in browser that searches for information on the song or band that is playing, using the All Music Guide site. MMJB includes many options: it allows you to look through your music library any way you wish, including by album art. The retail version of the program even allows the renaming of files, like MoodLogic.

ORGANIZING FILES MANUALLY

Perhaps the most overwhelming part of the organizing process is doing it manually. Depending on the number of files in your library, this could take many hours. There are proper ways to organize them, which will be explained here.

Create A Shared Folder - Locate a place on your hard drive where you want the files to be shared over the P2P networks explained earlier. Create a folder such as "Shared" or "My Shared Folder"