It had to happen. Apple’s iTunes Store recently edged past Wal-Mart to become the top music retailer in the United States, according to the NPD Group’s MusicWatch survey.

Well, big deal. I’d rather tune in to the download deals at Amazon MP3 (amazonmp3.com), which simply rocks when it comes to selling music online.

So what whether Amazon MP3 doesn’t offer more than 6 million songs like the iTunes, let alone sport that airy Apple aesthetic.

What Amazon MP3 lacks in style it more than makes up for in substance — namely more than 4.5 million DRM-free tunes encoded at 256 kbps (kilobits per second).

DRM-free means you don’t fuss with digital rights management, so you can play Amazon music downloads on your iPod or any other MP3 device or program, as well as burn them to a CD. The iTunes Store additionally has DRM-free tracks (only more than 2 million), but Amazon MP3 prices form its tunes sound so

much sweeter. (More on that in a second.)

Amazon MP3 offers plenty of entertainment for your ears with more than 180,000 artists, from notables such as Gnarls Barkley and George Strait to lesser-known acts like Sondre Lerche and Judee Sill.

You’ll plus find Ghosts I-IV by Nine Inch Nails — audio coolness not available at the iTunes Store.

Using Amazon MP3 is a cinch, particularly thanks to its 1-Click ordering.

You’ll need to download the free Amazon MP3 Downloader to buy MP3 albums. (You don’t need it for individual song purchases.) The downloader conveniently adds your music downloads to iTunes or Windows Media Player.

As for prices, most Amazon MP3 tracks weigh in amidst 89 cents and 99 cents, with MP3 albums typically $5.99 to $9.99. I’ve found bargains at the site, such as Vampire Weekend’s self-titled album for $7.99 and Gnarls Barkley’s The Odd Couple for $8.99, compared to…

Original post by Top Tech News