If you've checked out downloading music on the internet, you will have noticed that there are literally hundreds of different sites to choose from. You need to be able to decide which ones are OK, and which ones you should avoid. Most download sites will give you what you need to download music. But, not all of them are quite what they seem.

Without frightening you away, remember that some of the so-called FREE ones have to make their money in some way.

As in all "download" sites - unscrupulous suppliers can "add" some extra programs for you to unwittingly download - programs they want you to have, but you don't want. Things like traffic trackers, spyware, and all sorts of gremlins that make money for the supplier.

So how do you know which ones to avoid?

It's difficult, as some sites can look great but hide a multitude of sins. The sign of a good site is obviously things like good grammar and correct spelling. Check that they have published on their site a telephone number, a postal address, an email contact form and a customer service department.

Look at the offer - if it's too good to be true, it probably is a dodgy site. The best way to be sure is ONLY use a site that we have listed here - we have already vetted them for you.

Some sites give you more then the others.

As well as highlighting "safe" sites we want to tell you which ones give you the most value for money. You also need to consider the resilience of the downloading server, and the download speeds. It's no good signing up for what seems like a good deal, but you never actually manage to download anything. As in all things in life, remember you always get what you pay for.

Compare approved Music Download sites here