Where Can I Listen to Samples of Popular Music?

Finding samples of popular songs is just a click or two away on your computer.

The number of songs available for purchase has exploded in recent years. If you're unsure, though, of whether you want to buy somebody's music, there are plenty of ways to listen to a sample first. Artists need royalties to get paid for their work. If you like somebody's music, buy it, rather than copy it from somebody else.

Retail Stores

If you're actually in a store that carries music, many of them will let you listen to their inventory. In some cases, you'll need to ask a clerk for assistance; in others, you can select the CD yourself and put it in a CD player for a spin.

Online stores

You can usually hear samples of some or all of the songs on an album at online music stores. Store webpages usually let you listen to thirty or forty seconds of a song.

Band Websites

Another good source for song samples is the website of the band you're interested in. Again, the samples will often be around half a minute long.