Beatport, an online music download store tailored specifically towards DJs, offers a vast array of MP3s as well as lossless WAV and AIFF formats for download.
Visit their website here to see all 30 categories they have available, such as more specialized genres such as modern classical and metal music.
Online record stores
Most major record store chains (aside from FYE) may have closed over time, yet there remain several independent shops catering to music enthusiasts. From vintage vinyl records to modern electronic dance music downloads and special editions or exclusive items not found elsewhere, there are still a handful of these independent record shops catering to music fans.
Many of the best record stores also carry merchandise related to record collecting such as clothing, memorabilia and accessories. Third Man Records boasts an array of apparel ranging from baby onesies to reversible bucket hats; its website also hosts an impressive selection of turntables, flex pedals and other gear; they specialize in psychedelic rock, garage rock and punk but offer plenty of other genres as well.
Westsider Records offers a diverse catalog to meet any music lover’s needs, with classics, jazz, popular and R&B genres all represented as well as modern rock and R&B releases. Their online store regularly receives new titles so it’s easy to locate what you’re searching for!
Discogs is another worthwhile online record store to explore, offering both personal cataloging and marketplace purchasing of hard-to-find records. Their selection features both brand new and used vinyl records – perfect for beginners looking for their first records! Plus they boast an active community of users that will help locate any rare items they might be searching for!
There are also major department store chains that specialize in music and offer extensive CD selections, such as Saturn, Media Markt and Fnac in Europe as well as El Corte Ingles in Spain. Furthermore, independent music retailers in major cities often specialize in vinyl records; an example being Academy Records Annex located in New York. Here you will find an amazing collection of new and pre-loved vinyl albums at competitive prices.
With the demise of major chains like HMV and Tower Records, many independent record shops have emerged since. Sam Goody remains an established seller of music with dedicated departments dedicated to record sales. Furthermore, Saturn, one of the world’s largest record stores offers an impressive selection of vinyl records in their musical department.
Juno Download
Juno Download is one of the world’s premier specialist music download stores, offering an expansive selection of mp3 and wav downloads for DJs, electronic musicians, listeners and DJs alike. Established in 1996 as an information-only website that listed new releases daily before transitioning into a commercial store offering vinyl records and CDs – its catalog boasts over 5 million tracks!
Juno’s editorial team selects releases each week to feature, with these titles promoted across their homepage and specific genre pages, social networks, podcasts and newsletter. In order to be considered, it is crucial that your release be promoted through all available online channels.
Juno provides independent labels and artists a secure marketplace to sell their music. Offering various payment methods and producing monthly reports with detailed sales breakdowns by date, time, and country of purchase. And their free promotional tools can help spread the word about your release, such as customizing digital album art and descriptions to make them more eye-catching. Plus, you can select music services you’d like to distribute your release on and track its performance; Symphonic Distribution also allows exclusive distribution so your release only exists on Juno for greater chances of being featured on their homepage and genre pages.
SoundCloud
SoundCloud was established by two friends with a passion for music who wanted to create an online space to share it. Since its conception, the site has rapidly evolved into one of the world’s largest audio platforms with millions of artists and listeners using it regularly – such as Billie Eilish and Post Malone becoming household names when their songs were discovered on SoundCloud! A&R executives also utilize SoundCloud extensively as a talent scouting tool and source emerging talent they sign to their rosters.
SoundCloud was established with the purpose of equipping musicians with tools they need to engage directly with fans and monetize their music directly, which it achieves via various marketing and distribution services. Beyond its free tier, Next Pro subscription service offers unlimited track uploads, distribution across other streaming platforms and advanced listener insights – it currently serves over 40 million creators!
Though popular, the company is struggling to generate enough revenue to meet creators’ demands. At one point, they even considered selling themselves off to major industry players; however, some creators may be wary of such moves due to its independent roots and collaborative spirit. Overall though, it seems likely that their website will eventually become profitable.
SoundCloud is one of the leading platforms for listening to dance music, offering both free and two paid subscriptions that provide access to millions of tracks without ads or limits on streaming time. Features of SoundCloud include search bars, trending genres and curated playlists; its user-friendly interface makes discovering new tracks simple; users can follow creators they enjoy following as they download songs for offline listening; its free tier allows access to 120 million tracks while Go+ and Go plans offer additional streaming without ads.
In 2023, SoundCloud unveiled their latest tool aimed at helping artists manage their music careers on the site – SoundCloud for Artists. This includes an analytics dashboard offering analytics on tracks listened to, licensing agreements and promotional tools as well as features to identify their most valued fans using data such as listenership data or frequency of sharing of music shared from them by other fans.