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The Internet is a great place for music information -- not only just for ordering, but to actually read up on your favorite bands, exploring their various projects and discovering new ones. Allmusic.com is one of the most comprehensive music sites on the Web, with an ingenious feature that lets users start a search by genre, country, mood, theme or instrument. They take you from the very general and lead you to the most specific, all the while opening doors to hundreds of related musicians and albums from an enormous database. The site features song samples, articles, new releases, editor's picks, reviews and one of the most expansive music caches I've seen. The site is easy to navigate and very up-to-date.

There are also other sites that cater to more specific musical tastes and all are well-rounded, informative and on top of the game. Check out these sites for info on hip-hop, indie rock, classical, rock, classic rock and pop music. Most of these sites are loaded with information without overloading you with capitalist undercurrents. Also searching the sites of your favorite bands' record labels can also provide you with good information, links to similar music and features on new bands you might be interested in.

Also check out the ShopWIki guide to music blogs.

Internet Radio

Internet radio has become extremely popular over the years. Most of these sites are free and simply require signing up for their website. The choices in stations are immense, ranging from stand-up comedy to Australian R&B. Some sites allow you to type in your favorite song or artist, and they compile a radio station based on your musical tastes, specifically designed for you. A rating system is usually found on this site, allowing you to rate the songs you hear. This allows the station to be based even more on your musical preferences!

Popular Internet Radio Sites

Interesting Sites

MusicNation: Online music talent competition, winners awarded contracts with record labels. Many videos.
MusicPlayers.com: The premiere online magazine for serious musicians and pro-level players, MusicPlayers.com features in-depth reviews of pro gear, artist interviews, tutorials, and more.
Wilson & Alroy: More than 3000 interesting record reviews from all decades.
Piero Scaruffi's History of Rock Music: An extremely comprehensive and unfiltered guide to rock music from the 50s into today. Check out Scaruffi's completely free books, too.
All Music: One of the most comprehensive music sites on the web.
Pitchfork: Good indie rock site, lots of articles and reviews.
Big Stere: Another indie rock site, a little blog-ish but decent info.
Insound: Retail site, but with a lot of good information.
Hip-hop: Good hip-hop site.
Future Producers: More of a community music board for DJs and producers but lots of good info here in this easy-to-use site.
Soul: Soul music site, lots of albums, but largely a retail site.
Soul: Another soul music site with some articles and features.
Country Music: Site of Country Music Television. Lots of info, videos and audio.
Launch.com: Links to http://www.music.yahoo.com but has lots of fun features, streaming pop radio and pop music articles
MTV2: Actually a cool site from MTV's musical arm. Mostly pop music for younger people.
Blender -- Site for Blender Magazine. Pop music.
Classical -- Lots of information and music here, but requires a subscription to use the full site.

Music Searches

Tributes & Memorial collections

With the passing of Michael Jackson on 25 June 2009, there has been a resurgence of interest in his music. We've seen some of these titles as his most popular over time, and are being collected in this mourning period:

International Resources

For this resource in your home country, please see:
FR: <a href="http://www.shopwiki.fr/wiki/Musique">Musique</a><BR> DE: <a href="http://www.shopwiki.de/wiki/Musik">Musik</a><BR> NL: <a href="http://www.shopwiki.nl/wiki/Muziek">Muziek Shopgids</a><BR>