If you're looking for a particular song, start by using the search engines at MP3.com and Lycos, which has its own dedicated MP3 search engine. But be warned: You won't always be able to find the major-label artists you're looking for. Most of the easily available music on the Web is by artists without big record deals. If you're looking for music you already know and love, you might have better luck at a streaming MP3 site, which is kind of like Internet radio - it'll allow you to listen to the music without actually sending you a copy of the file itself. A good place to start is SHOUTcast, which includes a directory of streaming MP3 sites.

Playing MP3s

You can play an MP3 one of two ways: on your computer, using special software, or on an audio device specifically designed to play MP3s. If you have a Windows PC, the best software player we've found is Sonique: It's easy to use, it's beautifully designed, it's got all the functionality you could ever want, and best of all, it's free. For the Macintosh, we recommend MacAmp.

One of the first and still probably the best of the hardware MP3 players is Diamond Multimedia's Rio. The Special Edition Rio comes with a generous 64 MB of memory and retails for about $2 50; you can order it directly through Diamond Multimedia's web site.

Power Users

If you'd like to take it a step beyond just listening to MP3s, spend some time on MP3.com, the most complete all-around MP3 resource anywhere. It'll teach you how to "rip" CDs -- convert ordinary audio tracks on CD to MP3s -- set up your own audio stream, customize your player and much more. It'll also keep you up-to-date on the legal wrangling that currently surrounds the MP3 format.

poll
Can the new copy-protected commercial audio formats compete with MP3?

War Against MP3 Player Officially Over
Another sign that the recording industry is facing Internet reality
TIME Digital, August 5, 1999

I Want My MP3
The music industry finally gets with the message and goes with the flow -- on one condition
TIME magazine, July 12, 1999

Record Industry Backs MP3 Alternative
The new music format signals some cooperation with makers of playback devices
TIME Digital, June 29, 1999

Music Industry Hatching Tricky Alternative to MP3
A two-stage plan initially depends on dormant filters
TIME Digital, May 25, 1999

Sony Tries to Put MP3 Genie Back in Bottle
Record labels are racing before free habits become too firmly established
TIME Digital, May 12, 1999

Coinless Jukebox
New software makes it easy to compress and store music CDs on the PC. Best of all, it's free
TIME magazine, May 7, 1999

Sony Music to Embrace Digital Downloads
America's biggest label tries to make people pay for recordings on the Web
TIME Daily, May 5, 1999

You've Got Music!
Record companies, hearing disaster, are desperate to keep their wares from being pirated off the Internet
TIME magazine, February 22, 1999

PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS