It’s getting harder for chiconomistas to get their tunes at a discount. With virus-ridden mp3 files on music-sharing sites and iTunes’ prices, a lot of us are saying, iTune out. To jam on the cheap, open your ears and close your purses to Spotify, a free music-listening site.

Spotify is a free music library, boasting over 10 million tunes and growing. Unlike iTunes or other music-sharing sites, you don’t download music, you simply log in to your account and listen to any song you like for free. So there’s no waiting for downloads or a serious dent in your hard drive. It’s free music listening made light.

Right now, Spotify has an Open package, where you can listen to free songs for up to 20 hours per month. Included in this package: millions of free tracks to choose from,  music sharing with your friends and importing your fave tunes to your Spotify playlist.

So what’s the catch? Well, with this free music-listening site comes the occasional ad. (Spotify uses ads to pay the artists whose music you are feeding your ears with for free.)  If you want to skip them, we recommend going for Unlimited or Premium packages.

For just £4.99 per month , the Unlimited package gives you rock-around-the-clock access to Spotify, sans the ads or time limits. Yes, you can have a music library for less. Imagine, over 10 million songs for under a fiver. You also get to share your tunes and import your own collection, too.

Now for the Premium package, the chiconomise fave, you get the same features as the Unlimited package and more easy-access listening. You can have Spotify on your mobile, better sound quality, exclusive content  (i.e. you get to listen to new albums before their release dates) and they’ll sync your fave playlists so you can listen to them offline. Music listening is no longer a luxury! At £9.99, you get tons of music for around the price of an album.

Money-savvy music, indeed.

By Christina Caicedo