CD Clubs: How to Get the Best Deals Online

(1) The BMG Music Service offers the best deal you'll find -- 11 CDs for the price of shipping ($2.79 each) when you buy one CD at full club price, which is typically about $15 plus shipping. That works out to about $4 per CD. Its chief competitor, Columbia House, has an offer that works out to about $8 per CD.

(2) When you join, you will receive a catalog in the mail about every three weeks, along with a postcard that highlights a featured selection in the genre you selected when you joined. You must return this postcard by the due date or the club will send you the selection. You can decline online, however, by logging into your account. This makes the process much easier.

(3) If you forget to return the card and receive a CD you don't want, the clubs are good about letting you return it. But the beauty of this system for the clubs is that this happens often enough and many people don't bother sending it back. They just pay the invoice.

(4) If you don't see the CDs you want in a newspaper or magazine advertisement visit the club's site to browse. Copy down the item number of the CDs into the form (some titles will not be available as free selections and this will be indicated). Also, the clubs usually do not have the latest and greatest albums until months after their release.

(5) The clubs press their own CDs, which some people feel makes them inferior. But if you can hear the difference, you have better senses than most humans.

(6) The clubs no longer have toll-free numbers, so the best way to contact them is by email. Always include your account number. The current phone number and email address is listed each month in your membership catalog.

William Pilgrim has been a member of both BMG and Columbia House. You can read more about the clubs and their history at http://www.dealdude.com by searching for keyword "cd clubs." Copyright 2005 cc Media, Inc.

---

The Future for Independent Record Labels

Small independent record labels are facing a different fight today... Read More

Win Friends & Influence People Through Music -- Is It Possible?

The idea that studying music improves the social development of... Read More

Buying a Violin

"How do I buy a violin, (or fiddle)?"That question has... Read More

Ouch, It Hurts When I Sing!

When I first set out to write this article about... Read More

The Flower Garden and New Age Piano Music

If you've ever looked at a flower garden, not only... Read More

Beginner Guitar Lessons - Learn Guitar without Ever Leaving Your Home!

So, you think you'd like to learn to play guitar,... Read More

Review: Audioslave - Out of Exile

Every once in a while a band comes along that... Read More

Reaching For The Soul Zone

Every searching artist wants to get there. It's that magical... Read More

Motorhead Inferno

Motorhead-"Inferno"-Review by Les Lewellyn When David Grohl... Read More

New Age Music - How Its Made

Different styles of music have different "sounds." We can all... Read More

Oh My Aching Head! Can Music Really Make You Feel Better?

We all know, if only instinctively, that music has a... Read More

The King of the Delta Blues Singers - Robert Johnson Still Stands at the Crossroads

Probably the most enigmatic Singer and Guitarist of the twentieth... Read More

Why Play Guitar?

As a full-time guitar instructor, I am constantly faced with... Read More

Irish Fiddle Ornaments

When I started playing jigs, my default bowing pattern made... Read More

Trusting Your Inner Voice - Key to Success at the Piano

We all have so many critical voices in our heads.Telling... Read More

How Many Guitar Chords Do I Need To Know?

Guitar chords, (chords played specifically on a guitar,) differ only... Read More

Building A Good Relationship With Your Guitar

The guitar is considered the friendliest musical instrument there is.... Read More

Learn To Play The Piano Better By Learning To Arrange Chords & Chord Progressions

Piano arranging is the process by which you take a... Read More

How to Construct Chords and Improvise

How To Construct Basic Chords on the PianoThe easiest way... Read More

10 Ways for Unknown Musicians to Get the Word Out

When Clear Channel controls the radio and the monopoly newspaper... Read More

12 Reasons You Should Learn to Play the Piano

All right, folks, here you go: My 12 reasons why... Read More

Guide to Finding Music Online

Are you frustrated because finding your favorite songs on the... Read More

1959 Stratocaster Vintage Guitars

Mid 1959 Stratocaster vintage guitars have a slab rosewood fingerboard... Read More

Flaming Guitars! Minarik Fuels The Excitement Of A New Generation Of Musicians

Celebrating an endorsement between G-Man Music and the fiery axe-makers... Read More

Piano Playing For Adults: More Fun Than Sex And Not Nearly As Dangerous!

OK, so I lied about the fun part.Maybe piano playing... Read More

Music Mini Course: Learn The Basics Of Reading Music On A Keyboard Instrument

Welcome to the wonderful world of music. As you begin... Read More

How to Remove DRM from WMA - Is It Legal and Worth the Effort?

Technically, it's illegal to remove DRM from WMA protected music.... Read More

Canadian Stars: The Marble Index and the Waking Eyes

Canadian Indie bands are dominating the music scene and it... Read More

Tips for a Great Recording Session

You know your songs are great (and so does your... Read More

Is it Possible to Download Music Legally Anymore?

Throughout the past few years downloading music on the internet... Read More

Lori Nuic Sparkles

A soulful vibe along with an amazing voice is what... Read More

History of the Clarinet From the 19th Century

While composers had already begun to write music for the... Read More

Who?s Playing What? A Guide To The Guitars Of The Pros

Eric Clapton performs his slow-handed magic on his. Even with... Read More