I was recently asked to try out some software for free music downloads and, truth be told, my initial response was that I didn’t like it.  As I thought about it, though, I realized that it wasn’t really the software I didn’t like – it was the lack of information surrounding it.

First of all, I just don’t really “get” how the service works.  Maybe this is just me, my newness to the world of mp3 players and music downloads, and my general ineptitude with these services.  But I can’t really tell what’s going on.  What am I allowed to do with the songs I download?  Where do they come from?  I mean, are these just songs from a few indie artists who set up an agreement with the Mp3 Rocket people?  Or is it mainstream music?  Or what?  This information would not be hard to add to the website.

Second, not all of the features of the software are intuitive, and there is no help file, even for basic functions.  If you buy the upgrade, you have access to tech support, but who wants to buy an upgrade for something you can’t use sufficiently to decide if you like it yet?  So the basic user is stuck with only the forums for support.  Even so, the most fundamental functions of the software – searching for and downloading songs – are pretty intuitive and, as far as I can tell, the software works great.  Even on dialup, I was able to easily locate and download a song within about five or ten minutes.

(You should be aware that you really should be online while installing the program.  It requires certain Java components to complete the installation and, if you don’t already have them, it will install them on demand.  For some reason, this Java download did not work for me the first time, but on the second attempt it worked fine.  Also, be attentive to your options during the installation, as the default is for it to install an Ask toolbar for your browser.  If you don’t want this, you will have to be alert so you can uncheck it.)

So, the software has great potential.  A more information website (and, ideally, at least a basic help file) for better support would greatly enhance it.  But if you’re already familiar with the concept, or just have some time and patience to fiddle with and figure out the software, it may be a great option for you, as-is.