Free music is surprisingly easy to come by, even music by famous bands. Sometimes you can only listen to a song while you're online, but with
the ever-growing popularity of broadband this is really no longer a
problem. Sites provide free online music by almost any band you can
think of. However, most people want to download songs and burn their
own customized CDs. So how do we do that without violating copyright
law?
The best way to avoid problems is to visit sites that sell music for a fee.
Some will charge by the song, while others charge a monthly
subscription. The correct choice depends on your preferences. If you
plan to download a lot of music on a regular basis, the subscription
route is the way to go. However, if you only pull enough songs to burn
a couple of CDs and don't plan to do this often, then try the
by-the-song approach.
What about P2P technologies, like Limewire and Winmx? The actual software
is not a problem, but anything you download using these products will
still be subject to copyright law. But there are some gray areas to
consider. What if you already own a CD and it gets damaged. Is it
illegal to download the exact same songs to create a replacement?
Since you have already paid for the music, some would argue that you
already own it and therefore this practice would not be illegal.
Others disagree, claiming that if P2P were not available, you would
have to pay for a new replacement CD at a music store.
To get around these issues, visit a pay site and download the music from
there. That way, you have legal copies loaded onto your computer and
can burn CDs from those. If a CD gets damaged, make a replacement from
the music you have paid for and legally downloaded. Some might try to
argue that making more than one CD by this method is still illegal.
But remember that the world is full of hair-splitters. That's probably
why there are so many bald people running around. Maybe they need
something constructive to do with their time instead of trying to
control everyone else.