Confused about downloading music

angelbaby

This may be a silly question, but what is the best, cheapest way to download music? Is it possible to get music free of charge AND legally? I'd like to keep costs as low as possible, but obviously I don't actually want to download stuff illegally. Any advice would be much appreciated!
Thanks in advance x

Phantom_Flan_Flinger

Free music is available, but you'll find it's for unknown or up and coming bands.

The legal British music sites, like HMV, Woolworths, MSN music, Itunes, etc usually cost somewhere in the region of 70-80p per track, maybe more.

You need to think what you might want to do with the music you buy. Will you want them to play on your MP3 player, or your phone, or will you want to play them in the car?

Itunes uses AAC files, while the others use WMA files.
They all protect their files using Digital Rights Management (DRM) which is supposed to stop piracy. Indeed, a lot of cheaper MP3 players and a lot of phones won't play DRM files. In such cases, you would have to burn the songs to a CD and then rip them back off.

If you're looking at buying albums, personally, I wouldn't bother. For the price these sites charge for an album, you could buy the CD from an on-line retailer for the same or less. Then, you can do what you want with the songs.

Hope this helps a bit.

Kippling

I would suggest looking at 'MySpace' and 'YouTube' too.

I understand you can capture music found on youtube and save it to your hard disk, although it wont be in MP3 format. I'm pretty sure that's okay legally too. You get the videos too! I believe there's a bit of free software called 'Orbit Downloader' that can do that, among other things.

Other than that there are a bunch of MP3 repositories that charge a flat monthly fee to download music legally. One that immediatly springs to mind is 'Napster', once an illegal filesharing network now gone legit. There are others but I can't remember any specific names. Shop around a bit to make sure you're not getting shafted. Avoid the russian ones.

Also maybe you could try internet radio. You can capture internet radio streams and chop out the songs you like too, though that requires 'intermediate' technical knowlage I think. I'd guess that that was legal also (you can record radio 1 to a traditional cassette and play it back right?)

Also maybe you could download Podcasts from the BBC website, from what I remember it's pretty good, you can choose the genre of music, the shows you like etc.

No need to pay for CDs ever again if you dont want to =D

BillScarab

Kippling wrote: »

I would suggest looking at 'MySpace' and 'YouTube' too.

I understand you can capture music found on youtube and save it to your hard disk, although it wont be in MP3 format. I'm pretty sure that's okay legally too. You get the videos too! I believe there's a bit of free software called 'Orbit Downloader' that can do that, among other things.

Other than that there are a bunch of MP3 repositories that charge a flat monthly fee to download music legally. One that immediatly springs to mind is 'Napster', once an illegal filesharing network now gone legit. There are others but I can't remember any specific names. Shop around a bit to make sure you're not getting shafted. Avoid the russian ones.

Also maybe you could try internet radio. You can capture internet radio streams and chop out the songs you like too, though that requires 'intermediate' technical knowlage I think. I'd guess that that was legal also (you can record radio 1 to a traditional cassette and play it back right?)

Also maybe you could download Podcasts from the BBC website, from what I remember it's pretty good, you can choose the genre of music, the shows you like etc.

No need to pay for CDs ever again if you dont want to =D

I'd be very doubtful if copying stuff off YouTube or recording internet radio is actually legal. Certainly copying a CD is not legal, there is no 'fair use' clause in English Law. However personally I'd just buy CD's and rip the music yourself. It avoids all the DRM problems and you've always got the original CD's if you lose the MP3s.

esuhl

You can download free music (commercial and unsigned bands - I think) from we7.com. The only downside is a ten-second advertisement at the start of each track... but I think that you can download a copy of the track without the advertisement after a certain number of days.

superscaper

BillScarab wrote: »

However personally I'd just buy CD's and rip the music yourself. It avoids all the DRM problems and you've always got the original CD's if you lose the MP3s.

Me too. And if your preference is for buying a few albums, there's not much difference in cost, plus it's much higher quality than any download.

gorblimeyguvnor

There's http://www.emusic.com/ , 25 free songs when you sign up for a months trial. 30p a track and it's a monthly subscription of £8.99 for 30 tracks, other plans available. You can use the mp3s on any player - no drm - and although there aren't many new tracks you do get stuff like the whitestripes, thom yorke, the pixies, bob marley and loads of oldies.

D.K.

BillScarab wrote: »

I'd be very doubtful if copying stuff off YouTube or recording internet radio is actually legal. Certainly copying a CD is not legal, there is no 'fair use' clause in English Law. However personally I'd just buy CD's and rip the music yourself. It avoids all the DRM problems and you've always got the original CD's if you lose the MP3s.

Copying anything that's copyright is illegal, OK. Then it gets confusing,radio cassettes,VCR recorders do just that as does ripping/ copying CDs. (much more music gets copied than pirated).
So why are we not all in jail? Well I think that the companies realise that this actually encourages people to buy and also they can't stop it (jails are too small). So maybe they bend the rules and turn a blind eye to stuff copied in small amounts for your own use.
So what is illegal may just be allowed...I don't know...just don't tell anyone!!!

D

superscaper

D.K. wrote: »

Copying anything that's copyright is illegal, OK. Then it gets confusing,radio cassettes,VCR recorders do just that as does ripping/ copying CDs. (much more music gets copied than pirated).
So why are we not all in jail? Well I think that the companies realise that this actually encourages people to buy and also they can't stop it (jails are too small). So maybe they bend the rules and turn a blind eye to stuff copied in small amounts for your own use.
So what is illegal may just be allowed...I don't know...just don't tell anyone!!!

D

There is a difference in terms of "time shifted recording" in which recording the radio and taping tv is legally allowed for a "temporary" amount of time to watch/listen to anything you've missed. The reason we aren't all in jail for the cd ripping is because there's also a difference between illegal and prosecutable. The BPI has already stated they will never prosecute for cd ripping. And have even stated they themselves want the law changed. So there's noone to prosecute you!!!

marleyboy

I can foresee the MODS deleting or blocking this thread on us soon

BillScarab

D.K. wrote: »

Copying anything that's copyright is illegal, OK. Then it gets confusing,radio cassettes,VCR recorders do just that as does ripping/ copying CDs. (much more music gets copied than pirated).
So why are we not all in jail? Well I think that the companies realise that this actually encourages people to buy and also they can't stop it (jails are too small). So maybe they bend the rules and turn a blind eye to stuff copied in small amounts for your own use.
So what is illegal may just be allowed...I don't know...just don't tell anyone!!!

D

I agree with you, but although the risk of being arrested for copying stuff off Youtube is miniscule if you were charged it would be harder to plausibly defend than ripping CDs you own.