Free (and Legal) Music on the Web
MP3 files don’t have copy restrictions built into them (as AAC and WMA files often do), which is why MP3 is the format of choice for trading and sharing. Thousands of Web sites offer MP3 files to download, as a quick trip to http://Google.com will tell you. Some sites offer music posted by bands and musicians who want to make their songs free to anyone who wants to listen. Other sites stockpile copyrighted works and bombard you with pop-up windows for all manner of services (including adult material).
Here are a few sites that offer free and legal MP3 files:
http://Music.download.com. The venerable http://MP3.com site was bought and sold, but a free download site from its sister company CNET is on the way. Scheduled to debut in early 2004, the site promises to provide a place for independent artists to share their music freely with once and future fans (http://music.download.com).
PasteMusic. For the mere act of signing up for the Paste mailing list, you can download free full-length songs by the site’s featured artists. Why are the songs free? The bands hope you’ll get hooked enough to purchase the whole CD, which you can also buy here (http://www.pastemusic.com).
FreeSoloPiano. If you think the sound of ivories being tickled is just the thing for your iPod, the free solo piano works available here could be a gold mine ( http://www.freesolopiano.com).
Vitaminic. One of Europe’s major sites for new music and musicians using the Internet to promote ...
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