Get Songs You Want Legally at No Cost with Free Music Downloads

It's all over the news these days. Download music from the
Internet and you could be sued, fined, and/or go to jail. The
truth is free music downloads, done correctly, are completely
legal.

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)
aggressively prosecutes copyright violators. And well they
should - it's piracy plain and simple. But there are millions of
free mp3 downloads legally available. RIAA doesn't want you to
know this and wants you to believe any music downloads you don't
pay for are illegal. You'll quickly attract RIAA's attention by
using file-sharing services like Kazaa and Grokster. The
technology is not illegal (yet), but using it to share
downloadable music is at best a grey area. And make no mistake,
RIAA can and will find you!

How do I get Free Downloadable Music without breaking the
law?

First understand the difference between restricted and
unrestricted copyrights. Nearly all songs have an artist or
record label copyright. Many copyrights restrict gratis
downloads. But many musicians want to share their music at no
charge through free downloads. Why, you might ask? Some are
unknowns looking for exposure, but many famous musicians know
it's in their interest to offer free downloads. It inevitably
leads to more CD, concert and merchandise sales. Plus it boosts
their image and popularity.

Most music download services offer a free trial period when you
can download songs at no cost. Cancel before the trial ends and
the songs cost nothing. Of course they hope you'll stay and pay
the monthly membership fee, which in reality is a cheap way to
expand your music collection.

Study the membership terms as some sites only allow use of the
downloads while you are a member. In addition, a "free music"
search will lead to sites - by or for musicians - that offer mp3
downloads for free.