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Listen to Free Music Online:
A Beginner's Tutorial
BASICS OF FREE INTERNET MUSIC
If you want to get in on the online music revolution, understand that there
are different avenues to take. Anybody can listen to music all day long on their computer,
but there are different ways to do it. Do you want to download files to your computer
to keep forever, or is it acceptable to just listen to the music like a radio station?
Do you have very specific musical needs, or just want to expose yourself to a wide
variety?
- streaming music - One popular way is to listen to "streaming music". This
is a lot like a radio: you can listen to music in realtime, but you are not able to save the
music to your computer to listen again later. Using these services is generally completely
legal; there are no copyright laws being broken.
- downloadable music - Another approach is "downloadable music" where you
download files to your computer (usually in MP3 format) that you can listen to again and
again. In order to play and organize MP3 files you will need software such a iTunes.
- Googling for music - Lots of people leave MP3 files lying around on
their websites, and Google has a tendency to find them. You don't need to be a
Google expert to do this--just use a simple interface like
g2p.org and find MP3 files you like.
Once you find some, you can either listen to them or save them to your hard drive.
This method is easy, but it's "hit or miss." You're bound to find something
interesting, even if it's not what you were specifically looking for.
- podcasts - A feature of Apple's popular software iTunes a
podcast is like a radio show which is delivered to your computer on a regular basis. You
do not need an iPod to listen to a podcast. You do not need a Macintosh to run iTunes!
You can download iTunes from Apple's
iTune Homepage.
- P2P (file sharing networks) - File sharking networks (also called "peer-to-peer"
or P2P networks) allow people to anonymously exchange music files upon demand. These
services often have
a bad reputation because so many people that use them download copyrighted
songs, in spite of laws that prohibit such behavior. Nevertheless, there is
a world of copyright free music available from the same networks. We cannot
suggest to anybody to break the law, but what you do with your file sharing
software is your decision to make.
- bit torrents - Similar to file sharing networks, this is a method to transfer
files across the internet with people you don't even know. While somewhat technical, the
interfaces make using these systems relatively easy. Warning: like file sharing networks
above, many people use this technology for illegal exchange of copyrighted material.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT FREE ONLINE MUSIC
- Q: I'm not picky, and I'm not computer genius. What's the easiest way to
listen to music?
A: Try Slacker.com first.
Nothing to download,
no need to register.
A monkey can figure it out.
- Q: What's an MP3?
A: An MP3 is a file type which contains audio. For example, your computer may store
the file
Yesterday.mp3 which contains the song Yesterday. There are other formats,
such as
"shorten" (used strictly by snooty audiophile types) but MP3 still remains the most popular
format.
- Q: What's a podcast?
A: A podcast is an audio file (MP3) that is sent to your computer on a regular
schedule, e.g. weekly or daily. Some people say that podcasts will one day
replace the concept of radio and even television shows. Other people say it's a bunch of
hype.
- Q: Is it legal?
A: It depends mostly on two factors. First, whether or not you are downloading the
music or
streaming it. Second, whether the music is copyrighted or "public domain" (free to
distribute). The good news is that streaming music services
are generally 100% legal, and probably the easiest way to go for most people. When you use
tactics like P2P or BitTorrent, where you share
files with strangers online, there is a chance that you'll encounter files which contain
copyright music. We cannot condone the theft of
copyrighted music, but whether to press that "download" button is a choice you'll have to
make for yourself.
THE TOP LINKS FOR ONLINE MUSIC
Now that you have an idea of the various options available to modern internet music fans,
here are some very important links to help you get starting listening and downloading free
music online.
- Archive.org
Live Music Respository (website / streaming, download)
Thousands of live
concerts archvied for both streaming and downloading. Most of these acts are what you would
call "Jam Bands", but hundreds of bands are covered including Jazz, Bluegrass, Funk, Blues,
and more. The entire archive is copyright free for public release, including rare old
media. Everything is 100% free to listen or download, no account necessary.
- Slacker.com (website /
streaming)
Slacker is a customizable radio station
that will play streaming music of a variety of genres. If you don't like a song, you
can press the "skip" button (two arrows pointing forward) and it will skip to the next
song. You can register for free to take advantage of some advanced features, but it's
not necessary to register to listen to music.
- iTunes (software /
download)
Apple's revolutionary music
playing/downloading system offers a variety of features to help you enjoy music on your
computer. You can use iTunes to play MP3's that you download online, you can subscribe to
Podcasts to receive music and other variety shows on a regular basis. Some podcasts are
100% free, but others require you to pay a small price at the Apple Music Store. You do
not need an ipod to listen to podcasts. Just click on the link "Download Now" and get
iTunes for your computer; it's available for the Macintosh and the PC.
- Limewire (software /
download)
One of the
most popular file sharing networks on the internet today. Unlike it's
cousin Kazaa, Limewire is completely free of spyware, adware, and other
malicious applications. Be warned that a great deal of music available
through Limewire is copyrighted, and those who engage in downloading
copyrighted music are technically committing a crime.
- G2P (website / download)
G2P (Google-to-Person) is a method
to use Google's powerful search engine to sniff out MP3 files on the web.
You no longer have to be a Google expert to locate the MP3 files you are
looking for, this handy website will take a simple search ("the Beatles")
and turn it into a complicated search that usually drops you off right at the
MP3 files you are looking for.
- Bit Torrent (software /
download)
A software
package available for the Macintosh, PC, and Linux, Bit Torrent
allows people to transfer large files using "swarming" technology that
vastly accelerates the download speeds. Once you have the Bit Torrent
software, you'll need to visit a site to acquire the bit-torrent files which allow the
download to take place. More information on how this works is available at the Bit Torrent
site. Warning: Like Limewire above, much of what is available from these networks is
copyrighted material.
- BT Junkie (website /
download)
In order to use Bit Torrent, you need to access what are known as bit
torrent files. Services such as BT Junkie allow you to do just that, through an easy
search-engine interface. Another popular site like this one is isohunt.com.
- YouTube (website /
streaming
videos)
No discussion of online music is complete without mentioning YouTube, the internet's most
popular
video site. Want to see Elvis Presely performing live? Want to see
a Nirvana video? Whether you like alternative rock or Bulgarian sheep dancing music, just
about any musician you can think of has dozens (if not
hundreds) of videos available at YouTube.
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So what are you waiting for? Get out there and ROCK!
Written by "Mouse in a Hole" for Free
Stuff Hot Deals.
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