Webupon

Since the birth of the Internet the subject of free music has been a hot one. No one will dispute that finding freely available legal music can be a minefield in this day and age – with copyright issues and scare stories of illegal downloading an almost daily occurrence, it’s hard to distinguish between what are the free and legal goodies, and just what constitutes an illegal download. But what most people don’t realize is that there is actually quite an abundance of free independent and even major label music available – all legal – all legit.

There is a range of various sources out there and they can range from the unsigned garage-band giving away their demo, right through to the free promotional giveaways of the major record labels. Knowing the validity of your source is the defining factor and if you follow this guide, you will be able to get regular free and legal music without the guilt or hassle. This brings us to another important factor – the Creative Commons licence.

I won’t go into to much detail, as the Creative Commons have a perfectly definitive explanation at their website about what each of licences entail, but in short; all digital media under their branding, including music, is tagged with an alternative to the standard copyright license. Many bands and artists make their work(s) available on these licences, which help them circulate or spread the popularity of their art to a wider audience. So, where can you find this music?

As mentioned there are many websites available to fans of music, but here is a top-five list of free and legal music sources.

MySpace Music: The musical side of the social networking site is obviously a no-brainer to those with more experience, but there is a bounty of free music to be found there and it’s a good place to start if you are a little unsure about the issues surrounding this topic. Artists that are registered on MySpace often make music freely available themselves for their fans to download directly form their page. There are also monthly giveaways and promotional songs distributed as well as albums that can be preview (“streamed”) before their official release dates. It requires some searching, but you’re bound to find things you like.

Pit-falls: If you are downloading from a major label artist, then make sure the music available is from their official MySpace page and not a fake one – check for tour dates and blog entries to make sure.

The Hype Machine: The golden gateway to the musical blogosphere! This is where all the music blogs from around the globe get collated and displayed in one place. It’s essentially and arrogated list of what is currently hot and what people are talking about. There are no direct downloads available, but you are freely able to listen to a never ending stream of music that increases by the second. You can add favourites, save songs to your own playlist and also read the many articles that get displayed from the millions of music blogs around the world.

Pit-falls: There isn’t really anything to be worried of if you stay on The Hype Machine’s website, but if you do stray off into the world of musical blogs, be very wary.

Direct From The Record Companies: Independent and major record labels sometimes give away their own music- in some cases whole albums are often made available! This is usually for promotional reasons and is widely available without registration or subscription. A few examples are; Secretly Canadian, This is Fake DIY, Creation Centre, and Kill Rockstars. There are so many out there, way too many to list here, but if you search around you can easily find them.

Pit-falls: None. But it may be worth your time if you do sign up to their mailing lists, as these usually contain the occasional free MP3!

Muxtape: Is the Mecca of mixtapes. It’s a relatively new website where you are freely able to listen to millions of pre-created user made mixtapes. Yet again, there isn’t any music to directly download, but there are vast amounts of songs for your listening pleasure.

Pit-falls: Be aware that if you create a mixtape yourself, you MUST own the correct copyright or have permission from the artist(s).

Music Blogs: This grouping is a tough one. I wont down-cry the musical blogging community, because I am apart of it, but it is widely known that some are legal and others aren’t and it can be very tricky working out which is which. If you do feel like stretching your legs and branching off to explore the vast realm of the music blogs, stick to the main ones such as; The Stereogum, AOL s Spinner, or RCRD LBL – if you are unsure about the legality of a blog you can always email the blogger directly – just don’t except an honest reply.

Pit-falls: Music blogs are a sticky minefield so tread carefully when downloading MP3s from them. Try to determine the credibility of the blog by the type of music they are publishing – e.g. it’s highly unlikely Bob Dylan would let an amateur blogger host one of his entire albums freely.