How to get free music legally in the post-Napster era
Back in 1999, music-downloading client Napster went online and it forever changed the music industry.
Since its creation and subsequent downfall, illegal downloads have taken over music sales, capping in 2008 when a report from the Internal Federation of the Phonographic Industry estimated that 95 percent, or 40 billion songs, were illegally downloaded in that year alone.
The Recording Industry Association of America stepped in to take down various clients, including their widely publicized and on-going battle with The Pirate Bay, and last year’s public shutdown of MegaUpload.
The results of the RIAA’s actions resulted in a continual decline of illegally downloaded songs, down to 97 million according to the Musicmetric’s Digital Music Index report in September 2012.
A rise in online retailers such as iTunes, Amazon’s Cloud Music Store and Google’s Play Store have also aided in the decline of illegal downloads.
Several students on campus said iTunes was their primary source of music consumption. Most cited its ease of use and a fear of getting caught and fined as their reason for using Apple’s music host.
However, there are still plenty of ways to find free, legal music on the World Wide Web.
In an attempt to help unsigned and independent bands reach a larger audience, websites like NoiseTrade and Bandcamp allow bands to post professionally produced music free of charge for consumers.
Other sites, like Soundcloud, have a social media feel to them, allowing users to post their own music creations for anyone to hear and comment on.
For hip-hop fans, services like Live Mixtapes and Dat Piff offer up free mixtapes from major label and underground DJs, rappers and R&B singers usually to appease fans to promote an upcoming album or when an album gets delayed.
Another service is Internet radio, such as Pandora or Spotify, which allows users to listen to a vast amount of music for free with advertisements, or pay a small fee to have ad-free listening.
So the next time you need a music fix and you find yourself low on cash, be sure to visit one of these websites rather than a torrent list.