Music Downloads And What You Need To Know About Them
If you are someone who spent many years collecting a lot of music albums, CDs or cassettes of your favorite music in the past, you know how much time and space that takes up. But the current music downloads that are available today are easy-to-use in so many ways. This article will get you started with some great advice.
If you are on the Internet looking for free music downloads, you have to be extremely careful. Downloading music without paying is illegal and is punishable by law. Another reason you want to avoid this is because hackers use music downloads as a way to send viruses to your computer.
You should always have an antivirus program if you download music on a regular basis. An antivirus program will scan a file before it is downloaded, letting you know whether the virus has a virus or not. If a virus somehow gets into your hard drive, then the antivirus program can neutralize and remove the virus.
If you want to avoid getting a virus when downloading music, make sure you download from a reputable site. There are many websites where you can download free music. These sites are usually less secure than the ones you pay for, increasing your chances of downloading a virus. If you want to avoid getting a virus, consider paying for music you download.
If you are worried about the legality of the site you are downloading from, the easiest way to tell is if they charge you for each song. If there are no charges associated with the music you are downloading, then the website is probably stealing music and you could end up breaking the law.
Free Music Archive and The Internet Archive offer free music that is completely legal to download. Check them out if you are working on building your collection. They often contain music from obscure or lesser known artists, and the music spans every genre. Downloading is simple once you are at the site.
Be careful with music download sites that force you to download files prior to getting the music you want. Often times these files are nothing more than spyware that will hijack your computer. It'll mean lots of pop-ups and strange software behaviors. It's best to choose an alternative solution to protect your machine.
Never download any music without having a current antivirus program running on your computer. This is essential because it will protect your computer in two ways when it comes to downloading music files. First, it scans the file to ensure it is safe, and if anything is downloaded that isn't safe, the virus program detects this and can remove the virus or harmful file.
If you are having problems downloading with a peer to peer program, check your firewall. Unless you allow the program, you won't be able to do any uploading or downloading. Windows comes with a firewall built in, and this will have to be altered to allow for your program's actions.
When you download a song online, check its size. If it is less than 2 megabytes, unless it is a very short song, it is likely to be a virus. Most viruses are just text and they don't take up much hard drive space, so be wary of small files.
There are many forums online where the sharing of MP3s happens every day. They allow you to check out new artists and songs in the genre you enjoy. That said, be aware that files can contain viruses and that sharing of these songs, unless they are posted by the owner, is illegal.
Stay away from any music downloads that require a peer to peer client, also known as p2p software. No matter how slickly designed such sites are, they are probably just an access point for music pirates and torrent users. Avoid these, as almost all torrent activity is a legal risk.
Check out mainstream MP3 stores and look for their free music section. Often Cover this is populated with songs from up and coming artists which are worth checking out. For example, MP3.com has a whole category dedicated to free songs. You can sample each and then download those that sound great.
Be careful with free peer-to-peer music download services. Many of these sites straddle the line of legality. What you may be thinking is ok is actually putting you in jeopardy of prosecution if the service is caught and they report on their users. Do your research before joining any peer-to-peer music download service.
Make sure that your antivirus protection is up-to-date before you start downloading music. It is deceptively simple to get a nasty virus along with your song. Anti virus programs will scan these downloads for viruses and malware long before it is ever saved to your computer. It also performs scans later on to get rid of malware that may have gotten through.
One major plus to downloading music online is that it is generally cheaper than buying a CD. You can usually find many whole albums under $10. On top of that, you may only listen to a few songs on a CD. With music downloads, you can usually buy just the tracks that you want, which saves you even more money.
The Internet Archive is not just for archiving websites. It can also give you a list of great MP3s for free that aren't hard to download. Their goal is archiving the Internet in its entirety, allowing everyone to benefit.
You should now be prepared to build an impressive music collection just by downloading it. The tips above are something to keep in mind as you use Internet music sites. Take a look around, have a great time and hear the music you love.