A brief advisory look at downloading music on mp3/wma, etc on the internet from Keep Free Music:There are many free music resources available on the internet, if you look hard! The following guide hopes to offer impartial advice on the possible impact of downloading music to your computer, and suggests possible ways to stay inside the law, whilst enjoying your favorite music!"Ripping" internet radio streams:Its possible to simply record an internet radio station, much in the same way, as in years gone by, where one would record from the traditional radio.There are some sophisticated ways of doing this, but its something we advise against because:1) Ripping internet radio is illegal.
2)It actually threatens the existence of your favorite internet station! The "powers that be" will cite 'stream ripping' as an excuse to legislate against internet radio. At the very least, it could lead to increased royalty rates for stations such as All 60s Keep Free Music. These could easily put internet radio stations out of business.
3)Even if you do it, the results will be poor. All 60s Keep Free Music, for example employs technical tricks to ensure that any recordings of the songs we play will sound unlike the original when played back. In addition, stream ripping is the primary reason for the huge amount of station IDs between and over the records we play. So next time you think we ID too often, you will know why. Stream rippers actually spoil everyone's enjoyment in the end!
From time to time, internet sites appear that can offer totally free mp3 downloads, or thousands of songs on mp3 or wmafor a small subscription (really small, like a few dollars). We advise to keep clear of these sites. Yes, it does seem like a totalbargain - but anything that is too good to be true - often is! Ask yourself if you are willing to trust your paypal info with someone that is blatantly stealing and copying music. What they are doing is effectively selling someone else's product, and its oftensimply a matter of time before such sites are closed down. When they go, your money goes with them, so, be warned!In addition, you should consider the possibility that a file downloaded from an unknown source (be it an mp3 file download from a dubious website, torrent, whatever) can include a nasty virus or backdoor software that will sliently and automatically run on your computer, making your private information vulnerable, or sending thousands of emails from your email software withoutpermission or warning. Conclusion: Never run any file if you are not 100% sure it doesnt contain a virus or other mailicious software - any file at all, and this includes mp3 music download files