As many Internet users have a broadband connection, they spend most of their time on the Internet for entertainment activities like listening to music. The computer as become more of a music store. The inclination of the young generation towards music has also added to the increase in the trend of downloading music. The Internet presents free music downloading sites with both opportunities and threats. Predominantly, the activity of downloading music was illegal, however that has changed over the years and many legal music download sites have been launched; however unauthorized distribution of music is still against the law. There is diverse range of music available online. Many users download music files for free and upload it in order to distribute it to other user. This phenomenon creates illegal library of music, which becomes available for illegal download using file sharing services. This is normally done through file sharing programs.
There are also many websites that claim they are legal and ask the users to pay for the music which may be available for free elsewhere. The consumers should be able to identify legal music services. There is a list of legal digital music services at various online sites. Apart from the fact the file sharing undermines the rights of investors; it also does a considerable damage to the sales of music.
There are some sites that offer subscription services and offers wide range of music to their members for a monthly fee, thus allowing the user to have an access to music of their choice or even purchase selected tracks. The user also has the privilege to download the music and transfer it to a portable device, such as a CD or an iPod, or any other digital music player.
Before downloading music from free music downloading sites, the user would require to have a broadband-enabled computer and necessary software to support the media players that plays the music. All music files require a media player. The best known media players are Window Media Player, iTunes and Real Player. Window Media Player comes as standard software with most computers whereas iTunes and Real Player is available at many websites for free.
