The Ins and Outs of Free Online Music Downloads

Are you interested in downloading music from the Internet? Downloading music rather than buying a complete CD is a wonderful way for you to completely customize your music collection. While some music downloads cost a nominal fee, others are offered for free. However, getting free music downloads can be dicey due to complex legal issues and copyright laws.

After being recorded and released, music is automatically protected by copyright laws. In addition to this automatic protection, an artist can register a copyright with the government, giving him or her extra protection in case someone violates his work's copyright. Copyright laws cover not just music but also books, videos and movies.

Copyrights generally cover a 70-year period. After this period passes, the copyrighted material falls into the public domain, meaning that the material is free and can be used by anyone for a variety of purposes.

One way in which you can violate copyright laws online is by using unlicensed Internet sites for your free music downloads or by sharing cuts from CDs with others without obtaining authorization from the artist or label.

 

In general, using file-sharing sites and peer-to-peer networks to download music for free is illegal and can land you in a lot of legal trouble.

However, recording artists are professionals who make music for a living. When you violate copyright laws, you are stealing from these artists and are compromising their livelihoods.

 

Violating copyright laws can lead to hefty fines. In fact, fines can cost you more than $100,000. You can also spend time in jail for violating copyright laws.

The RIAA, or the Recording Industry Association of America, is an organization that works to protect recording artists' copyrights. The RIAA has been a major player in enforcing copyright laws. The association's work has led to a clearer understanding of what is actually legal versus illegal when it comes to downloading music off of the Internet.

In addition to fighting music piracy through legal means, the RIAA also strives to educate the public so that we have a clearer understanding of copyright laws and the problems associated with using pirated music.

To search for sites that offer illegal music downloads, the RIAA crawls the Web 24 hours a day. It also employs a group of Internet specialists to search for pirated music.

Getting free music downloads today is complicated by the fact that music labels sometimes authorize free downloads for publicity and for promotional reasons. So, how can you tell if the music that you are downloading is legal?

A very easy way to check if a site offering free downloads is legitimate is to see if the site is listed with the RIAA. The RIAA has a list of more than 50 sites that offer free online music downloads legally.

If you're in doubt as to whether or not the site you're using is legit, don't download from it. You can always get the same music from a legal site for a relatively low fee.