How to Download Free Music

When it comes to downloading music online, there are three main ways to get the music files: direct http downloads, downloads via proprietary software, and downloads via torrents.

Before explaining how to download free music online, a note needs to be made about the legality of downloaded music. All three types of downloading can lead to legal or illegal downloads. The way the music is downloaded has nothing to do with the legality of possessing the downloaded files.

Direct http downloads are the easiest way to get music and music that is in the public domain is often available this way. After finding a website via a google search (or the search engine of your choice), you’ll find a website with a clickable link to download the music. These files are hosted on the same server as the website.

Downloads via proprietary software are downloads through programs like Limewire, e-mule, and many others. This is a type of “peer to peer” filesharing.

1) Download your desired program.

2) Use the built-in search function to find the file you seek.

3) Start the download by double clicking the hit result or clicking an appropriate button.

Downloading via BitTorrent technology is the most complicated way to download music, but it’s a very common and powerful means of peer to peer filesharing.

1) Download a BitTorrent client. Examples: uTorrent, BitTornado, BitTorrent, and BitComet.

2) Search the web or a torrent tracker site for a torrent file that corresponds to the specific file you want.

3) Download a small torrent file from said site.

4) Double click the torrent file or use your BitTorrent client to open the file.

At this point, your client will take over and connect to what is called “the swarm”. There are two types of users connected to the swarm: seeders and leechers. Seeders are the people who are seeding the swarm with the file or bits of the file. Leechers are people taking the file or bits of the file. BitTorrent clients download which ever bits of the file are the most readily available, then compile the file into a complete usable file. It is considered proper torrent etiquette to seed the file after your download is complete until you’ve shared at least the same amount of data as you gained.