With the recent case of a woman being fined close to $2 million for downloading 24 songs, emphasis on downloading safety has never been greater. Despite a variety of recent implementations by Internet providers to curb downloading, accessibility to free music has never been easier.
Private Music Sites
A number of user-based journals and websites exist to offer free music to individuals who prefer not to join subscription services or purchase CDs. These exist on a variety of platforms such as LiveJournal, WordPress and Blogspot blogs, though many require an invitation from the journal's maintainer or from a current member. The music is generally accessible by clicking a link that leads to a direct download hosted on a private server or leads to a file-hosting website that contains a link to download the file. The files are generally found in a .ZIP or .RAR format, which cuts down on the file size and makes the transfer of multiple files easier.
Indie Music
Bands from all genres that have yet to be signed to a major label often release their new albums for free on their websites in an attempt to reach a much wider fan base. Though they might be difficult to find, running a Google search for "free indie music" might prove beneficial in acquiring new music in an unambiguously legal manner. Many mainstream bands have been utilizing a "pay what you want" model of releasing music, popularized by Radiohead with the release of its album "In Rainbows." Since paying is not required with this model, one can easily download the album for free or very cheap. In addition, news sites such as Reddit.com, Fark.com and Digg.com have regularly updated music sections that occasionally highlight new and free music releases.
Private Torrent Sites
Though not 100 percent safe, there are a variety of ways to ensure your chances of being caught downloading and uploading music are greatly minimized. Much like the private music sites utilizing blogging software, there are a variety of private torrent sites that require an invitation from a current member, and, in the case of the site being new, proof of membership from another private music site that clearly displays a good download/upload ratio. The privacy and invitation-only aspect of these websites ensure a much greater chance of anonymity, as do the nature of torrents in general. But precautions should always be taken in the form of IP blockers.
IP Blockers
IP blockers are another method of ensuring privacy on a variety of peer-to-peer networks as they prevent incoming IP addresses to access the torrent stream. Phoenix Labs' "Peer Guardian 2" is perhaps the most popular and effective, especially in the case of Bit Torrent. According to the website, Peer Guardian 2 "integrates support for multiple lists, list editing, automatic updates and blocking all of IPv4 (TCP, UDP, ICMP), making it the safest and easiest way to protect your privacy on P2P."
