The creation of legal music downloads came about because of complaints
from artists and musicians. They argued that they owned their music,
and it therefore should not be available for free downloading. They have a valid point.
Besides the time and energy that goes into producing music, there are distribution
and marketing costs involved. Musicians and recording companies rightfully expect
to be compensated.
As a result, music download websites began popping up online.
iTunes and Napster are two popular services. iTunes charges a nominal fee per song,
while Napster charges a monthly subscription fee. There are also more than a hundred of
sites that offer music downloads.
You can find legal music downloads in several ways. It is advisable that you
go through reputable and well known sites. Shop around the 'net, ask friends for recommendations.
Be sure to deal only with reputable sites. You don't want to run afoul of copyright laws.
Here's a list of some music download sites: