Helping people with computers... one answer at a time.
Legally downloading music files gets surprisingly complex. There are many sources, both legal and not, and they're difficult to distinguish.
This is a question that has been bugging me for a long time: do you know a decent site from where I can download legal MP3 files? I ask this for a relative, because I myself am old-fashioned: I either buy the CD or get the CD from a national library here in the Netherlands with 300,000 titles. I then rip the CD to Ogg Vorbis format and listen to it on my computer (Ubuntu Linux with Banshee music player) or on my BlackBerry (which, surprisingly, plays Ogg Vorbis). But this relative of mine asked me how he could download music to create and burn his own CDs. If someone wants to download music legally, I would suggest they look at iTunes, but with DRM and all that, I don't know if you can burn CDs from that.
•
My experience is that iTunes will let you burn some songs to CD, but not others. As I understand it, it's up to the music publisher of each song as to whether that's allowed. (And yes, it's frustrating when it's not.)
Unfortunately, I don't have a specific recommendation for you in the Netherlands. I'll touch on a few possibilities for getting music legally, but it's a surprisingly difficult question to answer in a useful way that makes it clear what is and is not legal.
I also want to address something in your question that has me a little concerned:
You might already be violating copyright law.
•
Legal Sources for Music
A great rule of thumb is that if you have to purchase it and you're purchasing it from a legitimate vendor, then it's almost certainly legal.
So vendors like iTunes and Amazon.com are great sources for legally available music. In fact, Amazon makes digital music available in MP3 format and because it doesn't require iTunes or any other application, it's my favorite source of music.
I honestly don't know whether Amazon sells to the Netherlands (amazon.nl redirects to amazon.co.uk, so I'm not sure of the relationship there). But I would look to major retailers and music stores for equivalents there.
Illegal Sources for Music
A great rule of thumb is that if you can get it for free and it's from a popular musician on a major record label, then it's probably illegal and in violation of copyright.
Popular music available using bittorrent, for example, is almost certainly being downloaded illegally and we've even heard of record companies suing those who do so.
There are probably many download sites where you can download music as well, and the same rule of thumb probably applies.
But it's never that simple...
Unfortunately, those are the only rules of thumb and can't be applied broadly. For example:
-
There are subscription sites where you pay to "join" to gain access to downloadable music. Some of these sites are not legitimate and you're left downloading illegally pirated music, even though you "paid".
-
There are subscription sites where you pay to gain access to downloadable music which are legitimate.
-
Some musicians make their music available for free by choice; either it's a limited-time incentive or an introduction. The best source for this is probably the musician's own site.
-
Some musicians make some of their music available for free. Again, the best source for this is likely the musician's own site.
The net result is that it's often very difficult to understand what is and what is not a legal source for music.
About that library...
You indicated that you borrowed CDs from the library and ripped them to music files on your PC.
If you then kept those files when you returned the CD, that is very likely a violation of copyright law.
The CD available at a library is meant to be borrowed and returned. When you return it, you don't have it any more. What you've done is you've made a copy of the CD which you then kept.
Unless the artist has explicitly allowed it (which is unlikely in most cases), that's almost the very definition of a copyright violation.
It's possible (and this gets into picky details) that the mere act of ripping the CD might be illegal, but I suspect ripping, listening to, and then deleting the files when you return the CD to the library would at least meet the intent, if not the letter, of copyright law.
Bottom Line
I stick to a known retail vendor, Amazon.com in my case, from which I can purchase my music and then check out individual artist sites for things that the retailer either doesn't carry or that the artists might offer. That keeps me safe and legal.
Unfortunately, I don't have a specific retail vendor to point you to in The Netherlands, perhaps readers there will chime in with legal suggestions.
Article C4910 - August 24, 2011 « »
Leo A. Notenboom has been playing with computers since he
was required to take a programming class in 1976. An 18 year career as a programmer at Microsoft soon followed.
After "retiring" in 2001, Leo started Ask Leo! in 2003 as a place for answers
to common computer and technical questions. More about Leo.
August 31, 2011 6:38 AM
I have not seen Rhapsody mentioned as an MP3 source. Any reason that you know of, Joe
September 1, 2011 12:57 PM
Hi Leo, I legally download from my public library. It mentioned on my public library site that they assume you are going to rip off the CD, so now there is a link called "freegal" that I click into from my library card. I am allowed 3 free downloads a week and it puts the music right into my Itunes account. Granted, not all the popular music is in there, but there is plenty for me to chose. I doubt my library would allow something illegal.
September 5, 2011 5:49 PM
For Walter Willaert:
Contact your credit card company nd dispute the charge on the ground of an unsatisfactory/defective product -- the law gives you that right. They should "chargeback" the purchase price and refund your money.
Of course, if you used a debit card, or your bank account, for the purchase, you're outta luck -- because the above rules simply don't apply.
Oh, and by the way, if you learn absolutely nothing else from this experience, learn the following phrase, and learn it well: "Caveat Emptor" -- "Let the Buyer beware."
Good luck!
September 6, 2011 8:39 AM
internetarchives.org has a lot of music that the copywrites have expired. Some of it is very old, from wax recordings. it can be a lot of fun going through the stuff there. They also have old time radio shows, and live concerts. I have downloaded public radio shows too. But you really have to look around. The have some interesting video, I watched some of the old films on hygiene and dating they used to show in schools.
September 8, 2011 2:42 PM
RadioSure or Screamer radio will give peace of mind.