how do you download music (for free) on an MP3

**Daisygirl** · 05-17-2008, 12:01 PM

Help! My computer illiteracy is showing!

I have a lovely new MP3 player but I can't figure out for the life of me how to download music onto it.

Of course, as this is frugal village, I am looking for free legal sources of music!

Help!

**[email protected]** · 05-17-2008, 12:20 PM

If you have a pc you can rip (record) your own cd's on Windows Media Player 11 (must be WMP 11) and it (your mp3 player) will automatically sync (connect and download) the music that's on your computer.

If it's copyright protected music from another source it will not download.

Hope this helps.

**acidcookie** · 05-17-2008, 12:45 PM

It really also depends on my which MP3 player you have. Certain ones with certain programs. iPods work with iTunes but not other programs. Others work with Napster, but not all of them. Anyhow, you have to pay for all those. There are not many widely known sources of legal free music...

**[email protected]** · 05-17-2008, 01:07 PM

You could also check you local library for the CD's/music your looking for and download it to your mp3.

**PoorRichardsGirl** · 05-17-2008, 01:15 PM

At the library where I work, we get this question a lot. We really don't want to steer people toward sites where the legality is questionable. Here is a link we have on our website that lists a lot of sources for free, apparently legal, music.

Emusic looks like the best bet to me--your first 25 MP3s are free, and don't have ads. (I'll get around to trying it someday.) The streaming ones wouldn't work for putting on an MP3 player unless you have special software to capture it while it's playing.

**SewCrafty** · 05-17-2008, 01:39 PM

I use www.limewire.com. I only make CD's myself as I don't have an mp3 player. Just joined using the free service.

**Nishu** · 05-17-2008, 03:42 PM

If you're downloading copyrighted music, Limewire would be illegal, btw.

If you have an ipod, you should get the itunes software regardless of whether you want to download and pay per song. With the software, you can upload music CD's and then load them onto your ipod. I would recommend borrowing CD's from friend or the library.

I don't know anything about free music sites, but htere's almost always some kind of check. Be sure to install anti spyware software and run it regularly if you're going to use the free sites. (Adaware is what I normally use.)

We use rhapsody, but it's pay per.

**Nishu** · 05-17-2008, 03:43 PM

I meant some kind of catch, not check.

**Budgetmom** · 05-17-2008, 03:56 PM

When you get right down to it, there is no free & legal way to download MP3's. You can have one or the other. Not both. The only thing you CAN do for free that is legal is to rip songs from your own previously purchased CD's and sync them to your player. If you want songs that you don't have, Amazon.com has almost anything you might want for $0.89 per download. Happy hunting!

**FrugalWitch** · 05-18-2008, 12:37 AM

Scrounge around for Pepsi point bottle caps. DH and I have lost track of how many free songs we've gotten from Amazon using the Pepsi points. People at work save their caps for DH and we also snatch them up wherever we happen to spot them

**kellydoeshair** · 05-18-2008, 01:56 AM

Originally Posted by SewCrafty

I use www.limewire.com. I only make CD's myself as I don't have an mp3 player. Just joined using the free service.

not only is limewire illegal
but it's HORRRRIBLE for pc's
windows is security swiss cheese anyways
you might as well light your computer on fire
seriously

**baronmom** · 05-18-2008, 09:40 AM

Originally Posted by kellydoeshair

not only is limewire illegal
but it's HORRRRIBLE for pc's
windows is security swiss cheese anyways
you might as well light your computer on fire
seriously

I totally agree with this one! My son use to use Limewire, and it totally destroyed my harddrive on my computer. I would never ever use this again. Too many viruses.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 05-18-2008, 03:28 PM

I'm in agreement with the ladies about Limewire. It is a horrible service. I had Limewire for just a bit and it gave me so many viruses that I had to reinstall Windows.

My MP3 player is in my cell phone and I only put music on it that I've bought on a CD. I can get my buddies to burn their CDs onto their hard drive and then send me the zip file. I also wait until my cell phone company has offers for free music, which happens alot.

I use Finetune.com at home on my own PC. It makes me a mixed tape for me and I don't have to download anything!

I don't trust anything that's free anymore from online unless the downloaded music comes from the band's website.

**acidcookie** · 05-18-2008, 03:58 PM

If you are a college student (have a college email address) you can download for free and unlimited from www.ruckus.com

In order to transfer there is a semester fee of $15? I pay that $15 bc it's worth it to transfer any music I want.

Catch: they are protected (DRM) files that you can't keep and only work with certain MP3 players (not ipods). And of course you have to be a college student...

If you download a lot of music (well, more than one album per month even), it's WAY MORE worth it to pay Napster $15/month for unlimited download and transfer than $.99 PER SONG from itunes.

There's a rumor that itunes will start a subscription service and I HOPE SO because I refuse to pay per track just to own an ipod. Then I'd finally have the full use for an iphone for all my combined needs..."needs"

**acidcookie** · 05-18-2008, 03:59 PM

Finally, does your MP3 player have a radio? My understanding is that ipods don't (WHY NOT?) but mine does, so you can always tune in local stations for music on the go.