Free Legal mp3 Downloads

When people think about downloading mp3 files, probably the first thing that pops into their heads is legal download sites like iTunes where you pay for each song or downloading mp3 files illegally through filesharing networks and bittorrents. But those are not your only options. It is possible to download tons of music legally and for free if you start to think outside the box of all the musical artists that you already know about because their songs get played on the radio all the time.

Do you want to discover new music? Then you'll want to start exploring creative commons licensed audio and mp3 files. Think free music by artists you've never heard of can't possibly be any good? Fear not! There's plenty of great stuff out there. After all, even the big name music celebs started out somewhere before getting discovered.

In a nutshell, Creative Commons is an alternative to the standard copyright formulation of "All Rights Reserved." Instead, artists may choose to license their work with "Some Rights Reserved". With several licensing options to select from, Creative Commons represents a compromise between "All Rights Reserved" in which all artistic output is subject to bureacracy, lengthy negotiations and financial arrangements in order for someone else to make use of it, and "Public Domain" which represents a free-for-all environment of no rights whatsoever.

With Creative Commons, many artists release their work in such a fashion that other artists can come along and make deriviative works from the raw material or fans can simply pass it on and share it. It is a pretty big topic however, so the best thing to do is read more about how Creative Commons works.