It is a sin to break civil and criminal laws duly enacted in your country/state/province. This means that you cannot download copyrighted music without paying for it. That’s the bad news.
Here is the good news: there is a lot of music that is available free of charge, and with a free license that permits you to copy, remix, and even redistribute it! A popular form of license that allows these options is called
CreativeCommons. It is easy to find: just search the web for ‘Creative Commons music’ and you will find sites like
jamendo.com. Stick with Creative Commons licenses for the most popular, accessible, clearly worded licenses. You will never be in doubt about what you can or can’t do with a particular song.
There is plenty more music available free of charge. New artists are dying to get their name out there and get their latest single heard by the masses. Consider joining MySpace to seek out new indie bands. Go to local clubs, find bands you like, and visit their own websites, where you can frequently find downloadable music.
If you enjoy liturgical music, you can find much free sacred music through sites like
Corpus Christi Watershed.
Open your mind and search creatively! Stop listening to the radio! Or, stop letting the radio dictate what kind of music to like! You will never need to pay for music again!