Music - downloads?

[Colapop]

While I realise that downloading music by using illegal sharing programmes is highly unethical and immoral, I cannot help wondering about it. I understand, by way of anecdotal evidence, that some programmes are susceptible to viruses so I was wondering what programme somebody would use? This information would be used purely for informational purposes so that I may be aware of what to look for and thus protect myself from the evils of these things...
What should I look for? (so as to be informed of these things, you understand)

[iwilde]

Limewire for single songs, any torrents site for full album download

[davereid]

Azureus is a good and free and spyware/malware free torrent client. But torrents are very very slow, I understand that they are deliberately throttled by ISPs. There is also a torrent client built into the very good web browser "Opera".

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

While I realise that downloading music by using illegal sharing programmes is highly unethical and immoral, I cannot help wondering about it. I understand, by way of anecdotal evidence, that some programmes are susceptible to viruses so I was wondering what programme somebody would use? This information would be used purely for informational purposes so that I may be aware of what to look for and thus protect myself from the evils of these things...
What should I look for? (so as to be informed of these things, you understand)

There is heaps of music out there is is actually free... (Legally free) Most of it by independent artists, most of them just as good as any signed artist and alot of the time the music is better as you don't have any corparation saying this is what we want and we want it by the end of the year of you loose your contract. Putting a lot of stress on the musican...

Independent musicans get paid 99% of the sale from sites that are selling their music, (many are giving it away) I give away alot of mine... it probably not worth buying and or who would buy it anyway )

www.indiehitz.net (site I built last year... and is still growing, also has live streaming radio)
www.soundclick.com (Many signed artists on this site as well)
www.songplanet.com
www.mp3.com.au
www.soundlift.com
www.mixposure.com
www.mp3unsigned.com
www.myspace.com (But you have to look a bit harder...)
www.indieheart.com

New Zealand Music
www.dunedinmusic.com
www.muzic.net.nz
www.nzmusic.co.nz
www.amplifier.co.nz

Many artists on these sites have turned down being signed this way they keep all rights, and control to there music...

Enjoy...

[avgas]

torrents - but make sure ur spyware/antivirus know the ports and stop the baddies.

[Colapop]

I need a layman's explanation of what is involved with the process of 'torrents'. Also ports - aren't they for boats and ships?

[Kittyhawk]

The best music composed comes from those who just do it, and aren't paid to do it either.

I do alot of composing and its just for myself. It's like a diary for me. But if my friends want copies of it I give it to them.

[avgas]

PIRATES ARE COOL

[Disco Dan]

I need a layman's explanation of what is involved with the process of 'torrents'. Also ports - aren't they for boats and ships?

think of a torrent file as a 'key', you download a 'torrent' and use your download program (ie bit-torrent) to open the torrent and begin downloading the actual music.

Ports - think of a hallway full of doors (matrix anyone?) information from the internet goes in and out of these doors and into your computer (at the end of this 'hallway') What your computers 'firewall' does is almost like putting a lock on every door and asking each bit of information if its naughty or nice before it opens the door and lets it down the hallway.

and using this same hallway metaphor, now imagine a windows pc by default sits there with all the doors open and flapping in the wind. A mac, on the other hand are deadlocked. Thats why pc's need 'firewalls'. Its almost like a woman sitting there with her legs wide open, holding a open packet of condoms in one hand and saying "what are you waiting for?". Which is why an unprotected pc will become 'compromised' within 30 sec of it connecting to the internet.

[Monorail]

dc++ is rather easy... or so i've heard

[MyGSXF:Me]

Yeah.. Limewire

[Colapop]

I understand Limewire is a virus magnet? Gets more viruses than a $2 ho?

[Donor]

I understand Limewire is a virus magnet? Gets more viruses than a $2 ho?

The amount of beer I have charged to de-virus 'puters thanks to idiot limewire users, has done enough to give my liver a severe spanking.

Best program ever, as far as my attempts to alcoholically preserve myself at a cellular level goes.

[Mental Trousers]

Limewire and most of the other Gnutella clients are full of Spyware unfortunately. I stay the hell away from any of them these days.
http://www.slsknet.org/download.html is all you need for individual songs. Torrents for albums.

[riffer]

I have a subscription to easynews.com, which is a website that collects all of the usenet posts and stores them for a minimum of 30 days, after stripping out all the spam. US$5.95 a month, and 350GB cap.

You'd be surprised how much you can get over usenet.

Then again, maybe its good that fifteen years after I first discovered it, usenet is still the best-kept secret on the internet.