What Is BearShare?

BearShare is a peer-to-peer network of file sharing users. Originally made by Free Peers, Inc. for Microsoft Windows, BearShare is now owned and sold by MusicLab. BearShare claims to have the world's fastest download times and allows a user to instantly access millions of songs with the ability to download full albums.

History

BearShare was created by Free Peers, Inc. In May of 2006, BearShare was transferred to MusicLab, LLC. In August of 2006, MusicLab released BearShare version six which operates on the same network as MusicLab's iMesh peer-to-peer network. MusicLab has also released a version of BearShare called BearFlix, which is an optimized version used for downloading videos.

Versions

There are currently three versions of BearShare--Free, Lite and Pro. The Lite version of BearShare is malware-free, but has fewer features than the Free version. The Free version has many features but does contain some malware, such as a Trojan horse. The Pro version has the most amount of features but it comes with a price of $24. With the Free and Lite versions, you can download music but are now allowed to burn it. The Pro version gives you permission to burn your music tracks.

Features

The features of BearShare include instant connections, the ability to search by album title, song or artist, a music and video player and no spyware or adware. BearShare also has the reputation of having the world's fastest download speeds. BearShare includes a community where you can connect and share music with other users.

Installing

Installation begins by visiting the official BearShare website and following the download link. When you begin the download you need to save the installation file to your computer and then run the file when the download is complete. If you get a security warning, just click the "OK" button and continue with the onscreen instructions. You will be given the option to choose a destination folder for your downloads. Remember which folder you chose because you will be using this folder often.

Downloading

Download a file by first clicking the search button and typing in the name of a song. When your results show up, you can double-click on the chosen selection or you can right-click and select the download option. All of your downloaded files will go into the destination folder that you chose during setup. Tracks that show up in blue are currently downloading or are in your library. Tracks that are free to download are marked with a green icon next to them.