How to Legally Record Free Music to a Computer

There is still free music out there in the computer world, if you know where to look. With some search engine help and any recording software, you can find a way to legally record music onto your computer, without worrying about being a "pirate."

Instructions

1. Make sure you have a software program for recording music, like Creative Recording or Garage Band. Open the program and change the settings so it will record whatever is played through the computer speakers.

2. Go to a website that allows you to play songs for free (see Resources below). There are multiple sites offering free music that advertise on search engines. You may also find music videos available on video sites like YouTube.

3. Find a song on one of these sites that you like. Hit "Record" on your recording software and play the song. Make sure the volume is adjusted correctly to avoid any blaring or buzzing sounds on the recording.

4. Edit the recorded song as you see fit (like deleting the second or two of silence at the beginning). Save it onto your computer. It will probably be saved in a format like .wav, but your software may let you compress it to an MP3 file.

Tips & Warnings

• Some music sites may still allow you to directly download the songs.

• While it may be legal to record music to your computer this way, it may not be legal to burn the recorded music onto a CD or remove it from your computer (like transferring it to another).

Resources

• Download 25 songs free at eMusic.
• Music videos, radio and free downloads at AOL Music