Smith College TechNotes blog

Free music — where can you get it? Downloading copyrighted music and video is illegal and against Smith’s Acceptable Use Policy, but there are plenty of free & legal alternatives.

Internet Radio & Free Downloads
Last.fm (free streaming of specific songs, radio based on artist of your choice, account recommended for better customization, based on Music Genome Project)

Pandora (radio based on artist of your choice, also based on Music Genome Project)

Public Radio! Many public radio stations offer their shows as free downloads. Try

• National Public Radio Podcast Directory
• alt.NPR (podcast-only content from NPR)
• Public Radio International Podcasts
• Chicago Public Radio’s This American Life

Mp3.com Free Music Directory (free streaming, some tracks available for download)

Ruckus (free streaming, downloads with restrictions, requires an account), see Cornell University’s FAQ on Ruckus

Streaming Video
Nothing to Watch on TV? Streaming Video Appeals to Niche Audiences [NYTimes.com]
Lists some of the most popular streaming video sites available, both free and subscription-based.

Borrow Music & Videos
Take advantage of the library! Both the Five College and C/W MARS networks* have extensive media collections. To find DVDs or CDs, do an advanced search. You can specify the media type (aka format) you are looking for.

*When you search the C/W MARS catalog, remember that you can modify the search to look at all Western Mass libraries or just what’s available at Forbes in Northampton.