Legal Alternatives

Free movies, music, and tv shows — where can you get them? File sharing of copyrighted music and video is illegal and against Smith’s Acceptable Use Policy, but there are plenty of free & legal alternatives.

Movies & TV Shows

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.

Internet Radio & Free Music 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

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

The RIAA provides a list of legal online music sources: Legal Music Sites

Software

Books

Borrow!

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 Library in Northampton.