It wasn't that long ago that downloading music from the internet looked like it would finally ruin some of the mainstream recording companies. Napster (the old version) and the music download software Kazaa were gaining in popularity, and notoriety. Every country with interests in copyright wanted them shut down and every week a new article would appear concerning a new legal battle.

That was then, this is now. Napster is now just another music downloading site among the plethora.

So, in an age where music, video and any other media is virtually on demand how do we go about obtaining it legally. For starters, if it's mainstream and popular and you can get if for free - chances are that it's probably not legal. Secondly, if you don't have to agree to the site's registration agreement then it's most likely that the media has been copied.

Having said that, there are many sites which do offer free music and video that don't require payment or registration. However, these usually offer less well-known bands or genre's which are not popular such as indie, folk and world music.

To erase any doubt, I decided to compile a list of sites where you can download music legally. Some are global while others are restricted to certain countries. I hope it's a benefit to you.