Are you frustrated because finding your favorite songs on the net has become more of a chore than an enjoyable activity?  Read this simple guide to finding music online and your troubles will be out of mind before you download your next Green Day hit!

MP3s are compressed music files that are one-tenth the size of regular audio files.  As a normal audio file requires about 40 megabytes to download, and MP3 requires four.  Although this is still a substantial number, it is much more manageable for the average computer.  Thus began the MP3 downloading, sharing and trading craze.  There are a variety of options when it comes to playing your MP3s.  Media Player comes with Windows, QuickTime 4 comes with Macintosh, and Win amp is the industry standard product.

Music can be downloaded from websites or FTP sites.  Websites are easier to use.  Songs download automatically when you click on the titles.  Finding good websites to download from is difficult.  The sites that used to work well now dabble in other venues.  AlltheWeb.com and MP3.com usually only contain independent, unknown bands that may be great, but if you\'re looking for the stuff you\'ve heard of, you\'ll be wasting your time.  Audiofind now carries radio stations instead of music files, and Audiogalaxy.com Music Search requires a subscription.  Good websites to use are LycoMP3 Search, MP3 Search on Altavista, MP3 Search at Astraweb, and MP3Bot Search Engine.  FTP sites usually require special software.  Some free software options include WS FTP and FTP Explorer.  Oth Net (Kermit search) is a clean fast way to download from FTP sites directly from the browser that works even better than the software options.

In the wake of the Napster downfall, it has become mostly illegal to download and share free music files on the web.  Musicians are opposed to the practice, and rightly so, because the free music sharing significantly affects the commercial success of their CD sales in stores.  Downloaders tend to think musicians are being unfair by revoking the free music files from the net, but one must remember that selling music is their career.  It is nearly impossible to find full albums on the web.  These days, musicians will release a couple of new hits onto the net to try to entice the web surfing crowd to wander into the music store and buy the full album.  Remember, if all else fails and you MUST have the MP3 of a song, there are thousands of sites to which you can subscribe and pay for the downloads.  New bands are always willing to put their music out on the Internet in hopes of getting heard, so free downloads are limitless if you are willing to lend your ear to some new tunes.

Keith Kingston is a professional web publisher who offers advice on internet radio stations and Eminem MP3 downloads