Live Music, Free And Legal

[James Fee]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.forbes.com/personaltech/2004/12/03/cx_ah_1203tentech.html?partner=rss' target='_blank'>http://www.forbes.com/personaltech/2004/12/03/cx_ah_1203tentech.html?partner=rss</a><br /><br /></div>"I recently ran across a treasure trove of recorded performances by a Canadian group I have long enjoyed called the Cowboy Junkies, who made their first big splash in the late 1980s. I've kept track of them over the years, occasionally taking in a show when they're playing nearby and religiously picking up their latest albums as soon as they're available. Their music takes up a good bit of space on my Apple Computer iPod.<br /><br />Imagine my surprise when I discovered at the Internet Archive (<a href="www.archive.org">www.archive.org</a>) a collection of roughly 80 live shows dating back to 1987. Most aren't in the usual MP3 format we've all come to expect, but some have been converted to MP3 and can be downloaded either all at once or one song at a time. Some have been encoded into the open-source sound format known as Ogg Vorbis."<br /><br />There are tons of free music downloads all over the Internet if you know where and how to look. Are there any sites you use to download free music to listen on your PC or music player?

[Gary Sheynkman]

this might get ugly :lol:

mostly i use...

www.puroeuro.com
www.eurorepublic.com
www.scousetunez.com

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Hmm, I'm not sure, but is distributing live recordings legal? Heck, is recording live concerts legal to begin with?

Not that I don't like this, but I recall some concerts where they keep a tight lookout for anyone who might be recording the gig.

Gary, eh, I didn't know you had that scouse in you. =P

[mjhamson]

To answer the legal aspect (in partial). Some bands have made it very clear that recording their concerts for "NON PROFIT" trading among fans is acceptable. U2 is a good example of this. Let us not forget the Grateful Dead as well.

It is in the selling of this music that causes legal problems.

What is interesting is the idea of recording a show, but then to have it officially released. Does the trading then become illegal? But that is for another thread.

[kailes]

gotta weigh in on tis as I have been an active downloader of live shows. there are tons of bands that advocate this as well as the grateful Dead--Phish , the String Cheese Incident, Widespread Panic, heck even jack Johnson and Jason mrax have shows aailable for download. Most bands having a policy that may differ, but the foundation of it is--share the music but don't sell it. Trading the commercial recordings is forbidden, but if I have a show that they decide the release on a CD, I can still circulate my copy that I have.
Another gret site to check out if you are a fan of the "jam bands" : bt.etree.org. Youhave to have a bittorrent client to use the site, but there is just a ton of stuff there