Legal Alternatives for Online Music and Movies
The Internet offers a variety of legal entertainment alternatives, whether downloads or streaming, free or fee-based, DRM or DRM-free, well-known artists or surprising discoveries. Here's a sampling of your options:
- Amazon - Now offering digital purchases of individual songs as DRM-free MP3s
- DramaFever - Free service offering fully-subtitled international video entertainment (focus on television dramas and telenovelas)
- eMusic - Similar to iTunes but with subscription-based pricing; music offered as DRM-free MP3; works on both Mac and Windows
- Grooveshark - A music community that rewards users for sharing their own music, with a goal to compensate everyone from users to rights' holders
- Hulu - A free online video service offering TV shows, movies and clips
- Insound - Merchant site for ordering music, especially for new vinyl
- iTunes - Music, movies and more; service requires client download; basic content contains DRM, though iTunes Plus material is free of burn limits and DRM
- Jamendo - Free, unlimited streaming and downloads of Creative Commons/Free Art License licensed music
- Last.fm - A music recommendation service that offers streaming music
- Live365 - Internet radio
- Muve Music from Cricket - Mobile music service, providing unlimited music as part of a cellphone plan
- NetFlix - Movie and tv episodes subscription service
- Pandora - Internet radio, including the "The Music Genome Project"
- Puretracks - Major as well as independent record labels and a variety of genres available at this online music store
- Redbox Instant - Subscription service for instant access to popular movie titles plus monthly credits for rentals Redbox kiosks (one month free trail)
- Rhapsody - Subscription service for online listening and downloads; free trial; Napster is now part of Rhapsody
- SHOUTcast Radio - Free "audio homesteading solution"; lets you listen it on others radio channels or set up your own
- Spotify - Free music-sharing service with access to millions of music tracks; requires installation of Spotify client (Windows or Mac)
Other recommendations:
- Have a favorite artist? Check our their website and/or record label to buy albums or sample tracks.
- Several popular television programs are streamed at no cost, such as at hulu, or at their network's websites (ABC / CBS / CWTV / FOX / NBC ).
- In addition, both the MPAA and RIAA offer their own lists of legal entertainment alternatives.
Questions or comments to: ITPolicy@brown.edu
Last reviewed: February, 2013