Many people listen to free music by downloading it through various means and the main reasons for doing this have always been convenience, speed and cost. It is true that it is cheaper to buy a digital track from an online vendor than a CD single but most believe that music is still simply too expensive.

People have been complaining about the price of CDs since they were invented and although the record industry has now embraced the idea of selling digital music tracks, they still insist on charging high prices for the privilege.

By downloading music to your computer you are forcing the music industry to undergo what is probably its most significant change yet, and that's a good thing. Many artists are now distributing their music directly through their own websites, and offer samples and previews to download or stream.

File sharing techniques, are also very popular amongst music downloaders, but the the major record labels, represented by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), maintain that this practise is an infringement of copyright, and are trying to stamp it out in favour of promoting purchases of CDs or downloads from licensed sites.

Watching free movie downloads and TV shows on your computer can be fun and convenient, as well as a great way of catching up if you miss something on TV or forget to record it. However, you will need to have certain tools installed on your machine before you are able to watch anything, and here are some of the most important.

Media Player

Most Microsoft Windows based systems already have 'Windows Media Player' installed on them, for which you will need to install a codec pack (explained below).

How do you listen to music online? The debate on downloading music has been raging for years, and the few who are against it tend to cite the familiar notion that every downloaded track is a lost sale. But most people believe that this is a simplistic and short sighted view, and that file sharing is a lifeline for undiscovered bands looking for an audience.