There is a growing trend among musical artists to give out free samples of their music to increase visibility and popularity. If you find a free MP3 of an artist's music on a third-party site, it's a smart idea to visit the artist's official webpage to make sure that the file is available legally.
Major distributors such as iTunes and Amazon Music Store offer legal music downloads that can be purchased either by song or by album. Other services, such as Magnatune, Napster and Rhapsody, offer subscription packages. Under this model, a flat monthly rate is paid for unlimited downloads.
Some artists release their music under a Creative Commons copyright license. This customizable license allows the artist to specify what distribution rights the user has, as well as whether the music can be remixed or used for commercial purposes. All Creative Commons licensed music is legal to download and share.
Downloading fully copyrighted music without purchase or the permission of the rights' holder is illegal. Sharing music purchased online or copied from a CD is also illegal.