Protection From Virus-encrypted Songs?

[xresplendencex]

So I've spent the last day or so wondering about how we can protect ourselves from virus-encrypted songs. Is there a certain program(s) we can download to protect our computer from going completely awry? Because, after all, who would want to lose all their downloaded music?

Which brings me to my other question: are free but "legal" music programs really legitimate? There are quite a few out there now: Qtrax, SpiralFrog, LimeWire (although that isn't even legal), et cetera. But even though LimeWire comes with the risk of virus-encrypted songs, people tend to use it anyway -- simply because iTunes cannot suffice the needs of all songs. In fact, iTunes isn't even very thorough with their music variety -- there isn't a great deal of foreign music.

What I'm asking is this: Is there a way to download music legally (doesn't have to be free -- but I strongly dislike Rhapsody and Kazaa) without having to worry about viruses?

This leads me back up to my first question: Are there programs that alert us to virus-encrypted songs?

Hope the questions aren't too far-fetched. I'd love to have some answers and suggestions. Thanks in advance.

... Did I even place this in the correct forum, or should I change it?

[GrimJack]

Check out BitTorrent via wikipedia and remember, even with file-sharing programs, you are not anonymous.

[caperjack]

if you are going to download music from p2p clients then you run the risk of viruses ,best that i know what to do is make sure you have up todate virus software install along with spyware and trojan programs like ,Windows Defender or AVG ant Spyware ,and spybot search and destroy to remove the infections after you click on the infected song to listen to it ,i don't know of any program that will actually tell you if the song is infected before you download it .maybe the p2p program its self ,i use Ares to download must to listen to to see if i like it,delete it ,then go out and buy a cd at the retail store nearest me!Really i do !! some program like Limewire and Ares have filters in them i think .

[hughv]

Get Winamp.
Get Streamripper.
Thousands and thousands and thousands of Mp3s in no time at all.
No virii.

[bobbyraw]

if you want legal downlaod and you are willing to pay i suggest you go to ligitimate sites, Sony, Walmart, Amazon. as for using P2P program you will get a wider variety but you run the risk of being exposed. to just about anything, do as caperjack suggest. get good Av program and Antispyware, trojan hunter, there is not individual program designed just to scan music file to let you know if it's a virus ( maybe i don't know) buy a program like Avast antivirus will scann any file in any format even if it's compress in any format, RAr ZIP, ISO, MP3 just about any thing is dig into and scanned.

[caperjack]

Get Winamp.
Get Streamripper.
Thousands and thousands and thousands of Mp3s in no time at all.
No virii.

sounds like a good idea.and my favorite station is ,
http://www.icebergradio.com

[caperjack]

sounds like a good idea.and my favorite station is ,
http://www.icebergradio.com

ok,maybe not such a great idea ,cant get it to work on my fav radio site ,seems it only want to work on this site and maybe more .are there more sites than shoutcast that it works on .i like iceburg because i can choose my music type and by years .
http://www.shoutcast.com/directory/

[hughv]

Install Winamp
install Streamripper
Open Winamp/media Library/Shoutcast
Choose from thousands of Stations/Genre/Search for anything.
I have some favorite stations, but genre interests me most for ripping.
Let it run for a few hours/overnight.
Sort through the goodies.
Couldn't be easier, and it may even be legal.

[MidiMagic]

For it to be perfectly legitimate, one of the following must have occurred:

- The music was recorded before February 15, 1972. No sound recordings before that date could possibly be copyrighted, because that is the date the US copyright on sound recordings went into effect.

- The copyright owners themselves either placed the music online, or gave written permission for the music to be placed online.

- The copyright owners are reimbursed for the downloads. This does not necessarily mean that you pay them, because you might be required to watch advertising instead, and the ad pays for the download.

- The copyright owners voluntarily placed the music in the public domain.

I consider copyright a lost cause, and predict that the internet will destroy the entire concept of copyright within 10 years.

[caperjack]

not worth my time, but thanks for the links .i'll just listen to the music on iceburg

[MidiMagic]

One trick is to save to disk inste3ad of playing. Then scan the file with your virus checker. Finally, play the saved file.