Streaming involves listening to music online via an electronic gadget such as a computer laptop, phone, or tablet. Music has been made available through this medium, thanks to the internet that allows you to access large databases of information. While there are many avenues to stream from, many people do not know which are best.

This article explores ways through which you can easily stream music to your smartphone.

Is it Legal to Stream Music Online?

The music industry bears a lot of controversy surrounding the legality of streaming music online. However, there are music streaming sites such as Spotify, Deezer, and Apple Music that subscribers pay for before streaming, and this is fine. On the other hand, free services are also excellent because they rely on musicians to upload their tracks and share them with subscribers. The business model determines if the service is legal or not. Below, we highlight some of the factors to consider when streaming music?

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Streaming Music through Paid for and Free Services

There are paid services that allow individuals to listen to a wide variety of songs at a fee for a specified period. There are some benefits of using paid-for services such as the ability to create playlists, playing music in offline mode, sharing music with your friends, and affordability. Besides, with the payment, you are assured of value for your money. One good thing about it is that you have easy access to trending selections and albums right before they flood the market, which is a good thing.

One popular yet unpaid for service through which you can use to listen to music is YouTube. The site makes it possible to set up playlists featuring your favorite songs at no cost. However, you have to realize that some of the music uploaded is done illegally. Thankfully, you do not have to face the consequences if you listen through these channels. Only the person who uploaded it will face the ramifications if they are discovered. The benefit of using most music streaming sites is that they seek artists' permission before uploading their music. No matter what you do there, you will always be on the right side of the law.

Music Licensing

Above, we have mentioned that the legality of a song online largely depends on the person who uploaded it. In this section, you will understand how to post music for streaming online, and when you need licenses.

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The people using these types of streams should ensure that the licenses are acquired before any music is posted or streamed. As a listener, however, you do not need to license songs in the public domain. You shouldn't also get a license for songs that you wrote by yourself.

The issue of streaming music is touchy because there are complexities that surround them. However, there are ways through which you can stream music legally. In this article, we have explained the two different types of streams you could use, paid for, and free. We have also considered the factors you need to look into to know which type is right for you. Additionally, we have touched on licensing.


WRITTEN BY

Daria Brown