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Download and Convert Online Music Files
1. Download and install Free Music Zilla on your computer. This software will let you download songs from streaming sites like IMEEM™, Last.fm™, Pandora™, Myspace, eSnips™, Mog™, iJigg™, Radio.blog.club™ and almost all social music services.
2. Open Free Music Zilla and let it run in the background. Now, head over to your favorite social music service site that streams music. Moviewallah has the latest Bollywood hits that uses the IMEEM™ service.
3. Begin playing the song that you want to download. Free Music Zilla will automatically detect that song and give you the option to start downloading. Remember to select the song and hit the Download button before the Leech Timeout countdowns to zero. Also, remember to keep the song playing in the streaming device until it finishes downloading.
4. After it downloads to your chosen folder (default - C:\downloads), remember to rename the file to recognize it later since the original file name is long and consists of random characters.
4. That’s it! The song is now downloaded to your PC. The song will be in FLV format which plays easily in any FLV player. But if you wish to convert it to MP3 format in order to load it on your iPod or other music devices, then hop over to this site that converts FLV files to MP3. The beauty of this site is that you don’t have to download or install any software but instead just have to upload your FLV file and it converts it and lets you download the MP3 version.
The only limitation with Free Music Zilla is that it lets you download only ten songs per day. Not good when you are on a downloading spree. But if you wish for unlimited downloads then check out their sister product, Orbit Downloader which is similar but slightly different in the way it downloads files.
Legality of Using Free Music Zilla
Now, the tricky part of legality of using this method to download songs. I’m sure RIAA definitely will find it objectionable. But the logic is a little fuzzy in this case. Some argue that the tool we are using to download from streaming sites is simply a recording tool and akin to recording songs off radio that we have done since ages. However, in reality the tool is extracting the songs from the back end of the streaming services so technically it isn’t recording. But can we liken to say, reading an article online and then cut-pasting it into MS Word to read later? I’m sure plenty of people do that either to share content or just to save on Internet online time (photo credit: labanex).
But most people would be concerned if they can be tracked downloading songs when they use this tool. I’m not sure since I am not aware how exactly the technology works but a similar tool for extracting songs from MySpace streaming player received a cease-and-desist notice but none of the people that used it got anything. Anyway, the legal aspect of file-sharing finds you guilty if you upload pirated content which you do when you share files on a P2P network; I’m not so sure about downloading such content. If you think otherwise, please feel free to voice your concern in the comments.
I’m guessing, the music industry or the streaming sites can ban the tool or fix the loopholes that let such tools extract songs from the back end. Until then I guess, you can go crazy downloading songs from your favorite streaming sites. Just don’t talk about where you heard it from. Enjoy!
by Patrix | on Tuesday, February 19th, 2008 at 11:53 am | 
Music, Technology, World Wide Web . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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February 19th, 2008 at 12:36 pm reply
Nice stuff. I don’t think they can actually track you. It’s a third party software that rips off the file that streams to your system. Hardly possible for RIAA to track it, unless they install a spying s/w on your local machine.
Btw, what’s this rebate on tuition, I see on your twitter? Care to elaborate — maybe a proper post?
February 19th, 2008 at 1:31 pm reply
Piker, glad to hear that. Now I guess I can go crazy until the streaming sites fix the loophole.
I’ll make a separate post on that tuition rebate thing. But it is basically applicable if you are a Resident Alien for tax purposes. I’m sure you aren’t yet.
February 19th, 2008 at 3:30 pm reply
Hey Patrix,
Thanks for the tax tip on the top. I have a question. I was “not allowed” to use the tuition fee deductible on my tax returns when I was a F-1. Last year I was told that F-1 folks werent eligible for this. Was that wrong?
I was hoping to use my large tuition fee deductible this year - now that I am a H1. I was told I am allowed a 1 time only tuition fee deductible. Did I miss the boat? Can I do it now?
February 19th, 2008 at 3:44 pm reply
Hawkeye, I don’t profess to be a tax expert but as I see it if you are a Resident Alien for tax purposes i.e. you have lived in the U.S. for more than 5 year then you use Form 1040 and it doesn’t consider your immigration status. The Tutition and Fees Deduction (line 34) is something that I hadn’t seen on last year’s form. You can compare it yourself so am not sure what deductible you were refused.
Check last para of Point 2 at this link. Basically, resident aliens cannot avail of tax treaties that they could earlier but instead get benefits of standard deduction, the tuition credit, the earned income credit and the child care credit.
It would be best if you consult a tax expert in case you want to use your tuition fee deduction this year just to be sure. I’ll be making a separate post with all the necessary details sometime soon.
February 20th, 2008 at 7:27 pm reply
Wow, thanks for this, it’s just what I need! From what you’ve described I don’t think it involves doing anything terribly illegal, so I’ll quell that stab of guilt and get started.
Kamini
February 20th, 2008 at 8:19 pm reply
Kamini, I guess what you mean is that chances you getting caught are low i.e. if we can trust Piker on this :)
March 18th, 2008 at 4:00 pm reply
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