If you use a peer-to-peer file sharing system to obtain your music, then you can be fairly sure that you are downloading music illegally. If you have not purchased your music files, then the artists have not been compensated for you having the use of them. This is not fair to the artists, and you are breaking the law. Artists work for a living just like everyone else, and they earn their pay by using their skills to provide enjoyment for their listeners.

Some people use the excuse "well the artists are rich enough so my dollar doesn't count" but this type of excuse does not protect you, the listener. If an artist is rich, it's because they are doing a superior job and it shows in their sales because listeners will not support bad artists by purchasing their CD's. So the excuse that they are rich is not a valid one. Would you steal a computer just because Bill Gates is rich? If not, then you should never steal an artist's music by using peer-to-peer file sharing services to obtain your music.

If you are purchasing your music from a website online, then chances are that you are acquiring your music files legally. Trusted services like iTunes are safe to purchase your music files from, but there are some websites that are selling MP3's illegally.

Just because you paid for a song from a website selling their music files does not necessarily mean that it is legal. In addition, this also may mean that you can be held accountable for your use of the files if the artist were to pursue the legal remedies available to them for copyright infringements. If you are purchasing music files from a website that you are not 100% sure is authorized to sell the files, then you should find a better source for purchasing your songs. Corporate services like iTunes and Amazon are trusted sources for purchasing music files, whereas most websites that are operated by one person are not.

Also, if you have a friend ripping songs for you and providing a means for you to download them online, this is also illegal. Just because your friend has the CD, doesn't mean that you can legally use their music. If you have not paid the artist for the use of their music yourself, then virtually any music file that you have downloaded would probably be considered illegal. The only time it would not be considered illegal, if it had been obtained free of charge, would be if the artist themselves or a trusted source (like iTunes or Amazon) provided it as a free download.

You should never download MP3 music files without compensating the artists. It doesn't matter if you use a file-sharing program, or if you obtain the music from your friend. In either case it is considered stealing, and it could cost you a large amount of money in fines and you could go to jail.