Everyone loves free stuff and music is no exception. Here are three ways to obtain free music that won’t get you in trouble with the RIAA.

Music Forums

Music forums, like Trance Addict and Afterhours.fm, often have section for producers and musicians to display their work. Many tracks rival the most popular commercially sold tracks even though they are not signed to labels. Music forums are also great places to download unofficial remixes or re-imaginings of popular tracks.

DJ & Producer’s Personal Websites

DJs and Producers often link to free music on their personal websites. Artists sometimes give tracks away for free if they were scheduled for release, but were canceled before release due to contract issues. Sometimes artists like to simply give away free music to their fans. Airbase, a trance DJ/Producer, has a large selection of “Freebies” on his website including the track Kingpin with 3 additional remixes in high quality MP3s. Some artists, like Randy Boyer, give away music to fans who subscribe to an email newsletter mailing list.

Digital Download Promos

Digital Download sites, like Beatport, will sometimes give away free music as a promotion for an upcoming event or partnership product release. A search for “promo” under releases on Beatport will return a search with some free releases. While the msic may not be exactly your cup-of -tea, you may discover a new genre or artist that piques your interests.