# \[b\]listen\[/b\] to music online

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-listen-b-to-music-online/127037>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 4, 2002, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-listen-b-to-music-online/127037 "2002-09-04T21:46:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-listen-b-to-music-online/127037/1 "2002-09-04T21:46:24Z")

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If I want to listen to a song on the computer (let’s say The Beatles’ “Octopus’s Garden”) , where can I go to do it? I don’t want to download it, record it, or pirate it. Just listen to it.

Can I do it? It is illegal? What sites offer this?

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**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2002, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-listen-b-to-music-online/127037/2 "2002-09-04T22:07:29Z")

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I don’t know of a site where you can listen to older songs like that, but for newer music you can go to this Yahoo! site: [http://launch.yahoo.com/](http://launch.yahoo.com/)

The major sites are legal as they are paying royalties or have permission from the record company.

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**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-listen-b-to-music-online/127037/3 "2002-09-05T19:11:28Z")

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Thanks for the link. Unfortunately, they don’t have much old stuff. ANyone else have an idea?

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**Author:** ![mrbuddylee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@mrbuddylee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrbuddylee)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2002, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/b-listen-b-to-music-online/127037/4 "2002-09-05T20:23:58Z")

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Getting a song you want to play on demand isn’t the easiet thing to do.  
You can get 30 second snipets from places like [cdnow.com](http://cdnow.com) or [amazon.com](http://amazon.com)

For full length, if you’re willing to pay, you can check out [http://music.msn.com](http://music.msn.com) they’re using a service via pressplay. I think it’s pay for play on demand, don’t know the price though.

other good sites to find radio stations (but not play on demand) would be:

> **[Live365 - Broadcast and Listen to Internet Radio](https://live365.com/)**
>
> Live365 is the easiest and least expensive way to create a legal internet radio station as well as the best place to discover and listen to thousands of free stations from every genre of music and talk.

> **[Shoutcast - Home Page](https://www.shoutcast.com/)**
>
> Shoutcast, the ultimate suite of tools for broadcasters. Discover the pioneer in online radio streaming. Since 1999.

hth