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Over-the-air track downloads are also a possibility

Ahead of the Macworld Expo, rumours have begun to swirl suggesting that Apple will be offering more DRM-free songs on iTunes.

Greg Sandoval on CNET writes that: "Apple has cut deals that will finally enable iTunes to offer songs free of copy protection software from the three largest music labels, according to two sources c

A legal music download site generally distributes music from reputable labels and artists. This means that you will not find a wide range of mixes and custom files that will almost certainly slow down your connection, and therefore take forever to download.

Leading social network Facebook is considering the possibility of streaming music to users on its site. But its ideas for how to execute the plan could fly in the face of how music record labels typically license their artists’ content.

In order to avoid having to pay hefty royalty fees itself, Facebook has approached a number of streaming music services about a potential partnership, sources have told us and other publications.

Far from putting your favorite musician out of work, downloading free music can help you discover new artists and give you a better idea of which albums you actually want to go out and buy. But be wary. Just because a song is available online, doesn't mean it's legal. Try to make sure that the music you download is being offered legally by the band's record company, or the artist themselves.

Are profits from virtual businesses -- selling virtual T-shirts or jeans to avatars inside a game world -- actually income you have to report to the IRS?