Saying that there is such a thing as the best workout music is a huge misconception. The truth is that there is no one workout music that best fits all. The best workout music for a person all depends on the exercise routine that he prefers.

Best workout music: Aerobics

Aerobics is a cardio exercise so you’ll need music that will get the blood pumping. The best workout music for this kind of exercise is one that is up tempo. A dance tune would be best for this.

The fastness of the tempo would depend on the intensity of the aerobics workout. If the aerobics is relatively light, such as those for beginners or the elderly, it would be a good idea to stay away from the more modern dance tunes. Leave Beyonce, Shakira and David Guetta out for this one. Stick to 80’s dance tunes like the always popular “let’s get physical” song by Olivia Newton John.

If the workout is for youngsters aged less than 40, then feel free to get the more modern dance tunes for the exercise. This group will enjoy the killer pace. And they’ll appreciate the tunes too.

Hip-hop Abs

Hip-hop Abs is a very popular form of exercise these days. And as the name says, the music has to be hip-hop. The best workout music for this exercise has to be able to make the person crunk and crunch. The music must make you want to make slick and tight body movements. It has to popping. And hip-hop is the only music that can make you do all of that at the same time.

Best workout music: Running, Walking and Cycling

For running, walking and cycling the music on your playlist will be purely personal. It will depend on your personal preference. You will be running for long periods of time, so the best workout music for this must be something that you can stand to listen to for the entire duration of the exercise.

A good idea is to create a playlist of your favorite tunes. The radio could be an inferior option for some because the ads or the variety may be a distraction. An added tip is to choose songs that are pleasant and calm. These are the songs that give you the focus to finish a long run. Try to stay away from songs that are too charged. These could give you some serious aggravation while running. And it may ruin your focus.

Yoga

Yoga is one of the most popular exercises today. And this exercise is all about tranquility, stress relief and body balance. This is an exercise about restoring chakras. It is all about getting in touch with your inner self and consciousness.

The best workout music for this exercise is those that are related to nature and serenity. The best music for this exercise is those that are instrumental. If there are vocals, try to get the songs that have them very sparingly.

An example of a calming song with very little vocals is those by Enya. Enya makes songs that are hypnotizing. They almost have a transcendental feeling to them. And they are perfect for the almost out of body experience that yoga can help you achieve.

Nature songs that feature the sea and the rainforests are also really good for yoga.

Controversy over free safe music downloads

In the recent years, there has been a lot of controversy about free safe music downloads. The biggest issue has always been about the legality of the act of downloading music files for free. Music companies say that this is illegal because the company and the artists do not get paid for the download. And that in turn becomes a violation against the copyright law. The sites who offer these free services on the other hand say that there is nothing illegal about what they’re doing. It’s just sharing. It’s no different from buying a CD and burning a copy of it to share with your friends and family.

Legal Free Safe Music Download Options

If you have strong issues about piracy, the good news is that there are a number of free safe music downloads that are considered legal. Legality can be defined as music that is sanctioned to be free for download by the artist or the music label.

When it comes to free music from the artist, there are a number of artists who support free downloads by offering actual albums and singles for that very purpose. Nine Inch Nails has released two albums for free downloading. And Coldplay has done so too for a limited time.

When it comes to free downloadable music sanctioned by the record label, you can find a number of options from music sites that sell music. These sites often offer free singles as a bonus every so often. Check the iTunes store, Nokia Music Store, and Amazon Downloads for some free music.

There are also actual legal free safe music downloading sites such as www.clearbits.net and www.mp3.com.

Other Alternatives

If you have a very prickly conscience or feel sorry for the unpaid artist of the song you are downloading, there are free safe music downloads that have the ability to pay the artist while retaining the ability to be free for users. One example is www.we7.com which is a site that includes ads in the song download. After four weeks you can get the song without the short advertisement.

Peer to Peer Sharing

When it comes to free safe music downloads perhaps the biggest debate has been on the topic of Peer to Peer sharing (P2P). There have been a number of high profile law suits against free downloading sites and even imprisonment for the site administrators.

Many of you may be familiar with what happened to http://thepiratebay.org. And this music sharing site is probably the best example to look to when it comes to the P2P debate. The administrators of this site vehemently deny any wrongdoing. They say they are more like a search engine for free safe music downloads than actual pirates. But the music industry executives beg to differ. They say they have clearly proliferated illegal downloading and they should be punished.

The interesting thing about this debacle is while the government and music executives have both lent a strong hand to stopping the site, it continues to be up and running today. Perhaps it just goes to show that the boundaries of what are legal and illegal in P2P sharing is still largely unclear. It is safe to say that this issue continues to boggle the mind. And until an actual law will be created to address this, it will most likely continue to be murky.

There are so many ways to listen to music without downloading. The internet offers a wide array of options that you can tap into. A lot of people are unaware that these options are so easy to use. And as a result, they’re extremely enjoyable. They’re a great alternative to radio because you can listen to the song or the artist that you want in an instant. And you don’t have to listen to all the songs that you dislike anymore too.

Listen to music without downloading with Internet Radios

Internet radios are one of the most popular ways to listen to music without downloading. These radio sites have been around for a while. A lot of people are very familiar with the concept. But not a lot of people use these services regularly. One major constraint for this medium is that it requires a fast internet connection. If the connection is unreliable, the broadcast is choppy and slow. And there’s nothing worse than listening to a song that suddenly stops at all the best parts.

One advantage of internet radios is that it has access to both popular and indie music. There are also special stations for specific music genres. And there are special stations for particular demographics like college students, young adults, and religious groups too.

Here are some interesting radio stations you can try: www.radiotower.com and www.nu-perceptionradio.com.

Music Sites that allow you to listen to music without downloading

There are a number of music sites that were put up specifically for people who want to listen to music without downloading. There are sites that don’t even require you to sign up to listen. You only have to open the site and choose the artist or song you want and it will immediately be available for you. These sites are so easy to navigate. And they have so many songs on their database for you to enjoy.

These sites have the advantage of letting people listen to new music before they decide to buy the actual record. You can also access old music to re-enjoy it. A lot of these sites give you the option to buy the songs if you decide that you really want a copy for yourself too.

Some music sites also have extra fun features such as the ability to make a playlist that you can revisit every time you log on to the website. This makes accessing your favorite songs very convenient.

Some sites are also developing a capability of sharing the links to your favorite songs and playlists to your friends via Facebook and twitter. So you can have your friends listen to your hot new song discoveries and favorite oldies at a curser click.

Here are some good sites to check out: listen.grooveshark.com and www.we7.com.

YouTube

YouTube is not only good for watching videos. It is a great way to listen to music without downloading too. This medium has the added advantage of you seeing the actual video while listening to the song too.

Other Benefits

If you listen to music without downloading there are a number of advantages.

One is that it saves you precious disk space. You get to enjoy the music without having to slow your computer down by storing everything on the hard drive.

Two is that it is all truly legal. There is no piracy issue involved with listening to music if you don’t download it. Your conscience will be guilt–free. And you’ll get your music fix too.