By: Robyn
I come from a musical family.
When I was young I sang in a children’s performing group and in high school I was in jazz choir. My brother is the front man in a rock band. My dad plays guitar like B.B. King. And my mom… well, she likes musical theater, so I guess that counts, too. Music is just something that runs through our blood.

This was me at age five when I sang with Sunshine Generation.
Needless to say, my bank account regularly sees a lot of music-related withdrawals: a Maroon 5 CD here, a set of guitar strings there, an iTunes gift card every other week. Those things add up.
So, if you’re anything like me, you know the importance of finding affordable (and legal) ways to listen, download, and buy great music. Here’s how I do it:
I never buy full-priced CDs.
Some people think that CDs are a thing of the past, kind of like vinyl and 8-tracks. Personally, I could never make it through a road trip without a full stack of my favorite disks. But at $14.99 a pop, splurging on a new CD isn’t something I do often. Fortunately, there are ways around that.
Check out your local library. If you have a library card, you have access to tons of free music. You can find anything from Lady Gaga to Yo-Yo Ma, and with locations all over the Inland Northwest, you’re never far from the music you love.
Shop for used music. You can take home three CDs for the price of a brand new one by shopping at local stores that sell used. You can also find them online at sites like Amazon and Half.com.
Share music with your friends. Does your best friend have the new Rascal Flatts CD that you’ve just been dying to hear? Why not let him borrow your One Republic CD in exchange? You could even start a monthly music exchange with a group of friends. It’s a great way to learn about new music and explore different genres.
I listen to a lot of internet radio.
In a world of ingenious technological advancements, one of my favorite (and completely free) ways to satisfy my ever growing music craving is on the internet. I’ve discovered a whole list of new artists and songs that I never new existed.
My three favorite internet music sites:
Pandora Radio
Not only is this website completely free, it’s also super easy to pick and choose what you want to listen to. You can create any station based on your favorite artist, song, or composer and Pandora will automatically generate a personalized playlist with the music you love and more just like it.
Last.fm
Last.fm is community-based, meaning it keeps track of information like the artists and songs you play most often. Based on these records, Last.fm introduces you to similar music that other Last.fm users are listening to.
Spotify
On Spotify, you can search for any artist, album, or song and play it instantly. You can create personalized playlists, share music with friends or tune in to any artist station and listen all night long. You also have the option to combine the music you already have on your computer with what you find on Spotify to create one mega playlist of the music you love.
I take advantage of free iTunes downloads.
Not everything on iTunes has a price tag. If you take the time to look around you’re sure to discover a lot of really cool games, videos and music for free. Searching for free music directly from the iTunes store is just one way to find these musical treasures.
One time, I got on a plane only to realize that I had left my magazine in the airport terminal. Naturally, I was bummed. But instead of moping I read the in-flight magazine and discovered that the airline was celebrating its 40th anniversary by giving customers 40 free iTunes downloads. They had created a playlist of really cool music covering a range of music and artists, including some of my favorites, like The Band Perry and Other Lives.
Every Tuesday, Starbucks introduces a new “Pick of the Week” card giving its customers a promo code for one free iTunes download. Past featured artists have included Adele, Brandi Carlile, Eddie Vedder, The Boxer Rebellion and Miles Davis. Every time I stop in for my favorite caramel macchiato I pick up one of these cards and enjoy some awesome new tunes.
Music is a part of life. For me it’s a BIG part. But if doesn’t have to be an expensive one. Go ahead; buy that new Usher track or go to that sold-out concert at the Gorge. With all the money you’ll be saving on music now, you deserve to splurge a little.