At the beginning of the year 2000 file sharing programs were introduced to the Internet scene with Napster. Napster was one of the first facilities that enabled Internet users to share MP3 music files. Since the advent of Napster a vast number of file sharing programs were introduced, only these allowed people to exchange not only MP3 music files but pictures, videos and other data formats. Napster was a relatively limited program at first, seeing as it only that only allowed for the downloading of MP3s. Later programs had a broader use and could be used to share a variety of different file formats.
Nearly a decade later Internet users who want to share files might seem spoilt for choice, as there are so many file sharing programs available. Building up a music library for those on a limited budget is possible because there are a lot of reliable free file sharing programs to look at.
Some of the most popular free file sharing programs, aside from the aforementioned Napster, are:
- Limewire
- Frostwire
- BitTorrent
- Kazaa
- Gnutella
- Morpheus
- Soulseek
- iMesh
Because of previous concerns about the risk of viruses, adware and spyware, many free file sharing programs are now incorporating guarantees that their software is free from such bugs. Some also include facilities that allow the user to virus check each download individually. This is great news for those who want to download music for free, without the risk of damage to their PC's security.