Freegal is a downloadable music service, like iTunes from your library. All you need is your library card. It offers over 13 million songs, over 40,000 music videos, and over 200 genres of music, all without having to download special software or have any digital rights management (DRM) issues to deal with. Access to Freegal is limited to current Bailey cardholders.

How many songs can I download?
Currently, we are only able to offer one song per week. Sunday at 10:01 p.m., your counter will be set back to zero. After that time you can download another song over the following week. A total patron-wide weekly download limit has also been set. If this limit is reached before you log in, you may add tracks to your “wish-list” to download the following week.

Why are there limits on the number of downloads?
We have to keep the limit low for budgetary reasons, and the limit is set so that a maximum number of patrons may have equal access to the songs in the catalog. In the future we hope to increase the limit.

Instead of downloading songs, I get the option to add songs to my wish-list. Why’s that?
If the library exceeds its download budget for the week, you will see “Add to Wish-list” in place of the “Download Now” command. Adding your music to the wish-list will place you in a “first come, first serve” line to get more music when it becomes available, which is at 10:01 p.m. each Sunday. At that point your music is on hold for you for 24 hours (so, there’s no need to set your alarm clock). Then you can download it. You should visit the Wish-list area on the top part of the home page to see the music that you requested, and if it is available.
If you do not see the “Download Now” option in the Wish List area, it means so many people were waiting in line that you need to check back when the counter resets on Sunday night.

How do I download a song?
When you’ve selected an artist and song you want from Freegal’s menu, click on the “Download Now” link next to your chosen song. At the prompt, select Save and choose where you want to save the song. If you’re not presented with a prompt, try right-clicking the link and choosing the option to save the link (i.e. Save Target As, Save Link As, or Download Linked File, etc.). This will let you choose where to save your song.
Note: Anytime you click on the “Download Now” link, even if you decide to cancel it, the download will count towards your weekly allotment.

Why does the counter say I’ve downloaded a song when I’m sure I haven’t?
You may have started a download then changed your mind and cancelled it. Once you click download it can’t be reversed. It will count toward your download limit.

Can I download a whole album?
Songs are available on an individual basis only. You can choose, over time, to download all the songs on an album. However, previewing a song will help you decide if you have favorites and don’t want them all.

What is the song clip?
The song clip is to the left of the song title. The song clip allows you to preview a song, so you can decide whether or not you want to use your allotment of downloads on a new song before wasting them. To listen to the song clip, click on the arrow to the left of the track.

What are the different ways to search for a song or artist?
The site is setup to browse, or to search. You can use the bar across the top to browse by genre. You can use the grid at the bottom right to browse by artist in alphabetical order. You can search by artist, by song, by the album or by keyword. Expanded search options are under advanced search.

And where did the name Freegal come from?
It rhymes with legal. It means free and legal music.