Downloading copyrighted files from newsgroups is illegal as well. As onlyCOpunk suggested, Rhapsody is probably your best *legal* choice if you would rather pay a flat rate to download as much as you want, as opposed to paying per song. Keep in mind that these files have digital rights management, though, and when you stop paying for the service, the files stop playing. This is why I prefer services like Amazon where you can buy the songs and do whatever you want with them (actually, I prefer CDs, but Amazon is about the best IMO for MP3 downloads).