With the recent crackdown in France over illegal file-sharing and music downloads and with court cases pending in the U.S. and elsewhere for the same reasons, what does it take to share music without leaving yourself open to potential future litigation? The answer is simple.

Websites, like Last FM and Social.FM, are offering free player downloads and smart interfaces (and sometimes no downloads or interfaces are needed) where users can listen to what the websites offer or, in some cases, upload their own music.

If you are a webaholic but can't stand to suffer in silence while surfing, this may be your best alternative to dragging out your Discman.