Since the 1980s portable entertainment has become increasingly popular. Advances in analogue technology introduced the first portable radios and cassette players, which were quickly overtaken by CD players in the 90s. In recent years MP3 players (such as Apple's iPod) have become the primary form of mobile entertainment for people on the move.

Portable iPods at present have different functions than only playing music, as movie and video files can also be played. While travelling, if a person wants to listen to music or see a movie, it is unnecessary for him to purchase a music playing device, a laptop computer or a DVD player. Multimedia players and iPods have the capacity to store and play a big amount of video and audio content.

First, you will need to download and send mp3 or video files to your iPod. There are a few options getting mp3 and movie downloads. There are a few places online that offer free downloads of music or movies for iPods, but it is important to be cautious.

You can create problems for yourself if you use the Internet for filesharing of illegally-copied media, such as music or movies. Also, there is the issue of computer security. By filesharing, your computer is open to attack from all sorts of nasty software out there, as well as computer hackers and people who steal your individual information.

It is possible for those on a budget to find a reputable source for free music or video downloads. There are many promotional sites that promote new artists and offer free downloads legally. Some established artists will also offer free downloads from their websites. They may only provide sample clips for free, if they are very well known.

You have the option of paying for each music or video download separately or you can choose to be a media library subscriber. The prudent option is to download your media so that you are able to pick your favorite songs and movies and know that you are getting exactly what you want.