UNCW students may now legally download free music and other entertainment with Ruckus, a digital download service for college and university students.

Founded in 2003 by Vincent Han and David Galper, Ruckus provides students with a collection of 1.5 million legal and virus-free songs, thousands of Hollywood movies and hit TV shows. There are currently 52 Ruckus partner schools with just under 100,000 users throughout the country.

“College students today are synched into all forms of media, music, TV and movies,” said Sarah Burns, associate account executive of Hollywood movies. “Ruckus saw a need for a service that addresses these specific interests legally. Since the media is constantly changing and students may not necessarily want or have money to spend on new CDs, Ruckus allows students to sample and try out many different kinds of media safely and for free.”

Ruckus is exclusive to colleges and universities, and students can search and download entire CDs or specific songs for free. Students can also burn CDs for 99 cents per song or buy a portable music subscription for $19.99. While Ruckus works with many mp3 players, iPods are not compatible with the program.

For $15 per semester, students can download popular movies and videos.

One feature unique to Ruckus is the social networking features on the Web site. Students can search for media through friends, make new friends through media, and view the most popular downloads on the network and their particular college.

To become a member or for more information, visit http://www.ruckus.com.