The battle over digital music will soon lose one of its most valiant and liberal leaders. After giving courts the runaround for the past year, record labels have finally pushed Napster into a corner it can’t get out of. With Napster on the brink of extinction, desperate downloaders are feverishly signing onto Napster trying to get those last few songs before they come with a price tag.

But when Napster dies, where will the digital music fans go? Is the loss of Napster the end of the road for “free” music? Can a program rise from the ashes of Napster and save the day for those who can’t live without digital music?

While there are a few candidates for this position, time will only tell if they can offer the kind of freedom and vast library Napster has given to music fans for so long.

Launch, an online media company, has been going about their business in a legal manner to avoid any lawsuits that have virtually wiped out many other online music sites. Also, Launch offers personalized radio stations that cater to the listeners’ tastes and online live video feeds.

The company may also be a step ahead of the underground music scene as well, as they purchased the Vans Warped Tour last year. Warped is one of the most successful concert festivals of the summer. And this year, the tour will feature bands such as 311, New Found Glory, Weezer, Rancid, Pennywise and Less Than Jake. All of these bands have downloads (if labels permit), news and bios at Launch’s Web site.

There is also much more to come from Launch. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Launch may be at the head of the pack once Napster dies down. Chief Executive of Launch Dave Goldberg already has good ties with most of the major labels. The Journal says once the fire dies down from the Napster debates, Goldberg will be one of the first allowed to negotiate with record labels on the rights to downloading songs.

ISU students may lose the most when Napster is finally gone. Although the school was encouraged to shut down the use of Napster in the past year, Iowa State has continued to allow its students to use the program. With high connections on campus, many students have expanded their MP3 libraries to more than 1,000 songs.

James Luck, junior in management information systems, has built his collection of MP3 files to more than 1,500.

“I used to use Napster in spurts,” Luck says. “I’d go a week without even logging on, and then one day I’d sign on and download 30 to 40 songs.”

However, Luck is not worried about Napster’s eventual disappearance.

“There are other programs like IMesh that are actually a step up from Napster,” Luck says. “You can download movies, games and pictures, plus you get speedier connections.”

The use of these programs is still small, and as with Napster, the variety of songs usually depends on who is signed on to share the songs. However, when Napster is no longer available to digital downloaders, they will be looking for new programs to fill their needs.

“I’m sure when Napster closes, users will shoot up for these other programs,” Luck says.

Most music fans are not afraid of the loss of Napster. Once it is finally gone, downloaders will take their business elsewhere. After all, the Web provides a plethora of options for music fans. You just have to know where to look.