15 Places to Get Free Music Downloads

There are plenty of websites out there that offer free music downloads, and we've weeded through them so that you can find only the top sources in this list of the 15 best sites for free and legal music downloads.

At these websites, you'll be able to download high-quality MP3s that play on your computer, phone, or tablet. Since you can save them, they'll forever be yours to listen to on a great pair of earbuds.

All the downloads here are legal. They're either public domain or, in most cases, the artists have given permission for you to download and enjoy their hard work. That means you can feel great about listening to the music and discovering some hidden gems you might have otherwise passed up.

Want to stream instead of download? We keep a list of the best places to listen to free music online. You can even stream music from your phone. If you like to watch music videos, there are also sites for that. Also be sure to check out free online radio stations that play all types of music.

01

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Jamendo Music

What We Like

• Lots of ways to browse for downloads

• Lets you stream music, too

• Includes an online radio function

• There's a mobile app

What We Don't Like

• MP3 format only; no option for others

• Requires a user account (it's free)

• Downloads aren't HD quality

All the free music downloads at Jamendo Music are made available through Creative Commons licensing meaning that the artists themselves have decided they want to give out their music for free for the masses to enjoy.

You can discover new music at Jamendo by viewing the most popular music and the songs that trending. There's also a Latest music filter to see recently added songs. You can also search for artists that you know to see if their music is available for download.

Another way to find great music here is by listening to one of the Jamendo radio channels. When you find a song or artist you like, you can then download that single track or the entire album.

Yet another way to browse this free music is via playlists, like "Best of January," "Electro Funk Frenzy," "Valentine's Day," and "Girls On the Rise."

If you'd rather stream the music at Jamendo instead of download it, they give you that option, too.

Jamendo Music has free apps available for Android, iOS, and Windows if you'd rather not use your web browser.

Download Music From Jamendo

02

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Amazon

What We Like

• You can sort the list of downloads

• Provides several ways to filter and refine the results

• They can be previewed

What We Don't Like

• The download process can be confusing

• You have to log in to your Amazon account

• Not all music on the site is free

There are thousands and thousands of free music downloads at Amazon.com, making it one of my favorite websites to visit when I'm looking for new music to download legally.

You can see the music by choosing a genre or sorting by popularity, release date, length of the song, reviews, or in alphabetical order by title, artist, or album.

You can play the songs before downloading them, but when you're ready to save the songs to your computer, add the item to your cart. Then, you can check out as if you were purchasing something. You'll be taken to a link to download the free music, and it'll also be saved in the Digital Orders tab of your order history.

Download Music From Amazon

03

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Bandcamp

What We Like

• Lets you download songs and full albums

• Includes lots of tracks you won't find on other free music download sites

• You can choose to pay if you want to

• No user account is needed

What We Don't Like

• Not every song you see is free to download

• There isn't a "free only" page

Bandcamp makes it easy for artists to share their music in a "name your price" type of setting. This means that while you can pay for the music, another option is to put a zero in the payment box and download the song for free.

The Discover page is a great way to find the best selling music at Bandcamp, plus new arrivals and songs recommended by artists.

Not all songs can be downloaded for free but for the ones that don't have a minimum price: choose Buy Digital Track or buy now, enter 0 in the box, select download to your computer, and follow the on-screen prompts to get the download. Most are available in several formats, including MP3, FLAC, AAC, OGG, and WAV.

Sometimes, there also isn't a minimum price on entire albums, so you can use the Buy Digital Album option to get all of its songs for free.

Download Music From Bandcamp

04

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Internet Archive's Audio Archive

What We Like

• Lots of free audio downloads

• Several sorting and filtering options

• Most music can be downloaded in several formats

• Supports previewing

• You don't need a user account

What We Don't Like

• Has more low quality music than other sites

• Navigating can be confusing

Internet Archive's Audio Archive has millions of results for free downloads of music, audio, podcasts, radio programs, and most notably their Live Music Archive.

You can sort the free music downloads by most viewed items, title, date published, or creator, as well as filter the results by media type (concerts, audio, etc.), topics & subjects (e.g., rock or funk), language, and more.

You'll find all kinds of artists here including Jack Johnson, John Mayer, Grateful Dead, 311, and Smashing Pumpkins.

There are usually multiple file formats that you can download the music in, like MP3 and OGG. These are listed in the DOWNLOAD OPTIONS area of every download page.

Download Music From Internet Archive

05

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SoundClick

What We Like

• Includes music from signed and unsigned artists

• Lots of genres to pick from

• No sign in necessary

• Includes lots of music download deals and discounts

What We Don't Like

• Not every song is free

• There isn't a single page where you can find all the free music; it's mixed in with music that costs

• Some songs can only be streamed

SoundClick is the ultimate portal into finding free music directly from the artists websites. These artists have decided they'd like to let people download their music for free. This includes signed and unsigned musicians.

Browse through the music charts and genres until you find a free music download you'd like to have and then either listen to or download that song.

You can also create custom radio stations, get to know other listeners on the forums, and read more about your favorite SoundClick artists.

While you can, of course, download music, some artists make their music available only after you've paid for the download, and others allow music streaming only.

Download Music From SoundClick

06

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Last.fm

What We Like

• Every download is available in one click

• Most songs can be previewed first

What We Don't Like

• It's hard to search for free music only

• MP3 is the only download option

Our Review of Last.fm

Last.fm has several pages of free music downloads that fall into all genres. You can browse these free downloads by category, new releases, coming soon, or by simply looking through the whole list.

Just one selection will download your chosen song.

Besides downloads, you can also stream thousands of songs and get recommendations of bands you'll love.

Download Music From Last.fm

07

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SoundCloud

What We Like

• Tons of content

• Includes music downloads from well-known and new, up-and-coming artists

• Every track can be streamed before downloading

• Easier to find free downloads vs some other music download sites

What We Don't Like

• Must log in

• Finding free options can be difficult

Our Review of SoundCloud

SoundCloud is a website that lets you stream and download free music. Content at SoundCloud is sometimes uploaded by professional artists, while others are shared by independent musicians.

Not all music on SoundCloud can be downloaded, and some require you to Like a Facebook page to get the file. However, music that can be downloaded instantly and without an account, either have a Download file button in the More menu or a FREE DOWNLOAD button under the song.

Some ways to find just free music on SoundCloud is to browse through the Creative Commons section or search for music tagged as free, but others might be free, too, that aren't in these areas.

Download Music From SoundCloud

08

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Audiomack

What We Like

• All songs are streamable

• Easy to find popular song downloads

• Many ways to sort, filter, and browse for free music

• No need to make a user account

• Mobile apps for streaming music

What We Don't Like

• Not every song can be downloaded

• No way to find just the free music downloads

You'll like Audiomack if you like SoundCloud and are interested in finding new music. All the music on this website is 100 percent legal and free to stream, and depending on the artist, you'll find music downloads, too.

The Audiomack website is very easy to use. You can search for songs, albums, and artists or browse the Trending or Top Songs sections. There's also a Recently Added page to find all the newest music at Audiomack.

Some of the music genres on this website include reggae, pop, R&B, hip-hop, instrumental, and afrobeats.

You can download music at Audiomack without needing a user account. Most if not all of the songs are in the MP3 format.

If you prefer to stream music from your phone or tablet, Audiomack works that way, too, via the the Android app and the app for iOS devices.

Download Music From Audiomack

09

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BeatStars

What We Like

• All free downloads are listed together.

• Several genres to pick from.

• Find free music by mood.

What We Don't Like

• Must subscribe to the artist's page before downloading some songs.

BeatStars has free music downloads, too. Something great about this site's offerings is that you don't have to search all over the place to find them; just use the link below to get a list.

You can sort the list by top selling, trending, and latest, and filter by genre and several moods, such as mellow, lazy, inspiring, and silly. There are several song types you can use as a filter as well, including beats, beats with chorus, vocals, song reference, and songs.

The biggest oddity with this site is that for some music, you have to subscribe to the artist's profile or YouTube channel before you can get to the download link. It takes just a few clicks to do it but it doesn't cost anything. Others have you enter your email address to receive the download link.

Download Music From BeatStars

10

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Spinrilla

What We Like

• Stream and download.

• Download in bulk or individually.

• No website ads.

What We Don't Like

• User account required.

• Some tracks can only be streamed.

Spinrilla has free hip-hop mixtape downloads. You can browse for these music downloads by the mixtape name, single, or chart, such as the most popular mixtapes today, this month, or all time.

The website navigation is clean and easy to understand, and you can get individual songs or whole albums at once.

This website also lets you see which mixtapes will be released in the future. The Upcoming Mixtapes page shows when each mixtape will be available.

These music downloads are accessible from the website but you can also listen on your Android or iOS device via the Spinrilla mobile app.

Download Music From Spinrilla

11

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Musopen

What We Like

• Completely free music downloads you can use for anything

• Includes sheet music downloads

• Lots of unique ways to find free music

• Supports previewing the music

• Includes an online radio option

What We Don't Like

• Music downloads require you to log in to a user account

• Per-day download limits

• No free HD audio

The 5 Best Places to Download Classical Music for Free

Musopen has sheet music and recordings that are completely free, legal, and copyright-free. You can listen online or download the music for whatever purpose. There's even an online radio you can listen to from a computer or through their mobile app.

There are lots of ways to find free music downloads at Musopen: browse by composer, performer, instrument, form, or time period. Of course, you can also do a manual search to see if they have something specific.

Another way to find music downloads here is to use the music discovery tool. It lets you filter by mood like sad or relaxing, as well as by instrument, rating, length, and license type (to find only public domain music, creative commons music, etc.).

You can preview music without logging in but to actually download anything you find on Musopen, you have to create a user account. A free account gives you access to five music downloads every day and standard, lossy audio quality.

Download Music From Musopen

12

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ReverbNation

What We Like

• Helps you find up-and-coming artists

• All the music can be streamed

• Lets you browse for downloads by genre

What We Don't Like

• Not every song is free to take

• You need a user account to download some music

ReverbNation is a good pick if you're looking for music downloads from artists you don't yet know about. Several bands like Imagine Dragons and The Civil Wars started out on ReverbNation.

Not every song you see on this website can be downloaded, but it is all streamable through your web browser. Downloadable songs are indicated by a small download button next to the song.

The Discover page is a good start if you're not sure where to begin looking for new music downloads at ReverbNation. To search by genre, use the Charts page.

Download Music From ReverbNation

13

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DatPiff

What We Like

• Includes mixes from popular artists

• Lets you download entire albums at once

• Mobile apps are available

• No user account is necessary

• Great if you're only interested in rap

What We Don't Like

• Music can be downloaded as MP3 only

• Not all that you see is free to take

If you're into mixtapes and rap, you'll love DatPiff because that's most of the free music downloads you'll find at this website. You can stream as well as download the music.

What you'll find here aren't only mixtapes made by fans but also releases from artists looking for recognition by giving out their music for free.

One easy way to find free downloads is to look through the most listened, most downloaded, highest rated, and hot this week sections. Those can be further broken down into all time, this month, this week, and today to see what's been popular over time.

Some of the most popular mixtape downloads at DatPiff are from artists like Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, Big Sean, Meek Mill, and Jadakiss. 

DatPiff is available on not only computers but also your mobile device.

Download Music From DatPiff

14

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Free Music Archive

What We Like

• Advanced search box

• Over a dozen categories

• Lets you stream before downloading

• No user account necessary

What We Don't Like

• MP3 is the only download option

You can also get free music at Free Music Archive (FMA). What makes it different from these other sites is that you can search for instrumental music only and filter your searches by genre and duration.

The charts let you find the best music of all time on the site, and the top music for the week and the month. There are also 16 genres to pick from, like blues, jazz, pop, international, and novelty.

Download Music From FMA

15

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YouTube

What We Like

• There's a lot of music available

• All the songs can be streamed

• Apps let you stream from your mobile device

What We Don't Like

• It's really hard to find free music downloads

• It's too easy to download copyrighted music accidentally

Yes, YouTube is a huge source for music and most of it is illegal to download due to copyright restrictions.

However, if you filter your search results for Creative Commons videos only and confirm with each video that it's okay to save the audio, it's completely safe to download the music.

You might also filter by duration to find short videos that are most likely music videos instead of interviews, movies, etc.

Despite YouTube being the largest video streaming service on the internet, we've placed it at the very bottom of this list because it's not easy to find free music among all the other content.

Download Music From YouTube