Want to download music instead of streaming? Wondering where and how to download music without being labeled a digital pirate? Are you downloading music for pleasure or content creation?
The internet is packed full of thousands of music download websites. But, music, just like any intellectual property, is protected by copyright. According to RIAA rules, it’s criminal to download copyrighted content without the owner’s permission, and it means you’re not allowed to use, duplicate, or redistribute unless you have a license.
Yes, the number of music downloads has skyrocketed to 35.6m in 2022. Yet, millions of people still don’t know where to get free music on legal terms.
We’ve got you covered if you want to get hold of quality music for free. We can help you grow your digital music library without piracy.
(Want to check out another free online resource, find ten torrents sites for ebooks)
20 Best Sites to Legally Download Music for Free
What makes downloading music on these 20 sites different from a random site on the web? What makes the music free yet legal?
- The music is in the public domain.
- The artist has permitted downloads.
Today, we’ll not only show you the legal ways to download music online for FREE, but we’ve also helped you research 20 easy-to-use sites.
The following are top download sites with a vast repository of free music downloads:
- Reverbnation
- Bandcamp
- Amazon
- Youtube Music
- Audiomack
- Free Music Archive
- Soundcloud
- Live Music Archive
- Musopen
- CCTrax
- Last.fm
- NoiseTrade
- Internet Archive
- Soundclick
- Wynk Music
- Beatstars
- Jamendo
- Spinrilla
- DatPiff
- Mp3 Music Download Hunter
1) Reverbnation
- With ReverbNation, you have access to an unlimited number of songs from over 3 million artists. This site is your go-to music download site for songs from various artists, including the lesser-known ones.
- Up-and-comers can promote and sell their music on ReverbNation.
- You may not find content from present chart-toppers or the Billboard Hot-100.
- You must register with an account to access music on ReverbNation.
Download Music From ReverbNation
2) Bandcamp
- With Bandcamp, you can stream and download trendy songs and albums for free on a name-your-own-price basis.
- The Discover page on Bandcamp offers best-selling music, allowing you access to the latest and hippest content on the block.
- Bandcamp also allows artists to earn a living and get recognition simultaneously through their profiles. Their profiles contain their biography, discography, song previews, and reviews.
- For songs that don’t have a minimum price, enter zero in the payment section to get it downloaded.
- You can download music in MP3, FLAC, AAC, OGG, and WAV format.
- Although some songs require payment to download, you don’t need a user account.
3) Amazon
- Visit Amazon to access legal and free music. They have over 6,000 thousand songs available for download.
- Amazon Music allows you to filter through search results and sort your downloads.
- Amazon has songs from famous bands and artists such as The Foo Fighters, Tony Elman, Carole King, etc.
- You can also play the songs first to see if it’s worth downloading.
- To download, add the content to your cart, check out as if you want to make a purchase, and a download link will show up on your screen. To access downloads later, check your Digital Orders tab.
- Not all music on the site is available for free.
- You must register and log in to your Amazon account.
4) Youtube Music
- YouTube Music is one of the best online streaming sites to browse music videos and playlists. YouTube Music is also a free music download site for royalty-free music and videos.
- You have access to various entertainment content like singles, albums, remixes, and music videos.
- You can access your downloaded content in the Playlists section.
- Like Amazon Music, you can listen to the song first and then download it later.
- YouTube has playlists for all moods such as Workout, Focus, Road Trip, Rock, Hip Hop, Classical, and so much more. You can also create your playlists.
- You can use a web browser or download the YouTube app from the App Store or Google Play Store.
- You’ll need to create a YouTube account to download music on YouTube.
- You can only access your downloads on YouTube Music so that you can save your playlists on your device with a YouTube Music downloader tool.
5) Audiomack
- Audiomack is a music streaming and download site and application available to both Android and iOS devices.
- You can find the newest and trending releases on Audiomack in the Trending, Recently Added, or Top Songs sections.
- You have access to music in different genres such as reggae, pop, R&B, hip-hop, instrumental, and afrobeat.
- Its easy-to-use interface allows you to search and filter popular songs and artists.
- It’s pretty challenging to find only free music because not all songs are available for download.
- You don’t need a user account to download music on Audiomack.
6) Free Music Archive
- Users of Free Music Archive don’t have to worry about the legality of a song.
- You can find free popular music—all-time ranking music and more recent ones—available for download on the site.
- There are tracks for the best content weekly and monthly from music stars and up-and-coming artists.
- The Free Music Archive also has independent radio stations.
Download Music From Free Music Archive
7) Soundcloud
- Soundcloud is a music download site cum application that allows you to stream and download high-quality audio content.
- You can’t download playlists, but over 130 million tracks are available for downloads.
- You can preview songs from professionals and up-comers before downloading.
- You can find free music in the Creative Commons section or check for music with the tag “Free Download.”
- When you download a song on SoundCloud, you automatically follow the artist and may be directed to the artist’s Facebook page to get the file.
- To get access to uploads, you’re required to either Buy or Download the song.
- SoundCloud protects music creators by limiting the number of songs you can download. The action restricts those who use bots to download songs so they can upload them to (illegal) torrent sites.
- Music downloads are available for free in MP3 format.
- You can download free music without having a user account.
Download Music from SoundCloud
8) Live Music Archive
- Live Music Archive results from the collaboration between Internet Archive and etree.org. The latter is a music community starring top-notch lossless versions of shows and live concerts from big names in the industry.
- Live Music Archive makes this list because creators have granted their fans the license to use their content.
- Aside from the conventional content found in free music download sites, Live Music Archive also provides concert data and a growing music community.
- The site offers numerous genres, jam, jazz, reggae, hip-hop, rock, etc.
- Since Live Music Archive has content from both sites, navigation is an uphill task. But you can use the search filters to sort your preferences by title, artist, publish date, and many others.
- You can stream and download free music on Live Music Archive in different formats.
- The site allows its users to preview songs via its web player before downloading.
Download Music From Live Music Archive
9) Musopen
- Musopen is a music download service that offers unique ways to discover great music for free.
- Musopen allows you to stream and download music on legal terms via your web browser or mobile app.
- You can preview your music before deciding to hit the download button.
- Musopen is perfect for classical music lovers; you can discover music by composer, instrument, performer, and other impressive filters.
- Musopen allows you to find recordings from the all-time greats of classical music. This site is the real deal if you dig Bach, Beethoven, or Holst.
- Just like NoiseTrade, this site also offers quality beyond free music download. You have access to educational resources.
10) CCTrax
- Content on the site is all free and easy to download.
- CCTrax gives special attention to specific tunes such as techno, dub, electronica, and ambient.
- Uploads on CCTrax are available legally through a Creative Commons license.
- However, there’s an exception to content you can embed to other sites. These songs are labeled with the “BY License.”
11) Last.fm
- You can stream and download music for free on Last.fm with the site recommending related bands and tracks.
- You don’t need a user account to access the newest releases according to genre or browse by category.
- You can also preview a song before deciding to hit the download button.
- There’s a limited number of free music on Last.fm, and they’re only available in MP3 format.
12) NoiseTrade
- There are a couple of unique things about NoiseTrade. You can stream your favorite songs and download thousands of songs on NoiseTrade.
- Spiking artists upload their content on this site alongside a postal/ZIP code or an email address.
- NoiseTrade allows its users to connect with their favorite content creators.
- Artists can reach out and connect with their fans via their email addresses.
- Books are available for free downloads on various topics in EPUB and MOBI formats.
Download Music From Noisetrade
13) Internet Archive
- If “Variety is the spice of life,” then Internet Archive is the spice of music download sites. Their content covers music, audio, podcast, radio shows, news, public affairs talk, audiobooks, and poetry.
- There’s an entire library of free audio downloads, all available in several formats like MP3 and OGG.
- Internet Archive supports previewing before downloading.
- You can filter search results by media type, most viewed items, title, topics and subjects, date published, and many others.
- Although Internet Archive is a throwback to how the Net looked before the 2000s, it offers top-shelf music to users and nonusers.
- They feel the site should also work on navigating and music quality.
Download Music From Internet Archive
14) SoundClick
- SoundClick offers tons of free music organized into genres. You also have the option of custom radio stations and playlists.
- There are great deals and discounts for songs that aren’t free and can only be streamed.
- You can download music from famous musicians and artists that are yet to make a name in the music industry.
- Unlike other free music download sites, you can connect with your favorite artists and fellow listeners.
- You can select your audio quality from either a 320 kbps MP3, a 160 kbps MP3, or a WAV file.
- You don’t necessarily need to sign in to SoundClick to download music from the site.
Download Music From SoundClick
15) Wynk Music
- Wynk Music allows you to stream and download music from famous and aspiring musicians.
- Wynk Music has a mobile app with over three million free songs.
- Wynk Music contains Bollywood movie soundtracks and Hindi music.
- Although the app is free, they earn money from ads while you’re playing the song. Like YouTube Music, you can remove ads by subscribing to its premium plan.
- You can play MP3 files stored on your device via the app for Android and iOS devices.
Download Music From Wynk Music
16) Beatstars
- BeatStars has free music downloads, but You can sort music into the newest, trendy, and best-selling music. You can also filter your search results by beats, keys, chorus, vocals, instrument, duration, and even energy level.
- With BeatStars, you can select your preferred genres and find the right (quality) music for your mood. From focus and inspiring to a mellow and silly mood
- You can only download a song after subscribing to the artist’s page. This way, BeatStars can put their artists on the map.
- BeatStars compiled all free downloads in one spot, unlike all other music download sites. The best part about this website is that you don’t have to search all over to find them. You use the link below to get a list.
17) Jamendo
- Jamendo is a legal music streaming and download site protected by the Creative Commons license and other licenses. With Jamendo, you’ve sidestepped copyright trouble.
- Jamendo is your best bet if you’re a music explorer with a taste for well-composed music playlists such as “Chill Zone” and “Time To Dream” and themed radio stations.
- Jamendo has hundreds of thousands of songs from over 40,000 artists.
- If you don’t want to use your web browser, you can download the Jamendo app for an improved user experience.
- With the Communities option, it is easy to navigate your way around the latest and trending music and join other fans in following your favorite artists.
- This platform allows the fanbase of unsigned artists to grow like a weed because they can efficiently distribute their music.
- Downloads are only accessible in MP3 format and aren’t HD quality.
- You have to create a user account.
18) Spinrilla
- You can stream and download tracks and mixtapes for free on Spinrilla.
- Spinrilla doesn’t only offer free content, and you can also comfortably navigate their website for a user-friendly experience.
- The site allows you to filter results to your preference by title, artists, and position on charts. The sidebar shows you trending music, videos, and playlists.
- You can download your favorite singles and albums at will.
- You can download the hippest hip-hop mixtapes for free on Spinrilla. You also get to see the release dates for future mixtapes.
- You need to have a user account to download music on Spinrilla.
19) DatPiff
- Just as Musopen specializes in offering top-notch classical music, so is DatPiff, known for high-quality hip-hop and rap music.
- DatPiff allows you to stream and download music from both up-and-comers and world-class musicians.
- You can find freestyles, compilations, and remixes from emerging talents on DatPiff.
- You can also find chart-toppers from artists like Drake, Lil Wayne, Future, Roddy Rich, etc.
20) Mp3 Music Download Hunter
- MP3 Music Download Hunter gives you access to over one million MP3 files for free.
- The content on this download site is available legally under the Creative Commons license (for noncommercial use.)
- You can sort your downloads by category, genre, hashtag, or artist’s name. You also have access to loads of songs from unsigned artists.
- You can access Mp3 Music Download Hunter through a web browser or download the app.
- You don’t need to have a user account.
Download Music From Mp3 Music Download Hunter
In a Word
Music streaming services have grown popular. But when you stream a song, you don’t own it—even if you purchased a subscription plan—you’re only licensed to listen to it.
With the sites listed above, you can now watch music videos, listen to podcasts and online radio stations, and download music. These sites also help new artists and bands escape obscurity and come into the limelight.
We hope this article was helpful. Please leave a comment—or two—and don’t hesitate to share your experience.