Looking for free music downloads? Turns out there are lots of legal places to get them. Here are the top 10.
- Jamendo Music
- SoundCloud
- Amazon Music
- SoundClick
- ReverbNation
- MP3Juices
- Mp3 Music Download Hunter
- Wynk Music: MP3 & Hindi Songs
- Spinrilla
- My Mixtapez Music
Below is a complete summary and review of all of these free music download sites. Enjoy!
Also: got a free music download site you like? Let us know in the comments and we’ll test it out.1. Jamendo Music
Jamendo
Music has been offering free music downloads for years. All of these
downloads are completely free (so no letters from your ISP) and
protected by Creative Commons licenses. That basically means that the
creators of these songs don’t mind if you download their music for
personal enjoyment.
This
is all independent music. So if you’re looking for DJ Khaled or Drake,
you’ll probably have to go elsewhere (try YouTube Music, Spotify, or
Apple Music).
And looking to license music for your video, commercial, or film? That’s where Jamendo’s paid tier enters the picture. The prices are reasonable, and the catalog is rich. You can’t go wrong.
2. SoundCloud
Just like Amazon offers a free music download collection, so does SoundCloud. But you have to know how to find them.
Then, it’s yours!
Keep in mind that many larger artists only stream. In fact, most major label artists are prohibited from offering free downloads, based on their contracts. That has spawned a group of SoundCloud downloaders to work around that limitation, though SoundCloud doesn’t (technically) authorize those apps.
Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a dedicated free music download section. And, there’s little chance that will happen in the future, so happy exploring!
Check out SoundCloud here.
3. Amazon Music
Yes, Amazon Music offers a ton of free music downloads! They even have a free music download section that is constantly being updated.
(Actually, they also do this for books as well.)
But back to the music. Amazon’s selection is actually pretty amazing, and features newer releases from a lot of big-name artists. That includes names like Foo Fighters, Blondie, Chance the Rapper, Carole King, and the Philharmonic Orchestra Bratislava. That last one’s for you classical lovers, but there’s also a ton of meditation, workout, and focus-oriented music.
Why are they doing this? The answer is simple: they want you to try out their more involved music streaming service. Or, pick up an Amazon Prime account (which comes bundled with music).
And yeah, Amazon Music is a pretty good streaming service if you’re looking to upgrade.
Once you’ve grabbed a few free mp3s from Amazon’s free music download section, you can take them anywhere. That includes any smartphone, starting with iPhone (iOS) and Android devices. But you’ll need a good music downloader to neatly organize it all.
Check out Amazon Music’s free music download section here.
4. SoundClick
SoundClick offers free downloads from thousands of artist websites. That includes signed, unsigned, independent, and everything in-between. Basically, if the artist wants to offer a free music download, then SoundClick will try to deliver it.
Searching for music is pretty simple. You can search by artist, genre, or by chart. You can sample as much as you want, and download whatever you want. There’s also a radio option that lets you sample music while multi-tasking on something else.
One warning: SoundClick does offer a mix of paid and free content. The reason is that some artists prefer to charge for their downloads, while others want to give it away for free. Their choice, but you can sample whatever you choose.
Also, there aren’t full catalogs for artists like DJ Khaled or Drake. For that, you’ll probably need to head over to Spotify or iTunes, and whip out your wallet.
Just make sure to download your collection in an easy folder. Then, it’s time to manage your collection with a music downloader app.
Check out SoundClick here.
5. ReverbNation
ReverbNation has millions of emerging artists, across hundreds of different genres. You can discover what you like, and lots of artists will allow you to freely download their music.
The approach is somewhat like SoundCloud. You can stream whatever you want, but you have to check to see if a free download option is enabled. That’s not the easily setup, but if you’re in discovery mode, it’s only somewhat inconvenient.
Once you find something you like, it’s yours!
Like SoundCloud, many of the larger ReverbNation artists only stream. Right now, ReverbNation doesn’t have a dedicated download section.
Check out ReverbNation’s ‘Discover’ area here.
6. MP3juices.cc
MP3juices
actually got shut down by the London Police in 2014. Now, the site has
re-emerged at MP3juices.cc as a streaming-to-download site, including
YouTube conversion. Basically, you can search for whatever tracks you
want, and MP3juices.cc will convert the track into a free music download
for you.They even offer an ‘Mp3 Cutter’ to help trim unwanted intros or ‘white noise’ on downloads.
Just a word of caution: YouTube-to-MP3 sites get a little tricky legally, so just be careful. Basically, the industry is clamping down hardcore on a lot of these sites, as translating a video into a free music download violates copyright. That means you could end up getting a nasty letter from your ISP, or even a label, none of which isn’t fun.
So, try to avoid Drake and Rihanna downloads and you’re fine. Instead, go for copyright-free songs that can be used for any purpose, and you’ll be legally clear. Here’s a good place to start.
Actually, if you end up using any of this music in a production, just be sure to credit the creator. That will help them get their name out, and maybe land a juicy paid slot.
7. MP3 Music Download Hunter (App)
MP3 Music Download Hunter is a relative newcomer in the Android app space. But it’s proving to be a solid option for free music downloads. Basically, Download Hunter scours millions of copyright-free songs for download. Technically, these are Creative Commons licensed songs, which means the creators have authorized free downloading (and uploading, for that matter).
If you’re planning on using any of these songs for commercial use, check with the copyright owner. Otherwise, if it’s just for private, just spread the word to help these artists get bigger!
Mp3 Music Download Hunter is currently available through the Google Play Store. Its rating is a modest 3.3, but a lot of people are giving the app a ‘1’ expecting major label content. Basically, they were looking for artists like Trey Songz or Katy Perry, which MP3 Hunter doesn’t offer.
After locating a collection of free music downloads, Hunter helps you organize them. That includes organization and storage for offline listening on mobile devices. Of course, that’s great for anyone worried about cellular bandwidth charges.
MP3 Music Downloader Hunter is available here.
8. Wynk Music: MP3 & Hindi Songs (App)
If you’re looking for Indian music, Airtel is offering a great way to find and organize free music downloads. Basically, Wynk not only offers free mp3s, but it manages and organizes them as well. A stepped-up premium plan includes streaming and a larger selection, though Airtel users can qualify for extended premium trials or bundled premium options. Just check your plan!
Sub-genres span Bollywood, Bhangra, Tamil, and Punjabi, with lots of music in a variety of regional dialects. Just to give you a sample, the dialect selection includes the following: Malayalam, Rajasthani, Marathi, Kannada, Bengali, Telugu, Bhojpuri, and Gujarati, among others.
Beyond Indian regional music, there are also a lot of global, mainstream songs. Think Coldplay, Jason Derulo, Shakira, and the Chainsmokers, and you get the idea. That said, that’s not the main focus of this app. But it’s a nice addition for those that want some global variety.
In total, Wynk offers 2.6 million tracks of mostly Indian music. There are also a huge number of playlists and a full-blown radio service. Again, most are focused on Indian music.
There are a few other cool options and features. That includes ringtones, ringback tones, an English-language option, and even Chromecast support.
Here’s a video that describes the offering a bit more:
You can find Wynk Music here.
9. Spinrilla (Site+App)
Please note: Last we
heard, Spinrilla was getting sued by the major recording labels for
illegally offering free music downloads and mixtapes. In response,
Spinrilla’s attorneys have argued that the labels themselves sent them
music for their mixtapes, making this a super-confusing situation. As
of this writing, the app itself is on the Google Play Store, though a
bad legal turn could get it ripped down. We’ll keep you updated on this
situation.
If you like hip-hop mixtapes, you might want to check out Spinrilla. Basically, Spinrilla taps into a treasure trove of mixtapes from established sites like DatPiff, then reassembles them into a single interface.
Spinrilla is a site and an app. According to its Google Play Store listing, Sprinrilla has more than 5 million downloads.
The ratings on this app are pretty strong. And hip-hop heads regard this as a top app. On Google Play, Spinrilla has a rating of 4.3 stars (out of 5). But, here’s another sticky spot: Spinrilla has no affiliation with LiveMixtapes, DatPiff, or MyMixtapez (keep reading), though it pulls heavily from those mixtape hubs. So we’re not sure if that’s ruffling any feathers.
Oh, and they know they’re big! The app calls itself the ‘800-lb gorilla of free hip-hop mixtapes’. The app even allows streaming. But pro tip: download on Wifi to avoid cellular bandwidth charges.
You can find Spinrilla here.
10. My Mixtapez Music (App)
Just
like Spinrilla, My Mixtapez Music is all about hip-hop mixtapes. But
there are a few differences that hip-hop aficionados will want to weigh.For starters, both offer lots of different mixtapes from endless rappers and DJs. And both offer the option to enjoy free music downloads for offline listening. But dive into My Mixtapez, and you’ll see a number of differences in selection, organization, and selected artists. You might even decide to roll with both!
Currently, Mixtapez isn’t getting sued (that we’ve heard). But this is an unstable situation, so we’ll keep you updated. Right now, the site hasn’t been deemed illegal, but be prepared for a rude shutdown (cause that’s how it goes sometimes).
Actually, My Mixtapez also puts a nice spotlight on indie artists and emerging rappers. That includes a lot of rappers that could be massive in a few years, with mixtapes still providing a huge promotional role.
Check out the Mixtapez free music downloader app here.
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