Top 15 Sites for Legal Free Music Downloads
Finding the best sites for free music is a breeze. The tricky part is figuring out which ones let you download music legally without breaking any rules.
I’ve tested numerous sites for song downloads and narrowed it down to the top 15. You can download music from these sources either because the songs are in the public domain or because the artists have granted permission for their music to be shared.
There are plenty of hidden gems waiting to be found. Enjoy the music!
You can also stream free radio stations that play all types of music.
01. Jamendo Music
What We Like:
- Lots of ways to browse for downloads.
- Streaming support.
- Includes an online radio function.
- There’s a mobile app.
- Quick account creation.
What We Don’t Like:
- MP3 format only; no option for others.
- Downloads aren’t HD quality.
- Requires a user account (it’s free).
All the free music downloads at Jamendo Music are made available through Creative Commons licensing, meaning the artists themselves have decided they want to give out their music for free for anyone to enjoy.
02. SoundClick
What We Like:
- Lots of genres to pick from.
- Has a price filter to see only the free downloads.
- Includes music download deals and discounts.
What We Don’t Like:
- Not every song is free.
- Some songs can only be streamed.
- You have to log in.
SoundClick is the ultimate portal for finding free music directly from the artists’ websites. These creators have decided to let people download their music for free. This includes signed and unsigned musicians.
Download Music From SoundClick
03. Bensound
What We Like:
- Great for YouTube videos.
- Free songs are clearly marked.
- Download in seconds without logging in.
What We Don’t Like:
- All free music requires attribution.
- Small collection.
Bensound is an awesome choice if you want free music for YouTube or other projects. All the music can be downloaded in just a couple of clicks without a user account.
04. 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:
- Some downloads require your email address.
Something great about BeatStar’s offerings is that you don’t have to search all over the place to find the free stuff. Just use the link below to get a list of all the free beats.
05. YouTube Studio
What We Like:
- Official list from YouTube.
- New releases twice a month.
- Many songs require no attribution.
- Helpful search and filtering options.
What We Don’t Like:
- Requires a YouTube account.
YouTube Studio has royalty-free production music and sound effects meant to be used in videos you upload to YouTube. The best part? They’re copyright-safe!
Download Music From YouTube Studio
06. Internet 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.
- Frequently removes hundreds of listings.
One of my favorite places to find obscure music is Internet Archive. It has millions of results for free downloads of music, audio, podcasts, radio programs, and their Live Music Archive.
Download Music From Internet Archive
07. Free Music Archive
What We Like:
- Advanced search box.
- Over a dozen categories.
- Lets you stream before downloading.
- Over 100,000 tracks.
What We Don’t Like:
- MP3 is the only download option.
- Free user account required.
Free Music Archive (FMA) stands out because you can search for instrumental music only and filter searches by duration and specific licenses.
08. Last.fm
What We Like:
- One-click downloads.
- Most songs can be previewed.
- User account not required.
What We Don’t Like:
- Hard to search for free music only.
- MP3 is the only download option.
- Only a couple hundred to pick from.
- Can’t sort or filter the free list.
Last.fm has several pages of free music downloads in all genres. Just sift through the list to find something to save offline.
09. 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.
What We Don’t Like:
- Must log in.
- Not all songs can be downloaded.
SoundCloud supports streaming and downloading free music. The content is sometimes uploaded by professional artists and independent musicians.
Download Music From SoundCloud
10. 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.
Audiomack is similar to SoundCloud and is great for finding new music. All the music is legal and free to stream, and depending on the artist, you’ll find music downloads, too.
11. Pixabay
What We Like:
- Instant downloads without an account.
- Also has free sound effects.
What We Don’t Like:
- Everything is instrumental.
Although known mainly for its free public domain images, Pixabay also has a massive collection of tens of thousands of free song downloads.
12. 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.
- Excessive website ads.
Musopen is one of my go-to sites for classical music because it has sheet music and recordings that are completely free, legal, and copyright-free.
13. Amazon
What We Like:
- You can sort the list of downloads.
- Provides several ways to filter and refine the results.
- Songs 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.
- Shows completely unrelated sponsored ads in the same list.
There are thousands of free music downloads at Amazon.com, making it a favorite to visit when looking for new music to download legally.
14. 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.
Download Music From ReverbNation
15. Bandcamp
What We Like:
- Lets you download full albums.
- Includes lots of tracks you won’t find on other free 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.
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.
