There is no lack of resources when it comes to downloading and streaming music. However, most of these websites are not legitimate and they violate copyright laws by sharing the songs that they don’t own. So, by downloading music from an illegal site, you are violating laws which could get you into a lot of trouble.
To actually enjoy music, the best way is to download or stream it from legal music streaming sites. If you are not aware of these sites, then rejoice as there are many such legal music streaming sites that let you listen to your favorite music free of cost. Some of them would even allow you to download music so that you can create playlists on your smartphone or computer and listen to them whenever you want.
We have created a complete list of the best legal music streaming sites in this article. Use them and enjoy free music without worrying about violating copyrights.
Also Read: Best Music Player Apps for Android
1. Amazon MP3
When you want to try music streaming sites, you have to start with the biggest of them all. Amazon MP3 has an ever-growing collection of music files. You can buy MP3 songs and download free songs from the platform.
Amazon has a vast library of the best music, containing tens of millions of songs that you can stream on your device right now and thousands of new songs by the top artists are added on a daily basis that you can buy through the website. The songs are organized into categories so you can easily find your favorite music. If instead of scanning an entire genre, you are interested in streaming an individual song, you can easily use the search feature. Experience ad-free listening and you can also download the songs on your device for offline listening.
You can use Amazon Music site or download an app for your phone (iOS and Android supported).
2. Last.fm
Last.fm is an internet radio service that allows you set up a radio channel where your favorite songs will stream. When you are a user of Last.fm, you can also download free MP3 songs. Although not a huge free collection, this service is one of the best streaming services out there.
The best thing about Last.fm is that you can download free songs without having to create an account with the service. Although not many, you can find some amazing songs, and all you need to do is simply find a song and click ‘download’ if it’s available free of cost.
3. NoiseTrade
NoiseTrade is another music streaming website that has a huge library of music files. The best feature of this music streaming site is that you can tip the artists that you and so your support for their awesome work. The website allow the artists to upload their songs for free, and you can download these songs with paying a single cent.
You can create a free account on the site and start going through the awesome collection of some of the best tracks by various artists on the platform. To download files from this website, you will need to provide your email and zip code. The link to download specific music file will be sent to your email inbox.
4. Jamendo
Jamendo has a library of more than 400,000 songs which makes it one of the biggest free music streaming sites on the internet.
Although you won’t find the latest tracks available as a ‘free’ download on this site or the other websites for legal download, you can still find plenty of gems among so many songs. There are over 40,000 artists to explore for free music lovers and if you are more interested in listening to indie songs and cover songs performed by various artists, then this is the perfect place for you to start.
Not only can you sort the songs based on their ratings and genre, you can also stream them online or download them for free on your device for offline listening. It’s also available as an app on Android, iOS as well as Windows platform.
5. Soundcloud
Whenever you think about free legal music streaming, Soundcloud always manages to find its fans. The best thing about Soundcloud is that both top and new artists often choose this platform to offer free music to their fans. So if you are using the music streaming platform, you are bound to find a lot of free music every day and you can stream as many songs as you want without any restrictions.
The music streaming site works like a charm and it has an easy and community-focused user interface. Although it allows free streaming of music tracks, there are also some songs that are available for free download and if you like those songs, you can get them on your computer or smartphones with ease.
6. Free Music Archive
Free Music Archive is another free music store from where you can download music legally or stream them online without even creating an account. This website has plenty of genres for you to explore. You can also visit their blog and see which artists are in spotlight.
You can also socialize with other users and build your own collection of free music but you will need to create a free account for that. Although the site is a bit cluttered, there are some amazing curated playlists created by users on the site that you’d love to listen to. So make sure to have a look at the website to find some of the most amazing songs.
7. MP3.com
MP3.com is a well-known music streaming site that also allows users to download and stream free music online. Despite being one of the oldest music sites out there, it doesn’t have an extensive music library as some of the other sites mentioned above in the list. You can find the best songs from different decades, and although the free options are quite less, you can still find some really good tracks to listen to.
You can use the search function on the MP3.com site to quickly see if it has the music you want to download. One great thing about the site is that it helps young artists share their work with millions of users worldwide and gain all the exposure they need!
8. Hype Machine
As the name suggests, Hype Machine looks for the most hyped songs that are available for free streaming. It then brings you those songs in the form of a list that updates in the real-time. So, if you want to see what others are listening, Hype Machine is the best place for free music.
When an artist allows free download, you will see a ‘download’ button below the song on Hype Machine which means that you can not only listen to those songs online, but you can even download them if you really like them.
9. Archive.org
Despite the fact that Archives.org is well-known for storing an archived copy of websites and images and almost everything else, people are usually unaware that they can also find free music here.
Not only is the site a perfect place for anyone looking for free music, it is also a great place to find old radio shows, audiobooks, podcasts or music that’s now in public domain. You can also download latest tracks from this site as long as the label or the artist has offered them for free.
10. QTRAX
QTRAX is quickly gaining popularity for offering free songs from new artists. You don’t even need a subscription to stream free music on this website. All you need to do is to download the FREE QTRAX music player.
Once you have QTRAX music player, you can stream and download as many songs as many you like without any restrictions. This site will always keep bringing new and fresh music, so you will never run out of options when it comes to free music.
Although QTRAX player is currently available only for Windows, the company is working on apps for iOS and Android on a priority basis. Expect these apps to come through any day.
Conclusion
Since streaming and downloading free music is quite easy these days, you don’t have to steal your favorite songs from websites that violate copyright laws. The resources above offer only legal music streaming. Since SoundCloud is one of the best places to find music to listen to online, you simply need to go the site or download the app on your smartphone and you will never run out of good songs!