Whether you are an aspiring creator, a social media junky, or a pro on the lookout for a reliable platform to get royalty-free music, these websites can cater fo your needs with ease. Keeping in mind various requirements, we have chosen different sites so that you can find the platform that can live up to your “free music downloads legally” purpose.
And yes, we have also taken into account the penchant of those who are fond of specific music like hip-hop and country. So, it doesn’t matter what suits the standard of your clip or for that matter requirement, discovering a go-to platform for free music downloads shouldn’t be a big ask. With that in mind, let’s explore the top legal and free music download websites!
1. SoundCloud
SoundCloud is free and offers the largest collection of songs to listen to online for free. It’s an online music streeming community where users can upload songs and even popular artists share their own songs as well. You can stream as many songs as you want but in addition to streaming, SoundCloud also lets you download songs for free.
Just click on the download button to download your favorite song on your device and listen to it at will even offline. One thing worth keeping in mind is that not all the songs can be downloaded.
If the uploader has allowed downloads for their songs only then you will see a download button right below the song. So, don’t be surprised if there is no download option below a song.
Pros:
- The largest collection of songs
- A huge community of music lovers
- Option to download music
- Personalized experience
Cons:
- Lacks an intuitive interface
- The freemium version is quite limited
2. Jamendo
If you want to browse through a large collection of indie songs or cover songs performed by aspiring singers then Jamendo is the perfect place for you. You can stream or download as many songs as you want from Jamendo and there’s no catch.
You can discover upcoming talent in the music world via Jamendo and support them by listening/downloading their songs. Many top-class singers have uploaded their work on this royalty-free music site and you can easily download any songs that you want with just a click.
As of January 2020, Jamendo had more than 600,000 songs available for download making it one of the largest music libraries in the world. Also, It is available in 6 languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, and Polish.
Pros:
- A huge collection of indie songs
- Over 600,000 songs
- Offers royalty-free music
- Clean interface
Cons:
- Doesn’t offer much customization
3. Free Amazon Music Store
Amazon is the biggest online retailer offering a wide variety of products on the web. Amazon has also started offering digital products such as games and even songs. You can buy your MP3 songs directly from Amazon Music Store but you don’t have to pay for the songs if you don’t want to.
It also offers free songs for download directly from their website or their mobile apps. Moreover, it consists of more than 46,000 free songs available at the time of writing this article which makes it one of the largest legal free music repositories on the internet.
You won’t be able to find the latest songs though but there are still great songs available for free, all you have to do is search for your favorite tune. One of the best thing about Amazon Music Store is that they have categorized their songs in various genres such as Alternative Rock, Blues, Broadway & Vocalists, Children’s Music, Classical, Country, Dance & Electronic, Folk, Hard Rock & Metal, International, New Age, Pop, R&B, Miscellaneous, etc.
Overall, Amazon Music is one of the best sites for free music downloads legally.
Pros:
- An ever-growing library of music
- Offers songs from several genres including Alternative Rock, Blues, Broadway & Vocalists
- Easy to download songs
- Clutter-free interface
Cons:
- User-interface lacks intuitiveness
4. PureVolume
PureVolume is a community of music lovers. Artists can signup and upload their music on the site and listeners can help the artists by downloading or listening to their songs and upvoting them. Each artist has their own profile with their basic details, music, and photos.
It’s up to the artist to allow downloads or not, if the artist has allowed downloads then you can download their songs. Most of the artists on PureVolume have downloads enabled so you can enjoy great music for free.
Some artists have only enabled online streaming for songs which means you can stream as many of their songs as you want for free but you can’t download them on your device for offline usage. You can get free covers and remixes for the most popular songs as well.
Pros:
- A fairly good library of music
- Provides a variety of music
- Online streaming for songs
Cons:
- Not all songs are available for free downloads
5. NoiseTrade
Thousands of amazing songs performed by great artists from around the world are available for free on NoiseTrade. NoiseTrade is a social network for music lovers and book enthusiasts. It lets artists upload their songs for free and fans can download the songs without having to pay a single dime.
If you like a certain song then you also have the ability to tip the artist a few bucks for their great work. NoiseTrade connects the artists with their fans to build a large audience for the upcoming talent. Just create a free fan account and you can start downloading any song you want with just a single click.
Pros:
- A great social network for music lovers
- Option to explore a variety of music genres including classic, country, and metal
- Easy way to download songs
Cons:
- The music library lacks variety
6. Google Play Store
When it comes to offering a ton of cool music for free, the Google Play Store is second to none. Yeah, you heard it right! Google’s offering not only boasts the biggest library of mobile apps but also posses an ever-growing collection of free music that you can use in your fun-loving videos.
So, the next time you want free music, look no further than this one. You will find an extensive collection of free music that you can stream, download, and even use in your projects.
Pros:
- The impressive collection of music
- The library has got music from many genres
- High-quality
Cons:
- Lacks trendy collection
7. Free Music Archive
The UI of Free Music Archive (a.k.a FMA) is a bit cluttered but the site offers a vast collection of songs that you can download for free. FMA is not just any other music library where anyone can upload songs, instead of different music enthusiasts, labels, radio stations, curate the amazing playlists for everyone.
These songs can be downloaded for free without even having to register on the site at all. FMA offers access to free music similar to radio stations. You can also contribute to the site by curating your own playlists with your personal music or from other music that you own the rights to.
Pros:
- Option to curate playlists
- Option to download music without needing to register
- A variety of music
Cons:
Not all music is of high-quality
8. Internet Archive
Internet Archive is the biggest archive that includes almost everything for free. From software to music, you get to download anything and everything for free on your device. The audio section on Archive doesn’t only bring you free music instead it offers a lot of other audio files as well which include, audiobooks, podcasts, live music, etc.
You can download amazing music and songs but you will have to search for it. The categorization is not as smooth as one would expect but you can still find some great songs if you really look for it hard enough. Create amazing mixtapes by downloading free live music or best tunes from radio channels. In a nutshell, Internet Archive is a reliable site for free music downloads legally.
Pros:
- The music library has got both numbers and quality
- Huge collection of audio files
- Provides live music
Cons:
- Mixtapes could be better
- Categorization needs improvement
9. SoundClick
Although not as large as other music libraries, SoundClick still delivers a decent number of free songs to quench your thirst for music. Free music mostly depends on the artists. There are thousands of established artists who are selling their songs on SoundClick, however, most of them are also giving away their songs for free.
You can even buy the rights to the songs if you want but the free song should serve you well should you choose to only download free songs from the service. Most of the amazing songs are available as a free download.
Pros:
- A solid collection of free songs
- The hassle-free way to download songs
- Neat categorization
Cons:
- Doesn’t have an impressive hip-hop collection
10. Last.fm
Last.fm is actually an internet radio service that brings you amazing tracks as if you were listening to a local radio station. The service also offers free MP3 song downloads for its users. The free mp3 song collection, however, is not as vast as you would expect from service this big but you can still find some hidden gems among these free tracks.
Notably, you don’t need an account on the website to download free mp3 songs, just click the download button and it should download without the need to register.
Pros:
- A reasonable collection of free mp3 songs
- Tracks are of high-quality
- Pretty good categorization
Cons:
- Rock and country tracks seem to below par
11. Vimeo
We know Vimeo is a video streaming website but that doesn’t mean you can’t download amazing mp3 songs from the service. Vimeo has a music store where users sell mp3 songs for a price, however, you can search for songs with “Creative Commons” tag in the advanced search to find free songs and music.
All these free songs can be downloaded with a single click to your device but you will have to sign-up on the site first before downloading the free songs.
Pros:
- A great site to explore videos and music
- Straightforward downloading option
- The website runs smoothly
Cons:
- Doesn’t have a large collection of music
12. YouTube
We all know YouTube is the biggest site on the web when it comes to video streaming. However, not many users know that it’s also quite good in terms of offering free legal music. Though you can not download all the songs on YouTube because that would be illegal, you can search for songs with the “Creative Commons” filter and then download those songs to your device.
Besides, you can also head into the creator studio -> Audio Library to download a lot of cool music for free. These songs are free to use and there are no restrictions on downloading them.
Apart from that, certain artists create mashups and cover of famous songs on YouTube, and in the description, they leave free download links. You can download these songs too, and it will be completely legal.
Pros:
- A reliable source for free legal music
- High-quality music
- The audio library offers a variety of music
Cons:
- The free music collection isn’t huge
13. ReverbNation
Whether you are an aspiring musician or just want to download interesting songs created by millions of artists for free, ReverbNation is the right platform for you. One of the biggest highlights of this website is a massive catalog of music created by artists from around the world.
So, you will always have plenty of cool music to explore and download the ones that seem pleasing to your taste. As of now, the site boasts well over 3.5 million artists from 100 countries, which speaks volumes of its popularity. As for the variety, ReverbNation has got you fully covered with several genres including folk, pop, comedy, funk, hip hop, folk, and more.
Pros:
- Massive catalog of music
- Over 3.5 million artists from 100 countries
- A wide variety of music genres to explore
Cons:
- Hip-hop collection is not great
14. Audiomack
Last but not least, Audiomack has got all the bases covered to be your one-stop platform for legal and free music download websites. For starters, the website has got one of the largest collections of music from different genres. However, its library of hip-hop, rap, and the trap are top-notch both in terms of quality and quantity.
From popular tracks from famous artists like Kodak Black or the trending tracks from emerging artists, Audiomack has got you fully covered. Many artists allow users to download songs for free. Therefore, getting nice hip-hop or rap for free shouldn’t be a big deal. Notably, Audiomack also offers an option to stream mixtapes.
Pros:
- One of the biggest collections of hip-hop, rap, and the trap
- Allows you to stream music
- Offers music from both popular and emerging artists
Cons:
- Some music from the emerging artist may be below par
- Not all music is available for download
15. DatPiff
If you are fond of rap, DatPiff is what you should pick to download a ton of great legal music for free. It boasts an ever-growing hip-hop community dedicated to creating top-notch music. Notably, most of the music found on this website comes in the form of mixtapes which can prove to be amazing for adding some x-factor to your creativity.
While some are the original creations by artists, some showcases rappers freestyling over fascinating instruments. Not to mention, some songs are specifically designed to win fans. So, you will always have both a large collection of free music to download on your device.
Pros:
- A great platform for rap lovers
- Backed by a great hip-hop community
- Excellent mixtapes
Cons:
- Website looks outdated