10 Best Websites to Safely and Legally Download or Stream Free Music

Jeni_Odley · May 8

Music playlists accompany us through all our life events, including study sessions, road trips, and while we get ready for big nights out. However, with subscriptions and limited free trials, free music downloads are becoming more and more difficult to find. Music piracy, where music is illegally obtained and released to the public, became a huge problem in the late 90s and early 2000s, and many service providers were closed down due to copyright issues. Nowadays, improved piracy laws are implemented to protect the intellectual rights of music companies and artists.

Here are our 10 best websites for free legal music downloads.

1. Datpiff

Datpiff is an online music platform launched in Pennsylvania in 2005. The platform specializes in hip-hop, rap, and urban music, and is credited for helping artists like Meek Mill become known in the music industry. Despite recent rumors of a site shutdown, the Datpiff website is currently under renovation, but they have temporarily partnered with Archive.org to ensure users can still access their music library.

2. Beatport

Beatport was founded in 2004 to provide top-tier products that help DJs and producers enhance their talents. With teams of professionals and technologists across the USA and UK, Beatport serves DJs and producers in their endeavors. With over 36 million unique users and over 11 million curated tracks from label partnerships, the platform holds the largest collection of downloadable dance music. Beatport’s goal is to become the ultimate leader in dance music culture and is a key supplier for independent artists across the globe.

3. SoundCloud

Founded in 2007, SoundCloud is a free music download site that strives to put artists first. SoundCloud has a vast library of over 375 million tracks from 40 million artists, helping them further their music careers by providing tools, services, and resources. Users can create a free account to save tracks, follow artists, and build a playlist. Moreover, SoundCloud for Artists is a one-stop platform that helps artists become the next big thing in music, and artists like Billie Eilish and Post Malone used SoundCloud to launch their music careers.

4. Bandcamp

Bandcamp is a virtual record store and online community that allows music fans to discover and connect with their favorite artists. Around 82% of fan purchase costs go toward artists or their labels, while the remainder covers Bandcamp’s revenue share and other processing fees. As such, the platform maintains an artist-first approach as it only receives money when artists get paid, and fans can see that their money is making a direct difference.

5. Free Music Archive

The Free Music Archive (FMA) lets users access open licensed and original music from independent artists across the globe. The site attracts tens of millions of online visitors monthly, who use songs for personal projects or their own listening pleasure. Users can access and download free original music at any time while supporting international independent artists with their music careers. FMA provides a free digital hub for artists to publish their songs, be discovered by media makers, and sell their music.

6. Jamendo

Jamendo was established to combat the rise of illegal music downloads in the early 2000s and prevent music lovers from spending money on digital downloads that could only be listened to on one device. The platform was founded in Luxembourg in 2004 and brings together an online community of independent music artists from around the world. Users can access free downloads of over 500,000 songs shared by 40,000 artists from 150 different countries. Jamendo also helps artists by licensing their songs for commercial use, helping them gain exposure and find new revenue sources.

7. Musopen

Musopen lets music lovers browse their favorite songs by composer, performer, instrument, or time period, helping them choose from a vast music catalog. All music on Musopen is royalty and copyright-free, meaning users can use it on projects, independent films, and video games. Musopen is a non-profit organization that offers free resources and educational materials to enhance access and exposure to music. The platform also offers free sheet music to help aspiring musicians.

8. Audiomack

Audiomack is a free, on-demand music platform designed to empower artists. With Audiomack, artists can reach and engage fans globally by uploading their music for free. Aspiring artists can submit their music for Trending consideration, meaning it is labeled as the hottest trending music and placed in front of a huge audience. Artists can also check their dashboards for in-depth statistics about user engagement and how fans interact with their music.

9. Pixabay

Pixabay is a Germany-based website offering royalty-free stock music, photos, and videos. The website has a library of over 4.7 million high-quality media pieces shared by its online community and over 58,000 copyright-free music tracks. With Pixabay, site users can download songs for projects, client presentations, or social media posts without compromising quality or worrying about legal repercussions.

10. SoundClick

Founded in 1997, SoundClick is a music platform that strives to make artists’ music easily accessible online. Users can stream and download music in MP3 format, allowing artists to experiment with different styles without financial burden. The platform also encourages a thriving community of artists and producers and promotes networking and collaboration. Exciting musical connections are born when musicians and producers willingly share their music, especially when it is a legally safe option.