Before the widespread adoption of Music streaming services like Spotify and YouTube Music, we primarily accessed music by downloading it to our devices from websites that provided them.

However, since these streaming platforms are usually subscription-based, which can be costly for some of us, and do not offer music downloads, we still prefer to download music from websites that offer them legally. So which websites offer the best free music downloads?

Fortunately, there are many websites where you can download music for free. Most of the music that is available for free and legally on these websites has been provided by the artists. However, some of these websites also offer a limited number of tracks from the mainstream.

So, if you are looking for websites where you can download original copies of openly licensed music, in this article, you will find the 8 best sites to access and download music for free.

What Are The Best Free Music Download Sites?

Looking for the best free music download sites to find and download interesting music? These are the best options where you can download free music without resorting to digital piracy:

Website	Pros	Cons
Jamendo	Allows music streaming; offers several ways to browse music	Requires sign-up to download music; downloads music in mp3
Free Music Archive	Well-organized pieces of music; no sign-up required	Provides music download only in mp3 format
Bandcamp	User-friendly interface; extensive music library	Not all songs on the site are free; news about music
Audiomack	Variety of music genres; well-organized music categories	Some songs are not available for free download
Live Music Archive	Offers live concerts and recordings	Only offers live performances and recordings
YouTube Audio Library	Offers various music genres; provides sound effects and free music	Requires a Google account to download music; no search function
Internet Archive	Extensive library of music and recordings	Music archive is difficult to navigate
SoundCloud	Offers several ways to browse music; user-friendly interface	Not all songs on the site are free; download options vary

Jamendo

Jamendo is a music platform that allows users to share music and make it available for download for music fans under the Creative Commons license. It is one of the best MP3 download sites on the Internet.

This means that downloading music for free on this website does not violate copyright laws. However, before you can use the music download feature on Jamendo, you must register for an account.

On this website, you can also stream music tracks you come across and create your own playlist apart from the public playlist, such as Indie, Chill Zone, Electro Waves, and many more.

You can access Jamendo music on the website by going to the Explore section, the Latest Release section for newly released music, or the Radio section.

Downloading music on Jamendo is easy, and the interface is clear. However, there are some limitations to the music you can download from the site. If you do not opt for Jamendo licensing, you can not use the music in public spaces or for business projects.

Pros:

• It lets you stream music
• It offers several ways to browse for music
• It has a mobile app

Cons:

• It requires signup for you to download music
• It downloads music only in mp3 format

Free Music Archive

Free Music Archive is a site that offers free and legal music downloads. This website can be your first stop when you want to download music from new and interesting artists.

Most of the tracks on this website are from lesser-known musicians, but there are a few from well-known artists as well. The offer includes up to 16 styles, including jazz, blues, world music, pop, and other well-known music genres. It lets you choose the quality and format of the music file you want to download.

If you want to listen to the music before downloading, Free Music Archive also offers the option to stream music. It’s a great way to discover new songs and download music legally to your devices.

Pros:

• It allows you to stream songs
• The pieces of music on the site are well-organized
• It doesn’t require a signup

Cons:

• It provides music download only in MP3 format

Bandcamp

Bandcamp is one of the best free music download sites that allows independent musicians to sell their music for free, set a minimum price or let people do whatever they want.

The site has a user-friendly interface and even allows you to stream music directly. The flexibility for the artist to set the price for their music is one of the features we like about Bandcamp.

You can use the search box to look for songs or use the “Discover” section and enter a zero in the payment field if the music does not have a minimum price, then follow the on-screen prompt to download the music on your computer.

Not all songs on Bandcamp can be downloaded for free, but you can get most of them without paying anything. The website offers music downloads in various formats, such as MP3, FLAC, AAC, OGG, and WAV.

Pros:

• It has an extensive music library
• It doesn’t require a user account
• It lets you choose whether or not to pay for some music
• It offers music news

Cons:

• Not all songs on the site are free

Audiomack

If you are looking for a site where you can download unlimited free music, Audiomack is another site where you will find instrumentals.

Due to its ease of use, its variety of music genres, and its well-organized music categories such as ” Trending,” “Top Songs,” and “Top Albums,” Audiomack is a great site to access and download music for free.

However, the number of free music tracks on Audiomack is limited since some songs are not made freely available by their creators. Fortunately, you can still download the remixes of these songs or simply stream them online for free.

On this website, you’ll most likely find any song you are looking for since, over time, it has built an extensive library of music, including from popular artists.

Pros:

• It has an incredible selection of music
• You can stream music and download it for free

Cons:

• There is no download option for some of the songs offered

NoiseTrade

NoiseTrade is a music discovery and distribution platform that allows artists to share their music with their fans for free.

What we like most about this platform is the ability to share music from different artists for free. However, in order to access the free music download, you must provide your email address and zip code to support the artist’s marketing.

However, NoiseTrade does not let you download individual tracks, so if you want to download audio from the site, you’ll get the entire track list of a specific artist in a single zip file.

On this website, you’ll be able to find some well-known musicians and artists, as well as discover new ones. So give it a try.

Pros:

• It allows you to access different genres of music
• Easy to use
• It has a mobile app

Cons:

• You have to provide your email address and zip code to download music for free

YouTube Audio Library

Although we know that YouTube Music does not offer this music download for free, YouTube Audio Library is a free way to download music online without violating copyright.

YouTube Audio Library is the best option if you are creating content and looking for a website to get free background music for your content.

It has an extensive audio database without copyright and can be used for free or with proper credit to the artist. However, the music downloaded from the collection can not be remixed or sold without the owner’s permission.

It is very easy to download music from the YouTube audio library, as you just need to select the download button under each song on the platform.

Pros:

• It offers only royalty-free music
• It provides an easy attribution option in case creators want to use the music

Cons:

• Most of the pieces of music it offers are instrumental ones

Internet Archive

Internet Archive is a nonprofit library that provides access to music, movies, websites, software, and other digital content.

It has more than 14 million audio recordings, mainly music, radio programs, the Live Music Archive, and podcasts.

The Internet Archive has music from many leading artists available for free download.

Pros:

• It has a vast library of digital content, including music
• It has a user-friendly interface

Cons:

• Sometimes there is content with copyright issues

SoundClick

SoundClick is another great website for exploring and downloading free music. When you first visit the site, you’ll be taken to a simple user layout that lists the different music genres, including pop, instrumentals, hip-hop, electronic, and many more.

Besides, SoundClick offers customized playlists in which you’ll discover interesting music. When you choose one of the playlists or a genre, many songs are available.

Most of the songs you’ll find on this site are free and can be downloaded with just one click, although some songs may be paid.

However, you need to register with SoundCloud to be able to download the free music. SoundCloud also has a mobile app for those who prefer to use mobile apps to access the songs on the website.

Overall, SoundCloud is a great website for discovering new music and downloading it for free.

Pros:

• It offers a large database of music
• It has an intuitive interface
• It allows you to stream music

Cons:

• Not all its songs are available for free

Final Words

If you are looking for free music to download to your device, then the above free music download sites are more than enough for you. Despite the fact that most of the songs from popular artists are not on the site, you can still find some excellent songs there that you can download for free or even stream if you want.

FAQs about Best Free Music Download Sites

Further Readings:

• How to Download Spotify Songs to Local Storage on Android
• How to Download Instagram Reels Audio as MP3 [2023]
• 7 Best Video Downloaders for Chrome to Use in 2023