Best Legal And Free Music Download Sites – In today’s digital era, you can find just about any song you want online. Music is more accessible now than ever before thanks to the internet and various streaming sites.
However, sometimes you want to actually download the songs you love to keep forever or use offline. But where can you find good free and legal music downloads these days?
With so many sites out there, it can be overwhelming trying to sort through what’s allowed or not. You want great tunes but don’t want the hassle of piracy issues or low-quality files.
Thankfully, there are plenty of exceptional sites that offer completely free and legal music downloads if you know where to look.
In this article, we highlight the top 25 websites for legally downloading free music in 2023.
These sites have huge catalogs of quality tunes to explore covering every genre – from classical and indie to hip-hop and pop. You’ll find free music from both major label artists and exciting independents.
Best Legal And Free Music Download Sites
The sites featured in this list offer more than enough great free tunes to satisfy any music lover. You can easily search for free downloads by genre, artist, or mood on these sites.
And you don’t have to worry about lower sound quality as most offer high-quality MP3 downloads.
Downloading music for free legally means the songs are authorized for download by the artists, record labels, or music publishers.
This means you get great music without any of the guilt! Most also let you download music without even needing to register.
Continue reading to see the top 25 go-to destinations online for expanding your music library on the cheap. With this list, you’ll never pay for music again unless you want to.
Discover your new favorite artists and songs using the best free and legal music download sites of 2023. Let’s dive in!
1. Free Music Archive
The Free Music Archive is one of the largest libraries of free legal music downloads online. Boasting over 100,000 high-quality tracks across dozens of genres, you’ll surely find great tunes here.
Whether you like classical, funk, hip-hop, or folk, the Free Music Archive delivers. All the music is available to download in MP3 format without the need to register for anything.
2. Jamendo Music
At Jamendo Music, access over 500,000 free songs and albums to download. All music here is under Creative Commons licenses meaning it’s free to download and share legally.
You can search by genre, popularity, or latest releases to find great tunes. Use Jamendo’s mobile apps for iOS and Android to take the music on the go after downloading.
3. NoiseTrade
NoiseTrade offers a nice selection of free tunes from both major and independent artists. All you have to do is enter your email address in exchange for a completely legal music download.
Grab individual tracks, EPs, mixtapes, and even audiobooks for free without ever being charged.
4. DatPiff
DatPiff specializes in hip-hop mixtapes but also features select albums and singles available for free downloads.
Hip-hop heads will love browsing the site’s unique mixtapes and exclusives from rappers both big and small. Legal downloading is offered without needing an account.
5. Bandcamp
Bandcamp is great for legal music downloads thanks to its massive catalog of albums and singles.
Not everything is free but search for tracks tagged as ‘Free download’ and you’ll find great independent music across genres to grab. Developed bands often debut singles here.
6. SoundCloud
On SoundCloud, you can discover up-and-coming musicians and listen on the site. But lots of artists also allow free downloads of their tracks which is awesome.
Make sure to look for the ‘Free Download’ button on tracks and albums to save them to your computer without paying.
7. Epidemic Sound
Need royalty-free music for all your YouTube and project needs?
Get a free 30-day trial to Epidemic Sound granting you access to their entire library of background music and songs to download and use as you please! No subscriptions if you just need music for one project.
8. Musopen
At Musopen download over 75,000 classical music tracks through the public domain. You can also find free sheet music and classical music recordings.
If you’re looking to expand your classical repertoire, this is a must-visit destination. All music here is legal to download for free.
9. Opsound
Opsound provides Creative Commons licensed music spanning many genres including electronic, classical, ambient, jazz, experimental, and more.
Music here is legal to download, copy, and share free of charge. If you want unique tunes, this is a great resource.
10. ccMixter
The ccMixter community has shared over 30,000 original songs and samples that you can freely download.
Thanks to Creative Commons licensing, all the music here is legally free. ccMixter features an extremely diverse range of quality music.
11. Free Loops
For musicians, Free Loops is a treasure trove of over 100,000 free music loops, samples, and sounds covering loads of instruments and styles.
All loops offered are copyright and royalty free so you’re free to download and use them.
12. iHeartRadio
While iHeartRadio is primarily a music streaming service, the platform does offer select free music downloads. Add tracks to your custom stations that allow downloads and you can grab MP3s free and legally. Limited but useful for hits.
13. Underground Hip Hop
As the name denotes, Underground Hip Hop offers a massive selection of underground hip-hop downloads. Enjoy albums, mixtapes, and singles from rappers on the verge in high-quality MP3.
All music here is legal to download and free from pesky DRM restrictions.
14. Last. FM
Last. FM sometimes provides free MP3 downloads for select singles and albums. Make sure to look for the ‘Free download’ label to find legal music downloads seamlessly integrated into the site’s expansive catalog of tracks.
15. SoundClick
Home to unsigned hip-hop, rap, and R&B artists, SoundClick lets you download legal-free music easily. Most artist pages include free downloads of albums, mixtapes, or singles so you can expand your hip-hop collection.
16. Triple J Unearthed
From electronic and hip hop to rock and pop, Triple J Unearthed offers free music downloads across genres. Look for tracks labeled as ‘free download’ to grab great music legally from independent artists mostly from Australia.
17. MusicBed
While MusicBed is aimed more at content creators needing soundtracks, they do provide 30 free songs from their catalog monthly. You can grab high-quality tracks every month for projects or pleasure without paying.
18. Free Stock Music
Much like MusicBed, Free Stock Music offers free monthly downloads from their royalty-free music catalog. No strings attached downloads so take advantage of YouTube, podcasts, or entertainment.
19. YouTube Audio Library
YouTube provides tons of free music and sound effects you can download and use in your videos legally thanks to their Audio Library. Make sure to filter the search to show only songs marked ‘Free to use’. No copyright issues here!
20. Dig CC Mixter
Discover amazing remixes and original tunes on Dig CC Mixter with over 38,000 tracks to download thanks to Creative Commons licensing. House, classical, hip-hop, and more genres are offered. Artists on here are super talented.
21. Pixabay
While known primarily for free stock video and images, Pixabay does have over 750 music tracks you can download 100% royalty-free. Great background instrumental music for any project from intros to vlogs.
22. Free Loops Lab
Free Loops Lab provides musicians with a massive selection of over 5,000 royalty-free sample loops available in high-quality WAV format. Download drum loops, guitar samples, synthesizers, vocals, and other instruments.
23. Beat Pick
BeatPick has one of the largest selections of exclusive royalty-free beats and loops made by talented musicians. Over 100,000 tracks covering every genre and style to download free for your productions.
24. Partner Tracks
Find free music downloads for YouTube videos, podcasts, and more at Partner Tracks. Legally download royalty-free background music for all your projects from over 100 artists.
25. FMA – Free Music Archive
And yes, the Free Music Archive is so good it deserves to be mentioned twice! With a library spanning over 100,000 free songs, this site is hard to beat for legal downloads. Remember to sort by genre to find exactly what you want.
FAQ
Q: Are all these music download sites really legal?
A: Yes, all the sites listed in this article offer 100% legal music downloads with proper licensing from artists, record labels, and publishers. The music is authorized to download and use free of charge.
Q: Will the quality of the free music downloads be lower than paid music?
A: Most of these sites offer high-bitrate MP3 downloads so there should be minimal impact on sound quality compared to paid music. Always check the audio quality listed on each site.
Q: How current is the music selection on these free sites?
A: There’s a mix of both new recent hits and older classic tracks. Some sites like SoundCloud will have more emerging artists and the latest releases. Selection varies but you’ll find contemporary music.
Q: Can I use the free music downloads for commercial purposes?
A: It depends on the licensing terms of each site. Some only allow personal use while others enable commercial use. Always check permissions first before using free music downloads commercially.
Q: Do I have to pay or register to download?
A: The majority of sites listed allow free downloads without even needing an account. A few may require a quick sign-up to access tracks but won’t charge you. Downloading is free.
Q: What are the differences between these free music sites?
A: While they all offer free legal downloads, each site tends to specialize in certain genres or types of music. Some are better for finding major label artists while others focus on emerging independent musicians.
Q: Where can I get free sheet music and scores?
A: Musopen and Free Music Archive are great destinations for finding legal and free sheet music alongside audio downloads. Also, search on sites like Musescore.
Q: Are there free music apps I can use?
A: Many of these sites like Jamendo, SoundCloud, and DatPiff have free music apps for iOS and Android to easily access downloads on mobile.
Conclusion
And there you have it – 25 exceptional destinations online to find legal music downloads for free! Never pay for music again unless you want to.
With this list, you can vastly expand your personal music library and discover amazing new artists across many genres. Find your perfect tune for any occasion from top hits to cool remixes and underground hip hop.
Just remember when downloading free music to always check the specific licensing terms for each site. Make sure what you grab is cleared for free downloads without restrictions.
These sites offer high-quality MP3 downloads so you don’t have to sacrifice audio fidelity to save money. You can also access free music downloads from some on your smartphone making it easy to have your favorite tunes always available offline.
Thanks to these sites, free music is alive and well in 2023. Legally download away without worries for your YouTube videos, listening pleasure, or other projects needing music.
So open your ears to amazing tunes and expand your music library with the top 25 best free and legal music download sites this year.
Happy exploring new musical worlds and jamming out to fresh discoveries! The next hit is waiting to be found.
