Free Music Downloads: Is it still a big deal?
The music industry is fraught and the digital age has made things difficult for artists, but there are still a lot of ways you can get your hands on some free music. These websites offer high quality MP3s to download, stream or even buy – so it’s definitely worth checking them out if you’re a fan of certain artists. Check out our list below and start downloading away!
The rise in popularity of digital music downloads has been huge over the past decade as consumers have found new ways to listen online. The imeem Web site, imeem Music Downloader on the App Store Apps for iPhone and iPod Touch, or Quicktime on your Mac computer all allow users to download songs quickly . There are also external MP3 downloaders that you can use to download music on your desktop.
With so many ways to listen and downloa The rise in popularity of digital music downloads has been huge over the past decade as consumers have found new ways to listen online. The imeem Web site, imeem Music Downloader on the App Store Apps for iPhone and iPod Touch, or Quicktime on your Mac computer all allow users to download songs quickly . There are also external MP3 downloaders that you can use to download music on your desktop.
With so many ways to listen and download, it's no surprise that there are also a lot of sites that offer free music downloads. These sites either provide a venue for artists and musicians to upload and distribute their music for free, or allow downloads through a paid membership plan.
This can be seen as a great opportunity to hear new tunes from indie bands you never knew existed, or maybe even rediscover old songs by your favourite artists for free, too. And with the growing popularity of MP3 players such as the iPod and devices like the iPhone, music lovers have found themselves able to avail themselves of all kinds of free music online. The blog TopMusicDownloads.com has collected and ranked the top 10 best websites for free music downloads.
Have a look at the list below to find the site that best suits your tastes!
Spotify is a fantastic way of accessing free music downloads on your desktop, laptop or even iPhone. The site works by allowing you to listen to artists and bands for free in exchange for listening to adverts during songs, but also allows users to purchase songs through Spotify. Users can use Spotify on their computers, or even download an application for use with their iPhones and iPod touches. However, there are only limited free tracks available on the app currently and streaming is only available on the desktop version.
iTunes is one of the most common ways to listen to music, and it’s also a popular choice for downloading free music. The site has been available online since 2001 and allows you to download tracks instantly onto your computer or iPod – and there are even apps for both iPhone and iPod touch. There are also paid memberships that allow access to bonus material, such as live iTunes sessions which can be viewed for free on the site.
Napster was a hugely popular music sharing platform in the late 1990s, letting users find and download music without paying anything through its service. The site was eventually shut down though, and music lovers can now only find free MP3 downloads on sites like MediaFire.
Nero is a paid service that allows you to download music for free using its software, or with a paid membership. You can choose to download music in the form of an MP3 file or a file that can be played on iTunes – essential for using the service on your Mac.
Avaliable for both PC and Mac users, Rekkerd is one of the best ways to find tracks and albums that are available completely free from any artist or label. The site also allows you to stream music for free, so even if you don’t want to download any tracks, it’s worth checking out.
This site has been around since 1996 and has grown into one of the most popular ways to listen to and download free music from a range of artists. Last.fm also offers an iPhone app, although this requires a paid membership in order to use.
The Jamendo service is free for users to listen and download music from a wide array of artists. The service works by allowing artists to upload their songs onto the Jamendo site where they are then voted on by users – the highest rated songs appear on the front page of the service for all users to find.
Free Music Archive is a great service for free music fans who love to stream. The site allows you to listen to songs online or download them, and also offers high quality audio for users who prefer listening to their music on an MP3 player. The site is free to use, but does offer a subscription plan that lets you access more than one million tracks.
The MySpace Music service allows you to listen to songs, follow artists and even download their music completely free of charge. The site also allows users to discover new artists through recommendations – the web-based version of this service can be used on any browser, but there are also apps available for iPhone and iPod touch users.
Last.fm is extremely popular with online music fans, allowing you to find artists and listen to music on your computer or iPhone. The site allows you to follow artists and like their music, which can then appear under your profile so you can easily access tracks in the future. If you’re already a fan of an artist, Last.fm offers a premium service that allows you to download tracks free of charge.
Equalized is one of the best ways to find free songs on the web. The site has an extensive database of music and also allows users to upload songs to the database for other fans to enjoy. The site has a great community feel about it and is a fantastic way of finding free MP3s online.
While many sites on this list offer free music downloads, there are some excellent options that provide you with an alternative option. Streaming services such as Spotify, Last.fm and Jamendo allow you to listen for free rather than download music directly onto your computer or phone.
These streaming apps are great if you want to keep up-to-date with the latest free tracks by your favourite artists, as well as being able to discover new artists, without taking up any space on your devices.
Conclusion
There are many free music sharing sites available online, and these 10 websites can be a great source of audio for you to download. All of them offer a slightly different experience, so make sure you give each one a try to find the right fit for you.