You won’t believe what you can legally download without paying a cent.
Sick of paying $15 each month for streaming services that might drop your favorite songs without warning?
Good news: there’s a whole world of free and cheap music download sites hiding in plain sight.
From public domain treasures to sites where artists share music directly, these legal options make expensive streaming services look like a scam.
1. Internet Archive
The Internet Archive is a digital treasure chest with millions of free downloads. As you guessed, the list includes music, podcasts, and radio programs. Their Live Music Archive section is especially worth checking out.
You can download files in multiple formats without making an account. The site lets you sort by how many views a file has, its title, when it was added, or who created it. You can also filter results by type of media, topic, and language.
Finding your way through all the folders can feel messy, sure. That said, the reward is worth it. You can even stumble upon rare and historical recordings you won’t find anywhere else.
2. Free Music Archive (FMA)
Free Music Archive holds over 100,000 tracks across 16 types of music including blues, jazz, pop, and experimental. What makes it great is how you can search for exactly what you want.
You can filter to find only instrumental tracks, search by how long a song is, and even find music you’re allowed to use for certain purposes – like public domain music or tracks you can use commercially. The charts show you the best music on the site of all time, plus what’s hot this week and month.
The “artist shuffle” button helps you find random music you might never stumble across otherwise.
3. Bandcamp
Bandcamp changes how music is shared with its “name your price” setup. This means you can type zero in the payment box and download songs for free. Granted, only as long as the artist enabled that option. Even if not, single tracks are generally very affordable.
The site makes finding new music easy through its Browse page, which shows best-selling music and new additions. Most downloads come in several formats – MP3, FLAC, AAC, OGG, and WAV.
Sometimes, entire albums have no minimum price, meaning you can get them for free! This setup helps artists get fair payment for their work when fans choose to pay, while still letting them offer free downloads to reach more listeners.
4. Jamendo Music
Jamendo Music offers over 600,000 free songs from more than 40,000 artists under Creative Commons licenses. These artists have chosen to share their music for free with anyone who wants it.
You can find new music by looking at what’s popular and trending, or check the Spotlight section to see what’s new. The site also has themed radio stations and mobile apps for listening on the go.
5. Pixabay
Pixabay may be known for free stock photos, but it also has tens of thousands of free songs. You don’t need an account, and downloads happen right away.
The site has helpful categories like background music, lofi, or Bollywood. You can search by keyword or look through trending songs, new additions, and Editor’s Picks.
6. Mobygratis
Started by famous musician Moby, Mobygratis has a catalog of 500 previously unreleased tracks completely free for creative projects.
In 2025, the site got a major upgrade. It now offers multitrack audio files in high quality. You can get stereo MP3, stereo WAV, and multitrack WAV – all for free.
The search tools help you find music based on the exact feeling you want to create. The only rules? You can’t use the songs to promote right-wing politics or animal products.
7. SoundCloud
SoundCloud has long been a favorite for listening to and downloading free music. The music comes from both well-known and independent artists, making it great for finding new talent.
Not all tracks can be downloaded, but those that can have a download button in the menu or under the song. Some might ask you to ‘Like’ a Facebook page to get the file.
For best results, look through the Creative Commons section or search for music tagged as “free.” The huge library means you’ll always find something new to enjoy.
8. Bensound
Bensound is perfect for YouTube creators. All free music can be downloaded in seconds without signing up for anything.
The site clearly shows which songs are free and tells you exactly how to give credit, so you don’t have to worry about copyright issues. Paid plans are available if you don’t want to deal with attribution.
You can sort tracks by genre, mood, theme, instrument, energy level, and length. The handy “Free Music Only” button shows you just the free options, saving you time.
9. Musopen
A heaven for classical music fans, Musopen hosts sheet music and recordings that are free, legal, and not copyrighted. You can listen online or download for any use.
The site offers many ways to find music: search by composer, performer, instrument, form, or time period. Their discovery tool lets you filter by mood (sad, relaxing, etc.), instrument, rating, length, and license type.
You need to create an account to download, but Musopen also has online radio you can access through their website or mobile app without signing up.
10. SoundClick
SoundClick is the best place to find free music directly from artists’ websites. These musicians, signed or unsigned, have decided to let people download their music for free.
The site lets you browse through music charts and genres until you find free downloads you like. You can also create your own radio stations, talk with other listeners on forums, and learn more about your favorite artists.
Not all songs are free (some cost money or are streaming-only), but the helpful price filter shows you only the free options. This direct connection between artists and listeners makes finding new independent musicians fun.
11. Audiomack
Audiomack is great for finding up-and-coming artists across genres like afrosounds, Caribbean, gospel, pop, hip-hop/rap, and instrumental. All music is free to stream, and many tracks can be downloaded without an account.
The website is easy to use. You can search for songs, albums, and artists. Or, browse the Best of the Week and What’s New sections. You can also filter based on mood and genre.
12. Last.fm
Last.fm has several pages of free music downloads across all types of music. The best part? One-click MP3 downloads with no account needed and no pop-ups.
Besides downloading, you can stream songs and get suggestions for bands you might like based on what you’ve listened to (if you create an account).
The free selection is smaller than other sites, and you can’t sort or filter the free list. Still, the simple download process makes it worth checking out, especially if you already use the service to track your listening.
13. 7Digital
For those with a bit of a budget, 7Digital provides high-quality downloads up to 24-bit sound. You can browse by genre or check out the Charts section to see what’s available.
A helpful 30-second high-quality preview gives you a taste of tracks before buying. Albums cost between $11.99 and $23.99, with single tracks as cheap as $1.49.
14. ReverbNation
ReverbNation helps you discover music from artists you’ve never heard of. The Discover page is a great place to start exploring.
Not every song on the site can be downloaded, but you can stream everything through your web browser. Downloadable songs have a small download button next to each track.
This site serves as a gateway to new talent across many music styles. While some downloads require creating an account, the chance to find fresh, undiscovered artists makes it worth the effort.
15. Bleep
This independent record shop offers high-quality downloads (FLAC, WAV), vinyl, merchandise, and exclusives. The digital music store focuses on electronic, experimental, and alternative music from both established and new artists.
Prices on Bleep vary, but the shop offers frequent sales. In other words, you can score great music at a significant discount.