There are a number of music streaming services available today, but you can’t download any MP3 files and transfer them to other portable media players using them, for obvious reasons. In case you’re still looking for websites to download free music in 2022, well, all is not lost yet. Some websites still let you download music on your computer in MP3 format and some even offer the lossless FLAC format. So in this article, we have curated a list of the 10 best free music download sites that you should use in 2022. We have added free and legal websites that host music, ranging from popular songs to royalty-free music. That said, let’s go ahead and find the websites to download free music legally.
In this list, we have included the 10 best free music download sites that you should know about to download music legally in 2022. From websites that host popular tracks and artists to royalty-free music, we have covered everything here.
1. SoundCloud
SoundCloud is a popular music streaming platform for indie bands, aspiring musicians, and established singers. Not to mention, it’s also one of the best free music download sites that still allows you to download your favorite tracks as well as indie songs legally. Having said that, not all songs can be downloaded from SoundCloud. If an artist has enabled the download flag from the backend, then only you can download the song.
In my experience, some artists offer you to download the MP3 track, but some redirect you to stream the music from one of the many music streaming apps. Just go ahead and search for your favorite songs, and a “Download” or “Free Download” button will appear next to the song. All in all, to legally download free music, you can surely give a shot at SoundCloud.
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Bandcamp is another popular audio distribution platform where you will find thousands of songs for free. It hosts a variety of music genres, ranging from popular to niche artists. It even curates a separate page for free music tracks. Having said that, downloading music for free on Bandcamp is a bit tricky, though. You need to click on “Buy Digital Track” and enter “0” under the price field, only then the free download link will appear.
Now, simply click on “download to your computer” and enter a valid email address. Finally, click on “OK” and the song will then be downloaded to your computer for free. The tricky steps aside, this is awesome, right? So go ahead and download free music from cool new indie artists on Bandcamp legally. Apart from SoundCloud, you will find many mainstream bands and artists over here.
ProsConsFree music download for popular bands and artistsNeed to pay for album downloadNo need to sign upDownload high-quality MP3
Jamendo surely ranks among the best free sites to download songs legally in 2022. It’s a hub for new and independent artists, where you can stream songs and download MP3 tracks entirely for free. There is one catch, though. You need to create a free Jamendo account to download the music which is a fair ask, I would say. Apart from that, it also provides royalty-free music for commercial use, again for free. You can download royalty-free music and background tracks for your Instagram reels, YouTube Shorts, and other short videos.
The best part about Jamendo is that it has curated playlists for almost all the genres out there, including Indie, Metal, Electro Waves, Rock, and more. To sum up, if you are looking for a free music platform to download music legally, Jamendo is the one you should get behind.
ProsConsBest site to download new and trending musicNeed to create an accountLots of curated playlistsCovers a number of music genres
If you are a content creator and looking for a free music download site in 2022, your search stops at YouTube Audio Library. YouTube has a dedicated channel where it hosts royalty-free and no-copyright music for content creators. These tracks are available under a Creative Commons license, and they can be downloaded without violating YouTube’s ToS.
The best part is that you don’t need to download the YouTube track via third-party software. It adds the download link right below the audio, so you can click on it and download songs to your computer. Not to mention, you can use these free soundtracks in monetized videos on YouTube. All you need to do is add the attribution mentioned under the audio track. In tandem, YouTube Audio Library is a great place to discover and legally download copyright-free music for content creators.
ProsConsBest audio library for content creatorsNo mainstream musicRoyalty-free and copyright-free musicTracks available under Creative Commons license
Sure, the collection is not quite mainstream, but if you go through the library, you will find many worthy soundtracks for free. Keep in mind that the free music tracks are available in MP3 format, and you can’t download them in FLAC, WAV, or other lossless codecs.
ProsConsDecent collection of musicNo filter tool availableSome mainstream songs are availableDownload songs in MP3, FLAC
You might be using the Internet Archive to download obscure books, but it also happens to host millions of songs from concerts, movies, audio collections, and more. What I like the most about Live Music Archive is that it categorizes the library really smartly and cohesively. You can filter music by genre, language, year, media type, etc. Ranging from 24-bit tracks to rock music, you are well covered on this portal.
And did I mention the flexibility you have for downloading the music files? Well, you can download music in FLAC format, MP3, and M3U. As for legality, The Internet Archive has been held legal in many copyright law proceedings, so you are safe on this front. I would say, if you particularly like live music, you will find a new home at Live Music Archive.
FMA (or the Free Music Archive) is one of the most popular online repositories to access royalty-free music. It was established in 2009, and since then, the website has amassed millions of copyright-free music tracks. For content creators, the FMA acts as the best resource for soundtracks, be it Ambient, New Age, Electro, or Instrumental.
All the music tracks are available under the free Creative Commons license, so you can download the song and use them in videos, podcasts, and other media projects. Free Music Archive also curates a featured mix with popular soundtracks, enabling you to discover new music from emerging artists and download them with just a click. All in all, if you are a content creator, then the Free Music Archive is an indispensable audio library at your disposal.
ProsConsFree library of music for content creatorsDoesn’t host mainstream musicFeatures curated playlists of trending musicLicensed under Creative Commons
SoundClick does not have a huge library of songs, but it’s one of the few new sites where you can download music for free and legally. It’s a community of aspiring musicians, independent bands, and music lovers. The website offers well-curated charts and playlists ranging from HipHop to Instrumental.
You can download the music in MP3 format, and they are available under the free Creative Commons license. The good thing about SoundClick is that it also offers a social network, where you can make friends, share music stations, create blogs, and do a lot more. So if you want something more than downloading music, SoundClick is the best music community you can join.
ProsConsGreat community of aspiring musiciansPopular songs are not availableOffers a social network for musiciansDownload MP3 tracks
Now owned by Paste Magazine, NoiseTrade is one of the free music download sites where you can download ZIP files of the whole album without paying a dollar. It has a huge collection of music from artists like Natalie Bergman, Phoebe Bridgers, Alabama Shakes, and more.
To download the tracks, you need to sign up with a valid email address, and the ZIP file will be downloaded on your computer. In case you want to donate to the artist, you can do so using the “Tip” button at the bottom. If you are looking to download free music legally from celebrated artists, NoiseTrade is a very good option.
ProsConsDownload music from celebrated artistsNeeds to create an accountDownload the full album in ZIP filesMusic from Alabama Shakes, et al
10. ccMixter
If you are looking for a free music site for remixes or background audio for videos, apps, or games, check out ccMixter for its massive library of open music. It has more than 45,000 musicians on its portal, and the audio library is available under the free Creative Commons license for non-commercial use. And if you want to use the music for commercial purposes, you can definitely use it, but with attribution.
What I liked about this site is that there are no sign-up requirements to download the soundtracks. Simply open the music page and click on “Download” to get the track. Besides that, the website has editors who curate music and playlists with new and trending picks in line with the latest trends. Overall, ccMixter is another free and legal music site where you can directly download MP3 tracks without any fuss.
ProsConsHuge library of remixes, background musicMusic discovery is poorLicensed under Creative CommonsNo-frills download
How to download free music?
How to convert a video to an mp3 song file?
When you sign up for Apple Music, you usually get a three-month free trial. You can make the most of the free trial to enjoy streaming the latest songs on Apple’s popular music streaming service.
