15 Best Websites to Legally Download Free Music, Songs & Tracks

Posted on September 22nd, 2025 by Quertime Team in Freebies

Are you passionate about music? Which sites do you normally go to purchase or download your favorite songs? Well we all know that most of the popular sites with an extensive selection of music require you to pay before you can download any songs, or you may have to pay a monthly subscription for a wide access to music. But do you know that there are a number of web sites that promote lesser known artists or classic recordings by allowing thousands of free music downloads? Yes, you heard it right and these are the top 15 of music sites (with a short description) that you can’t afford to miss!

1. Bandcamp

Bandcamp is a dynamic site for independent artists and bands to upload, promote and sell their music directly to fans. Although many of the uploads are available for purchase (song, album), many of the artists also allow free downloads with either a donation or an optional email subscription. Bandcamp has a broad genre spectrum: rock, electronic, experimental, and classical. The site is built around supporting artists. They give you the option to pay more when you can. Bandcamp provides free and legal music downloads and is a discovery mechanism. They also provide high quality downloads in MP3, FLAC, and other formats.

2. Jamendo

Jamendo is a recognized platform that serves as an intermediary between independent artists and listeners around the globe. Jamendo will have more than 500,000 tracks available for free streaming and downloading, which are all nicely licensed under Creative Commons. So, it is useful for listeners, but also for creators who need music for videos or projects or for any commercial use; it is indeed a popular choice. Jamendo has a broad catalog encompassing genres like pop, hip-hop, jazz, and world music, plus curated radio stations and playlists, and a licensing section for businesses. With a legal and accessible collection of music, Jamendo continues to be one of the first platforms worth checking out for free MP3 downloads and discovering artists worldwide.

3. Free Music Archive (FMA)

Free Music Archive (FMA) is an accessible repository of free and legal downloads of music, created by WFMU, a popular radio station. FMA features thousands of songs in genres such as jazz, classical, electronic, folk, and others. A lot of the songs and albums on FMA are under Creative Commons licenses and allow you to add the music to an individual project, video, or podcast. The best thing is that you can download the music in the MP3 format and do not have to sign in to the website, leading to a nice experience for the user. The website also categorizes its music based on the mood, genre, or overall popularity of the music. Therefore, it is easy and straightforward to discover new music on the website. For something creative or personally, finding legal and free music at FMA is always a secure option.

4. Internet Archive – Live Music Archive

The Live Music Archive at the Internet Archive is a huge library of live concert recordings uploaded by fans, artists, and venues. You can browse thousands of performances by big names and indie bands, all the way back to the Grateful Dead and other classic acts. All content is free, and you can listen to and download each recording in a variety of formats, including MP3 and FLAC. The archive’s goal is to preserve cultural history and allows for easy access to rare and historical recordings that you can’t find anywhere else. Since this is an archive of primarily live performances, this is especially useful for concert goer/music lovers, and for anyone who might be looking for free and legal music to listen to.

5. YouTube Audio Library

The YouTube Audio Library is a free resource that includes music and sound effects which can be used in videos without copyright. The library includes diverse genres, moods, and instruments—with filters to help you find what you’re looking for. Most tracks are royalty free and can be used by anyone for personal and commercial purposes; some do require attribution. Users can download tracks in the MP3 format directly. You can also download a complete library of sound effects, of which there are many offered free of charge. This is a valuable tool for YouTube creators, podcasters, or anyone who needs free audio.

6. SoundCloud

SoundCloud ranks among the top platforms worldwide for independent artists and audio-makers. Although most of SoundCloud’s content is streamed directly online, it is possible that some artists offer their music for a free download. SoundCloud hosts a variety of music genres including, but not limited to, hip-hop, EDM, indie rock, and even more experimental sounds. Listeners can find new music through their trending charts, curated playlists, and personalized recommendations. SoundCloud also provides an opportunity for artists to gain exposure for their work on a global scale. SoundCloud is still a popular option for legal music consumption, as it allows free downloads, content creation by members of the community, and users can discover new talent.

7. Audiomack

Audiomack serves as a platform for music discovery and streaming that promotes free access to newly trending tracks, albums, and mixtapes. While Audiomack is primarily known for its hip-hop, rap, and Afrobeats music, the streaming platform also supports genres like reggae, pop, and electronic music. Many artists are able to distribute their songs in Mp3 format for music fan download, enabling music fans access to free content. Audiomack features charts, playlists, and offline listening features that ease navigation. Audiomack supports independent artists by promoting such artists’ ability to connect with consumers in a legal way, like other platforms in the humanities, Audiomack allows consumers access to free content. There are also mobile apps available for discovery and on-the-go listening.

8. Musopen

Musopen is a nonprofit organization that provides open access to classical music, classical sheet music, and educational materials. They provide free, royalty-free recordings, sheet music, and test books for everyone. Musopen has a huge library of classical music including works by composers such as Mozart, Beethoven and Chopin that have been professionally recorded, often with orchestras. All albums and collections on Musopen can be streamed and downloaded in high-quality MP3 and FLAC formats for free and without limitations. Musopen is particularly useful for students, educators, and content creators looking for copyright-free music to use for their projects. Ultimately, Musopen serves exclusively recordings that are in the public domain or royalty-free. Musopen is a leader in free classical music.

9. Freesound

Freesound is an open, collaborative online repository of free audio samples, sound effects, and field recordings. It is not specifically a music to track library so there are many sounds available to generate or augment music projects. Individuals from all over the world are able to upload sounds to Freesound and provide the sounds with a Creative Commons license and all sounds are free, with crediting required per each particular license. You can search all of Freesound’s sounds and audio by keyword, tags, or categories. It is simple to download the sounds and audio either in mp3 or WAV file formats. Freesound is an extremely useful resource for any musician, sound designer, or filmmaker looking for free audio assets. Freesound is a community resource and is centered on the practice of legally sharing audio for creative use.

10. ccMixter

ccMixter is a music-sharing community based on Creative Commons licensing. It specializes in remixes, samples, and original music, enabling musicians to share, collaborate, and create freely, while users can download thousands of track, instrumentals, and vocals — most of which are royalty-free — for personal use or to incorporate into their own projects. ccMixter encourages collaboration by providing a platform for producers to remix vocal tracks or instrumentals shared by other artists. The open licensing model of ccMixter makes it an ideal place for video creators, podcasters, and game developers looking for free and legal music use. ccMixter is not just a safe download site but acts as a center for creative collaboration and remix culture.

11. Pixabay Music

Pixabay Music features thousands of free and royalty-free tracks submitted by artists from across the world. As part of the popular Pixabay platform for free stock photos and videos, Pixabay Music features a wide range of genres, such as cinematic music, pop, acoustic, electronic, and corporate music. All tracks and arrangements are released to you under the Pixabay license, which states you can use the audio for personal and commercial purposes without attribution. You can download the high quality MP3 file directly from each track and start using it in your videos, podcasts, or personal projects. With a simple, easy to utilize interface and library, Pixabay Music serves as a reliable site for free background music and royalty-free audio content.

12. Bensound

Bensound offers a library of royalty-free music by composer Benjamin Tissot. Bensound features several genres of music: acoustic, cinematic, corporate, electronic, and jazz. All the tracks can be downloaded for free under a Creative Commons license for noncommercial use with attribution, while paid licenses allow for commercial usage. The entire library is downloadable in MP3 format and is suitable to be used in videos, presentations, and other creative projects. A clean design and professional-quality tracks are what make Bensound popular with content creators. It is legal, accessible, and free or very cheap to license.

13. Incompetech

Incompetech is a popular royalty-free music venue created by composer Kevin MacLeod. He has a large body of music in categories that span from cinematic, and classical, to comedy and electronic. MacLeod’s music is available for free (with attribution) under a Creative Commons license, or it can be purchased with a no-attribution license. Incompetech has been utilized for many years in YouTube videos and podcasts, films, and video games as another source of free, professional-sounding music and flexible licenses. The site allows you to download MP3 files instantly and is a great resource for any kind of project. With numerous selections and reliability, Incompetech is a highly beneficial free music site.

14. Freegal Music

Freegal Music is an available music service at no cost that is offered through an international network of participating public libraries. The Freegal Music library contains tens of millions of songs from Sony Music as well as other major record labels. Users with a library card have the ability to stream music or download a limited number of songs in a week, all completely free of charge. Freegal offers music across the music genres of pop, rock, jazz, classical and regional styles. The downloads are provided in MP3 format and are DRM-free. Freegal Music connects with local library systems to deliver a legal, easy way for their members to have access to high-quality music at no cost and without any subscription.

15. SoundClick

Founded in 1997, SoundClick is a well-established music site that allows independent artists to upload, share, and even sell their music. SoundClick hosts an extensive catalog of songs from multiple genres, ranging from hip-hop and rock to electronic music and country music. Some of those users can listen to music for free on SoundClick’s site and download those songs legally in MP3 format, while others can purchase the songs from the artists. They also offer artist profiles, charts, and community features to help fans connect with the artists. SoundClick combines content that is both free and for sale, enabling discovery and compensation for artists simultaneously. SoundClick is one of the most trustworthy resources for free legal music downloads on the web.