With the rise of music streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music, you may think there’s no reason to download mp3 files anymore. However, there are still many legitimate ways to get free music downloads in 2023.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover all the legal methods for scoring free tunes from both well-known and underground artists. Here’s what we’ll discuss:
Is Downloading Free Music Legal?
The legality of downloading free music depends on where you get it from. If you use unauthorized peer-to-peer file sharing services or pirate sites, that’s illegal. But there are plenty of legitimate sources that let you download free music legally.
You can get free music downloads from:
- Official artist websites
- Free streaming sites like SoundCloud and Bandcamp
- Music promotion channels on YouTube
- Creative Commons licensed music
As long as the artist or label has authorized the free download, it’s perfectly legal. Most free music is licensed under Creative Commons, which enables artists to waive certain copyrights to share their work.
Downloading Music from Official Artist Websites
One of the best places to find free music is on artists’ official websites. Many musicians allow you to download MP3s of new singles, EPs, or albums to promote their work and gain new fans.
Here are some top musicians offering free downloads right now:
- U2: Veteran rock band U2 has an entire section of their site for free MP3 downloads.
- Coldplay: You can download Coldplay’s latest single for free on their downloads page.
- Red Hot Chili Peppers: The Red Hot Chili Peppers provide a free download of their new song “Black Summer.”
- Rihanna: BadGalRiRi released her new single “Lift Me Up” as a free download.
Keep an eye on your favorite artist’s website to snag their latest releases. Often they’ll offer downloads to promote an upcoming album or tour.
How to Download from Artist Websites
Downloading free music from a band or musician’s site usually just takes a few clicks:
- Go to their official site and find the music downloads or free MP3s page.
- Click the download button or link next to the song you want.
- Your browser will save the MP3 file to your computer. The default location is usually the Downloads folder.
Make sure to opt-in to the artist’s email list when downloading too. That way you’ll get notified about future releases and tours.
Downloading Free Music from Streaming Sites
In addition to artist sites, some free streaming sites allow users to download tracks for offline listening. This includes platforms like:
- SoundCloud
- Bandcamp
- DatPiff
- NoiseTrade
These sites offer a mix of user-uploaded content and tracks officially uploaded by the artists. As long as the song has a download link or button, you can save it legally.
Downloading Free Music from SoundCloud
SoundCloud is one of the best sites for discovering emerging and independent artists. While SoundCloud listening is free, some artists allow downloads too. Here’s how to download MP3s from SoundCloud:
- Create a free SoundCloud account.
- Find a track you want to download – try searching genres like electronic, hip hop, or indie.
- Look below the audio player for a “Free Download” link and click it.
- This will open a download popup – save the MP3 file to your device.
One caveat is that SoundCloud caps downloads at around two hours total. So you can’t go download tons of free music in one shot.
Downloading Free Music from Bandcamp
Bandcamp is a platform for independent artists to share their music. It’s an excellent source to find free downloads from lesser-known and up-and-coming bands. Many artists offer free download codes for their whole discography.
Here’s how to download free music from Bandcamp:
- Browse Bandcamp for an artist you like and visit their page.
- Check if they have a free download code available on any album pages.
- Click the code and enter your email to get the download.
- Check your email for the download link and save the files.
Even if a Bandcamp album doesn’t have free download codes, you can often stream then download individual tracks for free.
Downloading Free Music from YouTube
Believe it or not, YouTube is a great source to download free music when you know where to look. Avoid illegal re-uploads of copyrighted songs though.
Instead, look for:
- Artist channels: Official artist channels will sometimes provide free MP3 downloads.
- Promo channels: Channels like Majestic Casual or MrSuicideSheep premiere new music and allow downloads.
- Lyric videos: Lyric videos often have free downloads enabled in the description.
Creative Commons music: Channels like Free Music Archive post CC-licensed tunes.
How to Download Free Music from YouTube
Downloading free music from YouTube to MP3 is a straightforward process:
- Find a YouTube video that offers a free song download.
- Copy the video URL (the web address from the search bar).
- Go to a YouTube to MP3 converter site and paste the URL.
- Convert the video to MP3 audio only.
- Download the converted MP3 file to your computer.
There are many YouTube converter sites out there, but we recommend using a trusted site like youtube-mp3.org or OnlineVideoConverter.
Downloading Free Music under Creative Commons
Creative Commons (CC) is a public copyright license that gives artists more control over how their work is shared. CC allows creators to modify copyright terms to let people legally download and redistribute a song.
There are several types of CC music licenses:
- CC BY – standard attribution required
- CC BY-SA – attribution and sharing under same terms
- CC BY-ND – attribution but no derivatives allowed
- CC BY-NC – attribution and noncommercial use only
- CC BY-NC-SA – attribution, noncommercial use, and sharing only under same terms
- CC BY-NC-ND – most restrictive – attribution, noncommercial use, and no derivatives
So look for songs marked with a CC license if you want completely free use. Just be sure to follow the stated terms – like giving proper attribution to the artist if required.
Where to Find Free Creative Commons Music
Here are some top sites to find free CC-licensed music to download:
- Free Music Archive – Massive library with music sorted by genre and license type.
- Dig CC Mixter – Community of artists sharing Creative Commons music.
- cchits.net – Submit and download free CC music – great for discovering indie artists.
- Opsound – Platform for open source music under Creative Commons.
- Jamendo – Over 500,000 free CC songs from independent musicians.
Spend some time browsing these sites and you’ll find plenty of great free music to build your personal collection.
Is Downloaded Music Legal for Commercial Use?
This depends on the specific music license. If a track is under a standard Creative Commons license, then using it for commercial purposes is usually prohibited.
However, there are some CC variants that do allow commercial use, like CC BY. Just make sure to check the license terms first.
For artist-provided free downloads, commercial use is only permitted if expressly stated by the artist. Their website should clarify if the free tracks can be used commercially.
When in doubt, it’s best to contact the artist directly to request permission for commercial use of their free music.
Is Downloaded Music Legal for YouTube Videos?
Yes, you can legally use downloaded music in YouTube videos if:
- The artist has given explicit permission for their free tracks to be used on YouTube.
- You follow the stated attribution terms for songs under Creative Commons.
- You keep the video non-monetized if the music is only for noncommercial use.
Note that YouTube has its own policies around copyrighted content used in videos. So even if your use of the song file itself is legal, YouTube may still flag or block the video.
YouTube’s systems automatically detect copyrighted music, so your best bet is to use tracks explicitly marked as YouTube-safe by the creator.
Top Places to Safely Download Free Music
Here’s a quick recap of the best sites for legally downloading free tunes:
| Site | Highlights |
|---|---|
| Official Artist Websites | Get the latest singles and EPs straight from the musician. |
| SoundCloud | Discover and download tracks from emerging artists. |
| Bandcamp | Independent artists offering free download codes. |
| YouTube (official channels) | Free MP3s provided in video descriptions. |
| Creative Commons Sites | All music licensed for free use under CC terms. |
Conclusion
We’ve covered all the essential details for finding and downloading free music legally. While piracy is unethical and illegal, there are plenty of legitimate sources to get MP3s at no cost.
Now you know where to look and how to safely download free music. Just remember to support the artists by sharing their work, giving credit, and buying merchandise when you can.
With this guide, you can easily and legally build an awesome MP3 collection full of your favorite tracks. So get downloading and start listening to all that great free music!
Some key takeaways:
- Check official artist sites, streaming platforms like SoundCloud and Bandcamp, YouTube channels, and Creative Commons catalogs for free music.
- Make sure downloads are authorized and follow any terms the artist has specified.
- Giving credit to the musician and avoiding commercial use without permission are important.
- YouTube videos with downloaded music may still get flagged for copyright issues.
- Support artists in other ways when enjoying their free music downloads.
Now get ready to crank up the tunes – legally and free of charge!
