Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning
• Sources & Citations

Your favorite music is available for free. Doesn't this sound appealing. Nowadays there are many ways to get legal and illegal free music! To know how to download music for free on the Internet, please read the article below.

Steps

Method 1 of 9: Popular Free Websites

1. 

   Access to the optional music store. Most of the major online music stores offer lots of free songs available for download. These are usually single songs taken from full CDs, or songs by new artists. Downloading music for free is completely legal.
   • Amazon stores lots of free MP3 files that change frequently.
   • Google Play Music offers free music to download alternately.
   • 7Digital occasionally offers free music for download. Click on the "Free MP3 & Deals" button located in the top menu.
   • Jamendo offers free music circulated under a Creative Commons license. This means downloading music for free for personal use.

2. 

   
   
   Check out the promotion. Large retailers often run promotions and special events in which the music item gets shock discounts or even free. You can follow the site regularly during the promotion period. Prices are usually reduced during major holidays.

3. 

   Check out iTunes. Besides the web store, iTunes has its own store accessible from the program. Click the "Free on iTunes" link (Free on iTunes) to browse all today's free songs. The music collection is constantly changing. advertisement

Method 2 of 9: Music Community

1. 

   
   
   Visit the music community website. The growing trend in digital music is to use an online music website. Some of the more popular sites include BandCamp and SoundCloud. These sites allow artists to upload music that visitors can enjoy and download.
   • Not all songs on SoundCloud and BandCamp are free to download. Usually, new music will have a limited number of free downloads available before you have to purchase the song.
   • PureVolume offers a variety of songs to download for free. When you select the album, click on the free MP3 link to download the songs.
   • NoiseTrade is a music community where artists upload music to the web for fans to download for free. All songs downloaded are completely legal.
   • Last.fm offers a variety of free music sources by artists.

2. 

   
   
   Find music. You can search by artist or song, or browse genres to find new songs. These sites often include remixes of many popular songs that you can download or watch live for free.
   • Many artists are starting to release singles and songs soon for free on such websites.

3. 

   Convert online music to downloadable files. There are several websites that allow you to enter the URL of a SoundCloud song and will convert it to an MP3 file for download. Be aware that this action violates the SoundCloud Terms and Conditions. advertisement

Method 3 of 9: Mixtape website

1. 

   Go to the home page of the selected website. Mixtape (in this sense) is an album that mixes the songs of another artist and / or the artist making the tape. Online mixtape communities abide by the public mixing standards, so you can download without fear of breaking the law.
   • The biggest site to download mixtapes for free directly is DatPiff, which brings together mostly amateur hip-hop music and up-and-coming DJs.
   • Other popular websites include That Mixtape, LiveMixtapes, and MonsterMixtapes.

2. 

   Sign up, if needed. Find the entry to the website. (On the DatPiff, the login section is on the right side of the main page, slightly away from the header.) Click the "Register" button and fill in the required information.
   • These sites make money with advertising, and try to convince you to sign up to offer ads during the sign up process. You should find a "no thanks" link (no thanks) or similar to skip the ad. (On DatPiff.com, it's the red text in the lower right corner.)

3. 

   Browse the mixtape. Read reviews and comments to find critically acclaimed songs, or pick a new song at random.

4. 

   Download mixtape. When you are interested in a mixtape, click "Listen" or "Play" to listen to it. If you prefer, click the "Download" link instead of downloading it to your computer.
   • Some mixtape communities have a daily download limit (you can download unlimited downloads for a fee), but still offer other mixtapes "free" (meaning no downloads). It's a good idea to go through these sections to make sure that you can download multiple songs per day.
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Method 4 of 9: Follow-Up Artist

1. 

   Find your favorite artist. Follow up on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and through their website. Alternatively, you can also become a fan of the artists' social media page and subscribe to mailing lists.
   • Browse the web searching for your favorite artist to find all the performances they've done. This will ensure that you have a full understanding of the artist's activities.

2. 

   Become a fan. Many bands and artists are often available online that you can follow through social networking sites like Facebook, or join the mailing list at the artist's profile. Those who show loyalty to their favorite artist are often rewarded with free downloads of new singles, illustrated versions of the song, non-public songs, and live tracks.

3. 

   Keep up with development. Periodically, your favorite bands reveal to their fans some sample songs for free to download. If you're a longtime fan of the artist, you might be able to access the new track every week, completely legally open. advertisement

Method 5 of 9: Blog Music

1. 

   Access a free music website. Currently there are many sites and blogs that allow downloading MP3 music for free. Some blogs offer full pre-release albums. Besides music sites in general, many blogs appear dedicated to specific music genres.
   • The majority of these sites operate in legal limbo. To access legally free music, you should find a music distribution site that is subject to the Creative Commons Act, or music for community use.

2. 

   Search for a song. Browse on the home page, or enter the song name or artist name in the search bar at the top of the screen to find specific songs.
   • Do not click on the ad. Ads can be misleading and lead to malicious or intrusive software downloads. Rarely do they lead to links to free music downloads.

3. 

   Review music data. On most websites, song data is displayed next to each result. Some files display music playback time, file size (in MB units), and bit rate. Customize according to your own preferences.
   • The bit rate reflects the sound quality of the file. Generally, mp3 files usually fluctuate between 60-320 Kbps, the higher the number, the better the quality. CD audio has a bit rate of 256 Kbps, while the broadcast quality is 192 Kbps.
   • Low bit rates make file sizes smaller. This is useful for users who don't have much storage space on their computer or MP3 player but want to collect lots of songs.

4. 

   Listen to the song. Click "Play" below the song title to listen to the song in your browser and make sure it's the song you want to download.

5. 

   Download file. When you're ready to download the song, right-click the "Download" link below the song title, and select "Save as ....". Select a location on your computer and save the file.
   • Some sites will link to downloading the service instead of downloading directly from the website.

6. 

   Verify file is available. Find the file on your computer and double-click to activate it. You need to check to make sure the downloaded file is correct. When you're satisfied, you can store and copy files to the music player. advertisement

Method 6 of 9: Convert YouTube Audio

1. 

   Visit the YouTube conversion website. There are a few sites that allow you to import YouTube video links into the frame and "extract" the audio to create medium quality (128 Kbps) downloaded mp3 files.
   • The conversion of a YouTube video violates the site's Terms of Service. If it loads too often, YouTube will prevent your IP from accessing YouTube content.

2. 

   Navigate to YouTube and find the song you want to download. Select your browser's address bar and copy the entire web address (URL) of the video.

3. 

   Paste the video URL into the dialog of the converting website and click "Convert Video". The conversion may take a few minutes, depending on the length of the video.

4. 

   Download file. Once the file is ready, it will appear on the text frame. Click "Download" to save to your computer.

5. 

   Check file. Play it on computer and make sure there's no mistake in it. A few years ago, MP3 conversions were more problematic than they are today, but you should still check it carefully. advertisement

Method 7 of 9: Torrent

1. 

   Install torrent software. Probably the most common way to share songs and albums on the Internet is through torrents, which are files that direct the computer to copy bits of the file or folder (such as an album) from other torrent users. until you assemble the complete copy.
   • This software runs torrent files and helps you to manage torrents. Torrent is a free, fast, and reliable torrent program. You can download it at the official website address.
   • While searching for torrents and downloading torrent files is not against the law, standard copyright laws apply to any content transferred via torrent. This means that if you do not legally own a copy of a downloaded song, it is considered a piracy.

2. 

   Install software. Double-click on the file you downloaded to run the installer. The installer usually suggests that you install the search toolbar and add other software. You can choose not to install these items.
   • Search for torrents. There are tons of aggregator sites and torrent sites to look for, as torrent files are legitimate.
   • When there are torrent results, you should check user opinion or star rating. Choose a file with positive reviews and high ratings - another file can be misleading or dangerous.

3. 

   Download torrent files. This file is very small - only a few dozen Kb only. This is because the torrent itself is just a collection of instructions on what to do. The torrents will open automatically once downloaded, otherwise you can activate it via the torrent client.

4. 

   Wait for the file to download. Torrents take anywhere from a few minutes to a day for the download to complete. Factors that influence the size of the torrent file, and the number of people currently sharing the file.

5. 

   Save the torrent. After downloading the music, you can extract the file and enjoy your tunes. At this point, it is polite to leave the file on the list so that someone else can download its parts from you, but you don't have to if you don't want to.
   • Some private torrent communities require you to adjust certain download and sharing rates in order to maintain a participation role on the site.
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Method 8 of 9: Music Forums

1. 

   Find a community to share music. Most major community websites (such as Reddit) have one or more dedicated music communities. You should look discreetly and learn about the etiquette of the community before posting.
   • Sharing music via forums is against the law compared to sharing via torrents. The appeal of using forums is that it is difficult for authorities to take it down or arrest it due to the forum's membership-only rule.

2. 

   Subscribe to the "sharing" discussions. Depending on the website you visit, sharing discussions happen rarely, or more than once a day. If you find such a discussion, please visit it.

3. 

   Choose an album. You will see who posted the album with hyperlinks to sites like Mega, Zippyshare, and Mediafire. These links are used to directly download the required album.
   • Copy the link and paste it into a new tag. When prompted, click here to download the file.

4. 

   Scan virus. After the download is complete, you should scan for viruses with your antivirus software in case something goes wrong. This function is usually optional in the right mouse bar when you click the file.

5. 

   Open the file. Once done, open the file and extract the music file inside. You should not share it with anyone like you should when sharing a torrent.

6. 

   Replenish content. Once you feel comfortable with the community, you can ask for music in case other users have it. However, you would be much better off providing your album first. advertisement

Method 9 of 9: File Sharing Software

1. 

   Download music via file sharing network. File sharing is the act of selling files directly with other users. Soulseek is by far the safest and most trusted file-sharing client for free. It also provides access to music anywhere on the Internet.
   • As with all file sharing programs, you should be careful when downloading files from unknown sources. Programs like soulseek do not scan for viruses or prevent users from sharing malicious files. The safe download is up to the user.
   • Sharing music through file sharing programs is illegal if you do not own a copy of the song you are downloading. Providing music for others to download also contains potential self-harm. These programs are usually safe, as they are strictly regulated communities. Note, however, that there is a legal risk to sharing music that you do not own.

2. 

   Download software Soulseek. The latest version is available at http://www.soulseekqt.net/news/node/1. Just click on the top link under the heading for your operating system (Windows, Mac, or Linux).

3. 

   Install software. Double-click on the file you downloaded to activate and install the program.

4. 

   Run Soulseek. You will be asked to create a username for yourself; This step doesn't really matter, so you can choose any name as you like.

5. 

   Set up music folders to share with other users. Most Soulseek users do not allow strangers to download from their libraries unless you share your content. You don't have to share the entire library, although this is considered polite.
   • Click the Options tab.
   • Click the File Sharing tab on the Options page.
   • Click the Share Folder button located in the upper part of the window.
   • Navigate to the folder you want to share and click "Share". You can do this multiple times if you want to share multiple folders.

6. 

   Find and download music. Click the Search tab and type your search in the text box. Press Enter to see the result. Check the bit rate (on the right side of the results) and file formats (Soulseek includes MP3, M4A, and FLAC files), and if you like, you can double click to download the file.
   • You can sort the list by Transfer Rate from user with fast connection.
   • To download entire albums at once, double-click a folder on your watchlist. You will download all content in that folder (that is, everything you see in the album folder). Some users don't sort songs by album title, so be careful not to randomly download entire folders containing thousands of songs.
   • Search results update continuously until you activate them.
   • Each new search automatically opens a new tab under the search bar. You can close it once done.

7. 

   Track your progress. Click the Transfers tab to display the Uploads and Downloads tabs. The Downloads section shows downloaded or pending content. The Uploads section shows the file, if any, that someone else is downloading from your computer.
   • Light green text means you are still waiting to download the file. If the entire album list shows a light green color for too long, you should right-click and select Retry Download to launch it. Most users set up the number of simultaneous downloads. This means that usually a line appears to load the file you want.
   • Dark green text indicates the file is being downloaded. You'll see a progress bar on the right, as well as a conversion bit rate indicator. The higher the number, the faster the download speed.
   • Green text means the file has been downloaded successfully. The full progress bar next to the file name is also displayed.
   • Red means the download was canceled or canceled midway. This issue can occur for many different reasons. You should wait until the rest of the song has finished downloading, and then try to download the red file again before searching for them on another site. You can right-click the file and select Retry.

8. 

   Add files to the library. By default, Soulseek stores your finished music files in a folder on your hard drive called "Soulseek downloads", in a subfolder called "complete". After downloading files, you can drag and drop or copy them from the download folder onto the music player. advertisement

Advice

• Podcasts usually contain music, although you will likely hear dialogue interwoven with the music. AOL has a podcast called MP3 of the Day that usually plays songs for free every day.
• You can stream music over the Internet instead of downloading files. This allows you to enjoy songs on the Internet instantly without using hard drive storage. Grooveshark, Pandora, and Last.FM are popular sites that provide free audio data. YouTube is also the right choice for listening to specific songs, as long as you don't mind when the music is included in the video.

Warning

• Downloading music for free is an act of music piracy. While the potential legal risk is quite low, be aware that there are risks. The amount of fines related to illegal music sharing is quite high.

Sources & Citations

• http://mashable.com/2007/10/31/free-and-legal-music/
• http://www.freemake.com/blog/how-to-get-free-music-legally-on-the-internet/