In today’s digital world, music is everywhere—videos, social media, podcasts, presentations, school projects, meditation apps, and more. But using copyrighted songs without permission can land you in serious legal trouble or get your content taken down.
That's why free, legal music is a game-changer. Many artists and platforms now share music openly under Creative Commons, royalty-free, or public domain licenses — allowing you to use their work with clear guidelines.
Whether you're a content creator, hobbyist, small business, teacher, or indie developer, here are the top trusted websites to find downloadable music that won’t cost a dime — or your reputation.
1. Free Music Archive (FMA)
freemusicarchive.org
What it is:
- A long-standing, community-curated library filled with genre-spanning music licensed for legal sharing. Founded by WFMU, a freeform radio station, FMA has become a go-to platform for content creators looking for safe, legal audio.
Why it’s great:
- Offers both personal and commercial-use tracks
- Music is organized by genre, mood, and popularity
- Built-in license filter so you can sort by Creative Commons types (e.g., attribution, non-commercial)
Perfect for:
- Podcasters, educators, video editors, students, and budget-conscious creators who need variety.
Related: How to Download Free Music Without Breaking the Law
2. Jamendo Music
jamendo.com
What it is:
- An artist-powered platform offering thousands of indie tracks under Creative Commons licenses. Jamendo also features a separate licensing section for commercial use and monetized projects.
Why it’s great:
- Rich variety of genres: electronic, acoustic, world, pop, ambient
- Allows legal downloads for personal listening and non-commercial use
- Offers monthly subscriptions or one-off licenses for commercial projects
Perfect for:
- Indie filmmakers, YouTubers, small businesses, and fans of undiscovered artists.
3. Pixabay Music
pixabay.com/music
What it is:
- Part of the popular stock media platform, Pixabay Music offers thousands of curated music tracks — all 100% free for commercial and non-commercial use with no attribution required.
Why it’s great:
- Every track is pre-cleared for safe use in monetized content
- Clean UI with filters for genre, mood, duration, tempo, and theme
- Tracks are available in high-quality MP3 format
Perfect for:
- Reels, vlogs, trailers, video ads, brand videos, explainer videos, and app development.
Related: Top Sites to Download Music in MP3 Format for Free
4. SoundCloud (Downloadable Tracks Only)
soundcloud.com
What it is:
- While primarily a streaming service, many indie artists on SoundCloud enable downloads for their songs. You just need to dig a little or use advanced search and tags like “#freedownload” or “#royaltyfree.”
Why it’s great:
- Huge selection of underground and trending genres
- Some artists allow full commercial reuse (check the track's license)
- A great platform to discover and support independent musicians
Perfect for:
- Music fans, remixers, experimental creators, and creators seeking non-mainstream sounds.
5. ccMixter
ccmixter.org
What it is:
- A remix-centric music community offering thousands of songs and stems (vocals, instrumentals) released under Creative Commons licenses. Some are usable for commercial purposes with attribution.
Why it’s great:
- Built by musicians for musicians and creators
- Allows you to remix tracks legally and share your versions
- Licensing info clearly shown for each track
Perfect for:
- Game devs, short film creators, music producers, sound designers, and podcast creators.
Bonus: Understanding Audio Interfaces
6. Internet Archive – Audio Section
archive.org/details/audio
What it is:
- A digital treasure chest of public domain and creative commons music, historical recordings, vintage radio shows, live concerts, and sound experiments.
Why it’s great:
- Massive catalog, including old blues, jazz, classical, and folk music
- Perfect for archival, documentary, or educational use
- Includes famous collections like Live Music Archive, LibriVox, and more
Perfect for:
- Researchers, educators, historians, documentary filmmakers, and retro music enthusiasts.
Resource: A Beginner’s Guide to Music Downloads
7. Bensound
bensound.com
What it is:
- A professionally curated music platform with beautiful, cinematic-quality tracks available for free under a Creative Commons license (requires attribution).
Why it’s great:
- High production value with categories like jazz, corporate, cinematic, chill, acoustic
- Free use for YouTube and social media (with credit)
- Affordable licenses for ads, podcasts, and monetized content
Perfect for:
- Brands, small businesses, YouTubers, and filmmakers looking for a polished sound.
8. Incompetech by Kevin MacLeod
incompetech.com
What it is:
- A pioneer in royalty-free music, Kevin MacLeod’s site offers a wide range of music that’s free to use with proper attribution. His tracks have been featured in thousands of videos, documentaries, and games.
Why it’s great:
- Consistently high-quality, original compositions
- Categorized by mood, genre, and style
- Optional one-time license available for attribution-free use
Perfect for:
- Educators, hobbyist YouTubers, schools, nonprofits, and indie developers.
9. YouTube Audio Library
studio.youtube.com
What it is:
- A free music library accessible inside the YouTube Creator Studio. While designed for YouTubers, many tracks are cleared for use outside YouTube as well.
Why it’s great:
- Completely free
- Includes both music and sound effects
- No copyright claims when used properly on YouTube
Perfect for:
- Video editors, vloggers, channel intros, trailers, and voiceover projects.
How to Know If Music Is Truly “Free” and Legal to Use
Before downloading, always double-check the license. Even if a site claims a track is free:
- Look for a Creative Commons license (e.g., CC BY 4.0)
- See if attribution is required
- Ensure the license allows your type of project (e.g., commercial use)
- Never assume YouTube-safe means all-platform-safe
Learning Resource: The Ultimate Beginner’s Music Learning Checklist
Final Thoughts
You no longer need to risk takedowns, copyright strikes, or shady MP3 sites. Today’s internet offers a wealth of legal, artist-friendly, free music — ready to power up your videos, podcasts, school projects, games, and presentations.
Whether you’re a creator on a budget or just exploring the soundscape, these platforms give you quality, choice, and peace of mind.
Support creators. Stay legal. Sound amazing.
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