Download free music: 22 Apps and Websites you can use in 2021

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There are those who, even in the middle of the year 2021, prefer to download music on their mobile and enjoy it offline, without having to resort to platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, or Deezer, and therefore, being able to enjoy their music at any time and place, without having an internet connection.

And although it has become increasingly difficult to download free music directly to the mobile outside of these types of online platforms in a legal way, there are still ways to do it. Today, we will review the best apps and pages to download music from your mobile or computer for free, simple, and legal.

Download free music 22 apps and websites you can use in 2021

Apps to download free music on your mobile

Although its popularity has plummeted due to the rise of streaming services such as Spotify or Apple Music, the truth is that apps to download free music directly to mobile phones still have their audience.

Applications to download music on Android

  • NewPipe
  • YMusic

Keep in mind that most apps to download music to your Android cell phone are not available on Google Play, but you will have to resort to alternatives to the Google app store to get hold of them. However, the links we provide you are safe and reliable.

NewPipe

Although it is a third-party client for YouTube, NewPipe has among its functions the possibility of downloading music from YouTube videos in high-quality formats up to 160 kbps. The process to download free MP3 music using NewPipe is extremely simple.

It is a free, open-source app that can be downloaded through F-Droid.

YMusic

Another good option to download music for free on an Android mobile is YMusic. Like the previous app, this one bases its operation on the YouTube catalog to obtain the audio files of the videos and allow you to save them in the memory of your mobile.

Thanks to the built-in search engine, you can find any song – as long as it’s on YouTube, of course – and download it for free to the memory of your mobile or computer.

The best applications to download music without rights (copyright-free)

  • Jamendo
  • Icons8 Music
  • FMA – Free Music Archive
  • Incompetech
  • Bensound

Before seeing the applications to download free music on mobile, we must remember that we will not find the works of the most famous artists worldwide on these platforms and services.

Instead, the most common is to find music created by independent artists who have decided to share their creations with the world without asking for anything in return.

Some of the websites we list also have free royalty-free music that can be used without problems in projects like YouTube videos or podcasts. Therefore, they are perfect if you are looking for copyright-free music.

Jamendo

Jamendo step1

One of the most popular platforms to download free and royalty-free music is Jamendo. It has a catalog of more than half a million songs, all of them available to stream or download for free.

And best of all, it has its application for Android, with a built-in player and access to the complete music catalog. However, you can use your Android music player-favorite if you want to.

Icons8 Music

Although it does not have an application for Android, Icons8 is one of the best free music download websites.

It has thousands of different songs by artists worldwide. As reflected on the web, it is possible to download and share or use the downloaded music in any project for free, as long as it is accompanied by a link to the site web to give recognition.

Icons8’s music is divided into 20 different genres, and of course, it will be possible to listen to each song before downloading them. Once we have made up our minds, we are offered the possibility to download the MP3 audio file.

There is also the possibility of downloading the song in WAV format to obtain a higher sound quality. Of course, paying $ 20 per month eliminates the need to accompany projects that use music linked to the web.

FMA – Free Music Archive

Another application for Android from which to download free music is FMA.

The mobile adaptation of the famous royalty-free music bank “Free Music Archive” houses a vast catalog of high-quality songs, divided into different categories and genres, to make it easy to find the perfect pieces for every occasion.

Thanks to the integrated player in the application, it is possible to listen to music before downloading it.

Incompetech

Another free music bank full of songs for download free on your mobile is Incompetech.

It offers hundreds of songs that you can save and play on your mobile completely free of charge. In addition, you can use the music in YouTube videos thanks to the Creative Commons license.

Bensound

Bensound

The last alternative we offer you to download free music for mobile is Bensound. This platform was created by Benjamin Tissot, a musician who has been making his music for more than ten years, and decided to develop a platform where artists from anywhere on the planet could share their works with the rest of the world.

As in Icons8, Bensound’s music is categorized by genre and the ability to listen to the music for free before downloading.

Another similarity with the previous service is the need to accompany a link to the web, those projects in which some of the sounds and MP3 music downloaded from Bensound are used.

The best apps to download music on iOS: iPod, iPhone, and iPad

  • Evermusic
  • Freegal Music

If you have an iOS device, you can also download music to your iPhone, iPod, or iPad using dedicated applications.

Indeed, Apple’s operating system does not offer the freedom of Android in that sense, but it is still possible to find apps that allow you to get free songs and play them without the need for an Internet connection.

Evermusic

In addition to being a great music player for mobiles iOS, Evermusic also allows you to download songs in some of the most popular formats, including MP3, AAC, M4A, WAV, AIFF, or M4R.

Freegal Music

Freegal Music

A classic among the apps to download music on iPhone. Freegal Music is also one of the apps with the best design in its category.

It offers access to an extensive free music library shared by its user community. It is possible to download MP3 files directly to the device, choosing from more than 15 million MP3 songs of more than 200 different genres.

Apps to download music on your computer

  • uTorrent
  • Ares
  • iMusic
  • Media human
  • ClipGrab
  • Softorino youtube converter 2
  • Frostwire

Apps to download music on your computer

If you are from the old school and prefer to have your music library organized on your computer, we offer you some of the best applications to download music directly to your computer, be it Windows or Mac.

uTorrent

We find many alternatives among the BitTorrent clients; undoubtedly, the most popular are Utorrent, transmission, BitTorrent, and Vuze, formerly called Azureus.

Although there are many clients, of course, the best known is Utorrent, which due to its lightness, functions, and speed, has won the hearts of users.

How does utorrent work? Through .torrent files or magnet links, small files or links that connect to the application and that files are downloaded through P2P.

What is P2P? It is a system by which users who are downloading that file share it, and thus it is faster to download it.

Where can I download torrents? For this, you have to go to torrent trackers, that is, web pages where users share the links so Utorrent can download them.

This application is available for Windows, Linux, Mac and even has a web client to use on your Android phone or iPhone.

Ares

Another famous P2P download tool is Ares.

Although the application was created in mid-2002, it is still one of the most used options for downloading the content of all kinds, including music.

You can use Ares to download music to your computer shared by other users of the application. Also, thanks to its built-in search engine, you won’t even need to search for your music on different websites torrents.

iMusic

iMusic is an application that, although it might seem official from Apple, is a developer who has created one of the most exciting applications for downloading music from Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, or Vevo.

This program stands out for its ability to search for music on the most popular portals among users, such as YouTube or Spotify, and download those songs to your Mac quickly and easily. One of the things that stands out about this application is that it is compatible with iOS 14, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Plus, and iPhone 12

Mediahuman Youtube to Mp3

The Mediahuman application is handy when downloading music from Youtube.

Indeed, you are listening to your favorite music in this app. You want to transfer it to your MP3, iPod, or iPhone to continue listening to it without the annoying advertisements of the platform.

This application allows you to download music from youtube with HD quality in MP3 format.

One of the features that stands out the most is its ability to drag & drop so that you can remove the video from the browser or even paste it from the clipboard.

This app is free but with limitations; specifically, the one that can be the most annoying is the speed limit. Downloading a specific song is not a problem, but it can be download into entire playlists.

It has a subscription format for those who want to download at the maximum speed of 9.99 euros per month, although it is unnecessary to go through the box.

ClipGrab

ClipGrab is a free off-road app. Allows you to download free MP3 music from multiple sources:

– YouTube– Clipfish– Facebook– College humor– Dailymotion– Myvideo– Myspass– Sevenload– Tudou– Vimeo

The application stands out for its lightness and for the number of formats to which it can export. Among them HD quality or .avi or .mp4, .mp3 formats .

It is also available for Windows, Linux, and Mac. Without a doubt, it is the one that offers the best functions to download free music.

If the free applications do not give you confidence for fear of viruses or your data being stolen, you may have some exciting payment alternatives.

Softorino youtube converter 2

Softorino youtube converter 2 is the second version of this excellent OS application that allows you to download music and video from the most common pages (Youtube, Vimeo, etc.).

One of the functions that make it different from the rest is the integrated video browser that allows browsing and finds the song of the summer done from the application itself, without using a browser.

The main feature of this application is how fast it downloads videos and music and its ability to share songs and videos directly with your iPod, iPhone, or iPad.

This application is available on macOS and Windows 10.

Frostwire

Frostwire is very different from the rest since it is not a song download application but a complete download manager.

With this application, you can browse the web, search for all its songs and videos and download them in a matter of seconds.

One of the things that triumph the most about Frostwire is its interface, beautiful and intuitive, you can also search for music directly in the app, and it even has a complete player, in case you want it to be your central song manager.

It also has compatibility with torrent files, so you will love this app if you are a regular user of torrent trackers such as puntotorrent or elite torrent.

If you prefer to have your music on Apple Music (formerly iTunes), you can sync the songs directly and from there to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod in a matter of seconds.

This is one of the most valuable and complete apps that we bring you here.

Easy, fast, and safe methods to download music

Easy fast and safe methods to download music

When it comes to downloading music, it is common for malicious users to introduce a virus or Trojan horse, especially when using torrents.

If this does not give you any confidence and you prefer easier, faster, and more secure methods, we recommend using the paid subscriptions of Apple Music, Spotify, or Youtube Music.

These subscriptions indeed cost money, but it is the best way to be 100% sure, have the latest themes, and get all the power of the platforms.

Many of these subscriptions give you up to 20 hours of free music or are directly accessible in exchange for putting some ads on you, which can be a more than reasonable price if you don’t want to risk.

SoundCloud Music

SoundCloud is the largest free music community out there today. It is an audio distribution platform where anyone can upload their songs and share them with other people and listen to those of others.

While a good part of the music hosted on SoundCloud comes from independent creators, it is also possible to find the piece of renowned artists worldwide who decide to share their hits for free through SoundCloud.

To download music from SoundCloud, you need to log into the platform. Also, keep in mind that the owners of the songs will be able to choose whether or not you have permission to download their music.

Spotify Music

Probably the most famous music streaming platform in the world. Spotify has become the favorite service of millions of people when it comes to enjoying their favorite music, thanks to its wide variety of artists, albums, playlists, and other musical content.

If you use Spotify for free, you can listen to all the music you want, although you will have to endure the occasional ad.

But if you pay, in addition to getting rid of the ads, you will have the possibility of downloading music to listen to it offline, either on your mobile or on your computer. Remember that you can also try Spotify Premium free to decide whether or not it is worth paying for the subscription service.

Music from YouTube, Vimeo, and Vevo

Although there are other options to listen to or download music that you may not have considered.

They are some of the video platforms on most used the planet, which among their immense catalog, have millions of songs from tens of thousands of artists from around the world, available to listen to completely free of charge.

Probably YouTube is the best option if you are looking to access the widest variety of streaming music. And if you pay for the version Premium, you will have access to YouTube Music to access and download your favorite music directly to your cell phone or PC.

Another alternative is Vimeo, which, although it does not have a catalog as extensive as YouTube, does offer music videos by renowned artists, with the high quality that defines the videos on the platform so well.

You could not miss one of the most famous music video platforms in the world: VEVO. It is possible to find the videos of the most successful artists on planet Earth, from Ariana Grande to J Balvin, passing through Lady Gaga or Rosalía.

Despite having its platform, the best way to watch VEVO’s music videos is by accessing its official YouTube channel, where all music is published available.

Amazon Prime Music

Are you a user of Amazon Prime? You probably already have access to millions of songs free, and you don’t even know it.

And is that one of the advantages of Amazon Prime is Amazon Prime Music, a service with more than 2 million songs without ads and anywhere, with a mobile app included.

You can listen to the songs in streaming or download them to your devices to listen to them without needing an Internet connection. Also, if you want to go even further, you can subscribe to Amazon Music Unlimited to access more than 20 million songs.

Download music from youtube

YouTube is one of the platforms with the most incredible variety of music videos, with an immense catalog of millions of songs in different versions, whether original, live, acoustic … So, why not take advantage of it to grow our music library?

The platform does not offer the possibility to download the audio of YouTube videos. However, some tools can help us do it quickly, both from the mobile phone and the computer.

  • Download music from YouTube on Android with NewPipe: We have already talked about NewPipe before. However, it is worth remembering that the application offers high-quality downloading audio from YouTube videos. You can download it for free at F-Droid.
  • Download YouTube Music on Android with GetTube: A much more straightforward and easier-to-use alternative to F-Droid for downloading YouTube music on Android is GetTube. It is an app that allows you to download any video from YouTube, including the possibility of downloading only the audio in high-fidelity formats. It can be downloaded for free on XDA.
  • Download YouTube Music to Computer with FLVTO – Another good option to download YouTube music is FLVTO. With it, you need to copy the link of the YouTube video you want to download, paste it on the page, and start downloading the MP3 file.

These are some of the best music download apps, pages, and tools out there in 2021. From time to time, new platforms of this type emerge that improve on existing ones. We will update this article frequently to include them.

Comparison of audio formats: MP3, MP4, FLAC, AAC, M4A, and OGG

The most popular format for exchanging music is the MP3 file format. The MP3 format is a format created in 1993 where the use of the internet and consumer sound technology (headphones, speakers, etc.) were not yet well developed.

With the advent of the Internet in the early 2000s, the MP3 format became very popular, especially with MP3 players that appeared as a copy of Apple’s iPod.

In recent years, applications such as Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music (formerly iTunes), or Amazon Prime Music have made the music format we play transparent.

But even so, many people still want to download music to carry it on a portable player, in the car, or many other types of use cases where having the music downloaded is very useful.

Download covers

Download covers

Maintaining a fully organized music library is essential for any self-respecting music lover. And one of the best ways to manage our library is by adding the covers of each of the albums stored on our devices.

But, unfortunately, not all downloaded music comes with its original cover art, and it is sometimes difficult to find the art that accompanies our favorite albums.

However, there are web pages to download covers that allow us to find exactly the images we are looking for, add them to our albums, and maintain a fully organized music library. These are the best:

Internet Archive

The excellent Internet archive has a specific section in which to find album covers.

The web has thousands of album images from hundreds of artists, which can be downloaded for free.

Album Art Exchange

With nearly 600,000 album art from thousands of music albums, Album Art Exchange is one of the most popular and varied art repositories out there.

The project is maintained thanks to the user community, which shares its album covers with other people. The vast majority of images can be downloaded in high quality. Also, no registration is required to download the masks.

Google images

Of course, if you can’t find the cover you’re looking for, you can always resort to the solution that never fails: a Google search.

Type the name of the album followed by the name of its artist, and you will most likely find the album art available for download. Unless you are looking for a particular and hard-to-find cover, this solution is unlikely to be of use to you.

Lossy formats

Lossy music formats are when some frequencies are lost in the compression process, producing minor audio (optimal for storage or distribution) but different from the original.

MP3

Recorded. As we explained, the MP3 format was launched in 1993. Its great advantage is that it was capable of compressing the audio very well, but with some trade-offs, the sound had losses, so when we listen to audio in MP3 format, we do not hear it as it was initially.

MP3 was a proprietary format until 2017.

AAC

Apple widely uses the AAC format because it has the same quality as MP3 audio but higher compression. AAC music takes up less space than MP3 music.

EYE

OOG (also called OGG Vorbis) is a royalty-free, patent-free alternative (unlike MP3 and AAC).

Lossless formats

Lossless formats are those in which sound quality is not lost in the compression process, which is why they are called “lossless” formats. The best known are FLAC, ALAC, and WAV.

FLAC

The format FLAC or Free Lossless Audio Codec (in Spanish: ) is an open format without patents and manages to reduce the file between 50% and 60% compared to the original.

ALAC (.M4A)

ALAC is the lossless audio format created by Apple created in 2004. Its primary disadvantage is that Apple’s iTunes and QuickTime only support it.

WAV

It is a format created by Microsoft and IBM in 1991 that allows storing sound waves with or without compression. It is a lossless format.

MP4 video formats

Many people were confused for a long time, thinking what MP4 was audio formats, the next version of MP3. But that was not true; MP4 are video formats that combine image and sound.