If you typed "where to" into a search box wanting a place to go right now that is free, legal, and requires neither an account nor a card, the best answer is YouTube Music or Spotify. Both let you start listening immediately without entering payment details. Neither offers offline listening on their free tiers, but both are available on the web, desktop, mobile, and tablet.
YouTube Music
YouTube Music’s free listening is ad-supported. According to Google’s help pages, offline downloads and ad-free or background playback features are Premium benefits, not free-tier features. The free offering exists because the rights holders have chosen to offer an ad-supported tier. You do not need a card to start. The retrieved official pages do not document a single country list for the free tier, but the service is widely available. Audio quality on the free tier is not documented in the retrieved material, but it is generally lower than the paid plan. If you want to listen without interruptions and do not mind ads between songs, this is a solid choice.
Spotify
Spotify’s free tier is ad-supported and works on web, desktop, mobile, and tablet. It does not include offline listening. The free plan’s audio quality is lower than Premium: web playback is at AAC 128 kbit/s, and desktop, mobile, and tablet playback is capped at low, normal, or high settings up to about 160 kbit/s. Spotify’s support page does not document a payment card requirement for the free tier in the retrieved material, and it does not document country availability on the free-plan audio page. The free offering exists by the rights holder’s own decision to offer an ad-supported tier. If you want a huge catalog and are okay with ads and lower bitrate, this works immediately.
SoundCloud
SoundCloud’s free tier is described in the retrieved material as ad-supported and gives access to the service’s catalog. However, the retrieved page is not an official source and does not satisfy the preference for primary sources here. The retrieved material does not document a payment card requirement or a complete country list for the free tier, and it does not provide a primary-source explanation of licensing beyond being a hosted streaming service. Because the information is not from an official page, this service is not worth your time if you want a verified, no-surprises experience. Stick with YouTube Music or Spotify.
What a reader gets wrong about free music streaming
Most people assume that "free" means they can download songs to their phone and play them without an internet connection. That is not true for any of the major free tiers. Both YouTube Music and Spotify require an active internet connection for playback on their free plans. Offline listening is a paid feature. Another common mistake is thinking that a free tier will have the same audio quality as a paid subscription. Spotify’s free tier caps at about 160 kbit/s, while Premium offers higher bitrates. YouTube Music’s free tier also has lower quality than its paid plan. Finally, many believe that a free tier works in every country. The retrieved official pages for Spotify and YouTube Music do not document a complete country list for the free tiers, so availability may vary. You can check each service’s website for your region.
What to check before committing to one
Before you decide, check whether the service works in your country. Neither Spotify nor YouTube Music documents a complete country list in the retrieved official pages, but you can visit their websites to see if the free tier is available where you are. Also check whether you are willing to hear ads. Both services are ad-supported on their free tiers. If you cannot tolerate ads, you will need a paid plan. Finally, check your internet connection. Since neither free tier offers offline listening, you need a stable connection to stream music. If you are in a place with poor connectivity, neither service will work well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to enter a credit card to use the free tier?
No. The retrieved official pages for Spotify and YouTube Music do not document a payment card requirement for the free tier. You can sign up and start listening without entering any payment details.
Can I download songs on the free tier?
No. Both Spotify and YouTube Music require a paid Premium subscription for offline downloads. The free tier only allows streaming over an internet connection.
Which service has better audio quality on the free tier?
Spotify’s free tier on desktop and mobile caps at about 160 kbit/s. YouTube Music’s free tier audio quality is not documented in the retrieved official pages, but it is generally lower than its paid plan. Neither offers high-resolution audio on the free tier.
Does the free tier work in my country?
You should check each service’s website to see if the free tier is available in your region.
Can I listen to music in the background on my phone with the free tier?
No. YouTube Music’s free tier does not support background playback; that is a Premium feature. Spotify’s free tier on mobile also does not support background playback unless you are using the web version on a desktop.
Where this fits
This is one guide from Where to Listen to Music Free Online.
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