If you typed "where to" into a search box because you want music right now without paying or making an account, the honest answer is Spotify’s free tier. It is the only major service that lets you listen to a massive catalog without a card, and it works on your phone and computer. The catch is that you are trading your time and attention for ads, and you do not get to pick every song on demand.
What You Get Without Paying
Spotify’s free tier is ad-supported. That means you will hear short audio ads between tracks and see banner ads in the app. You can listen to almost the entire catalog, but you cannot download music for offline listening. On a phone, you are stuck with shuffle play for most playlists and albums, meaning you cannot just tap a song in the middle of a list and have it start there. On a desktop computer, the controls are a bit looser, but you still cannot download anything. The free tier is not a trial; it is a permanent option that exists alongside the paid subscription.
The main thing people get wrong is thinking the free tier is a demo or a limited-time offer. It is not. You can use it indefinitely. The trade-off is that you do not control the order of songs on a phone, and you have to listen to ads. If you are on a laptop or desktop, you have slightly more control, but you still cannot take music with you on a plane or into a dead zone. For a quick listen right now, it works. For a long commute with no signal, it does not.
Who This Suits
This suits you if you are at a desk, on Wi-Fi, and you just want background music. It also suits you if you are okay with hearing ads in exchange for not paying. If you are on a phone and you want to pick a specific song from a playlist, you will be frustrated. If you are okay with shuffle and you do not mind the occasional commercial break, then Spotify Free is the best free, legal, no-card-required option available.
If you are on a mobile data connection and you want to save your allowance, this is not for you, because streaming uses data and you cannot download. If you are in a place with patchy reception, the music will stutter. But if you are at home, at a desk, or on Wi-Fi, you are set.
What to Check Before You Commit
Before you sign up, check whether Spotify works in your country. The service is available in many places, but not everywhere. You do not need to enter a payment card for the free tier, so you are not risking a charge. You do need to create an account with an email or a social login, but that is it. No card, no trial, no automatic renewal.
Also, check what device you are on. The free tier behaves differently on a phone versus a computer. On a phone, you get shuffle-only for most playlists. On a desktop, you can click any song in a playlist and it will play from that point, but you still cannot play a specific song on demand from an album. If you are on a tablet, it behaves like a phone. If you are on a smart speaker, you are out of luck unless you pay, because the free tier does not work on most smart speakers.
One more thing: if you are using an ad blocker in your browser, do not expect it to work on Spotify. The service streams ads through the app, not through your browser, so a browser extension will not stop them. You will hear ads. That is the price of free.
What You Cannot Do
You cannot download anything. You cannot play a specific song on demand from your phone. You cannot skip unlimited tracks; there is a limit on how many skips you get per hour. You cannot listen offline. You cannot listen in the background on a phone if you switch to another app, unless you pay. On a desktop, you can switch tabs and the music keeps playing, but on a phone, if you lock the screen or open another app, the music stops. That is a dealbreaker for some people, but if you are just sitting at a computer, it is fine.
What Else Is Free and Legal
If Spotify’s limits bother you, there are other free, legal options, but they have their own trade-offs. YouTube has a massive catalog, and you can play any song on demand, but the audio stops if you lock your phone or switch apps, unless you pay for YouTube Premium. You also get video ads, which are more intrusive than audio ads. SoundCloud has a free tier with a huge amount of independent music, but the catalog is not as deep as Spotify’s for mainstream artists, and you still get ads. Bandcamp is free to stream, but it is mostly for independent artists, and you cannot make a radio station or a curated playlist. Deezer has a free tier, but it is ad-supported and has similar limits to Spotify, including shuffle-only on mobile.
None of these require a card for the free tier. None of them let you download music. None of them let you listen offline. If you want to listen right now, without paying, and you are on a computer, Spotify Free is the best choice because it has the largest catalog and the most reliable app. If you are on a phone and you want to pick specific songs, you will be disappointed, but you will still be able to listen to shuffle playlists.
What to Do If You Want More
If you find that the free tier is too limiting, you have a few options. You can pay for Spotify Premium, which removes ads, allows downloads, and lets you play any song on demand. You can also use a different service entirely. But if you are not willing to pay, then you have to accept the ads and the shuffle. That is the deal.
One thing to note: if you are using a third-party tool to block ads on Spotify, do not bother. It will not work reliably, and it might get your account banned. The ads are part of the service. If you do not want ads, you have to pay. There is no free lunch here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I listen to Spotify Free on my phone with the screen locked?
No. On a phone, the free tier stops playing when you lock the screen or switch to another app. This is a limitation of the free version. If you want background play, you need to pay for Premium.
Do I need to enter a credit card to sign up for Spotify Free?
No. You only need an email address or a social login. You do not enter a payment method for the free tier. You can sign up and start listening immediately.
Can I skip songs on Spotify Free?
Yes, but there is a limit. You get a certain number of skips per hour, and once you hit that limit, you have to wait. The exact number is not fixed and can vary, but you cannot skip indefinitely.
Does Spotify Free work on a smart speaker?
No. The free tier does not work on most smart speakers, including Amazon Echo and Google Nest. You need a Premium subscription to play music on those devices. If you want to use a smart speaker, you will have to pay.
Can I download music on Spotify Free?
No. Downloading is a Premium-only feature. On the free tier, you can only stream music when you are online. If you want to listen offline, you need to pay.
More on free music
This is one of the guides in Where to Listen to Music Free Online. The others:
