If you typed “where to” into a search box because you want music right now, for free, legally, and without handing over an email or a card, your best first stop is Jamendo. It is a straight-up catalogue of tracks that artists have released for free download under open licenses, so you can grab files directly and keep them. For classical and orchestral recordings that have fallen out of copyright, Musopen is the second strongest bet, hosting a library of performances that are “royalty and copyright free.”
Jamendo: The biggest free-and-legal catalogue
Jamendo is built for exactly this. The site offers free streaming and free downloads of its entire music platform, and the reason it can do that is that the artists and rights holders have chosen to release tracks under stated terms, including Creative Commons-style licensing. You do not need to pay anything, and the licence on each track tells you what you may do with it, some allow commercial use, some allow remixing, some are restricted to non-commercial sharing. If you want music for a personal playlist, a video you are editing, or just to listen to offline, this is the most direct route. The site does not hide the music behind a paywall, and the free tier is the point of the place.
Musopen: Classical and public-domain recordings
Musopen is a different beast. It hosts recordings that are “royalty and copyright free,” which means the performances and the underlying compositions are in the public domain or otherwise unrestricted. You can download full symphonies, sonatas, and operas without paying a cent. The catch is that the free tier is limited in how much you can download per day or week, but the price is zero and no card is required. If you want to score a film, study a score, or just listen to Beethoven without paying a label, this is the place. The licence on each file is clear: you can use it, share it, and in most cases modify it, because the copyright has expired.
Open Music Archive: For expired-copyright recordings
Open Music Archive takes a narrower approach. It gathers recordings of public-domain music, meaning the copyright has expired, and hosts them for free download. The archive is hosted in the UK, and the recordings are public domain in the UK. That last part matters: if you are outside the UK, downloading may not be legal because copyright law differs by country. So if you live in a country with a shorter copyright term, you are fine; if you live in a country with a longer one, you might be breaking the law. This is a niche resource for people who want rare, old recordings of folk songs, early jazz, and classical pieces, and who are willing to check their local rules first.
Freegal Music: Through your public library
Freegal is not a website you sign up for directly. It is a free music service provided by a participating public library. If your local library subscribes, you log in with your library card number and download a certain number of songs per week, DRM-free, and keep them forever. The catch is that you need a library card, and not every library participates. But if yours does, this is a legal, free, and card-free way to get current commercial music, not just public-domain stuff. The licence is straightforward: you get to keep the tracks you download, and the library pays the label per track. It is the closest thing to a free iTunes that is legal. If you already have the files and just need to convert audio to MP3, a tool like Mp3.now can handle the conversion without signup.
Public Domain Project / MediaPool: Cleared copyrights, but dead
Public Domain Project (also called MediaPool) was a site that made free works available after copyrights were cleared, and it said the audio download scope included distribution, reproduction, streaming, sampling, and remixing for those free works. The problem is that the site is not maintained anymore, and it points to newly digitized music elsewhere. So you can still find the old files, but do not expect updates. If you want a specific recording that you remember being there, it might still be downloadable, but this is not a destination to bookmark for fresh content.
Creative Commons: The licence layer, not the store
Creative Commons is not a download site itself; it is the organisation that wrote the licences that make free music legal. The site explains that CC-licensed music can be used legally under “some rights reserved” licenses, and it names example sources such as ccMixter and Jamendo. If you want to understand what a licence allows before you download, this is the reference. But for actually finding music, you are better off going to the sources it names. The key thing to check on any CC-licensed track is whether it is “non-commercial” (you cannot sell it or use it in a commercial project) and whether it is “no derivatives” (you cannot remix it). The licence is always stated on the track page, so read it once and you are safe.
What people get wrong about “free music”
The biggest mistake is assuming that “free” means “no licence.” It does not. A track on Jamendo or Musopen is free to download, but the licence tells you what you may do with it. Some licences allow commercial use, some do not. Some allow remixing, some do not. If you ignore the licence and use a track in a YouTube video that makes money, you can be hit with a takedown or a claim, even if you downloaded it legally. The second mistake is assuming that “public domain” means “old.” It does not. Public domain means the copyright has expired, which in most countries means the composer died more than 70 years ago. But a recording of that composer’s work made last year is still under copyright. Musopen and Open Music Archive only host recordings that are themselves public domain, so you are safe there, but not every “classical” download site is that careful.
What to check before you commit
Before you download anything, check three things. First, the licence: can you use it commercially? Can you remix it? If the answer to either is “no” and you need that, move on. Second, the country: Open Music Archive is the only one that flags this, but if you are outside the UK, public domain in the UK may not be public domain where you live. Third, whether the site is still alive. Public Domain Project is dead, and dead sites stop being updated, so the music you find there may be old but the licences are still valid. For live sites, Jamendo and Musopen are the most reliable, and Freegal is the best if you want current commercial music through a library.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to create an account to download from Jamendo?
No. Jamendo allows free downloads without an account for many tracks, though some artists may require a free account to download their music. The site does not require a card, and the free tier is the point of the place.
Can I use Musopen recordings in a YouTube video that makes money?
Yes, because Musopen hosts only “royalty and copyright free” recordings, which means the performances are in the public domain. You can use them in commercial projects without paying, but you should still check the specific track page for any stated restrictions, as some uploaders may add their own terms.
Is Freegal really free, or is there a catch?
Freegal is free to you because your public library pays for it. You need a library card from a participating library, and you can download a limited number of songs per week. There is no catch beyond that, and you keep the tracks forever.
What does “non-commercial” mean on a Creative Commons licence?
It means you cannot use the music to make money, directly or indirectly. That includes selling the track, using it in a paid advertisement, or even using it in a video that earns ad revenue. If you plan to monetise anything, look for a licence that says “commercial use allowed.”
Can I download music from Open Music Archive if I live in the US?
Only if the specific recording is public domain in the US, which depends on the publication date and the composer’s death date. The site itself says that if you are outside the UK, downloading may not be legal because copyright law differs by country. Check the individual recording’s page for its public-domain status in your jurisdiction.
More on music downloads
This is one of the guides in Where to Download Music Free and Legally. The others:
