Scientists have known for quite some time that listening to music has a profound effect on the brain. In fact, studies have shown that music can actually change the way our brains function, improve cognitive skills, and even help us learn new information more effectively.
But why does music have such a powerful impact on our brains? The answer lies in the way music affects our emotions. Music is capable of stirring up intense feelings and emotions within us — happiness, sadness, joy, anger, love, etc. And it’s these intense emotions that cause dramatic changes in the way our brains function.
For example, when we experience strong emotions (positive or negative), the brain’s amygdala (the region responsible for processing emotions) starts to dominate our thoughts (and/or actions). Additionally, when we experience strong emotions, the brain also releases dopamine — which basically rewards us every time we accomplish something.
As a result, when we listen to music that stimulates strong emotions within us, our brains are triggered to release dopamine — which in turn helps us feel happier and more energetic. The more intense the positive feelings associated with a song, the greater the amount of dopamine released into the brain.
Best Websites to Listen to Free Music Online
Here are 22 websites where you may listen to your favorite music whenever, wherever, and for free.
We’ve also included the link to download the mobile apps where available, as well as any other tools you need. Note that while premium options are available, if you choose to stick with the free version, you will be subjected to advertisements that support the services’ continued availability.
Spotify
Spotify is a Swedish audio streaming and media company that operates the world’s largest music streaming service, with 381 million monthly active users. Spotify is a great way to listen to music without ads (on premium subscription) and enjoy offline playback. Premium subscribers get to enjoy ad-free music and download songs with a Premium membership.
Spotify was founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon to provide music lovers easier access to their favorite artists’ sounds–and it has been doing just that ever since! Spotify is one of the most popular names in music streaming services with about 20 million options placed within their catalog.
Spotify’s streaming quality is about 320 kbps and can be accessed from all major platforms and you can listen to free music online without downloading.
The features that are available to enhance one’s listening experience include individual artists or albums, bands with different genres (e.g., alternative rock), creating playlists for others who want specific songs in them – you name it!
Features:
- Listen to music and more on your phone, tablet, PC or PlayStation 4, Chromecast, TV, Wear OS watch, and speakers.
- Make your own playlists and share them with others.
- Discover new music, albums, playlists, and podcasts using the Discover feature.
- Find playlists for every emotion and activity on Spotify.
- Explore a variety of top songs from various genres, locations, and time periods.
- Listen to personalized playlists, as well as your own unique daily mix.
- Look for a song, artist, or podcast that you enjoy.
SoundCloud
Soundcloud is a community of creators, listeners, and musicians who love together to share their creativity. You can discover anything from artists you love to discover new music or interview your favorite artist about their craft. With over 100 million tracks in our library, there’s something for everyone here.
With SoundCloud, you can explore music by genre, or check out what’s trending. You can follow your friends or other users with similar tastes in music, or create your own playlists. Users who create music on SoundCloud offer it for you to listen to for free. You may look for musicians, songs, groups, tunes, and podcasts to discover music by genre or check out what’s popular. You can follow your friends or other users with the same taste in music as you.
Features:
- Share music and connect directly with your favorite artists
- Discover and enjoy the greatest diverse selection of music
- free music download
- play music online
- A community for music lovers
- A huge library of new and popular music
- Diverse music platform
Pandora
Pandora is a personalized internet radio service that lets you create stations based on what music you want to hear. You can also listen live as other listeners rate and comment on the songs they’re listening to, so it’s like having your own personal concert! To use Pandora with no cost attached requires just an email address and password – but premium memberships do exist if this isn’t enough for your taste buds (pun intended).
Pandora offers its users many options when it comes down paying monthly fees either by purchasing access through various credit cards or bank accounts etc., however, all these paid subscriptions have one thing in common: streaming unlimited content at any time without ads during playback which means there will never be commercials interrupting videos playing back again nor audio cuts.
With over one million music options, Pandora is a great option for those who want to listen and customize their radio stations. The free account holders have certain benefits including 100 personalized stations of your choice as well as limited skips with the ability to only skip 3 songs per hour from all available airtime on any given day! With streaming quality at 192 kbps – it’s perfect if you love having control over everything yourself without being charged extra fees or seeing ads everywhere (you’ll find these types often interrupt TV shows).
Features:
- Instant online streaming
- Save your favorite tracks
- Access to songs’ lyrics
- Free account
- skip songs
- On-demand streaming
iHeartRadio
Listen to your favorite radio stations and podcasts on-demand, for free. With iHeartRadio, you can enjoy crystal clear audio, instant station updates, and personalized recommendations based on your listening history. Plus, you can take your stations with you wherever you go using the app’s handy offline feature.
iHeartRadio is a great way to listen to live radio stations. Whether you’re looking for your local station or one from far away, iHeartRadio has you covered. You can also check out custom radio stations, podcasts, playlists, and news. However, a few things we shortcomings of these app includes the inability to download music from live radio, the inability to listen to music offline, and also a limit to the number of times you can skip a song, hopefully, the developers add these features in the future.
Features:
- Radio online free
- Find local stations around the world
- Stream music instantly without signup
- Playlists and podcasts are available
Amazon Music
Amazon today is popularly known for online shopping, but some may not know that Amazon also has a platform where you can listen to some good music for free. You don’t need Amazon Prime to listen to music on Amazon music.
Amazon Music lets you stream tens of millions of songs and access your music library from any device. With Amazon Music, you can explore new artists and albums, create custom playlists, listen to stations based on your favorite songs and genres, and more. You can also listen to Prime Music for free with an Amazon Prime membership.
Amazon’s website offers the option to download free music. Click “Get Song Free” next to eligible songs on Amazon’s website. Amazon Music is available for download as a browser add-on or mobile app, allowing you to play music from your computer on your Android device. However, only prime members and Amazon Music subscribers are allowed to listen to songs offline.
Features:
- Over 2 million hand-curated songs
- 3 months Free trial
- Stream over 75 million songs for free
- Amazon Music HD allows you to listen in premium quality to your favorite songs
- Has a website and mobile apps and is available on multiple devices
- Browser feature to find a music or podcast of your choice
YouTube Music
Youtube Music is of the ultimate destinations for free online music. With millions of songs and videos to choose from, you can listen to your favorite artists and bands online, anytime. Plus, with our exclusive new features, you can personalize your music experience like never before. Whether you’re looking for the newest releases or just want to jam out to some old classics, Youtube Music has everything you need and more.
YouTube Music uses AI to determine your best songs and hence gives you a better experience on songs played as you use the app more. You will be prompted to select 5 of your best artists or just go ahead to explore on the app. One of the put off of the YouTube Music platform is the free plan is so frustrating and YouTube is trying to force people to jump on the monthly subscription by limiting the features, for example, you can’t continue to listen to music when your device’s screen is off or when you navigate off from the app to other apps on the free plan, that’s can only work on the paid app which is what most of the other apps reviewed here are offering their users for free. The platform is also littered with ads that you can hardly play any songs without ads.
Features:
- YouTube and YouTube Music are both free platforms to share and listen to music online
- YouTube Family plan to reduce subscription cost for groups
- Music recommendations by artificial intelligence (AI)
- Download and listen offline
- Get on a subscription plan to unlock more features
Jango
Jango is yet another cool, unlimited ad-free customized radio streaming service that makes it easy to find your favorite songs and artists, with minimal commercials and unlimited listening. Plus, you can customize your stations by picking your favorite bands or singers.
Or, browse through hundreds of pre-made stations by genre. And if you want even more control over the music, adjust the variety meter to teach Jango what you like. With so many great features, Jango is sure to please music lovers of all ages!
Features:
- Limitless customization
- signup is not required to listen
- Mobile app
- Skip as much as you want
- A community of millions of listeners around the world
- 100% Free
- Quick listen to trending stations
LiveXLive
Experience the power of live music streaming with LiveXLive. They stream the biggest concerts and festivals in HD so you can enjoy the show from anywhere.
LiveXLive (previously called Slacker Radio) is a music streaming website that lets you create custom radio stations built around the songs, genres, and artists you enjoy. After choosing which type of tunes to listen to; this service streams similar mixes in with those suggestions from users like yourself who have already created their own personal playlists on Livexlive!
The app offers a fantastic way to discover new events, festivals, music, and stations that are similar in function and style to those found on traditional radio. singers can also share their own creations through the platform’s social media features!
Premium subscribers get more features than Plus members. They can enjoy ad-free listening, unlimited skips, and the ability to play any music on-demand without an internet connection – all for a monthly fee.
Whether you’re at home or on the go, here is an exclusive content platform that will keep you entertained. Don’t miss a beat.
Features:
- Listen to other user’s stations
- Online music streaming
- Music on demand.
- Listen offline.
- No ads.
- Unlimited skips.
Jamendo
free music online unblocked
Jamendo is a music streaming website that has been around since 2001, and it’s still going strong. Jamendo is a great place to discover independent music from all around the world.
Whether you’re in the mood for some pop-rock or indie electronica, Jamendo has you covered.
Explore featured tracks, search by song, artist, or keyword, or check out music communities. There are several different ways for artists or listeners alike get their favorite tunes: streaming online; downloading individual songs (and even albums) as well as creating playlists based off them; following other users’ favorites lists if they interest you enough.
What the platform does best is giving people access not only sound but also style so everyone gets something unique no matter how much time he spends crafting each track.
Jamendo is a great place for both overnight and aspiring musicians to come together.
Best of all, Jamendo is available as an app or online – so you can listen anytime, anywhere.
Mixcloud
Mixcloud is the perfect place for music lovers of all types. Whether you’re looking for a new mix to get lost in, or want to DJ your next party, Mixcloud has something for everyone. With over 3 million mixes available, you’re sure to find something that strikes your fancy. Plus, there’s no need to pay a penny! Mixcloud is available on all major platforms, so you can take your music with you wherever you go.
Grooveshark
Grooveshark is a music streaming service that gives you access to a library of millions of songs. With an easy-to-use search and listen-to format, Grooveshark makes it easy for you to find the music you want and start listening. Plus, with Grooveshark’s free ad-supported plan, there’s no reason not to check it out!
Deezer
Deezer is one of the top music streaming platforms, boasting an impressive catalog of over 30 million songs. Deezer is the perfect way to get your audio entertainment without any fuss. With recommendations made just for you, and a huge catalog of music, podcasts, and radio stations, Deezer has everything you need to keep entertained. Plus, it’s all free!
free access for the first month and a variety of platform compatibility, Deezer is great for those who want to enjoy a wide range of tunes without breaking the bank. Upgrade options provide ad-free listening and higher-quality soundtracks.
LAST.FM
Last.FM is a personalized music streaming service that keeps track of everything you listen to and recommends songs and artists based on your tastes. With a huge catalog of tracks, albums, and artists, Last.FM has something for everyone. Listen to your favorite songs offline or online with Last.FM’s Android, web, Linux, Windows, and iOS apps. The basic service is free to use, but extra features are available with paid subscriptions.
MySpace
MySpace is the perfect place to discover new music and videos. With a massive library of tracks from unsigned artists, you’re guaranteed to find something you love! Plus, with social networking features, you can chat with friends while you listen.
8 Tracks
8 Tracks is a social networking site and an Internet radio provider all in one! You can mix your own playlist of at least 8 tracks, search for other mixes from artists or people, and share your creation with the world. It’s free streaming music service that has a radio-style format.
Streaming Audio Recorder
Do you love listening to music but hate the ads that come with it? Well, worry no more! Wondershare Streaming Audio Recorder is here to help. This innovative recorder allows you to record audios from any online audio source, including popular music sites and radio stations. With high-quality software that maintains the original quality of the audios, this recorder automatically discards commercials in between tracks. Plus, you can even personalize your recordings and create ringtones! It’s simple to use and compatible with all leading music sites and radio stations.
Streamsquid
StreamSquid is the best music streaming app and internet radio service that you can use to create your own playlists and listen to your favorite music. It’s ad-free and easy to use platform that allows you to manage and stream the music you love. Whether you’re looking for popular playlists or want to create your own, StreamSquid has everything you need to get in the groove!
Accuradio
With Accuradio, you’ll have access to a wide variety of music genres that you can listen to for free. Whether you’re a fan of country, oldies, ’80s music, classic rock songs, gospel, or anything in between, Accuradio has you covered.
Accuradio gives you the freedom to enjoy the best internet radio stations without limits. With over 500 genre-specific options to choose from, there’s something for everyone.
Plus, with unlimited skips feature, you can jump around between stations until you find one that’s perfect for your mood. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the tunes!
Dash radio
Dash Radio is the future of digital radio. No subscription fees and commercial-free, Dash Radio offers over 80 original stations curated by DJs, radio personalities, musicians, and music tastemakers. With partners like Snoop Dogg, Kylie Jenner, Lil Wayne, Tech N9ne, Borgore, B-Real of Cypress Hill and more, Dash Radio is the only radio you’ll ever need.
TuneIn
TuneIn has something for everyone. Whether you’re into live sports, music, news, or podcasts, TuneIn delivers the audio content you love exactly where and how you want it. With over 60 million monthly active users, TuneIn is the world’s largest audio streaming service, making it easy for you to hear what matters most to you. Enjoy your favorite audio content on hundreds of home, car, and portable devices — and with Alexa and Google Home integration, there’s no limit to where or when you can listen.
CcTrax
The cctrax music catalog contains thousands of high-quality, Creative Commons licensed songs. Our selection of contemporary tracks is hand-curated to provide you with the best free and legal music downloads available. Whether you’re looking for a new jam to listen to while you work, or need some creative inspiration for your latest project, cctrax has you covered.
NoiseTrade
Derek Webb, the founder of NoiseTrade, created the platform in response to his own success with free album downloads. He realized that giving away music for free could be a viable business model for artists and provide fans with access to great music. NoiseTrade allows artists to upload their music and books and give them away for free without digital rights management to anyone who provides at least an email address and zip code. It’s a great way to discover new music and support your favorite artists.
Pikbest Music
Pikbest is a great choice for royalty-free background music, it archives over 100000+ high-quality editable HD video templates. All music on the site can listen to online, so you can be sure it will fit your project perfectly before downloading. The website collects more than just royalty-free music; there are over 800k resources on the web ranging from Posters, Powerpoint, Video, Vectors and More. The website has a search function that allows you to find the best element for your next project idea.
