In the current age of digital music, it is increasingly easy to locate free music via the internet, from social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook, to websites devoted to providing a streamed music service to users within a few clicks. Here, in no particular order are some of the best websites to visit.
Online Music Search Engines
1) Songza.com
Songza challenges the user to search for "any song or band" on its opening page. And it does not disappoint. Its music library is extensive, where virtually any popular track can be found, including many rare and live tracks.There is also the option of saving personal playlists on the site. The self-proclaimed "internet jukebox" is, quite simply, fantastic.
2) Hypem.com
Hypem, or hype machine is slightly different to most music search engine websites. It is a blog spot for users where along with being able to listen to tracks for free, there is an entire blogging community commenting on individual artists and songs. The website has sections devoted to the latest, best new music and the most popular on the website. It is arguably the best free music site for the true music afficianados.
3) Musicovery.com
What sets Musicovery apart from the rest is in its interface. You do not search for a specific artist or track, rather the genre, or curiously, your mood. The mood feature allows the user to choose a type of music, such as energetic, calm or positive. There is also the option to choose which genres to include in its playlist and even the decade from which to take songs. It is very much an interactive online radio station, and like Last.fm users can find some amazing new music through this site.
With a simple, easy-to-use interface, Grooveshark offers a great, no-nonsense music search engine. It delivers the most popular, commercial music in addition to more "underground" artists. For those looking for a simple, free music website, this is undoubtedly one of the best.
5) Deezer.com
With over 2 million tracks, Deezer has a massive number of songs to listen to, a great user interface and a community of users, where it is possible to share your favourite music. One of the original free music websites, it is one of the best and user-friendly.
6) Sideload.com
Another website with a huge amount of free music, Sideload is different in that it gives the option of legally downloading your favourite songs onto a mobile phone. You can store tracks in your online "locker", allowing you access to your personal favourite music whenever you are online.
Online Personalised Radio Players
7) Last.fm
Similar to Songza, though not as large a music library. Last.fm's selling point, however, is that, if a user wants to listen to an artist, the website will play their songs in addition to similar artists' material. For music enthusiasts eager to find new music, this feature is excellent. As each song plays, there is also a brief overview on the artist and associated music. For many artists certain tracks are free of charge to download.
8) Jango.com
Jango is quite similar to Last.fm in that it offers a personalised radio station. Like Songza too, users can save their prefered playlists. Users can listen to an unlimited amount of music. Jango remains as one of the most popular free music websites out there.
Other Premier Online Free Music Websites
9) Youtube.com
An obvious one, Youtube is, however, one of the definitive webites for locating music or artists, in most cases allowing you to watch music videos. It provides live performances and unique musical recordings not found on any other website.
10) MySpace.com
MySpace remains a fantastic platform to listen to music. Most artists have a MySpace account, where there is the option of listening to tracks on their page. MySpace is a great place to hear up-and-coming bands and artists, to find out about live shows and share music.
Each of the above websites provides a fantastic service to listeners, some of the best on the internet. There are other websites that did not quite make the list, which are also worth checking out, such as Imeem and Finetune.com. Happy listening!
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