The 6 Best Music Sites for Downloading Songs of 2024

Building a music collection has never been so easy

Unless you're a vinyl connoisseur, odds are your physical music collection is pretty sparse. And unless you've managed to keep your iPod from giving up the ghost, you probably aren't exactly swimming in MP3s either. Thankfully music streaming services, for better or worse, have managed to fill that gap, putting a virtually limitless supply of music at your fingertips.

Here are six of the best music sites for downloading songs.

Downloading music for free from disreputable sites is not only illegal, but also unethical. Support the musicians who make the music you love by purchasing their art legally.

01
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Apple Music

apple music logo

Apple

What We Like
  • Available on platforms outside of Apple devices

  • User-friendly interface

  • Over 100 million songs

What We Don't Like
  • No free music

  • Lossless audio not available on a PC

Apple Music is a streaming music service that allows song and album downloads for offline listening. It also includes lossless audio and Dolby Atmos support. A family membership allows six people to share an account; all plans are ad-free.

02
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Amazon Music

Headphones around smartphone displaying Amazon Music music download service logo
Chesnot / Getty Images
What We Like
  • Stores purchases in cloud music locker

  • Songs come in MP3 format

  • More than 90 million tracks

  • Competitively priced

What We Don't Like
  • Smaller catalog of songs than Apple Music

  • Downloader software needed for album downloads

Amazon Music is one of the largest stores for buying music online. With many songs and albums retailing at a very competitive level in the digital music market, Amazon Music is worth a look as an Apple Music alternative.

03
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Napster

Logo for Napster music download service

Napster, LLC

What We Like
  • Browser-based listening on Windows PC and Mac

  • Use search results to generate downloadable playlists

What We Don't Like
  • No free membership level

  • Nothing sets it apart from other music services

  • Small music library

Gone are Napster's days as a file-sharing service (which shut down due to copyright violations). Today's Napster offers two personal subscription options: individual and family (up to 6 accounts).

04
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Spotify

Earbuds on iPhone displaying Spotify music streaming service logotify Illustration In Paris
Chesnot / Getty Images
What We Like
  • Fun and easy to create playlists

  • Share playlists with others

  • Imports iTunes and Windows Music libraries

What We Don't Like
  • Advanced features require Spotify subscription

  • Can't sync playlists to more than three devices

Even though Spotify is essentially a streaming music service, its Offline mode qualifies it as a music download service. In this mode, download and listen to thousands of songs without an internet connection.

05
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7digital

Logo of 7 Digital music download service

7 Digital 

What We Like
  • Hi-Res/FLAC downloads available

  • Free digital locker

What We Don't Like
  • Not all tracks are DRM-free

  • Smaller selection than other players

7digital is a media service that provides music tracks, videos, audiobooks, soundtracks, and a selection of free MP3 downloads. Its digital locker stores all purchased tracks safely in case you need to download them again.

06
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eMusic

Logo of eMusic music download service

All Media Guide, LLC

What We Like
  • Unlimited cloud storage and access to entire library

  • Use on up to 10 devices

  • Web accessible

What We Don't Like
  • No current major-label hits

  • Only one download per song allowed

eMusic is a subscription-based service with a library of over 32 million music titles from independent artists. The big plus about eMusic is that all songs are DRM-free; you get a set amount to download and keep every month, depending on your subscription level (ranging from $10 to $30).

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