There are tons of websites where you can download free music and watch free music videos online. However, below are services where you can listen to free music online without downloading anything, perfect for when you want to stream curated playlists and listen to internet radio.
A Mix of New and Old Music: Spotify
Spotify is an awesome free music streaming website with millions of songs you can listen to when you want and as many times as you wish. The free music online through Spotify plays through a web browser, mobile device, or desktop manager that you can download to your computer.
The music is free.
Includes modern and older music.
Create unlimited playlists.
Works on a variety of devices.
More features if you pay.
Can’t stream songs on-demand.
Must make a user account.
Limits the number of songs you can skip every hour.
Some features only work if you pay.
Shows ads.
Once you’re set up, search and listen to your favorite music, create playlists, and share music with your friends. You can also access curated playlists. There are plenty of free tools for creating a Spotify playlist online.
Premium plans let you download Spotify music, listen without ads, stream higher-quality audio, play songs on demand, read song lyrics, and skip songs as often as you like. There’s one for individuals, families, and students, and all are usually free for the first few months.
Grab the Spotify app, or visit the link below to stream the free music from a browser.
For YouTube Fans: YouTube Music
YouTube Music is a version of YouTube dedicated to streaming songs and music videos. It works like the regular YouTube site, so you can search for music, create playlists, and subscribe to artists’ channels to get updates when a new song drops.
Lots of ways to find music.
Works in several countries.
Stream your music files.
Build custom playlists.
Subscriptions are available for more features.
Shows ads.
You can find playlists for specific genres, decades, activities, or moods, and categories for kids. YouTube Music also lets you upload your music to listen from anywhere. The site’s home page has personal mixes and handy categories like All-time essentials, Feel-good favorites, Today’s biggest hits, and Live performances.
Unlike YouTube, you can hide the video so that you’re listening only.
With a paid subscription, you can listen ad-free, offline, and with your screen off (on mobile). There are individual and family plans.
Create Custom Radio Stations: Pandora
Pandora is a great place to find tracks from your favorite artists, and it’s a great place to discover new music. When you search for an artist, genre, or composer, the service creates an online streaming radio station based on what you like. Besides listening to free music online, you can also download the free Pandora app for your mobile device.
Works on many devices.
All the music is free to listen to.
Unlimited skips if you watch ads.
Pay for more features.
Several helpful browsing methods.
Can’t choose specific tracks to listen to (unless you watch a video ad).
Includes ads.
Requires a user account.
As you listen to your custom radio station, you’ll hear songs and artists similar to those you already like. You can then tell Pandora to play more like what you’re listening to or to move in a different direction. You can create up to 100 unique custom stations that contain music that you love. If you’re not sure where to start, try their Top Stations or Genres page.
Premium and Plus are the ad-free, paid versions of Pandora that include features like a desktop program, higher audio quality, offline listening, and more. You can also get the family plan for six people. There may be discounts if you’re a student or in the military.
See everywhere you can stream Pandora for links to app downloads.
Live Local Radio: iHeartRadio
iHeartRadio combines live radio and custom music streaming into one awesome website and app. You can listen to live radio stations on iHeartRadio by selecting the city and genre that you like, and iHeartRadio displays the stations that match your search criteria. You can also build custom stations around the songs and artists you like.
Thousands of local and international radio stations.
Make custom radio stations.
Don’t need to create a user account.
Pay for more features.
Can’t play songs on-demand.
The service contains advertisements.
Only a specific number of songs can be skipped per day.
The iHeartRadio mobile app supports a sleep timer, so you can listen to music as you fall asleep. There’s also an alarm to automatically play your favorite stations in the morning. To play specific songs, replay music from the radio, listen offline, build an unlimited number of playlists, and skip more songs, you have to pay for Plus or All Access.
Unlimited, Super Customized Radio: Jango
Jango is another free streaming radio service that makes it easy to listen to free music online from a computer, smartphone, or tablet.
Lots of customization options.
Listen without creating a user account.
Available as a mobile app.
No skip limit.
Can’t share your custom stations.
Beyond the unlimited listening and minimum commercials, what makes this service great is that you can build custom radio stations by simply picking your favorite band or singer. There are also hundreds of pre-made stations you can look through by genre.
While playing from any station, adjust the variety meter to teach the site what it should play for you. There’s also an edit button where you can choose up to 10 artists to add to the station; Jango will play songs by them and other related artists.
Visit the trending section to jump to the most popular radio stations.
Stream Concerts Live: LiveOne
LiveOne (previously called LiveXLive, and Slacker Radio before that) is similar to other music streaming websites. You can create custom radio stations built around the songs, genres, and artists you enjoy. After choosing the type of music you like to listen to, LiveOne streams similar music mixed in with the songs you suggested.
Listen to stations made by others.
The website is easy to navigate.
The music is 100 percent free.
Subscriptions give access to additional features.
Doesn’t let you choose which songs to play.
Has audio and video ads.
Can’t skip an unlimited number of songs.
In addition to streaming live festivals and events, LiveOne also lets you browse through radio-like stations, which is a great way to discover new music. The service works from various mobile devices through their mobile app.
You can buy a subscription for more features. There’s a Plus version with no ads, unlimited skips, and maximum audio quality. The Premium version includes those features, as well as offline listening and the ability to play any music on demand.
Listen to Live Radio From Around the World: TuneIn
TuneIn is probably the best place to listen to live radio stations over the internet. It’s possible to find local stations in your area, but you can also search over 100,000 stations from around the world.
Includes thousands of live radio stations.
Stations can be favorited for easy access.
Don’t have to make a user account to use the website.
Doesn’t let you choose which specific songs to listen to.
Sort radio stations by genre to find anything from rock, ambient, and religious music to sports stations, business news, and travel podcasts. A good place to start is the trending radio stations to see what other users are listening to.
TuneIn works from a web browser or desktop program on a computer and through mobile apps. Store your favorite stations in your account to have access to those stations on all your devices. For more features like fewer ads, upgrade to TuneIn Premium, which includes 30 days free.
Find Up-and-Coming Artists: SoundCloud
SoundCloud allows users to upload music for free, so it’s a great place to find up-and-coming artists. You can see what’s trending on SoundCloud and browse genres like disco, electronic, country, ambient, and more. There’s also a search tool, so you can quickly find tracks, bands, and podcasts. Follow artists to stay on top of their new releases, and like tracks and playlists to store music in your personal music collection.
Constantly updated with new content.
One of the best ways to find new artists and bands.
Listen to any song on demand.
Doesn’t include many of the songs found on other music streaming services.
SoundCloud Go+ lets you listen without an internet connection, removes ads, and offers higher quality audio. You also get access to premium tracks. A free 30-day trial is available, and it’s half off for students. Free SoundCloud mobile apps are also available.
Share Your Custom Playlists With Others: Deezer
Deezer is a slick music streaming website with lots of genres, radio stations, and fun pre-made mixes. There are millions of tracks. You can play individual songs or whole collections at once, add music to custom playlists that you can share with others, and access the most popular titles on Deezer on one page.
Choose from specific and unique genres.
Apps for phones, tablets, computers, wearables, and more.
Discover new music based on your likes.
Shows ads.
Streams in standard quality (not HD).
Longs of songs are only 30-second samples.
Deezer Premium is free for 30 days. It lets you listen to any track you want with no ads, plus you get offline access to your music and high-quality streams. Other subscription options include Family and Student. Apps are available for computers, mobile devices, and more.
No-Commercial Radio: Dash Radio
Dash Radio is another internet radio website where you can stream free music. It’s advertised as free, premium radio without commercials.
Premium radio with no commercials.
Stream radio stations online.
Mobile apps to listen to the radio on the go.
Clean and clutter-free website design.
Multiple ways to find new radio stations.
A limited selection of genres.
Some genres have only a couple stations.
There are dozens of stations in several genres, and you can easily locate lyrics to what’s playing right now.
Apps for Dash Radio are available for Android and iOS.
Professional DJ Mixes: Mixcloud
Mixcloud asks users to re-think radio. The music here is put together by DJs and radio presenters from around the world, making for a different listening experience than what you may be used to. Sort these mixes, radio shows, and music podcasts by mood or genre as well as searchable tags.
Multiple ways to find radio stations.
The music is handpicked by real people.
Apps let you listen from a phone or tablet.
A user account isn’t required for the web version.
Supported by ads.
Can’t listen to specific songs on demand.
Songs can’t be skipped.
There are Mixcloud apps available for iPhone, iPad, and Android if you want to listen on your phone or tablet. It’s also available for Apple TV. You can pay for more features like zero ads, the ability to rewind, and early access to new features.
Stream Music Ad-Free Every Day: AccuRadio
AccuRadio is like other online radio services on this list. Browse for a station by genre, or have them pick a random one if you’re not sure what you want to listen to. You can also view the most popular music for inspiration. There are a handful of mobile apps so that you can listen on multiple devices.
Skip songs an unlimited number of times.
A different genre has commercial-free music every day.
A user account isn’t required.
Unique genres.
Supported by advertisements on most days.
Sign up for a free user account to hear fewer commercials, customize your channel to suit your tastes, and save channels as favorites. On certain days, you can listen with zero commercials without a paid account.
Some of the interesting genres available here include beautiful music, Canadian, love songs, opera, movie & TV music, and Nordic folk songs. If you make a free account, you can even blend channels together for a unique mix.
The Social Platform Turned Music Streaming Service: Myspace
Myspace, the once-popular social networking site, has been remade into a music platform. Hear songs you know and discover new tracks, and you don’t need a Myspace account to do it.
Play songs of your choice.
Skip forward and back through any song.
No user account is needed.
Shows videos along with the songs.
Can’t hide the video player.
Find music by searching for the artist or song name. There are many genres to choose from as well as Myspace mixes such as Top Country Songs, Top Pop Songs, and others for alternative indie songs, rock music, best songs by year, and more.
A Better Way to Find YouTube Music: StreamSquid
StreamSquid is another free music streaming service you can use without making a user account. What makes this website different from the others is that it plays audio from YouTube without the videos. Stream your favorite YouTube music by searching for the artist or song title. StreamSquid also includes its own music collection and has several ways to help you find your new favorite song.
Plays songs from YouTube.
Unlimited skips.
Play songs from the search results.
No mobile app.
Occasionally has trouble streaming.
There’s a section dedicated to popular music on StreamSquid, and one for trending tracks. We also like the genres—among the normal ones are others like focus, workout, sleep, gaming, romance, and travel.
Beyond that, you can search for specific tracks, albums, and artists, and browse the top charts from various countries.
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