7 Places to Listen to Music Online for Free

Unlike in the old days, you no longer need to spend money to enjoy music. There are plenty of free and legitimate platforms that let you listen to music online from anywhere, anytime.

In this article, you will find our favorite sites and apps to access all the music you love for free.

7 Free Platforms to Listen to Music Online

1. Spotify

Whether you enjoy old hits, modern tracks, or songs by lesser-known artists, Spotify is an excellent place for all your music needs. With a free account, you can create playlists, connect with friends, access charts, find out about events, and use a variety of other features.

Apart from the desktop version, Spotify is available as a mobile app to download on Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

2. YouTube

YouTube Music lets you search for your favorite songs, listen to albums, and save the ones you love in custom-created playlists. Its music library allows you to find tracks in a range of genres, from feel-good and party to workout, commute, and sleep.

Based on your recent searches, the platform can make recommendations, too. 

3. iHeartRadio

This is a popular online platform for exploring live music radio stations.

You can find stations on iHeartRadio by selecting a genre and city. The site also offers playlists and podcasts.

4. Pandora

Pandora is a great option for custom-creating radio stations based on artists. It also lets you browse albums, save music to your own collections, and discover popular music at the click of a button.

5. SoundCloud

This is one of the few sites where users can download music with a free account, although the number of tracks available to download is somewhat limited. 

On SoundCloud, you can search for tracks, artists, and bands, upload your own music, and browse trending songs for free.

6. Last.fm

Last.fm is a useful platform to find music, both old and new, from around the world.

You can browse its library and listen to tracks without an account. However, you will have access to more features by signing in. 

7. LiveOne

Using the search feature on LiveOne, you can find radio stations based on a variety of genres, artists, and songs.

In addition to streaming, the platform allows you to save tracks and listen to them at your convenience.

Tips to Ensure Your Safety on Music Streaming Sites

If you are not careful, free online streaming sites and apps could expose you to countless dangers, both on and off their platforms.

Common threats include malware downloads, adware, account hacking, email phishing, data leaks, and unsecured websites. These could compromise your personal data and lead to identity theft and financial fraud.

However, with adequate precautions, you can minimize many of the risks and enjoy a safe streaming experience.

Here’s what we suggest you do to ensure your safety while browsing free music online:

• Select verified platforms

Today, thousands of streaming platforms offer free tracks. But not all of them are legitimate or trustworthy. Some could be streaming pirated music. Others may have unsafe connections that compromise your data safety. Certain platforms could also host links that download malware or take you to web pages that phish for valuable user data.

By opting for well-known streaming sites verified by other users, you can minimize or avoid such threats.

As for apps, remember to download only from reputed app stores. These often have stricter criteria when listing mobile applications.

Always check for user reviews and the number of downloads if you don’t recognize a particular streaming app.

• Minimize account signups

Many sites and mobile apps allow users to listen to music without creating an account. This enables you to keep your personal data safe and avoid possible data tracking and sharing practices.

However, without an account, you won’t be able to save your favorite tracks or receive recommendations. If this is important to you, sign up by providing just the essential information required to create an account.

Don’t forget to go through the privacy and security features under Settings and turn off data tracking to prevent data threats.

• Avoid unsolicited emails and messages

Phishing scams surrounding music streaming platforms are fairly common nowadays. You can typically encounter them via emails or messages that use various deceptive schemes.

For instance, scammers could mimic a popular streaming site and offer a paid membership at a heavily discounted price. These scams are designed to steal credit card details and commit financial fraud.

Sometimes, malicious impersonators may ask you to follow a link and sign in to your account to confirm your privacy preferences. But instead of directing you to the platform’s website, the link will take you to a spoofed page set up to steal your account login credentials.

To avoid such threats, you must verify communications before taking any action. For instance, check the email address against the one generally used by the streaming platform to communicate with you. If you receive an unsolicited message via phone, reverse lookup the number using Nuwber to learn who it is registered under.

• Protect accounts with strong passwords

In the event you sign up for an account on a streaming platform, securing your profile with password protection is an essential step.

Passwords must contain at least eight random letters and numbers and should be unique to each account.

Make use of two-factor authentication features, too, to safeguard your accounts.

• Keep your devices safe from malware threats

Antivirus guards are critical for detecting and preventing malware threats to your devices.

Select a reputed, feature-rich software that can keep your computer and smartphone safe.

• Shield your network activity with a VPN 

A virtual private network can help you remain anonymous, preventing hackers from tracking your activity and IP address.

Install a reliable VPN on all the devices you access music-streaming sites on.

To Conclude

Today, a range of music libraries offer free online streaming of popular and trending tracks. However, choosing a legitimate platform is important for avoiding unnecessary trouble and safety risks.

Spotify, YouTube, iHeartRadio, Pandora, SoundCloud, Last.fm, and LiveOne can all give you access to a broad range of genres from different decades to enjoy music safely and on the go.

But remember to follow the basic safety measures we have outlined in this article, too, if you want to evade common threats surrounding online streaming platforms that could jeopardize your privacy and safety.