The Internet has made it easy to get a free download of just about any song you want. The problem, however, is that free music isn’t always legal music. If you’re the honest type and you like to pay for your tunes and support the artists, labels, and retailers who distribute them, then illegal downloading simply isn’t an option. We know that some of you out there have strict morals when it comes to your media consumption habits, so just for you we’ve put together this list of the best places to find free and completely legal downloads.

Before we get started, however, it should be noted that there are dozens of ways to listen to music freely and legally without downloading it onto a device. If you’re going to be listening in a place with an Internet connection, we suggest checking out some of the top-notch streaming services out there that offer almost every song you’ll ever want. In most situations, downloading songs and storing them locally just isn’t necessary anymore. Really, the only situation where downloading is necessary is if you often listen to music in places where Internet connections are slow, spotty, or nonexistent.

Furthermore, most free and legal music you come across isn’t likely to be from familiar mainstream artists — if you’re looking for legal music downloads, don’t expect to get all the hottest tracks from your favorite bands. If you look in the right places, you’ll probably find a few hit songs from a couple big names, but most of the music you’ll find in the sites listed below are from independent artists that haven’t hit it big yet. That’s not to say it’s not good music, it’s just not popular music.

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