The 6 Best Online Music Sites for Downloading Songs of 2020

Building a music collection has never been so easy

By
Mark Harris
Writer
Mark Harris is a former writer for Lifewire who wrote about the digital music scene and streaming music services in an easy to understand, no-nonsense manner.
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Mark Harris
Updated November 14, 2019

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The music industry continues to evolve to meet changes in technology and consumer demand. Each year, sales of music CDs and vinyl records drop, while downloading and streaming music grows ever more popular.

Because of the growing demand for digital music, there's an abundance of online music-downloading sites. Sorting through them can be confusing and time-consuming, so we've done the heavy lifting for you.

An illustration of a woman listening to music on her computer from different providers.
 Grace Kim / Lifewire

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.

Our Top Picks

01
of 06

iTunes

Headphones surrounding iPhone showing iTunes music download service logo on screen
Chesnot / Getty Images
What We Like

  • Available on platforms outside of Apple devices.

  • User-friendly, browser-like interface.

  • iCloud interface makes music available on all your devices.

What We Don't Like

  • No free music.

  • Runs slowly on a computer.

Many music fans regard Apple's iTunes as the internet's premier music provider. iTunes offers built-in support for syncing music to your iPod, iPhone, iPad, and other Apple devices.

iTunes is more than just an online music service; other sub-stores offer music videos, audiobooks, movies, and free podcasts, not to mention all the apps available in the App Store.

Apple announced in June 2019 that iTunes is being broken into separate pieces for separate uses. Music, podcasts, and television will have their own apps when everything switches to the Catalina Mac operating system. The iTunes Store will remain, as will the music that people bought from it. 

02
of 06

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 30 million tracks.

  • Competitively priced.

What We Don't Like

  • Not available as widely as other services.

  • Smaller catalog of songs than iTunes.

  • Downloader software needed for album downloads.

Amazon Music has become one of the largest stores for purchasing and downloading digital music. With many songs and albums retailing at a very competitive level in the digital music market, Amazon Music is worth a look as an ​iTunes Store alternative.

03
of 06

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, too. In this mode, download and listen to thousands of songs without an internet connection.

04
of 06

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 was shut down due to copyright violations). Today's Napster offers two personal subscription options: unRadio is $4.99 per month, while the Premier subscription has additional features for $9.99 per month. Napster also has a business music service called SoundMachine, which offers several subscription plans.

05
of 06

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 that provides a library of more than 32 million music titles, all 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 (ranges from $10 to $30).

06
of 06

7digital

Logo of 7 Digital music download service

7 Digital 
What We Like

  • Download up to 320 Kbps high-quality MP3s.

  • 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 not only music tracks, but also 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.