We’re well into the streaming generation of media consumption with music downloads in the age of Spotify, and it’s starting to feel a bit like DVDs in the age of Netflix. With that said, there’s just something reassuring about having your music right there on your device, without having to worry about the vagaries of bad Internet connections or keeping yourself entertained on long-haul flights.

There are plenty of great paid services that let you download music to your Android device, but lucky for you there are also some fantastic free ones. Here are our favorite apps for downloading music to your Android device that won’t cost you a penny.

Related: 8 of the Best Launchers for Android

1. GTunes Music Downloader

An oldie but a goodie … like Tom Waits. GTunes searches through several big domains of downloadable music for your queries where you’ll find millions of artists and songs across generations. The search options are pretty rudimentary, so this is best used if you know exactly what songs you’re looking for and just want to get out there and download them.

Note that when we used the app, of the four search engines, only ‘C’ retrieved results, so try using that one before complaining that the whole thing doesn’t work! GTunes has its own built-in player, too, and even lets you trim your tunes and set songs as ringtones. It’s all pretty basic stuff but rounds it up to a decent little package.

2. SuperCloud Song MP3 Downloader

When a music download app isn’t available in the Google Play Store, you can assume that that’s because it’s a bit iffy on the whole copyright thing. SuperCloud most likely fits into that category, but there’s no questioning that it’s one of the best repositories for much of the available music with different tastes. Whether you’re looking for mainstream pop music or underground Techno sets, you’ll find it all here.

Note that you’ll need to download SuperCloud from the above link, and in order to do so you’ll need to enable unknown sources on your Android device.

3. SONGily

The Play Store blurb for this is somewhat confusing, suggesting that you need to be some kind of member to enjoy this app. Just ignore that. The free version of SONGily is ad-supported and has access to a healthy stockpile of music new and old, from artists both mainstream and obscure – from chart music to sea shanties (it’s true – I found shanties from Assassin’s Creed IV here). With each song you find, you’ll see options to both play and download the songs you listen to, and they recently added a feature that lets you download videos as well.

This is exactly the kind of app that I can imagine Google not liking too much, so don’t be too surprised if it disappears from the Play Store and you find yourself having to download it manually.

4. TubeMate

Sometimes the best apps for your free music downloads are those which aren’t even designed specifically for that purpose. TubeMate is an app that lets you download YouTube videos in a number of formats – including audio only. As you’re probably aware, YouTube is one of the best places to listen to your favorite music, and thanks to TubeMate, it’s one of the best places to download that music, too.

You can download TubeMate here (Google doesn’t allow this in the Play Store, presumably because it encroaches on YouTube), and when you try to download videos as audio (M4A or MP3), you’ll also get prompted to download MP3 Video Converter, which syncs up with TubeMate to convert video to audio.

5. 4Shared

The famous file-sharing repository 4Shared has been making the rounds on PC for years, and it’s proven to be a huge hit on Android as well. Again, this isn’t designed just for music, as users can upload whatever files they want to it, but it’s as good for finding music as anything else. (There’s even an option to search specifically for music files.)

4Shared can be downloaded from the Play Store but not in all countries. If you can’t get it from the Play Store in your country, you can download the free APK here.

6. KeepVid (Perfect for SoundCloud)

A worthy alternative to TubeMate, with the added advantages of a prettier interface and the ability to download music from the ultimate source for electronic sets and independent artists, SoundCloud.

KeepVid is easily the most user-friendly free music downloader, although it doesn’t let you download music in the M4A format, which TubeMate does. That aside, it’s a great option. Note that in order to download SoundCloud tracks you’ll need to go to SoundCloud after installing KeepVid, select the track you want, tap the “Share” icon, then select KeepVid in the options.

7. Audiomack

If you want to know that the music you’re downloading isn’t going to be infringing on any copyright, and you are also open to checking out emerging talent in the Hip-Hop, Electronic and Reggae arenas, then give Audiomack a try.

This app gives a platform to artists without official distribution outlets while still having a content-filtering system in place to make sure that the stuff on there is of good quality. This good-willed project has already propelled hip-hop stars like T-Wayne, Fetty Wap and Migos to record label deals and gives you a chance to help find the next big star.

8. RockMyRun

Now this one’s a little bit different. Designed with joggers and fitness addicts in mind, RockMyRun has some of the biggest names in the electronic music world onboard to create sets designed to get your blood pumping (y’know, like that montage scene from Rocky … which I’m not sure is included).

The whole spiel about it being “PROVEN” to increase motivation by 35% should probably be taken with a grain of salt, but with names like David Guetta and Afrojack delivering the mixes and the option to adjust the BPM to your pace, it’s a solid acoustic option for your workouts.

Conclusion

It’s always good to know that there are a vast array of apps out there that can fix you up when you want to have music physically on your device. Streaming is all well and good, but unless you’re prepared to pay, it usually comes with quite a lot of limitations. With music downloaded to your device, you’re in control.

Trying to find songs to download free from the internet while staying legal can sometimes feel like an impossible mission. However, you'd be surprised how many ways you can source digital music while staying on the right side of the law.

You can accumulate free audio by downloading, recording, and even extracting audio from video.

Even though the methods below are legal, it's always best to make sure you don't infringe on copyright. If in doubt, don't download, share, or make copies.

Free and Legal Music Download Sites

What We Like

• It's a great way to discover music you've never heard.

• 3 idiots free. Downloads are almost always legal because they're from the original sources.

What We Don't Like

• Well-known music is hardly available.

Many websites host free and legal music, often providing free tracks that are uploaded by undiscovered artists looking for that much-needed exposure to increase their fan base.

Tip

Having a download manager is recommended if you plan on downloading a lot of songs.

Legal File Sharing Networks

What We Don't Like

• Songs are only available if other users are sharing them right now.

• It's easy to stumble on copyrighted media while downloading torrents.

You can connect to a number of file sharing (P2P) networks on the internet using a BitTorrent client. These are extremely popular, but the vast majority of them provide links to copyrighted material.

Follow the link to see some of the best legal P2P sites for downloading free songs, music, videos, and other types of files.

Extract Audio From YouTube Video

What We Like

• Really easy to do.

• Doesn't require a software download.

What We Don't Like

• Most YouTube audio extractors only export the audio to MP3 (instead of other formats like M4R).

A soundtrack on a video often comes with a song or piece of music that you may want to extract to an MP3 file. There are several ways to pull this off, all of which are addressed in these instructions.

Streaming Music Recording Software

What We Like

• You can pause the recorder if you want to skip over recording a specific section of the audio.

What We Don't Like

• Everything is captured, even ads or others sounds from your computer. Minecraft for windows 10 download.

• You have to manually start and stop the recording at the right times to get the audio you want.

  

If you regularly visit websites that stream media, then with the right software, you can record the output of your sound card. Whether you’re listening to a streaming music service or watching music videos, you can capture the audio and encode it to one of several audio formats.

Internet Radio Recording Software

What We Like

• You can play the radio and record from the same software program.

• Recordings don't include sounds from other sources, just the radio.

What We Don't Like

• There are few options for online radio programs that combine with a built-in recorder.

Internet radio represents a huge resource that provides 24/7 entertainment. You can listen to literally thousands of radio stations via your media player, browser, etc.

With the right software, you can also record internet radio broadcasts to quickly build up a collection of legal digital music.

Tip

If you find a great internet radio streamer but it doesn't have the option to record the audio, just use one of the streaming media recorder programs mentioned above.

Free Ringtone Sites

What We Like

• Plenty of options for ringtones.

• Ringtones usually come in many formats so that they work on all devices.

• Some ringtone websites let you edit the song to your liking before you download it.

What We Don't Like

• It's common to find ringtones of newly released songs, which brings into question the legality of the ringtone site.

• Lots of ringtone websites have ads or surveys that you have to complete (stick to our list to avoid those).

Typically, ringtone websites don't offer full-length songs, but they can be a good source to tap into if you want to build up a library of short tunes to liven up your phone. Many of the free ringtone sites listed here also provide other freebies, like videos, games, themes, and more.

Tip

If you want to take a step further than this, why not make your own ringtone? To find out more, be sure to read our guide on how to use iTunes to make free ringtones. If you don't use iTunes, there are alternative ways to source free ringtones.