But luckily there are websites with a huge list of free classical music you can download and enjoy for free.
You can enjoy over ten thousand songs (10,000) from the likes of Beethoven, and Mozart all from the comfort of your phone or computer.
In this article, we will provide you with the 9 best sites for free classical music downloads.
Websites for Free Classical Music Downloads
Classical Cat
Classical cat is by far the best online resource for free classical music downloads. It contains a wealth of over seven thousand tracks for any genre you might think of including classical. You can get access to any track by genre, instrument, or performer.
However, the only caveat is they don’t host the tracks on their site, so you will always be redirected to other sites to download the music files.
Key features:
- You don’t need a user account to have access to tracks
- Tracks categorized according to composer or instrument
- So many options
Musopen
Musopen is one of the best not-for-profit free online sites to download tons of free classical music in Mp3 format. If music is a passion or hobby for you, they provide lots of free sheet music to go with the downloads.
The interface is easy to use and downloading your music tracks couldn’t be easier. The music is categorized according to time period, length, rating, mood, or instrument making it easier to work your way around the site.
Users are given the option to rate the quality of every song or lyric, helping others to get the best selections.
They also have a great online free radio station you can listen to for free.
To download any track on the site, you will need a free Lite account. You are allowed 5 downloads per day and you upgrade to a premium account for more.
Here are some of the featured composers:
- Frederic Chopin
- Ludwig von Beethoven
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Franz Schubert
- Johann Sebastian Bach
Wikipedia: List of Sound Files
Most people know Wiki as the source for all sorts of informational topics, from Hobbies to celebrities among others but they also house a huge list of free classical songs you can download for free.
Just like Classical Cat, the music is arranged in a table according to the composer’s name. All files can be downloaded at the bottom of each page.
You can also download the songs in either mp3 or OGG format.
1Classical
1Classical gives you access to thousands if not millions of public domain classical downloads for free. But, be careful payment is required for some of the downloads, so check your selections.
The site makes it easier on users, listing tracks by instrument or composer and you can listen before downloading. You also get insight into the top 5 downloads you might enjoy.
HD Classical Music
HD Classical Music is a hub for hundreds of free classical downloads available under the public domain and other free-to-use copyright licenses.
Songs are categorized by composer, performer, instrument among others.
It is simple to use. All you have to do is select your preferred choice and download it.
Popular recordings you will find at HD Classical Music:
- Felix Mendelssohn
- Edvard Grieg
- Robert Schumann
- Antonin Dvorak
- Johann Strauss II
- George Handel
Last.fm
Last.fm offers a huge list of both paid and free classical downloads. They have thousands of free classical tracks from the likes of Beethoven, Mozart, and Johann Sebastian Bach which you can download and enjoy for free.
To get to the free music downloads page, scroll down to the footer and you will find a link named “Free Music Downloads. The tricky part is finding what you want, so be patient.
Amazon
Not everything on Amazon is for sale. Amazon also offers a huge playlist of songs you can play and download for free. But, downloading songs requires you to create an account with them.
To get to the classical genre, use their search box or their “sort by” option to refine your search.
Chosic
Chosic is also an online resource for downloading free classical songs and other genres as well. Check properly the licensing right as not all songs are for free.
The interface is also easier to use and navigate. With two-three clicks, you can get to what you want.
Free Music Archive
Free Music Archive contains a huge list of free-to-download classical music royalty-free classical music. With over three thousand in its collection, you will definitely find your favorite. Also, you don’t need a user account to get access to downloads.
To make things easier, you can sort songs by genre, composer or artist, track, and instrument. You can also listen to songs if you prefer with their online player.
Over To You
Beware of free and legal Musical downloads
Although all these sites offer free access to download their content, not all the music files are free so check before downloading.
Be sure to read the licensing rights to ensure they are legally free. Avoid any legal hassles and enjoy the relaxing and soothing effects of classical music.
For more music ideas check our music page.