Check websites that specialize in providing MP3 downloads and exposing people to new musicians, such as Hype Machine, Last.fm, Amie Street, and Garage Band. Hype Machine tracks music blogs and adds any MP3 downloads to its database. Musicians on websites like Garage Band and Last.fm often provide free MP3 music downloads on their pages, and if you sign up for an account, these websites will provide free MP3 download recommendations based on personal music preferences. Amie Street runs on a recommendation system by offering unpopular or unrated music for free, and allows users to earn points for purchasing music by rating music that becomes popular. Amazon and iTunes also provide a variety of MP3s available for free download, including iTunes Single of the Week, which offers a free MP3 download from a new artist every Tuesday.
Check musicians' personal websites. To encourage traffic to their websites, musicians often offer free downloads of songs on a download page, including covers, remixes, or unreleased versions unavailable on popular music download sites. Popular bands such as Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails have also offered free full album downloads in the past.
Search for music with a Creative Commons license. Creative Commons licenses allow the free distribution, displaying, performing, and remixing of creative works. The Jamendo website has several MP3 downloads released under the Creative Commons, and a few records labels, such as A Quiet Bump, release music under the Creative Commons license.