Is it legal.txt
Short answer: yes, when the artist says so. On this site, the artist says so.
The rule of thumb
A free download is legal when the person who owns the music offers it. A converter or rip site that copies songs from streaming services isn’t the artist offering anything, so those downloads usually aren’t legal, and they often come with pop-ups and malware.
How to spot a legal free song download
- The licence is named next to the file (here: CC BY 4.0 on every file’s Info page).
- The download comes from the artist or a site the artist works with.
- There’s no “paste a link to any song” box.
This site
Every file is by Purrple Cat, self-released and licensed CC BY 4.0. Downloads are MP3 and come straight from Purrple Cat’s own file host.
Questions
Is free song downloading legal?
It is legal when the person who owns the music lets you. Here they do: Purrple Cat put every song on this site under CC BY 4.0.
What does CC BY 4.0 let me do?
Download, keep, share and use the songs, including in monetised videos, as long as you credit Purrple Cat.
What isn’t allowed?
Uploading the music, or remixes, samples or covers of it, to music streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube Music, or registering it with Content ID.