12 websites for music lovers

The internet has changed the way we acquire our music. You don't even have to visit your neighbourhood record store any more. Simply sign-up for an account, pay by card, and download the tunes you want. But did you know there's more on offer for music lovers on the web? Here are some amazing sites that every aficionado should know and bookmark...

Free downloads

Super resources that introduce you to new artists and offer you downloads at absolutely no cost.

Myspoonful

This site is backed by a team of curators that sift through a bunch of fresh artists every week to recommend the best of what's new.

Each post includes a bio of the band, a link to stream the music, and another to download the track for free. To help you out, MS also lists the genre of music and names of established artists that are similar to the new band. Subscribers to a newsletter stand to get all of this right in their inboxes.

myspoonful.com

Rolling Stone

If you love music, you might have at least heard of Rolling Stone magazine. But did you know that its website has a 'Daily Download' section? Okay, so you don't get a song a day, every day, but RS regularly updates this section with tunes every couple of days. Each track is accompanied by a little bit of text where the artist or band talks about the song itself, giving you an insight into the music from the people who've created it.

www.rollingstone.com/music/daily-download

Insound

Insound is an online store that sells CDs, vinyl records, and caters to fans of the indie music scene. But it also has a section where people can download songs from new artists every week. Better still, you can also subscribe to its newsletter where you can opt for a free MP3 in your inbox every Wednesday, and also 'The Vinyl Newsletter' every Thursday that's accompanied by a downloadable mixtape.

www.insound.com/mp3-of-the-week

1 Classical

This resource is an aggregator of classical music. You can browse its tunes by composers such as Bach, Brahms, Chopin, Handel, Mozart, and Wagner - or you can choose to download compositions based on the instrument it was written for. All the downloads listed on the site are in the 'public domain', which means they are free to be used and distributed without permission or payment. So, whether you're a connoisseur of such music, or even someone who wants to give it a listen, this is the place to start.

www.1classical.com

Streamers

Sites that let you create a playlist as if you were your own radio jockey...

Gaana

If you're looking for tunes closer to home, you might want to consider Gaana. It boasts of a huge collection of songs in practically every regional language - from Hindi to Kannada and Marathi to Bengali. A free account lets you create your own playlists, and you can even 'like', comment on, and share songs with friends through Twitter and Facebook.

To discover new music, simply check out the playlists of other members, or tune in to Gaana's myriad radio channels that sort songs based on singers; actors they've been picturized on - and even by theme or mood. And yes, it also has apps for Android, BB10, iOS and Windows Phone.

www.gaana.com

Everyone's mix tape

The mix tapes we compiled in the pre-digital age were our customized playlists: one for when we're driving, one for mellow evenings, yet another for when we were feeling groovy.

Create an account on this service, and you are prompted to create your own mix tapes or add to existing compilations. Enter the name of a song, and EMT searches for it on YouTube and SoundCloud, so you can add the track to your compilation.

When you're done, you can share your virtual tape with everyone else on the site. And if you want a ready mix to suit your mood, simply browse through the "tapes" created by others.

everyonesmixtape.com

Never Ending Playlist or JiggyApe

In the old days, if you wanted to listen to a song, you needed to own the vinyl, cassette, CD, or request the track on the radio. Now, simply head to Never Ending Playlist or JiggyApe, enter the name of the artist you want to hear, and hit enter.

The site trawls through YouTube and automatically creates a playlist for you. You can choose to watch the accompanying videos, or just let the songs play in the background. Both sites let you listen to your favourite artists for free.

neverendingplaylist.com and www.jiggyape.com

Music by mood

All love songs seem like they've been written for you when you've just met someone special; and how sad songs sound so much more meaningful when you're suffering from heartbreak. Well, these sites work with your mood to play songs that fit in with how you're feeling...

Stereomood

Right at the top of the main page on Stereomood, you will find a text box that asks you to describe your mood. And you can type practically anything: angry, aggressive, loved, beautiful, sad, sleepy...

Stereomood accordingly creates a playlist for you.

While you listen to songs you can add tags to the track, view similar artists, and even a list of signedin users who are in the same mood as you.

Besides, you can share what you're listening to on your social networks, and even download its app for your Android or iOS device.

www.stereomood.com

Musicovery

Each song listed on Musicovery has been curated and categorized using 40 parameters. The site's algorithm then plots the song - in the form of coloured dots - on a 'mood map'.

The 'moods' on the y-axis range from calm to energetic, while the x-axis has values for dark to positive. Simply click on any dot, and the site will start streaming that song. To make music discovery easier, the dots are colour coded to indicate over 15 genres. When a song is being streamed, Musicovery lists other similar tracks, and you can also browse artists by name, or discover songs by the decade they were released in.

Users can also download its app onto their Android and iOS handsets.

musicovery.com