Why Download Free Music with Your Library Card?

Enjoy commercial-free music without a paid subscription.

While libraries are mostly known for offering free books, it’d be more accurate to say that they offer free access to community and culture. Community events, clubs, and books are just the beginning of what the library provides for its patrons. In many cases, you can also use your library card to access other forms of media like video games, movies, and, most notably, music. Here’s how it works.

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How Do You Access Free Music through the Library?

Libraries typically allow you to access music in one of two ways: checking out a physical CD or downloading songs from a specialized music rental service.

Generally, checking out a song or album works very similarly to the checkout process for a book. You take the music home with you, hold onto it for a set period of time, and then return it when that period ends. 

Downloading free music from your library gives you access to a wide variety of music for countless purposes. 

Looking to put together music for a church event? You can check out some gospel music and contemporary Christian music. Trying to learn an instrument? You can check out some piano music and songs with guitar, along with books that will help you learn to play along.

Trying to put together a classic playlist of your top one hundred greatest songs of the ’80s? Classic rock music is readily available. The library’s supply of music is just as vast as its supply of books, so just look around and see what catches your eye!

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Hoopla and Freegal

If you’re looking to download music through the library rather than check out a CD, it’s important to know what services libraries use. Typically, they’ll use one or both of two services: Hoopla and Freegal. Be sure to check your library’s website to figure out which ones they offer. Both Hoopla and Freegal are useful, but they have a few key differences worth noting.

• Ownership. With Hoopla, the music you check out is automatically returned after seven days. With Freegal, the music you download is yours to keep.
• Holds. Neither service requires holds, as they only use digital files. You can download the music on the spot, no matter how many others currently have the same music checked out.
• Checkout Limits. With Hoopla, you can check out up to sixteen songs a month. With Freegal, you can download and own up to five songs a week.

Both of these services are invaluable tools for music enthusiasts. Visit your local library’s website to see if they offer music through Hoopla or Freegal, and start listening to your favorite tunes ad-free today!

Want to learn more about the many ways you can experience art, music, and literature through the library? Check out our Lifestyle feature page today!

Visit www.everylibrary.org to learn more about our work on behalf of libraries. 

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