19 Celtic Music Websites with
Free Music Downloads
by
Bard Marc Gunn
With
the demise of MP3.com, I felt it was time to compile a new list of
websites where people can find legal, full-length Celtic music downloads.
Most offer totally free MP3s, but some are paid sites.
Also,
while I do encourage the distribution of MP3s to promote Celtic music
artists, I do want to stress these MP3s are a tool to an end. The
end is the purchase of a CD to help support the heart. If people just
download and don't purchase, then they do no good and the major labels
that are attacking the consumers won. So while you may not have money
now, please get to know artists you like and when you do have a few
extra dollars, order a CD or other product to help
save free Celtic music alive.
If you
have a suggestion for a site, make sure there are more than five full-length
Celtic music MP3 downloads by a minimum of five different artists
that are downloadable. If you meet that requirement, contact
me, and I will add ye to the list.
- Marc
Gunn's Free MP3 Music Download of the Month
This is my personal website featuring my own free music downloads.
Every month, I post a new Celtic or Folk MP3 that is freely available.
Signup to my weekly
newsletter to find out when the new MP3 has arrived.
- Brobdingnagian
Bards Free MP3s
In addition to my personal MP3s, my band releases a new Celtic music
MP3 every month. We've given away our entire catalog since we first
began releasing our music in the MP3 format.
- Celtic
MP3s Music Magazine
It started out working in conjunction with MP3.com. Now that MP3.com
is gone, I will feature free Celtic music downloads throughout the
net.
- Celtic
music at Amazon.com
Many people do not realize, but Amazon.com has a huge number of
free Celtic music downloads designed to help sell Celtic music CDs.
Check the folk, international and New Age categories for your musical
preference.
- Austin
Celtic Association - Celtic music, dance and Celtic Festival
I've had a pretty good influence on local Celtic music. There are
number of bands who wisely offer their own music as free Celtic
music downloads.
- Cantaria
Cantaria is a library of "bardic" folk songs, mostly from
Ireland, Scotland and England, intended to be an educational tool
for propagating the living song tradition through passing on folk
songs (old and new) in a medium where far-flung singers can share
songs as easily as if we were all circled up around a fire. It was
begun with Ren Faires in mind, but developed into something much
greater!
- Temple
Records - Scottish Traditional Music and Songs
The Temple Records website gives you access to the best in Scottish
Traditional Music, plus a little bit of Irish Music for good measure.
Temple Records is the official store of the Battlefield Band. They
offer a number of free Celtic music downloads and are very friendly
and personable. Great site if you're looking to buy music!
- Celtic
World Italy - Celtic Music
While the site is all in Italian, this website has an amazing assortment
of free Celtic music downloads by Italian and European Celtic music
groups. You'd be surprised by some of the great music listed here!
- BBC
– Celtic Roots
Leave it to the BBC to put out some of the finest traditional Celtic
music downloads.
- Celtic
Cafe
At present, Celtic Cafe doesn't have any direct links to Celtic
music downloads, but there are some on the site. Just head over
to the Music section and search through the artists.
- Vitaminic
Celtic music
Vitaminic has had free Celtic music downloads on their website for
a while. They've also been selling mp3s for a while, which makes
me really wonder why the site hasn't done better in the paid Celtic
music download market. Whatever the case, you can find a bunch of
downloads for free or for a wee bit o'money.
- Green
Linnet
One of the premiere Celtic music record labels, Green Linnet also
hosts some of the finest Celtic music groups, and when they officially
launched their online music campaign, they added a nice mix of free
Celtic music downloads to their site. Admittedly, I list them way
down, because their accounting practices and lack of payment to
artists make me a bit unhappy with them.
- Music
Scotland
Music Scotland has become one of the premiere places online to shop
for Celtic music. They don't have a huge number Celtic music downloads
considering how many CDs they offer for sale, but that's okay, because
the quality of their Celtic music downloads is great!
- Foot
Stompin' Celtic Music
This is one of my favorite sites to find free new Celtic music downloads.
Every month, they feature a new MP3 by a variety of Celtic artists.
In addition, they have some great CD deals and good discussion forms.
Oh, and I love their newsletter!
- SoundClick
Celtic music charts
SoundClick is one of the best touted free music communities out
there. Considering it's free to join and it's other services. I'm
guessing it'll become of the more popular sites to feature free
Celtic music downloads. Right now, however, there are not a huge
number of Celtic music groups listed.
- IUMA
IUMA has been around for a long time. The site doesn't feature
a Celtic music chart, but you can always head to the Folk or World
music charts to find some great Celtic music downloads.
- eFolkmusic
Downloads
eFolkmusic features some of the finest folk music albums around.
It also has a decent number, but great list of free Celtic music
downloads. However, many of the downloads are paid downloads instead
of free ones.
- Emusic.com
Emusic is one of the first successful websites to offer an MP3 subscription
service. They have hundreds of great Celtic music downloads that
you can purchase. And when ye join, ye get 50 MP3s for free.
- Electric
Scotland Scottish/Celtic music
Electric Scotland has put together a decent collection of Celtic
music downloads by a mix of popular Scottish artists. Many are offered
courtesy of Greentrax Records, one of the other top record labels
online.
Bonus Celtic Music Website with Free Music Downloads
- Celtic
Music on Armydiller.com
Streaming music, clips and full downloads. Paula Lynch has put together
a site that regularly features great Celtic music downloads, including
some of her own amazing stuff!
Bard
Marc Gunn is a Celtic & Folk musician singer/songwriter
for the Brobdingnagian Bards.
Marc has helped hundreds of Celtic music groups due to the popularity
of his weekly publication, the Celtic
MP3s Music Magazine, and he is dedicated to helping increase public
awareness of Celtic music and culture. Subscribe to one of his newsletters
for free gifts, including: MP3s, CDs, eBooks, and more.
Publish
this article on your website? You are welcome to do so as long as
you include the text and links exactly as it is written above. Then
let me know
where you're publishing it.
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Next Gigs: (details)
Apr 22-24, AggieCon, College Station, TX
May 13-14, Irish Dragoon Pub - 7:30pm to 11:30pm, Killeen, TX
May 20-22, OPUS Fantasy Arts Festival, Denver , CO
Aug 27, Shakespeare Fundraiser Party - 6:30pm to 10pm, Austin , TX
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