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.

1. 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.
   
2. 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.
   
3. 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.
   
4. 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.
   
5. 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.
   
6. 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!
   
   
7. 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!
   
8. 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!
   
9. BBC – Celtic Roots
   Leave it to the BBC to put out some of the finest traditional Celtic music downloads.
   
10. 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.
    
11. 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.
    
12. 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.
    
13. 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!
    
14. 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!
    
15. 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.
    
16. 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.
    
17. 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.
    
18. 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.
    
19. 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

1. 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.

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