# Is there a site that you can listen to a specific song, with no video? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 26, 2015, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-site-that-you-can-listen-to-a-specific-song-with-no-video/713726 "2015-02-26T22:48:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2015, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-site-that-you-can-listen-to-a-specific-song-with-no-video/713726/1 "2015-02-26T22:48:20Z")
Is there a website where I can listen to a specific song, for free, without a music video attached? We are in the unfortunate situation of being so rural that good internet isn’t available, so I don’t want to have to download a video. I just want the song. Does anyone do that? I use Pandora, but I want occasionally to listen to (and link to, for a friend) a specific song. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2015, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-site-that-you-can-listen-to-a-specific-song-with-no-video/713726/2 "2015-02-26T22:52:48Z")
There is an [app](http://www.youtube-mp3.org/)to download YouTube videos into an MP3 file. I am not suggesting that you download copyrighted music. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2015, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-site-that-you-can-listen-to-a-specific-song-with-no-video/713726/3 "2015-02-26T22:56:57Z")
You can do that with the free version of Spotify. It just plays an ad every few songs. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2015, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-site-that-you-can-listen-to-a-specific-song-with-no-video/713726/4 "2015-02-26T23:10:09Z")
Yep. Spotify. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2015, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-site-that-you-can-listen-to-a-specific-song-with-no-video/713726/5 "2015-02-26T23:15:30Z")
Spotify. I’m surprised no one has mentioned it. But seriously, (1) it’s Spotify’s desktop version that allows you to choose exactly what track to play. Unless you upgrade to premium, the mobile app restricts you to shuffle mode. (2) one should be aware that no streaming site has absolutely everything in its database. Notably, back in November, Taylor Swift pulled all her stuff from streaming services and I have noticed that none of Van Morrison’s more recent stuff is on Spotify. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2015, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-site-that-you-can-listen-to-a-specific-song-with-no-video/713726/6 "2015-02-26T23:26:50Z")
Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2015, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-site-that-you-can-listen-to-a-specific-song-with-no-video/713726/7 "2015-02-26T23:42:43Z")
There’s also Soundcloud and Reverb Nation. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2015, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-site-that-you-can-listen-to-a-specific-song-with-no-video/713726/8 "2015-02-26T23:59:45Z")
In the past few months I’ve tested about two dozen online music services. By far I have found that Spotify has the best free streaming service of popular recordings. Spotify will nag you to upgrade to premium—and I have friends who tell me it’s worth it—but the free service still is solid. Most of the other services have some major drawback—(1) small library of licensed recordings, (2) quality service available only to paying members, (3) inability to choose specific recordings to stream (the Pandora model), (4) library has a lot of amateur (“cover”) recordings, (5) allows users to post links to shady/unlicensed/illegal uploads. SoundCloud, for example, suffers from no. 4 above. I kind of like Songza as well. Their model is to offer you several options regarding what you are doing (partying, driving, romancing, etc.) and some of your moods or preferences and they choose a playlist for you. If you are in the mood to let someone else pick your music, that’s not a bad way to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-site-that-you-can-listen-to-a-specific-song-with-no-video/713726/9 "2015-02-27T02:46:23Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Notably, back in November, Taylor Swift pulled all her stuff from streaming services and I have noticed that none of Van Morrison’s more recent stuff is on Spotify. I’m under the impression that nothing from the Beatles has ever been on any of them. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-site-that-you-can-listen-to-a-specific-song-with-no-video/713726/10 "2015-02-27T03:35:44Z")
> [@Keeve](#): > > I’m under the impression that nothing from the Beatles has ever been on any of them. I believe you’re right. ---
**Author:** ![williamweigand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b3f665/32.png) [@williamweigand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/williamweigand)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-site-that-you-can-listen-to-a-specific-song-with-no-video/713726/11 "2015-02-27T13:42:16Z")
> [@Keeve](#): > > I’m under the impression that nothing from the Beatles has ever been on any of them. I have Harry Nilsson Radio on Pandora and the Beatles come up on it just as often as Nilsson. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-site-that-you-can-listen-to-a-specific-song-with-no-video/713726/12 "2015-02-27T13:50:16Z")
Pandora is more like a radio station, so I think they can play whatever they want. They also have Led Zeppelin, which none of the others have. Back to the OP, has anyone mentioned Spotify? Only the desktop version, if you want it for free. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-site-that-you-can-listen-to-a-specific-song-with-no-video/713726/13 "2015-02-27T14:24:35Z")
Right but in order to qualify for that status, they can’t play exactly what you ask for. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-site-that-you-can-listen-to-a-specific-song-with-no-video/713726/14 "2015-02-27T14:29:48Z")
I like GrooveShark.