Numerous MP3 blogs, otherwise called “music blogs” or “audio blogs”, have sprouted up since 2003, offering listeners the chance to get exposed not only to forgotten music and out-of-print albums, but also to new music being put out by new bands and indie labels. Below, we have collected some of the more well-regarded MP3 blogs across different musical genres. As you will note, many sites will host an MP3 for only a limited amount of time, making it so that you can sample music for free but also giving you an incentive to purchase music that you like and want to own. Have a look and feel free to let us know if we’re missing some good ones. Meanwhile, we’ll add to this list over time.
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- An Aquarium Drunkard: Based in Los Angeles, this eclectic audio blog “bridges the gap between contemporary indie and vintage garage, psych-folk, country, New Orleans funk, R&B, soul and everything that falls in between.”
- Brooklyn Vegan: Here you get a New York City-centric, mostly-music blog that focuses on reporting music news, live show reviews, tour dates, and, yes, MP3’s.
- Cacophonous: A classical music MP3 blog.
- Chromewaves: Along with the ruminations of a self-confessed indie rock geek, you get an “MP3 of the Week” that features a random or not-so-random cover song.
- Daytrotter: Gives you “exclusive, re-worked, alternate versions of old songs and unreleased tracks by some of your favorite bands and by a lot of your next favorite bands.”
- Destination: Out: A jazz blog focusing on rare or out-of-print music. Typically publishes twice a week, and leaves songs available for about two weeks.
- Discobelle: A Sweden-based music blog that posts single tracks and remixes and occasionally exclusive mixes from DJs all around the world.
- Done Waiting: Part film, part music with MP3s.
- Elbows: A meta collection of great music blog posts, which collectively provides you a snapshot of what’s going on in the new genre of audio/music blogging.
- Fluxblog: One of the oldest and most commonly cited MP3 blogs, this site posts two MP3s every weekday along with more related information.
- Gorilla vs. Bear: One of the biggies worth checking out.
- I Guess I’m Floating: A good music blog with a good sprinkling of MP3s.
- Idolator: Maybe this summary will help: “When the internet came, we overthrew the pasty white tastemakers, the duplicitous music marketers and the manufactured pop idols. And then they all came back. This is Idolator. We’re so disappointed.”
- La Blogotheque: A well-regarded French language MP3 blog.
- Largehearted Boy: A “music blog featuring daily free and legal music downloads as well as news from the worlds of music, literature, and pop culture.”
- Marathon Packs: Writes about and lets you listen to interesting songs, to paraphrase the sites self-description. Keeps audio files posted for two weeks.
- Moistworks: An audio blog started in April 2004 (meaning it has a track record) that gets updated Monday through Friday.
- Motel De Moka: A daily blog posting eclectic playlists, including indie rock, acoustics and ambient.
- My Old Kentucky Blog: What’s new and hot in indie rock, pop, folk and hip-hop.
- Nothing But Green Lights: An MP3 blog that keeps track of indie, electro, folk & pop, all from the UK. The site only posts tracks that the internet is giving away for free, or ones that have been granted permission.
- Product Shop NYC: Although not exclusively an MP3 blog, you do get some MP3s worth your time here.
- Said the Gramophone: Launched in 2003, the site is among the first MP3 blogs and it offers a daily sampler of “really good songs,” although all songs are removed within a week or two of posting. The blog comes out of Canada.
- Six Eyes: An MP3 blog by Alan Williamson.
- Skatter Brain: A mostly indiepop music blog.
- So Much Silence: MP3s a plenty.
- Soul Crates: Your home for soul MP3s.
- Stereogum: A popular gossipy blog about the indie music scene. The site often posts MP3s of new music, plus offers record reviews, announces tour dates, and covers music festivals.
- The Hype Machine: The Hype Machine tracks and aggregates a variety of MP3 blogs. Another meta approach.
- The Music Slut: A comprehensive music blog with oodles of MP3s.
- Trrill: Another good classical music audio blog.
- WFMU Beware of the Blog: An MP3 blog run by WFMU, an independent freeform radio station broadcasting out of NYC.
- Who Needs Radio?: We believe in music, not money. We’re here to keep your ears alive.
- You Ain’t No Picasso: A good music blog with a very nice blogroll and MP3s too.
