Free Downloadable Movie Soundtracks

From LoveToKnow Music

Free downloadable movie soundtracks can be a little difficult to come by online, but you do have options. Soundtracks are more widely available online for streaming, but there are ways to get your hands on downloadable soundtracks so you can take your favorite movie tunes with you wherever you go.

About Soundtracks

Soundtracks were created by the movie industry in response to cast recordings from Broadway musicals. The very first soundtrack was Till The Cloud Roll By, which featured music from the film of the same name – a biopic of the life of Jermone Kern, the man behind the musical Showboat. The album was released by MGM, which also helped coin the term “soundtrack” when they billed the release as “recorded directly from the soundtrack."

Mass Production

The invention of a new mass production method for vinyl albums and the increase in popularity of musical cinema helped the soundtrack format take off in the 1950s. Since then, soundtracks have become an important tool for both the film and music industries. The music used in films can be a promotional tool for the movie itself, and sometimes film companies use popular soundtracks as a way of drawing people into the movie. Television has since gotten into the game, and some TV shows release their own soundtracks as well.

Back Catalog Music Gets a New Life

For the music industry, soundtracks often represent a way to re-energize back catalog music. Labels, publishers and artists benefit when a film company licenses a track to be used in the film and on the soundtrack that accompanies that film. There are two different licenses involved in getting permission to play the track during the film and for using it on the soundtrack album, so soundtrack use can be a good way to squeeze some extra earnings out of a track. Likewise, a popular soundtrack or placement in a popular film can breathe new life into a song that has stopped selling, bring renewed interest to a band that has fallen from the spotlight or make overnight stars of underground musicians. Juno helped launch indie band The Moldy Peaches into mainstream success, while the use of Don’t Stop Believing by Journey in The Sopranos series finale helped the song become the first ever back catalog track to pass the two million sales mark on iTunes.

Free Downloadable Movie Soundtracks

Although there are more options for streaming soundtracks than downloading them for free, the following websites offer some options for free downloadable movie soundtracks:

EZ Tracks – EZ Tracks offers a decent selection of the most popular movie soundtracks for free and easy download. Simply use their search feature to find out if the soundtrack you are after is available on their site.

EKD – EKD has a database of over 24,000 soundtracks for free download, so if you can think of a soundtrack, chances are that it is here. To download from the site, you will need to sign up for a free membership and download their software.

ArtistDirect – Finding the soundtrack you want on ArtistDirect is easy. Finding it for free is a little harder. This site has a mix of free and paid soundtrack downloads, but it is certainly worth a try if you’re looking for free soundtrack download options.