Social distancing means getting used to working from home. While I was a home based freelance writer for a long time, working from home while two other family members are working too, is a challenge.
Music is my workday friend. Not only is listening fun and relaxing, there’s the added benefit of cutting down on distractions. There are lots of streaming services out there, and many offer a free listening option, but the free accounts usually come with lots of ads, which add more distractions.
That led me to try Freegal (the name combines FREE and LEGAL), a music streaming and download service offered by AAPLD.
- To find Freegal, select the Online Library tab on the aapld.org home page
- Choose Online Resources and scroll down the alphabetical list of databases
- Click the link for Freegal, and subscribe by entering your library card number
Once you’re in, the Freegal homepage will show how many songs you’re allowed to download per week. In my case, the number is 5. Freegal also offers the option to stream music, either from existing playlists (try AAPLD’s jazzy Murder at Club 2600 list), or from a playlist you create yourself. Browse Freegal’s catalog by choosing genres, or searching for artists.
To search by artist, type a name into the search box to access everything in the Freegal catalog associate with that artist, including entire albums.
When I searched Cage the Elephant, I found a list of the band’s most popular songs. Since the song I was looking for wasn’t listed, I scrolled down to their albums, clicked open their most recent, and found it there. The little gray icons give you the option to download the song, or add it to a new or existing personal playlist. There’s also an option for Wishlist. (I’m not sure what this is, but some songs are restricted from downloading, so maybe it’s connected to that.)
Songs added to a personal PLAYLIST don’t count toward your download limit, I chose that, and continued searching until I had a playlist of about 10 songs. No matter which option you choose, you can access your music by selecting My Music from the menu on the left, then choosing SONGS (for downloads) or PLAYLIST.
There’s a lot to explore on Freegal, and I’m just scratching the surface, but it’s fun to have a new option for music, especially with one that comes with no monthly fees or commercials.
Want more music from your library? Check out Hoopla and Overdrive, too.
Happy listening and stay well!