Top Sites like Limewire – Alternatives for downloading tunes

Before free music was readily available via mediums such as YouTube and Spotify, millions of people used to flock to a programme called ‘Limewire’ to download music on to their devices.

In 2010, the programme was discontinued for legal reasons leaving people to turn elsewhere to download music.

While the vast majority of us are happy enough using streaming platforms such as Spotify,

Apple Music and Amazon Music for music consumption, there is still an appetite out there for programmes which allow users to download, and therefore ‘own’, their favourite songs and albums.

And for a period of time, Limewire was the best way to download and listen to music offline, though nowadays it’s been re-launched as an NFT marketplace.

In this article, we are going to recommend a few sites/programmes out there which offer a similar service to what Limewire used to offer for those of you who enjoy consuming music in this way.

Sites like Limewire – The best out there

uTorrent

When it comes to Limewire rip offs, there are few better out there than uTorrent.

Via uTorrent, users are able to download various types of media including songs, albums, eBooks and movies directly from other users on the platform.

This is what is known as P2P downloading and is the exact same system that Limewire used to use.

To download uTorrent, you need to head to their website and then click the download link.

At the first instance, you will be able to use uTorrent for free and will gain access to all of its core features with the only down side being the fact that the platform is riddled with ads.

To remove these ads and to gain access to a few “pro” features, you will have to sign up to one of their paid packages.

These pro features include HD streaming and automatic malware blocks to name but a few.

In order to download media on to uTorrent, you need to visit a torrent search engine on the web and search for the name of the song/album/video you want.

Select the option with the best reviews (to ensure it is a) good quality and b) not a virus) and then hit install. You can then download music files through the platform.

The media will then automatically be downloaded to uTorrent, meaning all you have to do is wait for it to finish downloading and then sit back and enjoy it.

While uTorrent is predominantly used on desktop computers and/or laptops via Windows, it is also available on Android devices meaning that some users will be able to enjoy their downloaded music on their mobile devices/tablets.

This is the best choice if you’re looking for a free file sharing software, and it’s a popular Limewire alternative with users too.

Luckywire

If you are looking for an exact replica of Limewire then Luckywire is just about as good as you are going to get due to the fact that it is virtually a complete clone of it. For downloading torrent files, it’s a solid choice.

Just like Limewire, and the previously mentioned uTorrent, Luckywire is a P2P download service, meaning you will be getting your downloads from other Luckywire users.

Unlike uTorrent though, everything you need is all within the platform thanks to its use of the Gnutella network.

Simply use the search bar within the platform to search for the type of media you are looking for and then hit download once you are sure that the download is safe and legitimate.

Thankfully, Luckywire provides free anti virus and malware scans after each download to protect you from anything malicious should one slip the net.

One great aspect of Luckywire are the download speeds, which are lightning fast compared to some of the other P2P providers on the market today.

It is also completely free, meaning that everything you access on the platform won’t cost you a penny.

The only downside is the fact that you will have to deal with adverts, however this is a small price to pay for free music.

To download Luckywire, follow this link and let the installation wizard do the rest.

You will need 25mb of space available on your computer in order to complete the download, which really isn’t a lot considering what will be at your disposable once you have finalised installation.

iTunes

Even back when Limewire was prominent, its main ‘legit’ competitor was iTunes in the sense that iTunes was a reliable platform for users to download music on to their devices – and it still is.

Back then, the most common device which users downloaded their iTunes songs on to were iPods because phones weren’t powerful enough to host music yet.

Nowadays they are, hence the iPod’s rapid fall from grace – though Apple released their Apple Music platform to combat this, allowing you to quickly download files for a monthly fee.

It could also be argued that this fee is the main reason why Limewire became popular was because of iTunes, and the fact that Apple’s music downloading platform costs money and Limewire didn’t.

To download songs/albums/playlists/podcasts from iTunes, users need to register for an account on the platform, search for the song/album/playlist/podcast that you wish to purchase and download and then follow the on screen instructions from there.

Although iTunes may now play second fiddle to streaming services, there is still a benefit to paying for music legally and that is the fact that once purchased, you then own that particular piece of media.

This is different to streaming services whereby you never take ownership over the media you stream, even though you are likely paying a monthly fee for the right to listen to it.

Unlike the platforms discussed above, iTunes is available across all devices including laptops, computers, tablets and phones, regardless of which operating system you use (eg Android, Windows, iOS).

Despite there being free options out there which do replicate Limewire, iTunes is definitely still the most reputable and safest way of downloading music, even in 2022.

Conclusion

Finding a Limewire alternative in 2022 perhaps shouldn’t be at the top of your agenda given the amount of streaming services out there which, together, offer you every song/album you could ever wish for and a huge collection of television series and movies.

However, if you are determined to use a platform similar to Limewire then we hope that our suggestions above help you to fill that void.