- Type the song or the artist into the search box. Suggestions appear while you type.
- Or paste a YouTube link. The Paste button drops in whatever you copied last.
- Use the filter above the results to keep only official videos, lyric videos, audio or live versions.
- Press Play to listen. The player at the bottom lets you jump to any point in the track.
- Press MP3 or MP4, pick a quality, then press Download.
Search a song. Hear it first. Keep it as MP3 or MP4.
By searching you agree to our Terms of Use.
Popular Music
What South Africa is playing this week.
- 01
5:06 - 02
7:06 - 03
4:07 - 04
3:01 - 05
5:06 - 06
4:32 - 07
6:47 - 08
3:40 - 09
4:22 - 10
4:22 - 11
3:10 - 12
8:39
African songs ranked by YouTube plays in South Africa, week to . Data: YouTube Charts.
MP3Juice
MP3Juice, also written MP3 Juice or MP3Juices, is a free music search tool that runs in your browser. Type a song title or an artist, or paste a YouTube link, and every match comes back with its length, its uploader and its view count.
Press Play to hear a result before you decide. When it is the right one, choose MP3 for the sound alone or MP4 for the video, and pick the quality that suits your phone and your data.
- Free to use, with no account
- Runs in the browser, nothing to install
- Every result can be played before you save it
How it works
- 1. Search
Type a song or an artist, or paste a YouTube link.
- 2. Listen first
Press Play to check it is the version you want.
- 3. Choose your file
Pick MP3 or MP4, pick a quality, and save it.
MP3Juice guide: search, listen, save
What to know before you press Download: how the search works, which quality to pick, where the file ends up on your phone, and which music you may keep.
- Pick MP3 when you only want to listen. The picture is what makes a file heavy.
- Choose 128 kbps for speech and background music. Twelve 4-minute songs come to about 46 MB at 128 kbps and about 115 MB at 320 kbps.
- Preview a few seconds, not the whole song. Listening online uses data too.
- Keep large downloads for Wi-Fi.
The number is the bitrate: how much data the file spends on each second of sound. MP3 saves space by compressing the music, and some detail is lost on the way. At 128 kbps a file is about one eleventh the size of the same music at CD quality, according to the Library of Congress.
| Quality | One minute | A 4-minute song | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 320 kbps | 2.4 MB | 9.6 MB | Headphones and good speakers |
| 192 kbps | 1.4 MB | 5.8 MB | Everyday listening |
| 128 kbps | about 1 MB | 3.8 MB | Speech and tight data |
Sizes are bitrate multiplied by length. One limit to remember: a download cannot sound better than the upload it comes from, so 320 kbps of a poor recording is only a bigger file.
MP3
Sound only. Small files that play in almost any music app, in the car and on older phones. Pick it for songs, albums and podcasts.
MP4
Picture and sound in one file. Pick it when you want to watch the video offline, and expect a file several times larger.
Work on MP3 began in the late 1980s at Fraunhofer IIS in Germany, and the format became an international standard in 1993. Its licensing programme ended on 23 April 2017.
MP4 is a container, not one kind of content: the same file type can carry video with sound, or sound on its own (MPEG-4 file format description).
Android
Open the Files app to find what you downloaded. If your phone has no Files app, its maker may ship a file manager of its own (Android Help).
iPhone
Open the Files app, tap Browse, then Downloads. If the folder is missing, look under iCloud Drive (iPhone User Guide).
On either phone, tap a file to open it.
Many sites and apps use the MP3Juice name, and not all of them behave well. Four habits keep you out of trouble.
- You never need to sign in, pay or type card details to search here.
- MP3Juice works in the browser. We do not ask you to install an app, an extension or an APK file.
- Refuse when a page asks to send you notifications. Chrome can block those requests for every site (Google Chrome Help).
- Look at the address bar before you search, so you know which site you are on.
A free download is not always a permitted one. Copyright belongs to the artist or the label, and they decide who may copy a recording.
The YouTube Terms of Service do not allow downloading a video unless YouTube itself offers that option, or YouTube and the rights holder have agreed in writing. Some creators publish their work under a Creative Commons licence instead, which lets others reuse it as long as they credit the creator.
You are on safe ground with:
- your own recordings and uploads;
- music in the public domain;
- tracks under a Creative Commons licence. All six licences ask you to credit the creator, and some rule out commercial use or changes;
- music the artist or the label offers as a free download.
These libraries exist so that people can download music legally.
- YouTube Audio LibraryRoyalty-free music and sound effects inside YouTube Studio. Each track has a Download button that gives you an MP3.
- Free Music ArchiveOriginal music by independent artists. Most of it is under a Creative Commons licence, shown on each track.
- MusopenA non-profit that offers classical recordings and sheet music for free, without copyright restrictions.
- No sound when you press Play.Check the volume and the silent switch, then press Play again. Some phones only start sound on the second tap.
- Your search comes back empty.Check the spelling, or add the artist name after the title.
- The link is not recognised.Copy the full address of the video, starting with https, and paste it again.
- You got the wrong version.Use the filter above the results to switch between official videos, lyric videos, audio and live versions.
- The file will not open.Download it as MP3. Almost every music app plays MP3, while some players cannot open MP4.
Sources (9)
- Library of Congress, MP3 format description: how MP3 compresses sound and how its size compares with CD audio.
- Library of Congress, MPEG-4 file format: what an MP4 file can hold.
- Fraunhofer IIS: where MP3 was developed and when its licensing programme ended.
- Android Help: where downloaded files are found on an Android phone.
- Apple, iPhone User Guide: where downloaded files are found on an iPhone.
- Google Chrome Help: how Chrome handles and blocks notification requests.
- YouTube Terms of Service: when downloading from YouTube is permitted.
- Creative Commons: what each of the six licences allows.
- YouTube Charts: the weekly South African chart behind the Popular Music list.
Facts checked on .
Questions and answers
Is MP3Juice free to use?
Yes. There is no charge and no account. The site runs in your browser, so there is nothing to install.
Is there an MP3Juice app?
No app is needed. MP3Juice works in the browser on Android, iPhone and computers. Apps that carry the MP3Juice name in app stores are not made by this site.
What is the difference between MP3 and MP4?
MP3 holds only the sound, so the file is small and plays in almost any music app. MP4 keeps the picture as well, which makes the file several times larger.
Which MP3 quality should I choose?
320 kbps sounds best and takes about 2.4 MB for every minute of music. 192 kbps takes about 1.4 MB a minute and 128 kbps just under 1 MB a minute, which helps when data or storage is tight.
Can I paste a YouTube link?
Yes. Paste the link into the search box, or press the Paste button, and the song opens with its Play button and its download choices.
Does MP3Juice work on iPhone?
Yes. Open the site in Safari. Downloaded files go to the Downloads folder in the Files app.
Why does my download sound flat?
A file can only be as good as the upload it comes from. Try another result, for example the official audio, and pick 320 kbps.
Which music am I allowed to download?
Save only music you have the right to keep: your own recordings, public-domain tracks, songs under a Creative Commons licence, or music the rights holder lets you download.