The ability to stream has made it possible to access all types of media at a moment’s notice. In the past, consuming media had to be done at a certain time. For example, you had to wait for your favorite TV show to come on at a certain time and you had to wait for the radio to play your favorite song.
However, new advances in technology do come with a cost. The most popular streaming platforms charge a monthly or yearly subscription, and even though some are as low as $4.99 a month, others can be as high as $69.99 a month. The good news is that there are ways to stream media for free.
Free Media Streaming Platforms
The easiest (and legal) way to stream free media is by subscribing to free services. Here are a few streaming services that are completely or partially free.
Free Music Streaming Platforms
Amazon Prime Music
This music streaming service is partially free because it comes free if you’re an Amazon Prime member. The music library isn’t as huge as some of the other platforms, but unlike the others, there are no ads and you can skip as many songs as you like.
Pandora
Pandora is one of the oldest and most popular music streaming platforms. The free option allows you to listen to music (with ads), but it limits the amount of songs you can skip.
Spotify
Spotify is another popular music streaming service. It’s free with ads and allows you to skip around six songs per hour.
YouTube Music
YouTube Music is YouTube’s music streaming service that allows you to listen to music and watch music videos. It’s free— although it does play ads every few songs and music stops playing once you exit the app.
Free TV/Movie Streaming Platforms
Crackle
If you’re looking for free, original content then Crackle is your best option. With that being said, you can find a full library of lesser-known movies and TV shows.
Peacock
Peacock is the streaming service from NBC, so that means you’ll get access to a lot of shows and movies from this network. The free tier doesn’t give you access to everything Peacock has to offer, but there’s over 13,000 hours of content to stream— with ads.
Pluto TV
Pluto TV is owned by Viacom, and although it doesn’t have a huge library like Peacock, it does allow you to watch live TV. The only downside is that although it is live TV, there aren’t any modern shows.
Tubi
Tubi is a really impressive free streaming platform. While it doesn’t offer live TV, modern TV shows, or even original TV shows, it does offer more than 20,000 TV shows and movies to choose from.
Other free streaming platforms include Amazon Prime Video (again, free with Amazon Prime), Sling TV, Xumo, and Vudu.
Other Ways to Access Free Media
Just like there are cheat codes to video games, there are (legal) “cheat codes” to accessing free movies and TV shows on your television— even if you don’t own a smart TV. However, it should be noted that although it’s legal, certain ISPs (internet service providers) and geo-restrictions may make streaming— both free and paid— a lot more difficult. This is why a VPN (virtual private network) is recommended when streaming.
Kodi from TROYPOINT is a media platform that can be installed on a number of different types of devices. With this platform, you’ll be able to house TV shows, movies, music, music videos, and much more content— for free! Install Kodi on your Fire Stick, Fire TV, Fire Cube, and other devices to get access to a huge library of free media content.
Because these platforms and methods aren’t the most popular ways to stream— TV shows and movies, especially— you may not always be able to find what you’re looking for. However, that’s the trade off that comes with free streaming. These are still the best options if you want free media; however, some of the more affordable streaming platforms include:
- Apple TV ($4.99/month)
- Paramount Plus ($4.99/month or $49.99/year)
- Peacock Plus ($4.99/month)
- Hulu’s basic plan ($6.99/month)
- Disney Plus ($7.99/month)
Some of the most popular streaming platforms will offer you a free trial— although these free trials usually do not last for more than seven days. There are also more affordable options if you’re willing to pay a small subscription fee each month. Still, with many options for free streaming— whether it’s TV or other media— it’s a good idea to try these tips before paying for a subscription to a more popular streaming service.
