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Get over 100 free songs from Google Music

Good ones, too, from artists like Sara Bareilles, John Legend, Bill Withers, and Oasis. All you need is a free Google Music account.

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
2 min read
Well, not exactly "hundreds," but definitely more than 100--and some quality stuff, too.
Well, not exactly "hundreds," but definitely more than 100--and some quality stuff, too. Google

Usually when I see the words "free music," I expect a smattering of indie tracks from artists I've never heard of. And that's exactly what I expected from Google Music's free songs promotion on Android Market.

Boy, was I wrong.

Google Music is giving away more than 100 tunes from the likes of Kelly Clarkson, Joss Stone, Busta Rhymes, Modest Mouse, John Mayer, Elvis Presley, and Kenny Chesney.

Don't have an Android smartphone or tablet? No problem. As long as you have a Google Music account, you can download all the tracks you want.

The songs are divided into four categories: country, pop/hip-hop, rock, and a free songs sampler. There's about 150 tracks between them, but because there's some overlap, the total is closer to 100.

Want to listen to a song before "buying" it? Just click the play button that appears when you mouse over the track number. If you decide to keep it, click the Free button, then follow the prompts.

Alas, there's no way to grab all the songs in one fell swoop; you have to "buy" them individually, one at a time. Each time you do, the song gets added to your Google Music library, where you can listen to it in your browser or on your Android smartphone or tablet. You also have the option of downloading it to your PC (where you can add it to, say, iTunes).

I'm not sure how long Google's planning to run this promotion, but the good news is that whatever songs you add to your Google Music library are yours to keep forever.

So, what's worth getting? My top picks: "Let It Be" by Bill Withers, "Wonderwall" by Oasis, "Superman (It's Not Easy)" by Five for Fighting, and "Shining Star" by Earth, Wind, and Fire. (Yeah, I have eclectic tastes.) Hit the comments and let me know which freebies you're grooving to.