How to get free books, music and movies on any device
Just because you can afford a smartphone or tablet doesn’t mean you should blow your budget on entertainment for your devices – such as movies, TV shows, music, ebooks, and audiobooks.
In fact, if you know where to look, there’s no shortage of high-quality, legal and completely free media to consume at home or on the go.
You already know about downloadable games and apps you don’t need to pay for, but there’s so much more to take advantage of.
The following is a look at a few suggestions. And feel free to share your own favourite n’ free picks for your smartphone, tablet, or laptop.
FREE EBOOKS
Why buy books when you can borrow them instead?
Using the free Overdrive app, you can borrow ebooks and audiobooks from your local library. And it’s not just the classics, but current bestsellers, too.
Borrowing books digitally means you don’t have to physically make your way to a library, plus you’ll never face late fees again. All you need is your library card and the free OverDrive installed on your phone or tablet.
Also, for free classics in the “public domain,” be sure to check out Project Gutenberg, which offers more than 53,000 free ebooks to download or read online. Popular picks include Great Expectations (Charles Dickens), Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen), Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland (Lewis Carroll), and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle).
FREE MUSIC
Rather than buying music by track or paying for a monthly subscription service, those who are tight on cash might consider the free version of Spotify, a stellar digital music, podcast, and video streaming service that gives you instant access to millions of songs and other content.
Playable on smartphones, tablets and computers, simply type in the name of the artist, song or genre you like — or browse by Charts, Moods, New Releases, Discover, and other sections.
Upgrading to Spotify Premium gives you access to high-quality streaming of more than 30 million tracks, no ads, support for offline play, and more.
Also consider the free TuneIn Radio app and website, which gives you access to more than 100,000 radio stations from around the world – from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe – and all searchable by genre, country or popularity. This also includes local radio stations, Internet-only ones, and countless podcasts, too.
Other recommended sites and apps for free music: Archive.org, and for online versions of popular Canadian radio stations, there’s also iHeartRadio.com and Radioplayer Canada.
FREE TV SHOWS, MOVIES
All the major Canadian TV networks – like CTV, Global TV, City TV, CBC, and so on — let you watch live or prerecorded shows on their respective websites and apps. For example, go to ctv.ca (or download the CTV GO app) and you can watch episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, The Big Bang Theory, The Voice, eTalk, How To Get Away With Murder, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Conan, The Bold and the Beautiful, Designated Survivor, and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Sure, they have commercials, but hey, free is free.
Along with an entire section devoted to free films, YouTube (or free app) has many episodes of mostly older TV shows, but can be a great way to relax on a lazy Sunday afternoon — maybe by connecting your computer to your big-screen television wirelessly through a Smart TV, Chromecast or Roku, or via an HDMI cable (which you can buy at your local dollar store). Also check out Crackle and tubiTV for free TV shows and movies.
And finally, don’t forget about so many great audio and video podcasts you can subscribe to.
