Streaming Music: From Classical to Classic Rock and More

Music lovers—headbangers, dancers or people who just like to chill and vibe—might not like the same types of music, but they all have performers, bands and songs that they’d describe as “classic.”

There are many streaming services to help them discover and rediscover the best in music, but we’re here to tell you about two services that will help you find and play the signature songs of your favorite musical genres. Best of all, these services are absolutely free. All you need is a Canton Public Library card.

hoopla

With hoopla, you can stream directly to your computer via an internet browser or download the app to your mobile device. You can check out up to 20 items a month. You can also shuffle-play an album or albums that you’ve checked out.

You can search hoopla in many ways, but the easiest way to cast a wide net is by searching via genre.

If you’re looking for classics to rock out and bang your head to, hoopla has multiple albums by groups like Queen, the Rolling Stones, Iron Maiden, and Metallica. If you’re a hip-hop fan, you’ll find seminal albums from groups like Public Enemy and NWA.

And, if you like your "classics" to be truly classical, hoopla has many different styles—from brass, cantatas and chamber music to violins and everything in between.

Alexander Street Press: Music Online

If you want to really dig deep into the classics, you'll need to venture outside of your usual apps and explore the Music Online collections from Alexander Street Press. You can create, save and browse playlists. Unlike hoopla, it’s only available to stream directly from your computer.

Alexander Street’s catalog is not as diverse as hoopla’s, but if you’re a fan of classical, jazz or American folk music, you’ll find lots to like. Their collections of all three genres are extensive, and you can stream as many songs as you like for as long as you want.