When you’re on the road, it’s important for everyone tagging along to stay entertained on the way to your destination. Unwinding after a long day of driving can also help you stay in good spirits. Whether you’re in the mood to watch a movie, chill out with some music, or read a book, here’s a list of free entertainment options:
Movies & TV
- Tubi – Offers a large library of movies and TV shows for free with ads. Owned by Fox Corporation.
- Pluto TV – Provides live TV channels, movies, and on-demand content across various genres.
- The Roku Channel – Offers free movies, TV shows, and live channels, available on Roku devices and online.
- Xumo – Provides a variety of live and on-demand channels, including news, sports, and entertainment.
- YouTube – Hosts a wide range of free videos, including movies, TV clips, user-generated content, and channels.
- Samsung TV Plus – Free live and on-demand channels available on Samsung smart TVs and streaming devices.
Music
- Spotify: Still the global leader. The free version offers ad-supported streaming. In 2026, the desktop app remains more flexible than mobile, often allowing more specific song selection and unlimited skips for certain curated playlists.
- YouTube Music: Excellent for finding rare covers, live performances, and remixes that aren’t on other platforms. The free tier includes ads and requires the screen to be on (on mobile) unless you use the desktop web player.
- Amazon Music Free: Available to everyone (not just Prime members), though Prime members get a slightly expanded “Prime Music” catalog. The completely free tier is ad-supported and mostly station-based.
- SoundCloud: The ultimate home for indie artists and DJs. While “SoundCloud Go” is their paid tier, millions of tracks are uploaded by creators and are free to stream and sometimes even download.
- Bandcamp: A “record store” feel. Most artists allow you to stream their tracks for free a few times before asking for a purchase, and many offer “pay what you want” downloads.
- Audiomack: Very popular for Hip-Hop, Rap, and Reggae. It allows for a lot of free streaming and even offline playback for certain “trending” songs without a subscription.
- iHeartRadio: Perfect for live local radio stations and custom artist stations. It’s completely free and supported by traditional radio ads.
- TuneIn: Access to over 100,000 global radio stations. It’s the best way to listen to international music and news for free.
- Radio Paradise: A high-quality, listener-supported internet radio station with no ads. It features eclectic mixes curated by real DJs.
- Freegal Music: Pro Tip: If you have a library card, check if your local library participates. Freegal allows you to stream and legally keep a certain number of MP3 downloads per week for free.
Books
- Libby by OverDrive: The gold standard for library apps. It allows you to borrow ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines directly to your phone or Kindle.
- Hoopla Digital: Unlike Libby, there are usually no “waitlists” on Hoopla. If your library supports it, you can borrow titles instantly, though you are typically limited to a certain number of checkouts per month.
- Palace Project: An open-source platform used by many libraries to provide a unified way to access various ebook collections in one app.
- Project Gutenberg: The oldest and most famous digital library. It hosts over 75,000 free ebooks. In 2026, it is the best place to find works that recently entered the public domain, such as early Nancy Drew mysteries and works by Agatha Christie.
- Standard Ebooks: This site takes public domain texts (often from Project Gutenberg) and professionally formats them with modern typography and cover art so they look beautiful on e-readers.
- Global Grey Ebooks: A curated collection of thousands of high-quality, free ebooks, particularly strong in esoteric, mythological, and historical texts.
Want some audiobooks for when you’re on the road? Give these sites a look:
- LibriVox: Free public domain audiobooks read by volunteers from around the world.
- Loyal Books: Provides a clean interface to browse public domain audiobooks and ebooks simultaneously.
Whatever you’re in the mood for, you’re bound to find something with one of these services.
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