How to Stream 8Tracks From Outside the US and Canada in 2024

Media streaming and social networks are all the rage on today’s internet. 8Tracks is an internet radio streaming platform that brings both worlds together. It is a website in which the platform’s users can put together a track list for other users to enjoy – each list must include at least eight tracks, as the platform’s name suggests. It’s an exciting option for all those Pandora and Spotify users tired of repeatedly listening to the same recommended tracks. However, there is a catch — you cannot stream 8Tracks outside the US or Canada.

Indeed, it was a relatively disappointing development to see the platform, previously open to the world until February 2016, restricting its services with geographic limitations. But all is not lost for those music lovers away from Canada and the US, as there are two ways to keep enjoying 8Tracks.

One option is to play 8Track music streams through YouTube. While this option exists, many users complain that it won’t work correctly. This is why it’s a lucky thing that a second option is also available: using a VPN to listen to 8Track outside the US and Canada.

Keep reading this guide to find out how to use the best VPN services to unlock 8Tracks from any country worldwide.

Using a VPN to listen to 8Tracks outside the US

8Tracks was available worldwide until last February when the platform announced that its streaming service would only serve music lovers from the US and Canada. Since then, the rest of the world gets an error message instead of the music they expect and want. Fortunately, it’s still possible to enjoy 8Tracks’ music from any place on the planet with the help of a good VPN service.

VPN services encrypt all your digital traffic and hide your physical location by giving you a new IP address from their server network. Thus, you can use a VPN to be virtually in any country in which your VPN has a server. Here’s how to do it:

Top VPNs to unblock 8Tracks abroad – The quick list

The VPN market has snowballed in recent years, so many vendors are out there. However, if you want to stream 8Tracks outside the US and Canada, not every VPN will do the job. You have to choose one of the best ones in the industry.

We will describe the best three VPNs you can use with 8Tracks outside the US and Canada in full detail later in this guide, but if you’re already in a rush and need to know the gist of it, here is our quick list.

How to choose a good VPN for 8Tracks

The increasing popularity and demand for VPN services have made the market flourish. Consequently, the industry is flooded with options claiming to offer reliable, safe, and advanced service. But alas, things are never so simple. The VPN market is no different from any other, with only a handful of excellent services providing the best quality.

Because VPNs provide such fundamental services, it’s critical to pick the best one. It’s not just that your security and privacy depend on it. But also, because only the best VPNs have geo-unblocking capabilities, you need to stream 8Track outside Canada and the US.

So how did we choose the best VPNs to stream 8Track? We considered the following factors:

• Fast servers. Speed is a critical factor when you’re streaming audiovisual content. Otherwise, your experience will include annoying buffering and interruptions.
• Many locations. Every location gives you a window into a different internet experience. In the case of 8Tracks, the essential thing is to have servers in the US and Canada. But having other options is helpful in other cases too.
• Unblocks 8Tracks and other streaming services. You can’t take for granted that any given VPN will unblock this or that service. This requires additional efforts by the providers because the streaming services are fighting hard to stop them.
• User-friendly apps for all the primary platforms. 
• Good customer suport. Hopefully, you’ll never need it. But if any problem arises, then you should be able to tackle it quickly and reliably.
• No-logs policy. The no-logs policy is the only guarantee from your VPN vendor to protect your privacy. So, it’s essential to pick one that honors this practice.

After considering those variables, our expert staff came up with three outstanding VPNs that provide the best 8Track experience if you’re not in Canada or the US.

Best VPNs to stream 8Tracks outside the US

1. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is the most prominent name in the VPN business for good reasons. It’s been at the top of the game for a long time. And whenever we test the best VPNs to pick the best for any specific task, it keeps coming on top of our list.

ExpressVPN boasts the fastest VPN network on the internet. These high speeds make it the perfect choice for users who want their VPN to unblock streaming services. And also, it’s the VPN that can unblock the largest number of video and audio streaming services by far.

The apps this vendor provides are among the best and friendliest, available for all the major operating systems and even for some less-known devices.

ExpressVPN is a better option for streaming content because of its MediaStreamer. This media player takes advantage of the VPN’s Smart DNS technology to unblock 8Tracks (and many other media platforms) more efficiently than any other VPN.

This provider keeps no logs, has excellent customer service, and allows five devices to be in the network simultaneously.

If ExpressVPN has any disadvantage, it’s the price. Its subscription fees are higher than the market average, which could dissuade some users from choosing this vendor. However, you can try this VPN for 30 days without risking any money. So you can be sure that the service is worth your hard-earned money.

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2. Private Internet Access (PIA)

PIA is an ideal VPN if you want to watch 8Tracks outside US and Canada on a budget. It boasts a strong encryption protocol mainly used by government agencies and the military. 

For instance, IKEv2/IPSec makes the VPN ideal if you do online radio streaming. The protocol creates stable links with different servers, making it worthwhile for radio streaming purposes. 

A strict no-logs policy ensures that your no identifiable digital footprint is stored by the servers. This adds extra protection from ISPs and trackers who might be seeking to collect your private data when streaming on 8Tracks. 

Furthermore, the advanced split tunneling feature offers you top-notch protection against various threats. With this feature, you can divide your traffic into two; one to travel via a secure tunnel when using 8Tracks and the other via a local area network for other purposes such as online banking.  PIA also has multiple compatibility, so you don’t have to worry whether it supports your usual device. The VPN works on Windows, Smart TVs, Chrome, Linux, macOS, iOS, and Android. In addition, it has no limitation on the number of connected devices. As such, you can connect an unlimited number of devices via the same account and still listen to music on 8Tracks.

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3. Surfshark

Surfshark is a relatively new player in the VPN industry. But it’s shaking the market by offering a top-notch service with many extra features at a cost well below the market average. As a result, this vendor gives you one of the best services on a budget.

The network includes more than three thousand servers in more than 100 countries. As a result, it can bypass the geo-blocks in almost every streaming service. In addition, it exhibits military-grade security with many extra features that enhance the digital experience of all types of users.

Surfshark has obfuscated servers that can bypass the Great Firewall of China, protection against all types of leaks, malware blocking, and a kill switch. The customer service is excellent too.

The speeds are fast enough for gaming, supporting HD video streams, torrenting, and any other task you can imagine.

If costs used to be an obstacle for prospective VPN users in the past, Surfshark eliminates it as it can fit into any budget.

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4. NordVPN

NordVPN is affordable, friendly, fast, private, and secure.

This vendor is among the early adopters of the WireGuard VPN protocol, the latest and most efficient VPN tunneling protocol. NordVPN adopted it, corrected some privacy loopholes in the original code, and turned it into NordLynx, the provider’s own VPN protocol, which simultaneously gives you maximal safety and speeds.

The extensive server network includes 59 countries and many specialized servers. It keeps no logs and allows five devices to be concurrently protected by the VPN.

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Methodology for choosing the best 8Tracks VPNs

When choosing a VPN to use with 8tracks, there are various factors you should consider. The following rationale will help you identify the best VPN for 8tracks:

• Speed: The speed of a VPN impacts your internet experience by a large margin. When choosing a VPN, it is always advisable to select one with the best speeds for the best experience.
• Number of servers: A VPN meant for streaming content ought to have a wide variety of servers for greater flexibility. With more servers, you can switch across different servers to get the best speed and connectivity. In addition, a good VPN will help unblock geo-restricted content with ease.  
• Compatibility: Ensure that you go for a VPN that supports multiple platforms such as Android, Windows, iOS, macOS, and smartphones. With such wide compatibility, you can install the VPN to your preferred device and enjoy streaming 8tracks. 
• Ease of use: Using a VPN is not rocket science, so a reliable VPN should be less sophisticated to use. As such, it is advisable to choose one that you configure and use without much hassle. 
• Security features: Streaming internet content comes with its risks. For example, there’re many malicious actors targeting your sensitive data. Therefore, choosing a VPN with premium security features such as strong encryption, leak protection, ad and malware blocking, and an automatic kill switch should be your priority. 
• Customer support: When choosing a VPN, go for one whose support team is always available on different channels, including live chat, email, or phone.
• Price: Price is a major factor, and different VPNs have different price points. Choose one that meets your security demands but doesn’t hurt your wallet.

Can I use a free VPN to stream 8Track outside the US and Canada?

Free VPNs are a problematic proposition, and we always advise against them. But let’s not generalize and dig a little deeper.

A handful of good, safe, free VPNs from reputed vendors exist. Unfortunately, these are the free versions of a commercial service whose marketing strategy is based on freemium models. ProtonVPN or AtlasVPN belongs in this category. These are good services, but they’re still inferior to paid plans because, being free, some of their features are limited. However, if you must use a free VPN, you should stick to one of those options.

Then, there’s the rest of the free VPNs. They are problematic in several ways compared to premium VPNs.

Functionality is the first problem to consider with free VPNs. Their resources are inferior to paid services, so they have few servers, low bandwidth and speeds, and no extra features.

And sometimes, they must perform the most basic VPN tasks (encryption and IP spoofing) correctly. Moreover, most have data caps of around 500 MB daily, depending on the specific network. As a result, the servers are overworked, and the connections are slow and unstable when you can establish one. 

The average free VPN on the internet is such a poor service that it’s implausible to unblock 8Tracks or any other streaming platform for you. And even if you could find one that does, the data cap will keep your streaming session short.

But impaired functionality is not even the worst problem in free VPNs.

Most free VPNs are in business to collect user data they can sell to advertisers and data miners. In this guide, we’ve emphasized the importance of a no-logs policy so that your digital privacy remains safe with your VPN. Free VPNs are the opposite idea. Their business is to turn your privacy into a commodity they can use to turn a profit. Therefore, these services can create more security and privacy problems than they solve.

So there are good reasons to stay away from free VPNs.

Please don’t risk your privacy. Yes, a good VPN will cost you money. However, there are good options, and you can find premium VPNs that can fit into any budget, such as Surfshark or NordVPN.

How to download Playlists from 8tracks?

You can download your favorite tracks from 8tracks using the following options:

Downloading playlists from 8tracks with an audio recorder

Since 8track doesn’t offer a download option, you can use a Vidmore audio recorder to save your favorite tracks. With this recorder, you can choose various audio formats and also transfer tracks to your other portable devices.

The following steps show you how to use a Vidmore audio recorder to save music from 8tracks: 

1. Download the Vidmore capture tool on your PC.
2. Click Audio Recorder on the main interface.
3. Select audio output on the System Sound option and turn off the microphone.
4. Choose your preferred track on 8tracks that you wish to download.
5. Head back to Vidmore and click REC, and quickly play the track.
6. Click the STOP button when the track stops playing to pre-listen your recorded music.
7. Click Save to export to your PC.

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Downloading tracks from 8tracks using 8hacks 

8hacks offers a great way to download audio from 8tracks. 8hacks supports both Mac and Windows and is free. You can also extra audio files to a zip file with 8hacks:

1. Download and install 8hacks on your PC.
2. Launch the program.
3. Select your preferred downloads on 8tracks.
4. Copy and Paste the link to the audio playlist on 8hacks.
5. Click ‘Download.’
6. The playlist will be successfully downloaded to your local folder.

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Why is 8tracks shutting down?

According to the founder, 8tracks is shutting down due to insufficient funding to continue operating. This decline began after they declined an acquisition offer from Google aimed at enhancing Google Music’s social aspect.

In 2013, Spotify availed access to free services for all users, which caused a decline in 8tracks’ visitors, and their investors from Round A withdrew their support when they needed it the most. Also, 8tracks attempted to stay afloat by reducing staff and partnering with Soundcloud in 2016. However, their revenues and listener count continued to decline month after month, leading to the current situation.

Best 8tracks alternatives

1. Spotify Playlist

Spotify has grown to become one of the best music streaming platforms worldwide. The service has over 250 million users from over 80 countries. It boasts over 3 billion user-based playlists created from a database of over 50 million song libraries. 

With Spotify, you can create, edit, and share playlists with peers across social media networks using links. You can also add your different playlists to your library by liking the list. 

Pros:

• A huge collection of music playlists of different genres. 
• A versatile and user-friendly streaming platform 
• A variety of music collections with over 40,000 daily music additions
• New music suggestion makes it easier to discover new favorites

Cons:

• License restrictions make some music unavailable in certain regions

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2. YouTube Public Playlist

YouTube Public Playlist is undoubtedly one of the top and leading platforms to stream and discover new music from around the world. The platform uploads more than 300 hours of videos every minute. As a music lover, you can stream your favorite music and discover a wide variety of other genres from diverse creators and uploaders. 

You can also curate your unique playlist based on your liking. All you have to do is click on the ‘Save’ button on the video of the song you feel likable. 

Pros:

• Absolutely free to stream music with relatively minimal ads
• You can add a variety of music genres
• Allows you to co-create playlists with other users
• It is 100% legal to use the platform; hence no copyright violations are involved

Cons:

• Your device’s screen must be on display at all time
• Sometimes, ads can be overwhelming

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3. Openwhyd

Openwhyd allows you to create and share different playlists with your friends and family. Adrien Joly developed the platform as a non-profit project. It depends on user donations and expert contributions from other developers. 

Openwhyd lets you search for music from Vimeo, YouTube, and other popular video and music platforms. It has a Chrome extension that enables you to add any song or video from the internet. However, the feature is only available on Chrome desktops at the moment. 

Nonetheless, you can download the app from the App Store if you’re using an iPhone. However, since it is still under development, you might experience some lags. 

Pros: 

• A 100% free platform.  
• You can add any song, podcast, or video if you’re using Chrome for Desktop
• Zero ads on the platform.
• Uses a standalone portable program for Windows 10; hence, there is no need to install it on a PC or use a web browser to manage your music playlists.
• Allows you to link with Deezer and Last.fm accounts for better synchronization across devices. 

Cons: 

• Lacks Android app 
• The PC client app has some bugs when login with Facebook

4. Playmoss

Playmoss allows you to search music and videos from Vimeo, YouTube, and other music sites except Spotify. Furthermore, Playmoss is a freemium service with a paid version that comes with additional features such as a universal cast, up to 300 songs in a single playlist, and unlimited private playlists. 

Using the Chrome extension, you can also add music directly to your playlist with a single click. 

Pros:

• Supports Ios devices
• You can add a playlist to your website or blog
• The mobile website hosts a variety of features
• Allows collaboration with other premium users to create playlists

Cons:

• Lacks an Android app
• Chrome extension contains bugs

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5. Great.dj

Great.dj is making waves in the music streaming world. The platform allows you to curate playlists and search for videos and audio music on various platforms such as Soundcloud and YouTube.

While it lacks an app, its mobile web version is quite smooth to ensure you don’t miss out on anything.

Creating playlists is super easy with Great.dj. The search bar function allows you to browse for your favorite tracks, add them to the queue, and save them. A key point to note is that you need to queue at least two songs to create a playlist.

Pros: 

• Supports login using a Spotify account
• Allows you to search and add multiple music audios at once
• The Chrome web browser improves user experience due to quick access
• Allows you to share playlists using the party mode feature

Cons:

• Lacks mobile app for all platforms

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Conclusion

8Tracks offers an exciting alternative to Spotify and other internet radio streaming services. The human element in picking tracks and lists and the social media element it includes make it different from the rest. So we can understand why users love it.

And now that 8Tracks is sadly limited to users in Canada and the United States, you have no reason to miss it. All you need is a good VPN that will give you a virtual IP address from the US or Canada.

Of course, only some VPNs can unblock 8Tracks correctly outside the US boundaries. So you need to stick to the best ones to get your fix of daily streaming music. That is why we have given you three VPNs whose quality and unblocking capabilities are beyond doubt.

We encourage you to pick a VPN between ExpressVPN, Surfshark, and NordVPN to enjoy 8Track at your leisure. These are top-notch services with many additional features that will significantly enhance your digital security, privacy, and anonymity. And in some cases, you will even find that the audio streaming is better through your VPN.

Last but not least, adopting a premium VPN will enable you to achieve one of the most important online goals: staying safe.

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