Two of the finest independent download stores left standing — both DRM-free, both lossless, both built for diggers. So which one deserves your money? Here’s the honest head-to-head.
Why this matters now
On 1 June 2026, Juno Download — one of the original DJ-focused download stores — shut down without warning after twenty years, pointing its customers at Beatport and Traxsource on the way out. For diggers of leftfield, experimental and independent electronic music, that left a real gap.
Bleep and Boomkat are the two stores best placed to fill it. Both have been doing this for two decades, both sell proper DRM-free lossless files, and both are run by people who clearly love the music. If you’re rebuilding your sources after Juno, these are the two to know.
One term comes up constantly with both of these stores, so it’s worth thirty seconds to be clear on it.
DRM stands for Digital Rights Management — copy-protection that locks a file to a particular app, device or account, restricting what you can do with music you’ve paid for. DRM-free means none of that: the files you download from Bleep and Boomkat are plain, unrestricted audio. You can load them into Serato, rekordbox, Traktor or anything else, back them up, move them between machines and keep them forever. For DJs that’s essential — your library has to work across your gear without asking permission. It’s also why these stores matter more than streaming for serious crates: you actually own what you buy, and no service can switch it off later.
- Best forHi-res files & USD pricing
- FormatsMP3, FLAC/WAV (16-bit), WAV (24-bit)
- PricingSet per release · in USD
- Edge24-bit option, USD-native, free Bleep Mixes
- Best forDiscovery & curation
- FormatsMP3, FLAC, WAV (lossless)
- PricingSet per release · in GBP
- EdgeEditorial reviews on everything, superb categorisation
Bleep — the Warp store
Best for hi-res & USD pricingBleep launched out of Warp Records and still carries that DNA: a hand-picked catalogue of independent and innovative electronic music that reaches far beyond the Warp roster. Everything is DRM-free, your downloads never expire, and you can re-download anything you’ve bought as many times as you like — the kind of permanence that matters now that stores can vanish overnight.
Two practical edges stand out for non-UK buyers. First, Bleep prices natively in USD, so there’s no exchange-rate guesswork at checkout. Second, it offers a true 24-bit WAV tier on many releases — the highest-resolution option of the two stores — alongside standard MP3 and 16-bit lossless. As on Boomkat, prices are set per release rather than fixed, but as a rough guide a download single sits around a couple of dollars and an album in the $9–15 range depending on format, with the 24-bit tier at the top end. Bleep also runs its own store exclusives, often on the physical side.
There’s one more reason to keep Bleep bookmarked: the Bleep Mixes series. It’s a long-running run of guest mixes from artists across its world — recent entries include Nathan Fake, Daphni, Terrence Dixon and Anastasia Kristensen — free to stream and a genuinely good way to discover artists before you buy. It’s Bleep’s answer to Boomkat’s editorial: less written, more “here, listen to this.”
- OwnerWarp Records (UK)
- FormatsMP3, 16-bit FLAC/WAV, 24-bit WAV
- PricingSet per release, in USD
- DiscoveryBleep Mixes (free guest mixes)
- DRMNone — re-download forever
- Also sellsVinyl, CD, books, prints, equipment
Strengths
- 24-bit WAV — highest resolution here
- Prices natively in USD
- Free Bleep Mixes for discovery
- Warp pedigree + store exclusives
- Downloads never expire
Watch-outs
- Plainer browsing than Boomkat
- Broader, less granular genre buckets
- Lighter written editorial
Boomkat — the curators
Best for discovery & curationBoomkat is a Manchester independent that has spent two decades building a reputation as the discerning digger’s first stop. It sells vinyl, CD, cassette and downloads, but its real signature is editorial: nearly every release carries a written Boomkat review — opinionated, knowledgeable and often very funny — alongside genre tagging that’s genuinely useful (dark ambient/drone, modern classical/ambient, dub techno, beats/hip-hop, techno/house and dozens more). It also runs its own Boomkat Editions imprint and curated bestseller and feature lists. For finding music you didn’t know you wanted, nothing else compares.
Downloads come as MP3, FLAC and WAV. Pricing is in GBP, which means a small exchange-rate conversion for US buyers, and — as with Bleep — figures are set per release rather than fixed. As a rough guide, a download EP lands around the price of a coffee or two and a full album in the low-to-mid teens of dollars once converted, with physical formats varying more widely. The catalogue leans experimental, ambient, leftfield and underground — if your sets live in those worlds, Boomkat is built for you.
- OwnerIndependent (Manchester, UK)
- FormatsMP3, FLAC, WAV
- PricingSet per release, in GBP
- EditorialReview on nearly every release
- Browsing17 granular, scene-aware genres
- Also sellsVinyl, CD, cassette, merch
Strengths
- Best-in-class editorial & curation
- Excellent, intuitive categorisation
- Deep experimental/ambient catalogue
- Own Boomkat Editions imprint
- Physical formats too
Watch-outs
- Prices in GBP (FX for US buyers)
- No dedicated 24-bit tier flagged
- Narrower if you want mainstream club
| Bleep | Boomkat | |
|---|---|---|
| Owner | Warp Records | Independent (Manchester) |
| Catalogue | Electronic, experimental, independent | Experimental, ambient, leftfield, underground |
| Top format | 24-bit WAV Wins | 16-bit FLAC/WAV |
| Currency | USD native Wins | GBP |
| Pricing model | Set per release | Set per release |
| Discovery tool | Bleep Mixes (free guest mixes) | Reviews + charts + samplers |
| Editorial / curation | Light (mixes-led) | Best-in-class Wins |
| Genre categorisation | 8 broad buckets | 17 granular genres Wins |
| DRM-free | Yes | Yes |
| Physical formats | Vinyl, CD | Vinyl, CD, cassette |
This is where the two stores feel most different in daily use — and where Boomkat quietly pulls ahead.
Both organise their catalogues by genre, but with very different philosophies. Bleep uses eight broad buckets, each bundling several styles together — efficient, but it can mean scrolling a lot of unrelated music to find your corner. Boomkat splits the same territory into seventeen tighter, scene-aware categories with names that speak the language of the music itself: “Basic Channel / Dub Techno,” “Extreme / Noise / Computer Music,” “Grime / Fwd.” If you already know what you’re digging for, that granularity gets you there faster and surfaces neighbours you’ll want.
- Alternative, Minimal Wave & Metal
- Ambient, Modern Classical, Experimental & Noise
- Bass, Grime, Dubstep, Footwork & Jungle
- Beats, Hip Hop & R&B
- Electronic, Electro, Acid & Braindance
- House & Techno
- Jazz, Soul, Funk, Disco, Afrobeat, Folk & Trad
- Soundtracks, Library, New Age & Krautrock
- Basic Channel / Dub Techno · Techno / House
- Dark Ambient / Drone / Metal
- Modern Classical / Ambient
- Extreme / Noise / Computer Music
- Industrial / Wave / Electro · Electronic
- Beats / Hip Hop · Grime / Fwd · Jungle / Footwork
- Disco / Boogie / Funk · Dub / Reggae · Jazz / Fusion
- Early Electronic / Soundtracks · Folk / Roots · Indie / Alt · World
The same split shows up in their editorial menus. Bleep’s Features run to Weekly Roundup, Record of the Month, From The Archive and its Mixes series — lean and listening-led. Boomkat’s go further into curation: Weekly Roundup, Classics, Future Classics, Charts and the much-loved 14 Track Samplers. Both also sell physical formats and merch — Bleep notably stretches into books, prints and even equipment — but for the specific job of finding your next record, Boomkat’s deeper taxonomy and heavier editorial give it the edge. It’s a close-run thing, and a matter of taste rather than a flaw in Bleep.
The verdict
Here’s the honest truth: this is close, and you can’t go wrong with either. Both offer a remarkable catalogue of alternative music, both are DRM-free and lossless, and both have genuinely great website layouts. Most serious diggers will end up using both, depending on the release.
If we’re forced to separate them: Bleep takes it on the technical points — 24-bit files and native USD pricing — plus its free Mixes series for listening-led discovery. Boomkat takes it on feel — the written editorial and the more granular, scene-aware categorisation make it the better place to discover, which is half the joy of digging.
Our lean is towards Boomkat for the way it surfaces music, but that’s a personal preference more than a knock on Bleep. Pick Bleep if audio quality and USD pricing top your list; pick Boomkat if you want a store that helps you find your next favourite record.