Frequently Asked Questions

About Copyright

An simple explanation about copyright, and how it applies to my music.

ISRC numbers listed on each track are unique identifiers for that recording. If you don't have a juse for this number - don't worry about it. Some people need them. For example - if someone challenges your claim to use my music - claiming that they own the rights, you can respond with this number to show where the track came from. Here is the list of all allocated ISRC numbers of tracks on this site.

What is the name of the piece of music I found...?

I probably don't know. Over the last 6 years, I've produced about 2,000 pieces of music. I don't remember the titles at all. At best, I could tell you if I wrote the piece. If you want to know the name of the piece, contact the producer of the video, and ask them.

What happened to [piece of music]? I can't find it anymore.

From time to time, I move some of the less commercially successful pieces over to my other site at FreePD.com. Look for it over there.

Can you write original music for my project?

Yes. That's what I do. Simple short scores cost less than complex long scores. See scoring services.

Is this music free to use?

Yes. An optional donation of $5 per piece used is suggested - and highly appreciated. You do NOT need a PayPal account to make a donation! Just a credit card.

What about commercial use for a [whatever]?

Yes! Please do use my music in your commercial project.

Is my donation deductable at all?

I'm not a tax expert, but I seriously doubt it. I'm not a non-profit; I have no board.

How do I place a credit for this music in my project?

If your project has only music from me in it; you can credit it as "Music: Kevin MacLeod".
If your project has many pieces from different people, you can credit me as "(name of the pieces of music you are using) Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)".
If you'd like to include the full license for legal reasons, you can do the following: "Title Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons "Attribution 3.0" http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/"

It is important that you replace the word Title with the Actual Title of the piece that you are using!

I have an all-audio program, do you have a sounder I could put in?

Yes! If you're putting together phone system or netcast, and want to just add a small voice-over - here you go. This was produced by S. L. Slaughter who has a brilliant tone for voice-overs with gravity. Why not get rid of those text-overs on your movie trailer and get something pro-quality? If you need a VO, email him!

Do I have to put the credit where people can see it?

Yes. Credits change from media to media - but in general a credit needs to be placed such that a person who wants to know where the music came from should have no difficulty in finding it. A resonable effort may be expended (e.g. clicking on a credits option) but the credit should not be obscured.

What if I cannot credit you?

If you are interested in using a piece in a television broadcast or radio commercial, or some other format where credits are impossible, obtain a Sans Attribution License.

Is this music in the Public Domain?

No. Though some of the baroque and classical compositions are in the public domain; these recordings are not.

Did you write all of these?

Yes. Exceptions are clearly marked (e.g. Beethoven). I did produce all of these.

Can I use this music in a Student Film? Commercial Film? Stage Production? Flash Animation? Instructional DVD? Relaxation CD? Slideshow?

Yes. Anything and everything - as long as I get a credit. The only thing you cannot do is sublicense or relicense. (That means you cannot sell or redistribute these as a royalty-free collection.)

Can I make an audio CD of music from this site - mass produce it and sell it?

Yes. Just make sure I'm credited. It is very important that the Creative Commons license remain with the CDs.

Is there sheet music available?

No. Most everything on the site is recorded straight in, and was never in notation format. Many of the pieces are done impropmtu. Even if I scanned my notes... no one would recognize how to play them (I usually sketch on unlined paper). If you have transribed anything, please send me a copy, and I'll put it up for other people to download.

I am trying to open your mp3 files in Microsoft [something] - and is says they are corrupted. Any ideas?

Yes. It appears that the mp3 libraries that MS uses for its consumer apps don't like the 320kbps (vbs) files that I post. You can transcode the music to WAV using the instructions below.

How do I get files in other formats?

There are times when you need files at lower bitrates, or in other formats for editing compatibility issues... You can transcode them in iTunes.

Open up iTunes
Open the iTunes preferences
Select the "General" tab
Select the "Import Settings" button
Change the "Import Using" to your desired target file format
(set optional settings such as bit rate)
Click "Ok"
Load the song into iTunes
Go to the Advanced menu and select "Convert selection to ..."
Repeat steps 7 and 8 for all files you want to convert.

Alternately, I hear Media-Convert ( http://media-convert.com/ ) works well, though I've not tried it.

Will you score new original pieces for my project for free?

No. Sorry.

Can I change your music?

Yes, you can sing over, chop, splice, compress, lengthen, and add instruments to anything you like. You MUST make it clear in the credits which parts are yours, and which parts are mine. There is no need to mention if you cut and splice.

Why do you alllow people to use your music and don't charge for it?

There are many reasons. The cost for me to share music is low, and the benefits are high. There are a lot of schools with no money, and plenty of film makers who want to have music - but can't afford to clear copyrights from the existing systems that are set up. I believe that copyright is badly broken , so I chose a license that allows me to to give away the rights I wish to surrender. We really have no hope of overturning the existing copyright situation, but we can and are creating an alternate body of works that are able to compete with them. In time, I hope that Creative Commons (and similar alternatives to standard copyright) will be common and successful enough to be the dominant choice for artists' new creative works. If you hold tightly to your creative works, they become impossible to share. If your art isn't experienced by people, it serves no purpose in society.

I want a piece of music that sounds just like this song I have, but different enough so that I don't have to pay licensing fees. Will you make it?

No. Sorry, I do not do sound-alikes.

I need your signature for [ my school / a competition / a festival ]. Can you sign this form and send it back to me?

I don't have a scanner or a fax machine, and I really dislike reading those things. The truth of the matter is the Creative Commons license that I offer all of my music under almost always gives you more rights than those contracts.

How do you prove to the powers-that-be that the music is clear, then?

Print out the actual license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode
Print out the page from my site that shows the piece of music that you are using. Make sure that it includes the URL (this happens by default on most browsers) and also the CC logo at the bottom of the screen.

That's it!

What software do you use?

Software FAQ

What do you think of my movie/game/short/ad/presentation?

I do not comment on or critique films. It takes a lot of time - easily over an hour - to watch a three minute short, deconstruct it, analyze the role of the music given the intent of the film, and write a decent critique. If you would like to hire me to write a critique analyzing the use of music in your film, email me.

What pieces of music should I use in my movie/game/short/ad/presentation?

I cannot offer commentary on this. It takes a lot of time with the director to understand what they are trying to do with piece, and find music that supports their intent. If you would like to hire me as a consultant, please do email me.

Do you have a bio or press kit?

I am currently working on it. You can get some preliminary material here: press kit

Do you know of any other places I can get good music?

Yes. Try my friends...
Jimmy Gelhaar
Jon Roberts
Anthony Kozar
Jason Shaw (audionautix)
Danosongs
JewelBeat

Royalty Free Music Library

Frequently Asked Questions

About Copyright

YouTube-Specific Questions