Public Domain Music

Related YoLinux Tutorials:

Description:

Use of music is often restricted by the owners who have copyrights and require agreements and royalties for its' use. This is their right. Thus the music can not be used without permission and/or payment of a fee. If you want to create a home video of the family and publish it on YouTube, don't even think of putting down a soundtrack without first obtaining the proper permission and/or paying a royalty. Some music is in the public domain for unrestricted use because all rights have expired, the owner or author has released it to the public domain or is old enough to have never had a copyright.

Recordings of the music must also be released into the public domain or else it too can be copyrighted.

List of sources of Public Domain Music/Royalty Free Music:

Music: Linux Tux at the piano

FreePD.com - MP3s
OpenMusicArchive.org - old out-of-copyright recordings
pdmusic.org - midi
royaltyfreemusic.com - royalty free but not public domain. Read license.
publicdomain4u.com - lots of old recordings
AudioSoundClips.com: royalty free
FunFunFunMedia.com - avoid anything owned by the Independent Online Distribution Alliance (IODA). The IODA website clearly states "legal, pre-cleared MP3s" until you use them and they hunt you down to stop you from using them (my personal experience)
(public domain MP3s - Ok for use)
PDInfo.com: public domain list
Choral Public Domain Library: CPDL.org - midi and mp3
Public Domain Choral Music: CIPOO.net - midi
MusOpen.com - classical music database
PianoSociety.com - classical piano music
Wkipedia.org: PD music on their site - mostly classical
Beethoven - midi
PartnersInRhyme.com
UCSB.edu historical archives
Jamendo.com - Musician share site, Creative Commons-licensed music
FreeMusic.FreeCulture.org - Musician share site, Music distributed worldwide in One Laptop Per Child project
FreeMusicArchive.org - All genres
Opsound.org - Creative Commons artist uploads
Dance-Industries.com - database of dance music
BetterWithMusic.com - Jahzzar (Javier Suarez) Creative Commons attribution only

Sounds and Sound Effects:

FindSounds.com - search database
Pacific Digital Video: PacDV.com
FreeSound.org - Creative Commons licensed sounds
CCMixter.org - samples and mixes released under Creative Commons license
FunkyRemixes.com - free remixes

Lists:

OpenSonics

Wikipedia Lists:

Google Search:

Licenses:

Organizations:

Authors:

CISAC: International Confederation of Authors and Composers Societies - France
SADAIC - Argentina
GEMA - Germany
USA performing rights organizations:
- SESAC: Society of European Stage Authors & Composers - USA performing rights organization
- ASCAP: American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers - performing rights organization which licenses and collects royalties for performance and service. Advocacy for songwriters, composers and music publishers.
- BMI: Broadcast Music Inc.
Sound Exchange - The Copyright Royalty Board, which is appointed by The U.S. Library of Congress, has entrusted SoundExchange as the sole entity in the United States to collect and distribute these digital performance royalties on behalf of featured recording artists, master rights owners (like record labels), and independent artists who record and own their masters.

Publishers:

RIAA: Recording Industry Association of America

Mechanical:

BIEM: Bureau International des societies gerant les droits d'Eneregisttrement et de reproduction Mechanique - Mechanical rights societies exist in most countries. They license the reproduction of songs and mechanical aspects of the downloading of music via the Internet
Harry-Fox - USA agency for collecting and distributing mechanical license fees on behalf of music publishers

Publishers:

Web Based Music Distribution:

TuneCore.com - publisher which does not demand ownership. Digital distribution worldwide.
CDBaby.com
IodaAlliance.com
TheOrchard.com

Distributors:

Books:

The Public Domain: How to Find & Use Copyright-Free Writings, Music, Art & More
by Stephen Fishman J.D.
ISBN #1413312055 NOLO; 5 edition (May 4, 2010)