No copyright music? Sounds too good to be true...

clumsy_cool

clumsy_cool

Well-known member
I just started noticing that there are quite a few musicians linking free downloads on YouTube of their royalty-free non-copyright music. The music isn't bad and in some cases sounds better than what you can find on a royalty-free website (after a lot of digging) but it is limited in genre.

Has anyone used a track like this before for commercial use in their videos?
Here's an example:

http://www.youtube.com/NonCopyrightMuzik

and here's the link to the agreement posted:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode
 
The biggest issue, as you say, is the limited genre and selection.
OTOH, if these are independent "starving artists" they may be open to doing some custom work at a good price.
 
The first two I listened to contained recognisable samples from copyright songs...probably the reason this music is being given away in the first place. The original artists might have something to say about it! Could be an issue.
 
FYI, copyright-free and royalty-free are two different things. Copyright-free would mean that the creator of the work has explicitly released it into the public domain. Copyright normally exists automatically from the moment an author or a creator of a copyrightable work first publishes it. The fact an author hasn't registered the copyright doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Royaly-free, OTOH, means the author has made the license to use his work available either at no charge or in exhange for a single licensing fee without requiring on-going royalty payments for each public performance.
 
Yes I heard Steely Dan in the first song, so you may have an issue with their organization. And I don't see a way to get the files. Are you supposed to hold a mic up to the youtube video to get the music?
 
Thank you for clarifying the difference between copyrights and royalties. I do recognize some samples in some of the songs, but I am mostly looking to use the crazy DubStep parts for about a minute. I am pretty sure those parts are original but I guess you can never be sure. So I guess the verdict is to probably stay away from these "freebies"...which kinda sucks as it seemed like a good option.

Regarding the method for downloading the tracks - most of them have a link to SoundCloud where the artist invites you download the tune, but I've also seen some who instruct you to rip it. Using your browser to download the FLV is probably the best option.
 
Distributing what are effectively audio tracks as video just seems stupid, not to mention counter-productive.
Its bad enough to distribute production clips in ANY compressed format, but even worse as a video file!
Serious vendors don't take this kind of amateur-hour approach. But I guess you get what you pay for.
 
Richard Crowley said:
Distributing what are effectively audio tracks as video just seems stupid, not to mention counter-productive.
Its bad enough to distribute production clips in ANY compressed format, but even worse as a video file!
Serious vendors don't take this kind of amateur-hour approach. But I guess you get what you pay for.
Click to expand...

These files are being distributed as audio files on SoundCloud...not necessarily compressed video. I should specify that they seem to be targeting people producing web videos. I would pick a slightly lower quality audio file over an aweful royalty-free track any day.

Seriously, royalty-free music websites need to setup their game? I am happy paying a fee if there's quality music but it all mostly sounds horrible. Specially if you're looking for a grungy sound.
 
Thanks for the link rocksure - Got any recommendations for a good stock music website? There are good tunes out there, but as soon as you are looking for what I am (grungy, dubsteppy and heavy) I can't find tunes that really fit what I need. I am editing a video for a Chrome wrapped Lamborghini and I really need to stick to a certain standard. Ready to pay a bit more for quality... I just don't see that it is available.

Here's the teaser for the video I am editing and the client wants Skrillex-type music to break that slow intro. Video is due on Saturday and I've spent more time looking for music than filming the video itself and it's too short notice to get something recorded.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j04ekpiy8b0
 
Please, folks... no links to tools used to rip content from hosting sites. That's piracy.

Just to clarify: if you didn't create the music, or the person from whom you got the music didn't create it, and you do not have permission from the original author to use it, it is illegal. License the music before you use it, or get permission directly from the original author/copyright holder.

We have a sticky regarding music licensing that includes links to several great resources for legally-licensed music: CLICK HERE
 
Just checked on Pond5... lots of dubstep tracks there. In the drop-down under "Music", click on "dub".
 
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