Free Music Archive
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| Format | MPEG Layer 3 (.mp3) |
|---|---|
| Restrictions | Creative Commons License, Other Licenses |
| Catalogue | 100,000+ songs |
| Website | www |
The Free Music Archive is an interactive library of high-quality, legal audio downloads directed by WFMU, the longest-running freeform radio station in the United States. Every mp3 on the Free Music Archive is pre-cleared for certain types of uses that would otherwise be prohibited by copyright laws that were not designed for the digital era. These uses vary and are determined by the rightsholders themselves.
The Free Music Archive is a resource for listeners, podcasters, producers, remix artists, and more. All of the audio has been hand-picked by established audio curators including KEXP-FM, Dublab, KBOO, ISSUE Project Room, and CASH Music. The site aims to combine the curatorial approach that these organizations have played for the last few decades, with the community generated approach of many current online music sites. Inspired by Creative Commons and the open source software movement, the FMA provides a legal and technological framework for curators, artists, and listeners to harness the potential of music sharing. Every artist page has a bio and links to the artists’ home page for users to learn more about the music they discover.
While the Free Music Archive is free and open to anyone regardless of registration or other requirements, written and audio content is curated, and permission to upload/edit content is granted on an invitation basis.
Initial funding for the Free Music Archive came from the New York State Music Fund, a program of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. Additional funding support has come from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, by the National Endowment for the Arts, and from the project's users.
The FMA's curated approach to Creative Commons music has helped make it a key resource for filmmakers, educators, nonprofits, and others in search of music that can be used in derivative works, especially for online video projects. The popular websites YouTube and Vimeo currently host over 100,000 videos that reference “freemusicarchive” as the source of their music, including viral works such as “Pinokeo”, “Screech Owls at Wildcare”, and “Graphic Violence”.
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