By Crystal VanKooten

Finding music to use as part of your digital media projects can be tricky: you need music that is engaging for audiences, can argue or back up a point, is free for reuse and modification, and is quick to find. For those looking for online music to use in a digital video or audio composition, here are some useful links and sites!

Dig at ccmixter.org. CCMixter is a community music remixing site that features music that is licensed under Creative Commons. All of the songs on the site can be used in your projects, but some songs have certain restrictions depending on what kind of Creative Commons license they hold. Each song on the site is clearly marked with a Creative Commons license that stipulates how you can use it. Here is more information about CCMixter and Creative Commons.

Listen to and download music from musopen.org. Focused primarily on classical and instrumental music, Musopen’s mission is “to set music free,” and they provide a large royalty free music catalog, sheet music, resources for music educators, and even a free radio station of classical music! You can search their archives by composer, performer, instrument, period, or form.

Find music through freeplaymusic.com. FreePlay allows free downloads for specific circumstances, including personal use on Youtube and classroom uses. To use the site, you are required to make an account, select a license type, and accept the terms of a license agreement that stipulates your use of the music. Here is more information about FreePlay and how the website works.

What additional sites do you use to find music for your projects?