Free music

For other uses, see Free improvisation.
The crossed out copyright symbol with a musical note on the right hand side is the free music symbol, signifying a lack of copyright restrictions on music. It may be used in the abstract, or applied to a sound recording or musical composition.

Free music or libre music is music that, like free software, can freely be copied, distributed and modified for any purpose. Thus free music is either in the public domain or licensed under a free license by the artist or copyright holder themselves, often as a method of promotion. It does not mean that there should be no fee involved. The word free refers to freedom (as in free software), not to price.[1]

The Free Music Philosophy[1] generally encourages creators to free music using whatever language or methods they wish. A Free Music Public License (FMPL)[2] is available for those who prefer a formal approach. Some free music is licensed under licenses that are intended for software (like the GPL) or other writings (the GFDL). But there are also licenses especially for music and other works of art, such as Free To Use's Free To Use License, EFF's Open Audio License, LinuxTag's Open Music License, the Free Art license and some of the Creative Commons Licences.

  1. ^ a b Samudrala, Ram (1994). "The Free Music Philosophy". Retrieved 26 October 2008.
  2. ^ Samudrala, Ram (2011). " "The Free Music Public License". Retrieved 13 September 2011.[permanent dead link]