Royalty Free (Needle Drop Fee Free) Music FAQ

If you search my blog you will find links to several music tracks I have made freely avaialble for you. Some of this music I wrote as a student, some of it is old demos, some of it is music I've written for fun. I'm making it available for you to use however you wish.

Is all the music free? How do I know if a piece of music is free or not?

Only music tracks posted in my blog (with clear download links) and "free" in the file name are free. Example - LACowboy.Free.mp3. All other music on the site (in my audio demo, for example) is unavailable.

Is the music really free?

Yes! As long as you credit me clearly as "Music By Greg Nicolett" somewhere in the production AND fill out all appropriate cue sheets (television and radio use only), the music is entirely royalty free. An optional donation of $5 per piece of music used (click on "buy me a beer!") is suggested - and appreciated. You do NOT need a PayPal account to make a donation! Just a credit card.

What if I can't / don't want to credit you?

If you can't credit me, you can contact me to obtain a sans attribution license for a small fee.

I'm a lawyer or music supervisor. What are the license details?

All tracks contain templates for the non-commercial license and a commercial license template. In general, for non-commercial use, these music tracks are licensed under the creative commons attribution, share-alike license. For commercial use, these are licensed under a modified version of the creative commons license which can be found here. The only fucntional changes between the two are that, for commercial use, public performances must be reported to my performing rights orgnization (PRO), in this case, BMI. Performances are recorded by submitting a cue sheet to the applicable broadcaster/distributor of your movie, and you can download a cue sheet template here. Also, for commerical use you may not modify my tracks and call it your own music (they are non-derivative).

YouTube and similar sites

All music in the "free" section of my site is legal for use on YouTube provided the content creator has credited me for that use. The credit may come in the form of an acknowlegement in the videos description and/or a credit within the visual itself.

Since, as of now, my PRO does NOT collect royalties on my behalf from internet streams, you are of course absolved from providing cue sheets. If and when, however, a system is evolved to track use of music on You Tube, it will become a requirement that all new uses be appropriately tracked.

What about commercial use for a [whatever]?

Yes! Please do use my music in your commercial project. Just make sure I am credited. Again, if it's going to be broadcast on the radio or on television, be sure to fill out all appropriate cue sheets. I am registered with BMI, and am the sole publisher of my work.

What about the YouTube partner program, or other revenue-generating online content distribution platforms? i.e, can I make money off of your music?

Yes. I hope you make some money! Its tough out there! But consider donating for such usage, and as always, make sure I am credited either in the video itself or in the video description section.

I thought you said these tracks were free. Whats this about "performance royalties?"

There is a mis-nomer out there in the world of "royalty-"free music." Even if a piece of music is descrived as "royalty free," it is NOT performance royalty free. The good news is, as the user and creator of content, you don't pay a cent. Perofrmance Royalties are not paid by you, the content creator, but by the distributor or venue of the media. This includes radio and television broadcastes, music venues, andrestaurant owners (they "perform" recordings in a public space). At the end of the day, this is the only way artists can make a sustainable living, and we depend on you (the user) to make sure you inform our performing rights societies that you're using and enjoy our music.

Movements are underway to set up similar tracking mechanisms for online content distribution such as You Tube and Google Video, but as of now, a functional system is not in place. Eventually, however, forces will align such that BMI and ASCAP work directly with sites like You Tube to ensure artists get paid, and is part of the reason why you are REQUIRED to accurately credit using my music in all You Tube videos.

Can you write original music for my project?

I most definitely can. This is how I make my living. Contact me for my rates.

Will you score new original pieces for my project for free?

Nope. Unless we're good friends. Or unless I come to you. I am, however, willing to donate my time if it's for a non-profit cause and is tax deductible.

Is my donation deductable at all?

I doubt it. Ask your accountant.

How do I place a credit for this music in my project?

You can credit me as "Music by Greg Nicolett." If I am one of many composers, the credit can read "Additional Music by Greg Nicolett."

Do I have to put the credit where people can see it?

Yes. Credits change from media to media - but in general a credit needs to be placed such that a person who wants to know where the music came from should have no difficulty in finding it. A resonable effort may be expended (e.g. clicking on a credits option) but the credit should not be obscured.

What if I cannot credit you?

If you are interested in using a piece in a television broadcast or radio commercial, or some other format where credits are impossible, obtain a Sans Attribution License. The fee for this license is $50 / track (if you are coca cola, I hope you might consider donating more.)

Is this music in the Public Domain?
No.

Did you write all of these?
Yes.

Can I use this music in a Student Film? Commercial Film? Stage Production? Flash Animation? Instructional DVD? Relaxation CD? Slideshow?

Yes - as long as I get a credit.

Why would you give away music for free?

Several reasons. First, I want my music to be heard. Secondly, I want us to get to know eachother and for us both to benefit from your game or media project, even if I don't have the time to write custom music for you. Third, I ultimately do expect that, eventually, some of you will go on to do bigger and better things, and that when you do, you will want to commission some music from me.