Glossary
What people mean when they say uncopyrighted.
Plain words for a search that usually wants free, claim-safe music — not a public-domain dump.
Uncopyrighted music
In everyday search language, people use this when they want music they can put in a video without a claim. Legally, “uncopyrighted” points at public domain — works with no copyright left. Most free catalogues online are not public domain.
Public domain
No copyright. Anyone can use the work with no credit and no license. Classical recordings you find “for free” are often still under copyright even if the composition is old.
CC BY 4.0
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. The work stays copyrighted. You may use it — including commercially — if you give credit, link the license, and note changes. That is what every track on this site uses.
Royalty-free
Usually means you pay once (or join a stock library) and don’t owe ongoing royalties. It does not always mean free, and it does not always mean no copyright.
Copyright-free
Marketing shorthand. Sometimes means public domain, sometimes means “we won’t claim.” Always read the actual license. Here we say CC BY 4.0 out loud.
| Public domain | CC BY 4.0 here | Typical “royalty free” | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Still copyrighted? | No | Yes | Usually yes |
| Free to download? | Yes | Yes | Often paid |
| Credit required? | No | Yes | Varies |
| Monetized YouTube OK? | Yes | Yes | If license says so |
| Upload to Spotify? | Allowed by PD | Not allowed here | Usually no |
Want the ready-made credit line? Open Credit.
