Kevin MacLeod music: credit and claims
Kevin MacLeod's music is free to use and monetise on YouTube under CC BY 4.0, as long as the credit is in your video description. A missing or unreadable credit is the usual cause of a claim.
Not completely safe. Music from Incompetech (Kevin MacLeod) can still get a copyright claim. For music with full protection, use the safest options.
- Type
- Free library
- Cost
- Free
- Credit
- Required in the description
- Copyright claims
- Claims happen
- How a claim clears
- Dispute in YouTube Studio
- Monetised videos
- Allowed with credit
- Platforms named
- YouTube Shorts
- Site
- incompetech.com
The licence
Kevin MacLeod releases his Incompetech catalogue under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. You can use the music in YouTube videos and monetise them. The one condition is the credit.
The credit line
Incompetech gives the format:
- Track title, then "Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"
- "Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0"
- https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
The catch
The music is registered in Content ID on purpose, to stop other people from falsely claiming it. So a claim can land on your video even though your use is allowed.
Incompetech explains why it usually happens: "It's likely someone forgot to add the credit, or the credit was placed in the video itself, and the credit could not be read automatically." The FAQ says a credit can go in the description or in the video, but only the description can be checked by a machine. Put it in the description every time.
How to clear a claim
- Add the credit to your video description first.
- Dispute the claim in YouTube Studio.
- Wait. Incompetech says the claim will "be released within 72 hours and likely much faster."
If dozens of your videos are affected, Incompetech has a bulk-release form on its Content ID page, and a help address for anything that does not clear.
If you would rather not credit anyone, Incompetech sells licences that remove the requirement. For a new channel the free route works as long as the description credit becomes a habit.
Common questions
Can you monetise videos with Kevin MacLeod music?
Yes. The Incompetech FAQ answers the question about YouTube with "Yes, AND you can monetize the videos. Be sure to credit me."
Where should the Kevin MacLeod credit go?
In the video description. A credit shown only inside the video cannot be read automatically, which Incompetech gives as a common reason for claims.
Sources
- Incompetech royalty-free music FAQincompetech.com
- Incompetech on YouTube Content IDincompetech.com
Facts checked against the sources below on . Licences and prices change, so read the provider's own page before you rely on one.