Is Musopen classical music free for YouTube?
Often, but check each recording. Musopen hosts classical music meant to be public domain, yet some files carry Creative Commons licences, and Musopen says it cannot guarantee any upload.
Not completely safe. Music from Musopen can still get a copyright claim. For music with full protection, use the safest options.
- Type
- Free library
- Cost
- Free, or a $55 a year membership
- Credit
- Depends on the track
- Copyright claims
- Claims happen
- How a claim clears
- Contact the artist or provider
- Monetised videos
- Allowed on public domain recordings
- Platforms named
- YouTube Shorts
- Site
- musopen.org
What Musopen is
Musopen is a library of classical recordings and sheet music. Its library page says: "All the music we host is royalty and copyright free. For specific restrictions when applicable, check the license icons." Its stated goal is to be the largest online collection of public domain music.
A public domain recording can be used by anyone, for any purpose, with no credit and no licence. That includes a monetised Short.
The catch
Old music is not automatically free music. A classical piece and a recording of it have separate copyrights, and Musopen does not check what its users upload.
Musopen's FAQ is careful on this point. It requires uploaders to state that both the composition and the recording are public domain. Then it adds that it "cannot guarantee that any music uploaded by its users is, in fact, in the public domain". It "does not review music uploaded by users". It "strongly" encourages you to check a recording's status yourself.
The FAQ also lists the common mistakes: a missing © notice, an old date, fame and free availability online do not make a work public domain, and copyright law differs outside the United States.
Check the licence icon
Musopen's library tells you to "check the license icons". Items on a piece's page can carry a Creative Commons licence rather than public domain status. The Moonlight Sonata page lists one item under CC BY 3.0, which needs a credit. Look at the licence next to the file you download, and follow it.
Claims
Musopen's pages say nothing about YouTube Content ID or claims. Musopen's FAQ points out that a recording of a public domain piece can have its own copyright, so the recording matters, not just the composer. If a claim lands on a Musopen recording, your proof is the recording's page and its licence.
Downloads
Musopen offers a $55 a year membership for unlimited downloads and lossless audio. Its pages do not set out what a free account can download.
Common questions
Is all Musopen music public domain?
Not guaranteed. Musopen says it "cannot guarantee that any music uploaded by its users is, in fact, in the public domain" and does not review uploads. Some items carry a Creative Commons licence instead.
What does a Musopen membership add?
Musopen lists its $55 a year membership as paid access with unlimited downloads and lossless audio. One-time donations do not unlock those benefits.
Sources
- Musopen FAQmusopen.org
- Musopen music librarymusopen.org
Facts checked against the sources below on . Licences and prices change, so read the provider's own page before you rely on one.