FAQ For Musicians
Your FMA Account
Can I share my music on Free Music Archive?
Why should I join Free Music Archive?
How does Free Music Archive work?
How to join Free Music Archive?
How to set up your FMA Artist Page?
How to connect to your existing FMA artist page?
How to upload your tracks on FMA?
What are the requirements to upload a track on FMA?
How to monetize your FMA artist page?
What information can I share with FMA users?
License Your Music
Which Creative Commons License should I use for my tracks?
License my track under Attribution 4.0 International / CC BY?
License my track under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International / CC BY-SA?
License my track under Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International / CC BY-NC?
License my track under Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International / CC BY-ND?
License my track under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International / CC BY-NC-SA?
License my tracks under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International / CC BY-NC-ND?
License my track under Public Domain / CC0 1.0?
Which Creative Commons License are most commonly used?
The terms of my Creative Commons license have been violated by someone. What can I do?
FMA Need To Know
What should I do if my music is registered at a collecting society?
What to do when an FMA user contact me with a claim issue on my track?
Can I upload covers (new recordings of someone else's song)?
How can I help to get my music heard?
Can a FMA netlabel manage my artist page?
Connect with FMA curators to be featured on FMA mixes & blogs?
I need more help and guidance to continue on Free Music Archive?
Can I share my music on Free Music Archive?
Yes! Free Music Archive is free to all to join. You do not have to submit your tracks. If you are an independent musician, artist, vocalist, singer songwriter and/or composer. Any genre, any part of the world. You are welcome to join Free Music Archive and share your original songs with media makers around the globe!
Why should I join Free Music Archive?
Free Music Archive is a gigantic platform where all kinds of musicians and online users come together for original music. This means:
Complete control of your tracks;
Free Music Archive values and respects all rightsholders which is why you will have total control of your artist page(s) and complete authorization on the usage of your tracks.
Ability to explore & broaden your music catalog;
Are you a musician with other pen names, stage names, Pseudonyms or you want to start exploring new music directions, not to worry, with your FMA artist account, you are able to create and manage as many Artist pages as you would like under one roof.
Immense daily traffic on FMA;
You do not want to miss out on 1.5M pageviews and visitors per day FMA receives, your tracks are guaranteed to be listened to and downloaded.
New audiences listening to your music;
As there are so many different media makers using FMA, your tracks will be listened to by podcasters, videographers, filmmakers, gamers, radio hosts, performers, students, educators, non-profits, institutions, companies etc.
New exposure for your tracks;
FMA users will add your tracks to their podcast episodes, vlogs, films, documentaries, videos, social media posts, commercials, tutorials, educational presentations and also for personal enjoyment.
New Opportunities for you;
FMA visitors are always looking for new music to use, sometimes, they even need FMA tracks for big paid commercial projects, advertisements, national television broadcasts, apps, games, NFTs etc.
How does Free Music Archive works?
Free Music Archive works with Creative Commons, which is a global organization helping you share your creativity with the world. On FMA, Creative Commons licenses gives you the opportunity to share your music legally and for free, while you remain the owner of your track(s). You and you alone, are able to choose which Creative Commons License requirements and conditions FMA visitors must follow when they want to use your work for their projects. Follow the FMA License Guide to see which Creative Commons Licenses matches your music preferences and permissions.
How to join Free Music Archive?
Step 1.
- First, create your FMA account by Signing up
- If you already have an existing FMA account, please Log in
- If you need to update your FMA password, please Reset your password
How to become a FMA Musician?
Step 2.
- After signing up and verifying your email address, send an email to meghan@tribeofnoise.com
- Add the subject "FMA artist account" and include the email address you signed up with
- When we receive your email, your account will be changed from "member" to "artist"
How to connect to your existing FMA artist page?
Do you already have a FMA artist page? Great! You can claim your artist page and continue sharing your music on FMA! Here’s how:
- Go to your FMA artist page
- Under the Bio section, click on the “Claim This Page” button
- Add the information required, check the boxes and agree
- To Finalize, scroll below and click on the “Claim your page” button
How to set up your FMA Artist Page(s)?
Step 3.
After your account has been changed to an artist account, you are able to create your FMA artist page.
- Go to the right corner menu under your FMA Username
- First, click on the "Manage Artists" button
- Then click on the "Create Artists" button
You are now able to create and manage as many artist pages as you like with your FMA artist account.
How to upload your tracks on FMA?
Step 4.
Your FMA artist page is ready, now it’s time to share your music with the world.
To upload a single or album:
- Go to the top right corner of your artist page
- Click on the "Upload" button
- Follow the FMA Upload Wizard
What are the requirements to upload a track on FMA?
Requirements to upload your tracks on FMA:
- MP3 Format
- Maximum file size (100MB)
- Only upload singles, EP’s, albums and podcasts
How to monetization for your FMA artist page?
All musicians on FMA have the power to add different types of monetization tooling on their artist page and receive support from specific FMA visitors. On your artist page, go to the “Edit” button and click on the “Monetization” section, here you will be able to enable the monetization of your choosing:
Activate your FMA Tip Jar
On your FMA artist page, you are able to add your PayPal Email to receive direct support from FMA visitors via your very own FMA Tip Jar.
Receive support with your own Donation URL
All musicians on FMA are able to receive donations from FMA visitors by adding a Donation URL.
Tribe of Noise Pro
For more sync opportunities, all FMA musicians are able to link their Tribe of Noise PRO artist page. The visitors here are media makers looking to find original music for commercial purposes. Learn more how you can join Tribe of Noise PRO here.
What information can I share with FMA users?
Allow Email
Can be changed to YES so users can contact you about a track or license.
Status
Can be changed to publish. All info and the page will be live and visible.
Name
Add or update your artist name.
Donation URL
If you have a donation/fund set up, you can add the link.
PayPal Account
Add your PayPal email address to receive support.
Wikipedia
Add your Wikipedia link or associated Wikipedia link that informs users about yourself and music.
First Active Year & Last Active Year
Share the year you began your music journey and if not active anymore, also the end year.
Genres
Choose and tag your pages/tracks with specific genres. This is essential for when users are searching per genre or use the genre filter in the charts section.
Contact & Contact Email
You can add and edit your contact email for the FMA team and users.
Website
If you have an official artist website or use other relevant digital (music) service.
Location
Add the location/city/town where you reside.
Related Projects
Add the name of any related projects or artists you have worked with.
Associated Labels
Associated labels or netlabels in and outside of FMA.
Bio
Feel free to add any relevant information about yourself and your journey.
Which Creative Commons License should I use for my tracks?
Licensing a work is as simple as selecting which of the Creative Commons licenses best meets your goals, and marking your work so that others know that you have chosen to release the work under the terms of that license. Follow the FMA License Guide to know which Creative Commons license matches your preferences or continue below to read more about the licenses conditions.
Once you've decided on a Creative Commons license for your track(s), simply select the license during the FMA upload Wizard. Your license choice will be expressed through an icon and license notice that appears on the left column of your track's page.
License my track under Attribution 4.0 International / CC BY?
With the CC BY License, you give FMA users the consent to:
- copy and redistribute your tracks in any medium or format
- remix, transform, and build upon your tracks
- use your tracks for non-commercial and commercial purposes
When FMA visitors use your tracks under this license they are required to:
- Attribution: give you appropriate credit
- Provide a link to the license source
- Indicate if changes were made
License my track under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International / CC BY-SA?
With the CC BY-SA License, you give FMA users the consent to:
- copy and redistribute your tracks in any medium or format
- remix, transform, and build upon your tracks
- use your tracks for non-commercial and commercial purposes
When FMA visitors use your tracks under this license they are required to:
- Attribution: give you appropriate credit
- Provide a link to the license source
- Indicate if changes were made
- ShareAlike: if changes are made to your track, they must license their project under the same license as your track
License my track under Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International / CC BY-NC?
With the CC BY-NC License, you give FMA users the consent to:
- copy and redistribute your tracks in any medium or format
- remix, transform, and build upon your tracks
- use your track for non-commercial purposes only
When FMA visitors use your tracks under this license they are required to:
- Attribution: give you appropriate credit
- Provide a link to the license source
- Non-Commercial: they may not use your track for commercial purposes
License my track under Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International / CC BY-ND?
With the CC BY-ND License, you give FMA users the consent to:
- copy and redistribute your tracks in any medium or format
- use your tracks for non-commercial and commercial purposes
When FMA visitors use your tracks under this license they are required to:
- Attribution: give you appropriate credit
- Provide a link to the license source
- No Derivatives: if changes are made to your track, they may not publish the modified material
License my track under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International / CC BY-NC-SA?
With the CC BY-NC-SA License, you give FMA users the consent to:
- copy and redistribute your tracks in any medium or format
- remix, transform, and build upon your tracks
- use your track for non-commercial purposes only
When FMA visitors use your tracks under this license they are required to:
- Attribution: give you appropriate credit
- Provide a link to the license source
- Non-Commercial: they may not use your track for commercial purposes
- ShareAlike: if changes are made to your track, they must license their project under the same license as your track
License my tracks under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International / CC BY-NC-ND?
With the CC BY-NC-ND License, you give FMA users the consent to:
- copy and redistribute your tracks in any medium or format
- use your track for non-commercial purposes only
When FMA visitors use your tracks under this license they are required to:
- Attribution: give you appropriate credit
- Provide a link to the license source
- Non-Commercial: they may not use your track for commercial purposes
- No Derivatives: if changes are made to your track, they may not publish the modified material
License my track under Public Domain / CC0 1.0?
With the Public Domain License, you give FMA users the consent to:
- copy and redistribute your tracks in any medium or format
- remix, transform, and build upon your tracks
- use your track for non-commercial and commercial purposes
When FMA visitors use your tracks under this license they do not require:
- No Attribution: they do not have to credit you
- No conditions or requirements to follow
* The person who associated a work under the Public Domain License has dedicated the work to the public domain by waiving all rights to the work worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.
What are the differences between "International" licenses and ones for specific countries like "The United States"?
All Creative Commons licenses apply worldwide. In past versions of these licenses (versions 3.0 and earlier), they would specify a country or specific jurisdiction to reflect the local nuances in laws. Both the country-specific (ported) and the international licenses are intended to be legally effective everywhere.
The latest suite of licenses (4.0) has been drafted with particular attention to the need for international enforceability.
Which Creative Commons License are most commonly used?
CC Licenses - Attribution
Creative Commons is foremost about free sharing while valuing the creator/rightsholder of the work. FMA tracks under CC license require the FMA user to give the rightsholder of the track the correct and appropriate credit. This means all users small or big must credit each artist and track used with;
- Name of the track /title
- Name of Creator/artist/author
- Source/location
- License/License info
CC Licences - Commercial
FMA tracks that are primarily intended for or directed toward commercial advantage or private monetary compensation.
CC License commercial use conditions assist all FMA users; individuals or organizations without a budget looking for original music to use. Many creators, institutions and startups are using free commercial use tracks on FMA to help them enter more competitive markets and establish more of their presence in their industry. FMA artists permits this license condition to allow FMA users to feature and distribute their tracks in a commercial setting and media content for free. Most common FMA users downloading FMA tracks under commercial use are: Podcasters, Videographers, Influencers, Bloggers, (Game) developers, Filmmakers, Advertisers, Promotors and many types of Commercial Entities.
CC Licenses - Non Commercial
FMA tracks available to FMA users for with no intention and direction to monetary gain or for personal (at home) use.
Any FMA user; individuals, universities, teachers, non-profits, charities looking for free to download music to share with family, friends, students, communities or social groups and does not earn any profit from using FMA tracks. FMA artists permit this license condition to allow FMA users to use and distribute their tracks freely without a financial objective. Most common FMA users downloading FMA tracks under non-commercial use are students, teachers, universities, non-profits, charities, dancers, upcoming podcasters, gamers, vloggers and at-home creators.
CC Licences - Derivatives
Any material that has been built upon or implemented into a new content becomes a Derivative work.
Any FMA track downloaded, transformed either as mashups, adaptations and remixes are derivative works. Any FMA track downloaded and added into a video or project is a derivative work. The moment an FMA track is either changed or added into a content, it becomes Derivative work. More specifically, "Derivative work" is a legal term that comes straight from the Copyright Act. Here's how the law defines it, in part: "A 'derivative work' is a work based upon one or more pre-existing works, such as a translation, musical arrangement, dramatization, fictionalization, motion picture version, sound recording, art reproduction, abridgment, condensation, or any other form in which a work may be recast, transformed, or adapted."
FMA Artists permit this license condition to allow FMA users to edit and share their tracks in different formats and mediums freely. Most common FMA users downloading FMA tracks to use as Derivative work are: Podcasters, Videographers, Influencers, Bloggers, (Game) developers, Filmmakers, Advertisers, Promotors, Commercial Entities, Students, Teachers, Universities, Non-profits, Charities, Dancers, Vloggers and At-Home Creators.
CC License - NoDerivatives
FMA tracks that are not allowed to be adapted, transformed and shared, If the FMA track is altered or changed, the FMA user is not allowed to publish and distribute the new content. If the FMA track built upon and added into a video or media content, FMA user is not allowed to share this publication.
FMA artists permit this license condition to allow FMA users to use their tracks as whole and not to be changed. Most common FMA users downloading FMA tracks to use as NoDerivative work are: Students, Teachers, Universities, Non-profits, Charities, At- Home Listeners and Dancers.
For more on what is and isn't a derivative work, see the Creative Commons FAQ, “Does my use constitute a derivative work or an adaptation?"
CC License – ShareAlike
FMA tracks with the ShareAlike condition, if remixed, transformed or build upon, the FMA user must share the new content under the same license condition; ShareAlike. FMA artists permit this license condition to FMA users to use their tracks as whole or if changed and added into new content, must share their own work under the ShareAlike license.
The ShareAlike CC License condition helps expand the CC community with new different type of materials and works that are able to be passed on, shared and reuse.
CC License – Public Domain
FMA tracks with the Public Domain conditions, are available to download and use for free without any requirements or permission from the artist/rightsholder. FMA tracks under the Public Domain are to use completely freely.
FMA artists do not apply any conditions to their FMA tracks under the Public Domain.
The terms of my Creative Commons license have been violated by someone. What can I do?
If you apply a Creative Commons license and a user violates the license conditions, you may opt to contact the person directly to ask them to rectify the situation or consult a lawyer to act on your behalf. Creative Commons is not a law firm and cannot represent you or give you legal advice, but there are lawyers who have identified themselves as interested in representing people in CC-related matters. You may also want to send them a notice. Here is a “Standard License Violation Letter” from Wikipedia to help you.
What should I do if my music is registered at a collecting society?
If you are registered to a collecting society, but you wish to share some of your tracks under Creative Commons Licenses, be sure to opt-out for those tracks. This way they will not collect money from the parties that used a license for your tracks from Free Music Archive. Contact the collecting society where your music is registered ask about the option to opt-out for tracks you want to license directly. Make sure you have a written confirmation from them.
If (some of) your work is registered with BMI/ASCAP/SESAC you can inform them that you are licensing specific tracks to Free Music Archive.
What to do when an FMA user contact me with a claim issue on my track?
If an user contacts you with a claim notice while using your tracks:
- The user may not be completely familiar with the Creative Commons License conditions and was not aware of the specific requirements that needed to be met. For better understanding, please direct those users to the FMA License Guide
- Double check if your track(s) or catalogue on FMA is cleared from exclusive use from collecting societies or other music services. See previous question.
Can I upload covers (new recordings of someone else's song)?
All tracks on FMA are original works shared under Creative Commons Licenses. You may only upload a cover of a song that is in the public domain. We advise all users to double check tracks under the public domain license.
How can I help to get my music heard?
Free Music Archive is known for its immense daily traffic, make sure your:
- FMA artist page is updated with relevant bio, image and contact details
- Add and share links to your music or profile page through your social networks
- Join and follow the FMA newsletters to stay informed about new opportunities
- Be interviewed and featured in the FMA Podcast: Music Insiders
- Get to know the FMA team, make sure we know about your gigs, music placements, album releases etc.
To co-exist and share your tracks in another community with new listeners:
- Please join the Tribe of Noise Community with other talented independent artists sharing their music under a Creative Commons License
- See if your tracks will be eligible for Tribe of Noise PRO for with media makers with a budget. Learn more.
Next to FMA members and musicians, FMA is also home to Netlabels and Curators. Both member groups are able to boost your music exposure and opportunities:
- With your permission, FMA Netlabels can help you manage your tracks and artist pages
- FMA Curators creates mixes, more tracks you upload on FMA, more potential tracks featured you might get.
Can an FMA netlabel manage my artist page?
With your permission, you are able to grant FMA netlabels the right to upload your tracks on their FMA netlabel page and manage your artist page.
- Go to the menu under your FMA Username
- Click on the “Manage Rights” button
- Click on the “+ Add Label” button
- Enter the name of the FMA Netlabel(s) & click on the “Save” button
- Select which Artist rights you would like to grant the FMA Netlabel
- To finalize, scroll below and click the “Save” button
Connect with FMA curators to be featured on FMA mixes & blogs?
FMA curators have the power to add a spotlight to your artist page and tracks. Curators create and publish FMA mixes with all the tracks available on FMA, including yours.
With each mix an FMA curator creates, they have the ability to write a blog post about your music, to be shared on FMA. All mixes created by FMA curators are eligible to become an FMA home page featured mix, added by the FMA team on the home page.
Connect with FMA curators to:
- Be featured in FMA Mixes with other talented FMA musicians
- Be featured in FMA blog posts which will be shared on FMA socials
- Be featured in the FMA Home Page Feature Mix which has an immense daily traffic
What should I keep in mind?
FMA Disclaimer
The FAQ provides general information about legal topics; it does not provide individual legal advice. The use of this FAQ does not create an attorney-client relationship between FMA and users. FMA disclaims liability for damages resulting from its use.
Creative Commons Licenses Disclaimer
You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits. The Free Music Archive doesn’t create music on the site, so we don’t own the copyright to anything on the site – that belongs to the creators. Please contact the individual artists, curators, or netlabels to work it out with them directly.
Non-Commercial Licenses Disclaimer
First of all, we are no authority on what counts as a commercial purpose, and neither are Creative Commons and their fleets of lawyers who created these terms. What matters is how the licensor and licensee interpret these things. Here’s how Creative Commons explains this on their FAQ Wiki: “CC’s NonCommercial (NC) licenses prohibit uses that are ‘primarily intended for or directed toward commercial advantage or private monetary compensation.’ Whether a use is commercial will depend on the specifics of the situation and the intentions of the user. In CC’s experience, whether a use is permitted is usually pretty clear, and known conflicts are relatively few considering the popularity of the NC licenses.
However, there will always be uses that are challenging to categorize as commercial or noncommercial. CC cannot advise you on what is and is not commercial use. If you are unsure, you should either contact the creator or rightsholder for clarification, or search for works that permit commercial uses. Please note that CC’s definition does not turn on the type of user: if you are a non profit or charitable organization, your use of an NC-licensed work could run afoul of the NC restriction; and if you are a for-profit entity, your use of an NC-licensed work does not necessarily mean you have violated the term.”
In many cases, this definition is easy to apply. Making a mix and giving it to your friend is a non-commercial use; making a mix and selling 100 copies of it isn’t. Unfortunately, many cases aren’t nearly that simple. This is particularly true online, where ad-supported blogs and other evolving revenue models have blurred the lines between NonCommercial and Commercial.
Public Domain Disclaimer
In no way are the patent or trademark rights of any person affected by CC0, nor are the rights that other persons may have in the work or in how the work is used, such as publicity or privacy rights.
Unless expressly stated otherwise, the person who associated a work with this deed makes no warranties about the work, and disclaims liability for all uses of the work, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. When using or citing the work, you should not imply endorsement by the author or the affirmer.
I need more help and guidance to continue on Free Music Archive?
Please don’t hesitate to contact the FMA team for any help, suggestions and feedback. Our doors are always open. Go to the FMA contact page or send an email to meghan@tribeofnoise.com