FMA Team Curator

Today (July 24) is Netlabel Day 2024! For those of you who have not heard of Netlabel Day (most people haven't, it seems, even people who've been releasing music for over a decade) -- it's a yearly celebration of freely licensed music every year on July 14th.

The Exploding Pea is Chris Pusinelli living in the Chicagoland area. Chris is a songwriter/musician who as a kid used to journal about his day. Now he writes songs instead.

Hey there, music lovers and holiday enthusiasts! It's that magical time of year again, and we've got something special for you. Free Music Archive (FMA) brings you a musical celebration like no other.

The holiday season is upon us, and what better way to celebrate than with the gift of music? We're excited to announce an incredible opportunity for musicians and producers to showcase their talents and spread some festive cheer. We're putting together a special holiday album featuring your original tracks, and we want YOU to be a part of it.

Maxim Novak is from Riga, the capital of Latvia, and for the last 29 years he has been living in Israel. Maxim’s main specialty is related to computers, but he carries a love for music his entire life. Gradually, he developed his own musical style, which he calls romantic retro.

Zapa is Miguel Zapata from A Coruña, Galicia in Northern Spain and based in London since 2009. He is an artist and singer-songwriter with passion for the evocative, lo-fi folk music of the late 60s and early 70s. This is best represented in his 2018 homemade albums Triangle and Images, both released on Vulpiano Records. Zapa is represented by, and a long time member of netlabel; Vulpiano Records on Free Music Archive.

Hey there, folks! We're diving into the world of intellectual property and emerging tech. Now, I know what you're thinking, "IP? Boring!" But hold on, because we've got a twist for you. Meet two music industry dudes (Chris and Hessel) with a passion for empowering musicians. They've got an incredible story to share, and guess what, it's captured on video. Trust me, it's not your typical corporate spiel. Whether you're a musician seeking a boost or just curious about the intersection of music and technology, this is your backstage pass. Here is the link to the video. Bonus treat! We answer the questions from a select group of WIPO guests who participated in this webinar below. Continue reading. Don't miss out!

Discover the importance of protecting cultural IP with TakeNode. Learn how copyright protection enables you and other IP owners to set their own conditions for sharing content.

Brylie Christopher Oxley is an artist from Finland who creates music to promote wellness and healing. Brylie's music appears in several independent documentaries and podcasts. His discography ranges from abstract electronic minimalism to mixed instrumental, sometimes blending many types of instruments, timbres, textures, and musical genres.

Meet Rrrrrose Azerty aka Loyalty Freak Music, Monplaisir, Alpha Hydrae, Komiku, Dancefloor is Lava, Demoiselle Döner, Comme Jospin, Frederic Lardon, Cuicuitte, Soft & Furious to name a few. Rrrrrose is a French musician, music producer, recording folk, rock, classical guitar, but also noise and distortion. Rrrrrose Azerty has over 600 tracks uploaded under one artist page alone and is one of FMA's main artists sharing their music catalogues under CC0! Rrrrrose Azerty is non-binary genderfluid and use she/her or they/them for pronouns.

Meet Kellee Maize. An independent musician out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who sings and raps about spirituality, feminism, and social and political issues. As an independent artist, Kellee Maize was skeptical about giving her music away for free, but learned that the exposure you get from FMA and other outlets has catapulted her career. Under Creative Commons licenses, her 6 albums has millions of listens, a Toyota sponsorship deal, TV appearances on Adult Swim, press coverage in the likes of XXL Magazine, and a Bonnaroo Music Festival performance under her belt. Kellee has spent the last few years focusing on her children and family, but has plans to get back into the studio soon.

Frau Holle is Holger Mangler. A German musician. He has made music since his early childhood, starting with an interest in drumming, then learning organs and synthesizers until the end of the 80s. Holger's first tracks were inspired by traditional electronic artists like Jean Michel Jarre and Kraftwerk. In the early 90s he created his first project, as Holle Mangler, and signed his first contract, releasing two albums with the Ardema label.

Meet Jorge Mario Zuleta. A film director, producer, and editor, born and raised in San Jose, Costa Rica. A Proud father of three. He is primarily known for his experimental short films such as Frondio (2019), Soft Calm (2015), and Cuando Ella Vuelva (2018). His works have been shown at various film festivals.

We Is Shore Dedicated sits between the two colliding worlds of Brooklyn, NY, and Oakland, CA. They feature a motley collection of influences and members from the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine. It's not polite or advised to try to describe the music of We Is Shore Dedicated. Perhaps a team of PR professionals could do it. They DID try to do it, and we saw the results and immediately buried them in the darkest corners of the internet. We Is Shore Dedicated converges in whatever is good for the times feel and sound.

Policy is FMA artist Mark Buchwald. Policy is an accomplished drummer/percussionist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, studio session player, actor, recording engineer, producer, and music business consultant.

Sara Afonso is a French composer, sound designer, producer, and singer. She creates music for fun and sometimes for clients, such as indie video games and short movies.

Matt Oakley is based near Bristol, in the UK. He writes, produces, and records royalty-free music from genre soundtracks to theme tunes and other instrumental music, both acoustic and electronic.

Jahzzar is a Javier Suarez from Spain. Jahzzar’s music offers sounds for ideas, to enjoy, share, and use. Instrumental music in all styles. From Folk-Rock to Dub, from traditional Celtic music to Funk and Soul, Trip hop, or IDM. Classic Pop, Synthpop, Dream Pop, Shoegaze… No matter the language, just communicate.

Maarten Schellekens is a composer and musician from Switzerland. He creates soundtracks for video and media. Since 2018, Maarten has been experimenting with orchestral and neo-classical music. A stream of new music evolved, including electronic music as Amarent, which has been published on FMA, to positive acclaim. Maarten's catalog has been used in numerous documentaries, shorts, and other videos.

Echo Chamber Rope Trick is Seamo, Andy, and Simon from the southwest of England. An experimental psychedelic trio. With a combined love of 60's US garage rock, German Kosmische Musik and psychedelic folk, their lo-fi recordings reflect these influences, mashing them together in songs about DIY and starlings.

Adeline Yeo (HP) is an indie musician based in her hometown, Singapore. Adeline Yeo (HP) started her music career without formal knowledge and experience but as she continues experimenting with her instrumental music compositions, she realized that she could understand where her musical creation strengths lie and she has improved in the genre of electronic music ever since.

Crowander is David Szesztay from Budapest, Hungary. David is a multi-instrumentalist composer and has been playing in well-acknowledged bands on electric bass, guitar, keys and vocal for more than two decades. In the last 15 years, David has been writing music for theaters, advertisements, and films. In 2019, he remastered and rearranged many of his instrumental music and named the collection under Crowander. Since then, David started recording new materials in different genres with the mindset of creating music for films and also for his listeners.

Zight is Tony Yau. He is a songwriter, composer, and electronic music producer from Hong Kong & London. Originally from Hong Kong, Zight has his eyes set on making a major impact on the global dance music scene. He managed to secure his first collaboration: Fly Away with Disney singer Sonna Rele. His third single: Everybody Keep Running has been selected for the Billboard Electric Asia Vol.5.

Uncan is FMA artist Jon Dare. Uncan is an electronic musician, pianist, vocalist, and video game composer for hire hailing from Southern New Jersey.

BenJamin Banger is a Baltimore-based content creator and multimedia artist. BenJamin Banger specializes in music production, photography, and graphic design. His art direction has been featured in advertisements for companies like Microsoft and Hypebae, featured in Web Series, Independent Short Films, and he has collaborated with several recording artists.

John Bartmann is a major dork and a composer of cheesy 90s sitcom music, in that order. Offering Creative Commons intro music, backing music, soundtracks, comedy songwriting and themes.

Meet Kathleen Martin aka kat330. She is an independent singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger and producer of the lo-fi, multi-genre sounds found here on FMA. In the summer of 2020, she relocated to her husband's native country; Finland, from their home in the U.S. Midwest. Her lyrics and sounds range from sweet to sassy and reedy to brassy, from lofty to lowdown and soulful to hoedown. Kathleen's music has been heard on radio, television and streamed around the world.

Nctrnm is the pseudonym of Matthew McGilvery. An electronica producer-artist and digital artist from the Inland Empire region of Southern California, initiated in 2017. I had no understanding of branding, music marketing, or strategy to think of when I decided to release my debut album on Free Music Archive. The community I was able to cultivate from that initial release and the lessons I learned on creative ways of offering value made the decision worth it, to say the least. - Nctrnm

The Agrarians is Matt Perzinski. He is a schoolteacher and has been writing, recording, and releasing music since 2004. The LibraryAnns and The Solitarians preceded the formation of The Agrarians. The Agrarians have been succeeded by Olde(r) Love(rs).

Black Pudding Poetry is Johanna Wedin-Duda. Black Pudding Poetry is an alternative singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and a DIY music producer from Sweden. She is inspired by Wabi Sabi, unpredictable audience and things you say or sing just once. Whenever possible, she collaborates on stage with her sister, the contemporary dancer and choreographer Ulrika Wedin.

Lobo Loco (civil name Wolf Schweizer-Gerth) is from Germany, and he is crazy about making music. So he goes every free hour in his small studio above the garage. Above all, Lobo Loco loves the diversity in music, so he also shares very different styles, from blues, folk, jazz, rock, to latin to spherical meditation sounds, in his repertoire. His guitar, piano, organ, percussion, and synthesizer help realize his ideas.

Lisa Hammer is an NYC based composer, singer, writer, director, producer, filmmaker, and actress. Lisa was the lead singer of Gothic rock bands: Requiem in White (1985-1994), The Order of the N.C.S. (1994), Mors Syphilitica (1996-2002) and currently sings/composes with Radiana. She composes many scores for film, theater, and series and shares soundtrack compositions on FMA for creatives to use.

The Keepers Of Still Town are Jimmy Lloyd and Daniel Ghent.

Double-F the King is Foluso Falaye from Ibadan, Nigeria. He is determined to reconstruct the way the world views the whole trap and mainstream hip-hop industry with less dumbed-down lyrics and concepts, and by passing meaningful messages, without compromising the sonic appeal of his music.

Tribe of Noise is a leading independent music licensing platform that connects media producers with a diverse range of independent artists. Research shows that independent music can have a more positive effect on consumers than mainstream music, making it a great choice for brands looking to stand out. Brands like Coca-Cola and Apple, video on demand series Stranger Things and digital agencies Huge or R/GA have successfully used independent music to enhance their media production. Find unique and high-quality music that aligns with your message and values with Tribe of Noise.

K.I.R.K. aka James Kirkendoll is an emcee and producer from Austin, Texas. Born in Norfolk, VA, but raised in Austin. He is a unique artist that warrants attention with his social consciousness, awareness, and wittiness; he can grab anyone’s attention universally. His collaborations with legendary Grammy Nominated artists prove his raw talent and ability within the craft.

Are you searching for a safe and budget-friendly solution to license hip-hop music for your YouTube video or Instagram story? Look no further than Free Music Archive and Tribe of Noise PRO. Both platforms offer an extensive catalog of hip-hop music tracks, but with some key differences to consider.

Sometimes you have to dig real deep with a team of professionals to find value! That's why Tribe of Noise signed an agreement with Pex, the trusted global leader in digital rights technology. This strategic partnership will enable Tribe of Noise to identify more music licensing deals for its community of independent musicians and provide them with greater exposure and digital licensing opportunities.

The contest to wish Creative Commons a happy 10th birthday has now reached its own 10-year anniversary. In 2012, WFMU and the Free Music Archive challenged songwriters everywhere to unseat “Happy Birthday to You” from its cultural throne by composing possible replacements. “Happy Birthday To You” is the most recognized song in the English language, however at that time, it remained under copyright protection in the United States until 2030. It was one of the most controversial pieces of copyrighted material.

Tribe of Noise and Pentatone's partnership has the potential to be highly successful in licensing high-resolution classical music to independent media creators, game developers, and VOD/TV production companies.

AI music creation tools can provide a range of benefits for independent artists. Here are some of the ways independent artists can benefit from using AI music creation tools: 1. Speed and Efficiency: AI music creation tools can speed up the music production process by quickly generating ideas and creating music tracks. This can be especially helpful for artists who have tight deadlines or limited resources. 2. Inspiration and Creativity: AI music creation tools can provide new sources of inspiration for artists and help them explore new sounds, genres, and styles. They can also provide fresh perspectives and ideas that artists may not have considered before. 3. Collaboration: AI music creation tools can facilitate collaboration between artists and other creatives, allowing for the exchange of ideas and the development of new projects. 4. Access to New Audiences: AI music creation tools can help artists reach new audiences by providing opportunities for their music to be featured in video games, films, and other media projects that require music. 5. Customization and Personalization: AI music creation tools can allow artists to customize and personalize their music tracks to fit their specific needs and preferences. It's important to note that while AI music creation tools can provide many benefits, they should not replace the creativity and artistry of human musicians. Rather, they can complement and enhance the work of independent artists, providing new tools and opportunities for creative expression. Any AI related questions? AI@tribeofnoise.com

Love comes in all shapes and forms, and so does this Valentine's Day Mix. From Classical to experimental, from vocals to instrumental, from rock to pop. Love is love.

Refresh your music library with these five instrumental tracks that are sure to bring life to any playlist. Let the good vibes roll!

A very carefully crafted selection of some of the finest vocal tracks on FMA: all genres included. Showcasing some incredible vocal talent on FMA! For more curated playlists by Marko, follow curator Marko Roca - FMA Head of Music

A curated playlist featuring some of the finest lo-fi gems on FMA by Head of Music Marko Roca. Listen, relax and enjoy! For more curated playlists by Marko, follow curator Marko Roca - FMA Head of Music

Four amazing new albums with completely new original music. Over 30 new tracks are ready to discover on Free Music Archive and ready to license for your next media project on Tribe of Noise PRO.

Tribe of Noise, with financial support from Buma/Stemra and the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science, invited 5 musicians to create new music and explore a wide range of licensing models.