Download Free MP3 Songs - Totally Legal and Royalty Free Music Licensing

Download Free MP3 Songs and Royalty Free Creative Commons Production Music Library

Hi, I'm Dan-O and these are my original pop, rock, acoustic and techno songs. I put my own music up as free MP3 music downloads that are legal, safe and virus-free to listen, burn, stream, podcast or use in your personal or commercial multimedia projects. You are allowed to use the music for your business.

You have my permission to use these tracks as music for YouTube or other video sites, in photo galleries, as background music on Websites, in student film projects, or whatever else you can think of. You can use the MP3s as a game soundtrack, to record vocals over as a song or to play them on your podcast as complete finished tracks. It's up to you - have fun!

The songs are available under the creative commons license which means you can use them for free if you link back to my site. If you just want to download and listen, that's great and you don't need to link back. You can also sign up to get my latest royalty free MP3s directly by email.

MP3 File Download Instructions:

If you are downloading these files using Internet Explorer then right mouse click on the underlined song link, choose 'Save Target As...' on the menu that comes up and select a folder like "My Documents" and save the MP3.

For Firefox or Netscape browsers, do the same but select 'Save Link As'. If you have any problems at all just contact me and I will be glad to email you the MP3 file directly.

Click More to get download access to the complete collection of 30 tracks.

Instrumental Music

Pop Rock Band with Guitar, Piano and Organ
The Art of Gardens - Acoustic Rock
The Wire - Modern Rock
Wait for the Dawn - Uplifting, Thoughtful
I'm Gonna Go - Light, Driving
Joker With Honey Lips - Straight, Downtempo
Crazy from the Message - Hard Rock
Sun Spark - Alternative Rock
Flying While Weeping - Upbeat Pop Rock
Acoustic Guitar
Love Letters - Acoustic Pop Chords
Violet Shrine - Classical Guitar w/ Beat
Climb to Elara - Acoustic Modern Rock
Everything Begins - Fingerpicking Guitar
Imagine Magneta - Upbeat Funky Back-beats - New
Orchestra and Strings
Become the Heavens

Meditation and Relaxation Music
Autumn Boy - Ambient and Calm
Silver Shine - New Age Piano
Riding the Banshee - World Pop
Techno / Electronic
Snapsphere - Upbeat Techno Style
Copper Mountain - Dark Ambient
In the Deal - Acid Jazz Hip Hop
Rapid Arc - Industrial Trip Hop
Dublin Forever - Drum n Bass
Cellular Faith - Hard Rock Techno Funk - New
World / Ethnic
Book of the Monkey - Reggae
Ambershire - Asian
Dublin Forever - Rasta Vox Samples
Riding the Banshee - Native Chants
Game Music Ten Ton Matrix

Songs with Vocals

Rock Band with Electric Guitar
The Time Isnt Right
King Or An Alien
Crawled Out of a Grave
Our Song
What You Think
Nuclear MakeUp
I Am You, You Are Me
Rescue Me

Techno / Electronic
Silk
Nightbirds

Acoustic Guitar Songs with Vocals
Crowd in the Palace
Love Letters
Everything Begins
Bounty Hunter
Its You
The World Will Break
Art of Gardens
Everything Dies
Blues with Band and Acoustic
Antarctic Moon Solo
Antarctic Moon Electric

Songs Lyrics and Chords You Can Use

32 Pop, Rock and Love Song Lyrics PDF
Here are 32 lyrics with chords that you can use to write songs with, use in school projects, change as you want for poetry, or do whatever else you want with. You can use them as is or any lines you like. I get asked allot to write lyrics and I just don't have the time so I thought of doing this. Many have songs that go with them that you can download below. Many do not have music yet. Either way you are free to use them as long as you list "Dan-O at DanoSongs.com" as the co-writer in any printed versions, videos or Websites where you use them. Stay in touch, I'd love to hear to hear anything you do with the lyrics!

Choose from 6 Options to Use the Music Royalty Free

You can download and listen to the songs with no link or credit. These options are for royalty free use in videos, games, slideshows, podcasts, songs, or any other format where the music will be published.

1. Add a text link to your Website or Blog. YouTube does not accept html so please put the URL http://www.danosongs.com and it will automatically create a link. Link code example:

<a href="http://www.danosongs.com">Free Music by DanoSongs.com</a>

2. Or, download from the banner gallery, upload image to your site or blog, and use it to link back:

3. A link is the best, but if you are using the music in a format where one can not be provided, that is ok. Please add visible credit to "Free Music by DanoSongs.com" in whatever way you can.

4. If you are broadcasting and have no way to credit me then you can use this DanoSongsCreditSounder.MP3.

5. Pease donate any amount that fits your budget to use all my music royalty free with no credit or link back.

6. Does your company have a legal department that requires you to work through a professional music publisher? You can license all my music through Music Dealers a full-service music licensing company that has had recent placements with Disney, HBO, NBC and lots of national brands.

Ways You Can Use My Free Music Royalty Free

If you are looking for a free original music source online, then you can download my MP3 collections and use them royalty free as instrumental background music. I just ask that you link back to the site as described in the license in the footer. I have put together a list of cool ways you can include music from this library. You may need to purchase software for some of these but you can usually get an inexpensive or free open source program.

Video: YouTube videos that you make with Windows Movie Maker, iMovie, Final Cut Pro, Vegas, Premiere, Camtasia, or Cam Studio. Check my blog for great examples of using the music for video production and montage.

Films: Use as an alternative to production music for your documentary, animation, action, dramatic, art film or part of the score for any genre. Allot of film students also use my tracks with vocals as a nice compliment to school projects with no dialog. Some of my light instrumental stock can be used to provide an ambient audio soundtrack.

Podcasts: Put them on your play list as complete podsafe tracks. Good to use as intro, outro or background sounds in news, corporate or education podcasting.

Songs: If you are an artist or singer you can use as the instrumentals as a background music track on a demo or album. There are plenty of tracks with acoustic guitar, electric guitar and piano that could be used for pop, love ballads or other types of songs.

Backing Tracks: Free to download and use as MP3 backing tracks for playing along with guitar solos, vocals or other instruments. Many of the rock tracks are in basic easy keys and have a full band with drums.

Listen: Download the MP3s and import them into your iPod, Zune, PSP, Xbox, Windows Media Player on your computer or use for CD burning. You can also share the files as torrents on P2P networks. All these songs are already on the mininova peer to peer BitTorrent search engine. Completely safe as music for studying or partying since this is legal music for college students to download.

Exercising: Try listening to the upbeat techno dance clips for workout, sports, spinning, running and jogging or acoustic sounds for unwinding with meditation or yoga.

Commercials: Use as promo music on TV advertising, radio, jingles or YouTube videos or edit for music beds.

Apple Players: Import the MP3 files into iTunes and sync up with iPhone or iPod Touch, Nano or Shuffle.

Broadcasting: You can play the music for listeners on satellite, AM, FM and online radio playlists or in retail stores, restaurants and elevators as complete tracks or clips for any purpose.

Phone: Make them into cell ringtones or use for on-hold music. I already have many of these on MyxerTones as free ring tones.

Websites and Blogs: Embed the songs in html in the page background or in a slide show. Can also be added as music for Blogger.

Remix: If you are a DJ or like to mix loops then you can add sound effects, samples and beats to the songs or make mixtapes.

Social Profiles and Applications: Include in your Facebook or MySpace page or use in any social multimedia widgets and application you are developing for the Web. Plus, try it as music for Zwinky profiles.

Education: Music for the classroom, training, conferences and other educational purposes. Plus, if you want someone to lecture on songwriting, music technology or the online music business I may be available. I also teach guitar since that is my primary instrument. For my educational background check the about me page.

Presentations: Great to add to PowerPoint, Flash, Open Office Impress or Apple Keynote files.

Slideshows: Use in slide-shows of your kids, family, friends for events like a wedding, graduation or birthday. Or if you are an artist or author the MP3s can be used to compliment a trailer for your work. Or use for your business media created in Polaroid My Memories, ProShow, PhotoStory, Media Show, SlideShow Builder, inAlbum or Slideshow pro

Games: Use in flash, desktop, console, javascript or other video games as background music.

Commercial synchronization is acceptable too and record labels are also welcome to release the songs on CD compilations. If you need professional contracts and production quality sound files then you can go through my publishing agent, see the license page. You can also sign up for my email subscription service and I send out my best high quality clips as MP3 files at no cost every week before I add them to the catalog here.

More Details About Using the Music Royalty Free

This is a stock music production library under Creative Commons licensing for the general public. You can license the tunes royalty free if you provide a link back or credit to "Free Music by DanoSongs.com". People also do leave tips. You may download, copy and listen to the tracks without a link. There is no cost for downloading or buyout fee for creative commons licensing of these MP3s. Check my license page for details. The files are compatible with iPod, Zune, Windows Media Player any other player. They can also be used in everyday life for PowerPoint, photo album slide shows and presentations for business, education and kids projects.

The songs can be included in podcasting so they are podsafe. Other uses for the clips might be for background instrumental beds in film, tv, video, games, websites, songs and even your social network page. For instance on your myspace or facebook profile - now you can also add MP3s to your Zwinky. The files are Mac or PC compatible. In addition to downloading you can stream samples from the CD. If you just want a copy of the actual CD release with 15 of these songs sent to you, then you can order the album "Guitar, Lyrics and Cut-ups".

Let me know if you need custom made music for a project. Depending on the use, my available time and the style of music, I may be able to come up with something customized for you. The cost can be anywhere from free for creative commons licensing to a negotiable fee for a work-for-hire license where you buy the complete copyright to the song. I can also do some video editing and customizing of the existing tracks for ringtones, advertising, commercials and on hold music if you need that. I work with photographers, producers, college students, educators, non profits, artists and other musicians from all over the world and I'm open to ideas. I am in the New York City area if you want to meet in person to discuss a project.

What is the Style of My Music Like?

People ask me "What kind of music do you do?" all the time. That's hard to say because I have a very diverse influence. Overall people say my songs remind them most of David Bowie. In particular my alternative rock songs sound like the bands I have been influenced by like Led Zepplin, Coldplay, The Fray, U2, Iron and Wine, The Rolling Stones and Radiohead. The more indie rock songs have been compared to Kings of Leon, Elliot Smith and Ben Folds. My acoustic songs are music like Jack Johnson, James Blunt, Dave Matthews, Jason Mraz, Ben Harper and Jeff Buckley. My loop-based electronic tracks have a sound like Moby, Massive Attack and Frou Frou since they are my favorite artists in that genre. Some people have said my instrumental tracks sound like The Beatles and Oasis.

As a singer I am have been most influenced by Teddy Thompson, Damien Rice and Nat King Cole. As a songwriter my ideals lay in the simplistic rock of Tom Petty and Neil Young. As a lyricist I tend to be a bit intellectual and esoteric like Sting, Seal and Bono. As an artist in general I love the diverse pop art mentality of David Bowie and David Byrne - both artists, musicians and actors which is awesome. After you listen to my music and you have an opinion about what the songs sound like, please let me know. I would really appreciate it so I can list any additional artists and bands here.

How I Write New Songs - SongMix Method Basics

I am also the author of the songwriting course called The SongMix Method and these are some of the basics from the program:

1. First I decide what style of song I am going to write. Usually it will be solo acoustic, but I also use various loop-based software to create electronica tracks. If I write on acoustic I also keep in mind that I will be playing the tune with a band in a rock setting at open mics sometimes.

2. Then I decide on the theme of a song, for instance if I am going to write a love song, Christmas carol or something about America. Sometimes I am inspired by a new album and I want to write in the style of a band like U2, the Beatles or Coldplay.

3. After that I write the lyrics. I have a system to find the best ideas and words that rhyme easily and naturally. These words need to have imagery that brings out the meaning of the theme in a very colorful way. I usually pick the title at this point.

4. Next I find some chords that fit with the style of the theme. I am kind of scientific about how I choose them, I don't just make them up off the top of my head. If I'm writing electronic music I don't write chords, I just create the tracks with whatever awesome loops I can find. In either case I always, always stick to the one song structure that I find works best. At this point if I am really experimenting with loops, I may feel like digging out some world music samples and try out hindi instruments like tabla and sitar.

5. Only after all that do I try to sing the melody. I have a technique for just listening to the chords and music and coming up with something that is effortless for me. Then I decide if I like what I have created and if it could be a top radio song and if it has some kind of pop appeal. If I don't really feel like it is great then I spend a little time trying to fix it. To be honest though, it is usually easier for me to forget about a bad song, and move on to the next.

What is most important is that if I think the tune could stand the test of time as a traditional folk song, even if I do rock, pop and techno versions - the song has to have a hook. There is more about what I'm after in my article on hybrid songs.

6. Then I practice the song until I get the strumming and vocals down for every beat and phrase of the tune. Finally I take the tune and record it somehow. Could be solo, or with a band, or with a friend. After a while I gather up the songs I have and make an album out of it. I don't set out to make an album, it just happens over time.

This might seem like a complicated way to make a song, and even backwards to some people. However, in the end I wind up with simple songs that people say they love and they last as fun tunes that I play for years and years. I have taken tons of music lessons, attended songwriting workshops and I have a college education in music, but I never learned this process from a book or classes.

Providing the Songs as Free MP3 Downloads

After I write and record a songs I upload it to my Website and offer it for free. Of course, I still own the copyright to the music but I give everyone permission to copy, distribute and alter the songs for anything they want to use it for. Many people think that providing MP3s for nothing is not a good idea. However, the huge amount of traffic I get at this site shows that offering a free license is the best easy promotion I could possibly ask for!

I choose the Creative Commons Licenses attribution license which requires that you put a link or credit for DanoSongs.com. That sure gets the word out. You can also use other open licenses like GPL, GFDL, EFF Open Audio License, the Free Art license or the LinuxTag's Open Music License. Its allot like providing open source software, where you make money on services other than selling the code itself.

The other advantage to offering my tracks for free is instant easy collaboration, which is just plain fun. For instance I get emails all the time from people who use my instrumental tracks as background music for a new song. So now there is a whole piece of music in the world, that I played a part in, and yet took absolutely no effort on my part. This also goes for the many super cool video projects that people put my songs in. Some are for charity, documentaries, schools and projects for children and I am very happy to be involved.

Licensing My Songs Royalty Free

I know that it can be very expensive to license music bed clips for videos, film, television and other productions. Plus, there is an increasing use of music in podcasting, YouTube videos and Flash which is a whole new market for song use. Lots of regular folks need free background music for home movies and photography montages on windows movie maker too - without getting hassled by YouTube. In fact, I even wrote a guide called "Adding Music to a Video using Windows Movie Maker". That's why I set up my MP3s as a royalty-free production stock music library as an alternative to licensing tracks from a music publisher. At the same time I also offer most of these songs through a publishing agency for music professionals who need formal contracts.

Usually you pay once up front for royalty-free music and when you have an arrangement like this with the copyright holder of the music, it is known as paying for a license. When you license the music this way it is a big advantage not to have to pay a royalty for every use of the song. For example, no matter how many times a film or television show is viewed, no additional payment is due to the owner of the music, unless you are required to pay performing rights organization licenses. Also if you are wondering, this is an international music library so you have no restrictions anywhere in the world when you download free MP3 songs from my site.

I don't put any limit on the amount of sync uses of the music as long as you link to my site. For example some companies limit the number of views of video trailers or hits on Websites which contain the track. Most royalty free licenses also typically offer free sound recording duplication rights, but not free broadcasting rights. If you are using my music in a situation that requires reporting to ASCAP or BMI, then you will not need to add my tracks to the paperwork. You can air my tunes on radio or podcasts as many times as you want.

Anyway, that's it for now. Enjoy the music.

Peace,

Dan-O

This work by DanoSongs.com is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

Privacy