Lens Structure 

A navigational overview

1. Open Music Resources - Discover music you can remix, reuse and recycle.
2. Sound Sample Collections - Sites for audio samples, loops and sound effects.
3. Applications & Tools - Download audio editing and music creation software.
4. Learning & Support - How-tos, tutorials and educational materials.
5. Social Networking - Media Feeds, link exchange, comments.

This lens is twinned with... 

OpenSonics: Open Music Community News & Copyleft Media Resources

Focusing on news and developments within the Open Music community. Promoting awareness of freely available music, audio services, video and software.The latest community buzz and announcements are delivered via a mashup...

Open Music Search Tools 

Find free and legal media you can share and remix

Thousands of musicians, sound designers, and software developers are making their creative works available online for others to share openly and freely. Organizations like Creative Commons provide the legal framework for creators to mark their works with the kind of flexible freedoms they want it to carry - "Some Rights Reserved" as opposed to "All Rights Reserved".

This type of free culture movement is known as open music because it applies the concept of open source computer software to music. The social web has made it possible for everyone to participate in the creation, distribution and promotion of Open Music through remixing, podcasting and web-mashups using widgets. Now you can easily find free, legal, pre-cleared media and Open Source resources using these powerful new search tools.

Open Music Search

This Google Custom Search Engine (CSE) penetrates straight to the heart of the Open Music Ecosystem. Indexing more than 170 hand-picked resources with filtering for different media pools. Use it to find free music, sound samples, open source software, people, and other copyleft media services.

Creative Commons Search

Provides multiple engines for searching main Open Media hubs with the option to filter searches by desired source, media type, and Creative Commons license. Use it to find free music, videos, images, and other media.

Open Music Hubs 

Recommended sites and communities for copyleft and public domain music.

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Phlow Magazine Updates 

New music releases under Creative Commons

Phlow-Magazine.com is a weblog about free mp3 music released under Creative Commons. You can legally download all the mp3s in the Phlow archive. Visit the Phlow homepage to play the latest CC music releases.

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WFMU's Free Music Archive 

An online digital library of music that allows music fans, webcasters and podcasters to listen, download, and stream for free, with no restrictions, registration or fees. Here are the latest updates from the blog...

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Copyleft Media Links 

Sources of legal, pre-cleared music

Dave's FeedRaider - Copyleft Music

A hub of single-page aggregators for fast browsing of audio, music and news feeds including: CC music, MP3 blogs, netlabels, Open Media, P2P, podcasts, social media, and lots more.

Open Media Directory

A free resource for finding legal, podsafe music and video. Part of the Ourmedia Learning Center this is an essential bookmark for all music and video enthusiasts. The hand picked resources are designed to help artists, podcasters, bands, DJs, remixers, music bloggers and creators of video content working with copyleft - Creative Commons - royalty-free licenses.

Related Lenses 

Learn more about Open Content

Unsigned Not Wasted: The DIY Music Marketing Hub for Indie Musicians and Fans

Do-it-yourself music marketing for independent musicians and music fans. Sharing tools and information people can use to develop successful artist-fan relationships. Focusing on new market opportunities created by ongoing developments in social media...

Creative Commons Video Showcase

Learn how Creative Commons licenses can help you avoid the problems current copyright laws create for the sharing of information. Quickly access useful CC resources, news and developments for your own media projects. To recieve occasional...

Podsafe Content: A Guide to Free & Legal Media for Podcasters

A guide to freely available audio and video content licensed specifically for use in podcast productions. Learn about the advantages of podsafe content, where to find it and how you can use it. The podsafe ethos fosters a sense of fair...

Talking about Sampling 

Free Sound Collections 

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Recommended sound sample collections.

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Creative Commons Sounds 

CC licensed media

ccMixter Samples

This is the sample section of the ccMixter remix community. All samples are licensed under the Creative Commons family of license agreements. The special sample browser makes it easy to locate samples using a combination of tag search and BPM specification. ccMixter has teamed up with other sample-based web sites (Freesound)and open music net labels to provide collaboarative tools for assisting remixers. There are also sample packs compiled by top community remixers highlighting the best samples and projects.

Curvedspace Drum Samples Volume 1

A 20 meg sample archive of live acoustic Tama Swingstar drum loops and single shot recordings released under a CC license. Samples are 16 bit AIFF files, sampled at 44.1 kHz. Recorded using Logic Audio 6.3.1 on a Power Mac G4 400 with Nady drum mics on toms, AKG overheads, Shure SM57 on snare.

Flashzen

Has around fifty zen inspired looped musical compositions ranging from 10 seconds to 3:30 minutes. The Mp3 format downloads are released under a CC license.

Fonogeno Electronic Music Productions

A small collection of mp3 samples under a CC license including: Atmospheres, Sound FX, Beats, Riffs, Bass.

Freesound

A collaborative database of sound samples, loops and effects. Users can up and download audio to and from the database under the Creative Commons Sampling Plus License. The site provides a way for sound designers and artists to legally share and track the evolution of their creations including ccMixter collaborations. The database is for sound samples and loops only - the building blocks of compositions, field recordings and generated sounds - not full songs. Membership to the Freesound community is free.

iBeat

Provides a free database of high quality 16bit 44kHz wave files under Creative Commons. Download musicloops and sessionloops including beats, breaks, and hundreds of single sounds ranging from 3 - 30 seconds in length. Free registration gives access to unlimited downloads and more features.

G Essence Sounds

Offers samples from minimalist electronic music tracks for remixing. The sounds are released under a Creative Commons Sampling Plus license. Related electronic music projects include -N netlabel and podcast, plus the excellent ACOWO blog and podcast for showcasing netlabel releases.

G-Town Church Sampling Project

A set of CC-licensed music samples including: anvil, snare, wood stick, hihat, brushplate, bongos, piano, organ, mandolin, glockenspiel, flute, and many other instruments. Recorded by music producer Tobias Marberger in his local church in Grebbestad, Sweden. Available to download via Bittorent at Legaltorrents.com. There's a choice of two separate torrents, with either the original .WAV files with separate EXS24 soft sampler patches, or as .GIG Gigastudio-formatted versions.

Ljudo

A searchable database of over 1200 sound effects and instrument samples in mp3 format under a CC license. Provides multiple language search options.

OLPC - Sound Samples

Over 8.5GB of Free Samples - Sound Effects, Loops, Grooves, Drums, Voices and Instruments - for The Children of the World. This huge and continuously expanding collection of new and original samples have been donated to Dr. Richard Boulanger @ cSounds.com specifically to support the OLPC developers, students and XO users. They are free and will be available under a CC-BY license for downloading and use in your music and activities. Each of the 6500+ samples is 16-bit, WAV, Mono, normalized to -3dB, and provided at 3 sample rates - 44.1K, 22.5K and 16K.

SoundSource

SoundSource is a free Sound Effects, Noise and Sample archive designed to be useful for radio and Radioplay producers as well as for artists. The service allows users to share files under CC licenses and supports German and English languages. When last checked in early 2007, only a handfull of sounds had been uploaded.

SoundTransit

A collaborative, online community dedicated to field recording and phonography. It is home to a growing database of sound recordings made in various locations worldwide. Each recording is a sonic document of sounds found in a particular environment. SoundTransit lets you discover the sounds of various cultures by 'booking' a sonic journey between two locations including stopovers. The site then creates a composite MP3 file for you to play or download made from audio found in the SoundTransit database. The Search section, lets you search the database for specific sounds by member artists from many different places. Phonographers are encouraged to contribute recordings using the Creative Commons Attribution license which allows others to share and re-use the work.

Public Domain Sounds 

Sounds that are always free to share

Extreme Synth Weirdness Project

An open audio database of user created synth sounds and demos. The project is designed to show the hidden potential of a single synth, sound software or multi equipment setup. Anyone can email mp33 files or links demonstrating extreme use/mis-use of sound equipment. The media files are then made available online complete with documentation describing the equipment used and sound creation process. Submissions to the ESWP are considered in the public domain unless otherwise noted.

Public Domain Sounds | free sound library

A collection of shared sound recordings released into the public domain. Aims to develop an open library encompassing all types of sounds heard in the world around us.

Newgrounds Audio Portal

Audio artists make their MP3 music, samples and loops available to Flash movie creators. All works enter the "NG public domain", meaning anyone is welcome to use the material in their Flash creations, free of charge.

University of Iowa Electronic Music Studios

A collection of orchestral instrument samples created by Lawrence Fritts. All samples are in mono, 16 bit, 44.1 kHz, AIFF format apart from the Steinway piano which is a stereo recording. The samples may be used freely without any restriction.

Misc Sound Collections 

Other places you can find free sounds

Beasty Boys Acapella Download Page

Currently has downloadable audio of vocal performances in a range of BPMs. The acapellas are for your own personal use for creating remixes which can be shared in the Beastie Boys Remix Forum. New tracks are added every Friday.

DJSamples Free Samples and Loops

Provides a growing collection of user submitted samples in WAV and MP3 formats. The site requires free registration which is simple and quick, no need to confirm account via email before logging on. The free samples are for entertainment purposes only. You can purchase royalty-free samplepacks that allow you to use the samples as many times as you like in any commercial or non-commercial project. Some restrictions apply. Consult the 'licensing agreement' for more information.

efiddler

Gives you online access to real violin tracks and fiddle tracks for your recording projects. There are over 100 violin loops grouped into style categories including; Electric, Classical, Celtic, Country, and Gypsy.

Flashkit Loops

A Flash developers community with a selection of royalty-free audio loops and sound effects particularly suitable for use in multimedia projects. The site provides a selection of freeware, linkware and shareware audio files in a range of categories. All sounds can be previewed and usually have a brief description. Read the guidelines for information about copyright and usage restrictions.

Freeloops

Provides a free download section for samples in a range of musical styles and instrument types. All loops are original and may be used for music production only, in accordance with the licensing agreement. Full sample packs are also available for purchase.

HammerSound SoundFonts

A web-site focusing on computer music and sound creation using SoundFont compatible soundcards like the SoundBlaster Live!, the AWE-range of soundcards, and several others. The SoundFont Library is a database containing free SoundFonts submitted by people from all over the world. By uploading soundfonts users give site creator Thomas Hammer the permission to distribute the soundfonts for free on the net.

iCompositions Loops

Shared samples and loops from members of the iCompositions community. The downloads display a license declaration of how they may be used such as "commercial derivatives allowed".

Looperman

Offers free loops of various instruments including acoustic, electronic and vocals. All loops are saved as zip files and sounds can be previewed before downloading. Check the FAQ page for clarification of how you may use them. There are also sections for tutorials and related links.

Naturalstudio

Douglas Whates has created drum and piano samples in WAV, SoundFont, Gigastudio and Battery versions. The zipped sample packs have MP3 demos so you can preview the sounds before downloading. There's also a jazz guitar SoundFont and some bank presets you can use with the sample packs including Akai S5/6K multi, EXS-24, Halion, Hydrogen, Kontakt, Muzys etc.

Ontology SampleSwap

A free community for electronic musicians to share their original sounds and music. Samples and loops are archived in categories for easy retrieval and members can exchange ideas and tips in the forums.

SampleNet

A searchable database of copyright free sound samples and loops in mp3 format. Part of the SonicState.com musician's resource.

The Philharmonic Sound Exchange

Thousands of free, downloadable sound samples specially recorded by Philharmonia Orchestra players. From piccolo to double bass there are single notes, phrases and whole orchestra samples to choose from. You can use the samples to create any kind of musical composition, you can even share them with other people, but you cannot sell them. In other words, you have the right to use them, but they are not for re-sale.

Versionist Music Library

Versionist Riddim Community members share samples for Reggae, Dub and Hip Hop styles. There are zipped sample packs in categories for Bass, Drum, Guitar, Horn, Misc, Organ. Permission for use as granted by original creators.

Wikimedia Commons - Sound

A central repository for freely licensed media. Everyone is allowed to copy, use and modify any files freely as long the source and the authors are credited and as long as copies/improvements are released under the same freedom to others. The license conditions of each individual media file can be found on their description pages.

Ziggus Guitar Loops

Offers a small collection of royalty-free guitar loops. Categories include Clean, Effected, Metal, Rock and Loops.zip. Contains chord arpeggios, riffs, phrases etc .wav, .mp3, and .ogg formats.

Pro Samples & Loops on Amazon 

High quality sound sample productions

Kick Ass Brass (Virtual Instruments)

Amazon Price: $295.00 (as of 09/05/2008)

Native Instruments Studio Drums Battery Recharge Sample CD

Amazon Price: $99.00 (as of 09/05/2008)

Pianoteq

Amazon Price: $279.00 (as of 09/05/2008)

Cool Tool Spotlight 

The latest Melodyne pitch correction tool. See the video below to learn more.

Melodyne Studio 3

Amazon Price: $569.00 (as of 09/05/2008)
List Price: $699.00
Used Price:

Melodyne can perform high quality time stretching on full chords and complex audio signals, including rhythm guitar and piano parts. Powerful algorithms are capable of everything from minor corrections of intonation to extreme pitch shifting. Use Melodyne Studio 3 for subtle modification of grooves to drastic time stretching.

Release Date: 12/31/1969

Melodyne - Direct Note Access  

Free Audio Applications 

Your favorite free apps

Recommended free audio tools and webware.

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• Add to Bloglines
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• Add to Technorati
• Add to NewsGator
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Please pick your widget size and display. Then click "Make the Widget" to get the code that's just right for you.

Pick your widget size:

Small size: Best for blog sidebars, and areas 250 pixels or less
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Voila: Just copy and paste this code into your own site. Have fun!

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Free Software Catalogs 

Places with all kinds of software

Don't Crack

A catalog of audio software for Mac and PC with sections for free or commercial programs, plugins and widgets.

NGO-In-A-Box Audio Video Edition

A collection of specially selected free and open source Software (FOSS) tools, documentation and tutorials. A useful hub for audio and video resources with further links to free culture projects and resources.

Ohloh

A searchable index of open source projects for all types of applications including audio and music software. The tagging system makes it very easy to navigate and locate related projects.

Open Source Alternative - Find Open Source Alternatives to commercial software

osalt.com helps recommend a open source software alternative or replacement for commercial products and even shareware. Remember that open source software is also a freeware alternative.

OStatic

OStatic's goal is to increase the adoption of Open Source Software by helping users find viable projects and applications that fulfill specific needs, evaluate them against available alternatives and collaborate with their network of trusted peers. Use the search function to find audio and music projects.

Soundalot Audio Freeware

A collection of free audio tools and other music production software.

SourceForge.net Sound/Audio Projects

The largest repository of Open Source applications on the Internet with thousands of free sound related projects sorted by category.

Wikipedia Free Audio Software

Contents includes: Technologies, Platforms, Recording and editing, Trackers, Programming languages, Modular systems, Streaming, Radio broadcasting, Softsynths, Audio analysis, Others, External links.

Free DJ Applications 

Virtual decks and DJ mixing

DeKstasy

A DJ application f