incompetech.com

What It Is

incompetech.com is a personal music resource site run by composer Kevin MacLeod. Its core value lies in providing a large collection of background music for videos, podcasts, games, live streams, film/TV productions, and live performances. The music is not “copyright-free” or in the public domain; it is copyrighted, but typically made available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. Users can use it for free as long as they provide proper attribution.

Core Features

The site’s most important functions are access to music assets and clear licensing guidance. Its FAQ explicitly states that the music can be used in YouTube videos, including monetized videos, as well as in streaming, podcasts, games, live performances, and other scenarios, provided attribution is given. The site also provides standard attribution formats, recommendations for where to place attribution across different media, and guidance on printing the CC license and work pages as proof of authorization. Recent content also shows that the site is addressing mistaken copyright claims on Spotify podcasts and YouTube Content ID, offering the correct licensor and contact email to use when filing disputes.

Pricing

The main model is “free use with attribution.” If a project cannot provide attribution—for example, TV broadcast ads, certain commercial placements, or formats with attribution limitations—it is recommended to purchase a Standard License. The captured text does not provide specific pricing, so the per-track licensing cost cannot be determined.

Pros and Cons

The advantages are flexible licensing, clear instructions, strong suitability for commercial content creation, and the extremely high recognition of Kevin MacLeod’s catalog among creator communities worldwide. For individual creators and low-budget teams, it can significantly reduce music costs. The downsides are that users must understand and follow the attribution requirements; mistaken copyright identification by third-party systems such as Spotify and YouTube may still occur and require disputes; additionally, the site feels more like a long-maintained personal website, with a less polished technical and product experience than commercial music libraries such as Artlist or Epidemic Sound. The captured content also mentions single-server downtime, so reliability has some limitations.

Who It’s For

It is very suitable for YouTubers, podcasters, indie game developers, student short-film teams, theater/live-stream creators, and anyone who needs legally usable commercial background music on a limited budget. It is not ideal for companies that need exclusive music, brand-level custom scoring, large-scale ad campaigns without attribution, or that do not want to deal with licensing details.

Access in China

Based on the site’s characteristics, it does not appear to be a high-risk blocked service and can usually be accessed directly. However, music previews and linked services such as Spotify/YouTube may be affected by the network environment in mainland China. Overall rating: 8/10.