Research Guides: Music, Video and Images for Projects and Productions: Licensed or Royalty Free Resources

Databases and Search Suggestions

Licensed Production Music

Creative Commons Licensed Music

Although many sites claim to offer music that is "royalty free," there can be hidden costs. Try to be sure that the track(s) you use are composed by the people that posted them. Look for a Creative Commons License that allows you to freely use, change and adapt material for non-commercial purposes.

Free Music Archive This link opens in a new window
Large database of Creative Commons licensed music.
"Every MP3 you discover on Free Music Archive is pre-cleared for certain types of uses that would otherwise be prohibited by copyright laws that were not designed for the digital era. These uses vary and are determined by the rights-holders themselves (please see our FAQ) who feel that allowing a degree of free cultural access is beneficial not only to their own pursuits, but to our society as a whole. Free Music Archive is a resource for audiophiles of all stripes, and unlike other websites, all of the audio has been hand-picked by one of our established audio curators."
Internet Archive: Audio This link opens in a new window
Many tracks here are licensed for reuse, however there are also many tracks that have been posted without the rightsholder's consent. Be sure that you know who really owns the recording.
100,000+ free recordings including news, Grateful Dead concerts, Old Time Radio, audio books, poetry readings, and audio podcasts. Many are available for free download.

Creative Commons : Legal Music for Videos
Includes links to other sites. Always be sure that you can use the tracks in the way that you intend.

Sound Effects

BBC Sound Effects Library
Location: Audio/Compact discs COM XP 445 .B2 1991
60 CD set of sound effects, licensed for use in academic projects and theatrical productions.

Wikimedia Commons This link opens in a new window
Creative Commons licensed images that can be incorporated into academic projects. Check to make sure that the CC license to use the material matches your needs. Also be careful that the license is actually valid in the United States. Some content may be in the Public Domain in other countries, but not in the US.
For specific information about reuse of Wikimedia images, see: Reusing content outside Wikimedia.
Images on JSTOR This link opens in a new window
ARTstor materials are licensed for inclusion in academic projects, presentations, and course websites that are restricted to the Bates community. You may not use ARTstor images for publication(s) without prior approval. You may not post images from Artstor on unrestricted websites.
Library of Congress Digital Collections: Photos, Prints and Drawings This link opens in a new window
Historic photographs and films, American art, architecture, and graphic design from the Library of Congress.

Internet Archive: Moving Images This link opens in a new window
Historic archive of public domain movies, films, ads, and videos. Everything from government training films to Night of the Living Dead. Many films are free to download. Also includes effects clips and electronically generated videos appropriate for video production backgrounds.
Contains thousands of digital movies uploaded by Archive users which range from classic full-length films, to daily alternative news broadcasts, to cartoons and concerts.
Library of Congress Digital Collections: Film and Video This link opens in a new window
Films from the Edison Companies, Presidential films and other documentaries of the early 20th Century, Coca Cola advertising, and the September 11 Documentary Project.
Wikimedia Commons This link opens in a new window
Includes collections of Videos and Animation. Like their image collections, Creative Commons licensed for incorporation into academic projects. Check to make sure that the CC license to use the material matches your needs. Also be careful that the license is actually valid in the United States. Some content may be in the Public Domain in other countries, but not in the US.
For specific information about reuse of Wikimedia images, see: Reusing content outside Wikimedia.