FAQ - Jamendo

What is jamendo?

Jamendo is the world's #1 platform for free and legal music downloads. Available in seven languages, it offers the largest catalog of music under Creative Commons licenses. For artists, it's an easy and efficient way to publish, share and promote their music, and also to make money, through ad revenue sharing and commercial partnerships.

General questions

What is Creative Commons?: Creative Commons are licenses that enable musicians to give away their music for free while protecting their rights. They are easy to use and compatible with internet standards, and allow rights holders to authorize (or not) certain uses of their music, such as commercial uses and derived works.
What's a Collectors' item?: Collector's items, or Rarities, are bonus items or Action goodies created by the artists, that you can buy or give to friends. Thanks to them, artists can increase their popularity and revenue, and you can show your support. The idea is for the artists to offer something personal, other than the music they already have online on jamendo.
What is free music?: Free music is music that is not managed by performance rights organizations (PRS, ASCAP, SOCAN, BMI, BUMA, JASRAC...). Artists choose to protect their rights through specific non exclusive licenses such as Creative Commons. 'Free music' doesn't necessarily mean free-of-cost or devoid of any rights restrictions, it means "some rights reserved". Artists define what rights they grant on their music through their choice of license.
How can downloading on jamendo be free and legal?: Jamendo can be free and legal thanks to Creative Commons licenses. They grant the right to download and share music for free and legally. Artists choose to use these licenses, and to use jamendo as a means to share and promote their music.
Can I use music from jamendo for commercial uses?: Jamendo can offer licenses for commercial uses of music (synchronization for advertising, film, television, documentaries, websites or any other multimedia application). Of course, those uses aren't free - jamendo guarantees fair remuneration for artists. Clients will receive a certificate from jamendo attesting the music's origin. For more information, contact us at license@jamendo.com
Can I use music from jamendo for non commercial uses?: Jamendo offers free streaming and download of music published under Creative Commons licenses. On jamendo, artists grant use of their music for private uses free of cost.
What do I do if I stumble upon a track that seems to be copyrighted?: You have a doubt on the origin of a song or track? In spite of our vigilance, some tracks that are protected by copyright (samples, covers...) may end up unduly published on jamendo, even though they do not comply with Creative Commons specifications. Do not hesitate to contact us at contact@jamendo.com, we'll take necessary measures.