Incompetech (Kevin MacLeod)
Incompetech is Kevin MacLeod's long-running library of royalty-free music released under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. You can use it free on YouTube (including monetized), on streams and in live productions if you credit him in a specific format. A paid Standard License exists for projects that cannot credit.
TL;DR
YouTubers and streamers who are willing to credit properly and can handle the occasional Content ID dispute in exchange for a huge, free, monetization-friendly library. Where you can use it: Twitch unconfirmed, YouTube safe with steps, TikTok safe with steps, Instagram safe with steps, Kick safe with steps. You must credit it.
Where is Incompetech (Kevin MacLeod) safe to use?
Based on Incompetech (Kevin MacLeod)'s own license terms, checked October 2026. “Copyright-free” on one platform doesn't mean safe everywhere, so we check each one.
- Safe
- Safe with steps
- Not allowed
- Not confirmed
| Twitch live streams | Safe His Twitch/Livestreaming FAQ allows it with credit: profile 'Music' section, overlay, or spoken announcement. |
|---|---|
| Twitch VODs, clips & highlights | Not confirmed His FAQ does not mention VOD mutes or Audible Magic. Because the tracks are very widely re-uploaded and registered by third parties, a VOD match is plausible, but I found no source confirming it. |
| YouTube videos & live streams | Safe with steps Allowed and monetizable with credit in the description at upload, but Content ID claims are known to happen (see contentId). |
| TikTok | Safe with steps CC BY 4.0 is not platform-specific and his FAQ says 'something else: probably' with credit. TikTok is not named, and credit must still be visible. |
| Instagram Reels & Live | Safe with steps Same as TikTok: not named, credit is required. |
| Kick | Safe with steps Not named, but his Livestreaming FAQ applies to 'Twitch or other live streaming services' with credit. |
Incompetech (Kevin MacLeod) at a glance
- Price
- Free (CC BY 4.0)
- Free option available
- Catalog
- 1,400+ tracks
- Credit
- Required
- See how to credit below
- Contains
- No AI music
Genres
- Soundtrack
- Electronica
- Classical
- World
- Jazz
- Rock
- Funk
- Contemporary
- Horror
- Blues
Company
Incompetech Inc., run by composer Kevin MacLeod (USA). Site copyright line reads 1997-2026.
Includes
- Every track has an ISRC number (public lookup list)
- Copy-paste credit generator
- Download all files at once
- Some sheet music
- Filters by genre and feel
Which plan you need
Free CC BY 4.0 covers YouTube (including monetized), streaming sites and live productions as long as you credit. The Standard License (PDF, paid via PayPal) is only for cases where credit is impossible (TV/radio ads, on-hold music). Its price is not shown on the pages I could read, and it is a per-project purchase, not a subscription.
Can you monetize?
Yes. His FAQ says YouTube videos can be monetized, and 'Please use my music to make money on YouTube' as long as you credit him. You may edit, sing over or layer the music, but your credits must show which parts are yours.
How to credit Incompetech (Kevin MacLeod)
Credit format: 'Title / Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) / Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/'. On YouTube, put it in the description when you upload (his own claims guide says add it BEFORE any dispute). On Twitch, add a 'Music' section to your profile listing the tracks, or show an overlay, or announce it on stream.
Content ID, claims, and VOD mutes
Claims do happen. Kevin MacLeod's own pages say a claim 'probably has something to do with the Attribution part of the license' (missing description credit), and also admit that third parties who copy his music or build on it can register it and file false claims, which 'can take months' to unwind. He says he is pre-registering his catalog so others cannot, but only 'in theory' stops it. To fix a claim: add the credit to the description first, then dispute on YouTube (usually released within 72 hours), or email help@incompetech.com or use his bulk-release form if you have many videos. Each track's ISRC number lets you prove where it came from. There is no allow-list for your channel.
Not sure how claims, strikes, and mutes differ? Read our DMCA guide.
Watch out for
- Content ID claims on MacLeod tracks are common, and his own site admits third parties file false claims after re-uploading or copying the music.
- Add the credit when you upload. Adding it later does not automatically clear a claim.
- On Twitch you must keep the credit visible (profile Music section, overlay or voice announcement).
- The music is copyrighted, not public domain and not 'copyright-free'.
- If you modify the track, your credit must say which parts are yours and which are his.
- Track count on the site is not displayed. 1,442 is the number of ISRCs on his public lookup list.
Incompetech (Kevin MacLeod) FAQ
Is Incompetech (Kevin MacLeod) safe to use on Twitch?
Yes. Live streams: His Twitch/Livestreaming FAQ allows it with credit: profile 'Music' section, overlay, or spoken announcement. VODs and clips: His FAQ does not mention VOD mutes or Audible Magic. Because the tracks are very widely re-uploaded and registered by third parties, a VOD match is plausible, but I found no source confirming it.
Will Incompetech (Kevin MacLeod) music get my YouTube videos claimed?
Yes, with conditions. Allowed and monetizable with credit in the description at upload, but Content ID claims are known to happen (see contentId). Claims do happen. Kevin MacLeod's own pages say a claim 'probably has something to do with the Attribution part of the license' (missing description credit), and also admit that third parties who copy his music or build on it can register it and file false claims, which 'can take months' to unwind. He says he is pre-registering his catalog so others cannot, but only 'in theory' stops it. To fix a claim: add the credit to the description first, then dispute on YouTube (usually released within 72 hours), or email help@incompetech.com or use his bulk-release form if you have many videos. Each track's ISRC number lets you prove where it came from. There is no allow-list for your channel.
Can I use Incompetech (Kevin MacLeod) on TikTok, Instagram, or Kick?
TikTok: Yes, with conditions. CC BY 4.0 is not platform-specific and his FAQ says 'something else: probably' with credit. TikTok is not named, and credit must still be visible. Instagram: Yes, with conditions. Same as TikTok: not named, credit is required. Kick: Yes, with conditions. Not named, but his Livestreaming FAQ applies to 'Twitch or other live streaming services' with credit.
Is Incompetech (Kevin MacLeod) free?
Yes, there is a free option. Pricing: Free (CC BY 4.0). Free CC BY 4.0 covers YouTube (including monetized), streaming sites and live productions as long as you credit. The Standard License (PDF, paid via PayPal) is only for cases where credit is impossible (TV/radio ads, on-hold music). Its price is not shown on the pages I could read, and it is a per-project purchase, not a subscription.
Do I need to credit Incompetech (Kevin MacLeod)?
Yes. Credit format: 'Title / Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) / Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/'. On YouTube, put it in the description when you upload (his own claims guide says add it BEFORE any dispute). On Twitch, add a 'Music' section to your profile listing the tracks, or show an overlay, or announce it on stream.
Can I monetize content that uses Incompetech (Kevin MacLeod)?
Yes. His FAQ says YouTube videos can be monetized, and 'Please use my music to make money on YouTube' as long as you credit him. You may edit, sing over or layer the music, but your credits must show which parts are yours.