Kevin MacLeod

Kevin MacLeod
Kevin MacLeod
	MacLeod in 2016
Background information
Born	1972 (age 51–52); Green Bay, Wisconsin,U.S.
Origin	New York City,U.S.
Genres	Library music; film music; video game music;
Occupations	Composer; music producer;
Website	incompetech
	Kevin MacLeod's voice Published December 19, 2023

Kevin MacLeod(/məˈklaʊd/mə-KLOWD;born 1972) is an American composer and music producer. Described as "arguably the most prolific composer you’ve never heard of",^[1]MacLeod has composed over 2,000 pieces ofroyalty-free library musicand made them available under aCreative Commonscopyrightlicense.One of his compositions, "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys", is among the most-played onTikTok;from January through June 2021, it was played over 31.6 billion times.

The wide availability andfreenessof his work, has seen it featured in thousands of films, video games and millions of videos onYouTube.These includeMartin Scorsese's 2011 filmHugoand the video gameKerbal Space Program.As of 2017, his music is featured on one of the live feeds from theInternational Space Station,Earth From Space.A documentary charting his career,Royalty Free: The Music of Kevin MacLeod,was released in 2020.

Early life and education

Kevin MacLeod was born inGreen Bay, Wisconsinin 1972.^[2]He beganpianolessons at a young age: "as a 4-year old or whatever it was".^[3]He attended theUniversity of Wisconsin–Green Bay(UWGB), where he initially studiedelectrical engineering;however, amid a distaste forchemistryrequirements, he switched tomusic educationafter his first month.^[3]

MacLeod never graduated UWGB; he had a brief stint as acomputer programmerduring theDot-com bubble.^[3]He had colleagues in themultimediaworld struggling to find music, so began composing and sharing his works online, particularly onYouTube.^[3]During this time he created his own website,Incompetech,which initially generatedad revenuefrom aPDFgenerator ofgraph paper.^[4]^[5]

Career

Acomposerandmusic producer,^[6]MacLeod has been described as "arguably the most prolific composer you’ve never heard of – although it’s very likely you’ve heard his music", by journalistGlenn KennyofThe New York Times.^[1]Kenny further describes him as "a pioneer both of digital production and distribution",^[1]while the critic Justin Curto notes that he is "a bit of a legend in the space [of royalty music]".^[3]

MacLeod postsroyalty-freemusic on his website,Incompetech,which is essentially "for anyone who wants to use them, for any project whatsoever".^[7]His music isfree to use,but requires formalcredit,^[4]as per theCreative Commons Attribution copyright license.^[8]Instead of crediting him, parties can pay a fee for a no-attribution license,^[4]which starts atUS$30for one song,US$50for two songs, and $20 per song for three or more songs.^[8]MacLeod receives some advertising revenue frommusic streaming services,but "otherwise relies on donations viaPatreon.^[4]

"Monkeys Spinning Monkeys" by Kevin MacLeod

The wide availability of his music has led to it being used in thousands of films, millions of videos onYouTube,^[9]As of 2017, his music is featured on one of the live feeds from theInternational Space Station,Earth From Space.^[10]Media which featured his music varies as much asMartin Scorsese's 2011 filmHugotopornographic films.^[1]The video gameKerbal Space Programalso included his compositions.^[11]One of his compositions, "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys", is among the most-played onTikTok;from January through June 2021, it was played over 31.6 billion times.^[12]

MacLeod states that he releases his music underCreative Commonslicenses to maximize the number of people who can use his music.^[13]^[14]On his website's FAQ, he expressed disdain for the current state ofcopyright;he hopes to create "an alternate body of works that is able to compete with them".^[13]^[15]

MacLeod has also created FreePD, which collects various artists' newpublic domainsound recordings. Rather than waiting for old copyrights to expire, he hopes to provide a quality library of modern recorded works by artists who explicitly release their music into the public domain.^[16]Some of MacLeod's music is available on the website as well; he explains that these songs are "not commercially viable in the traditional sense, and just add clutter [on his primary website] which hinders people in finding the pieces that they may want."^[17]

Documentary

MacLeod is the subject of a documentary film titledRoyalty Free: The Music of Kevin MacLeod.^[18]The film had a limited release in October 2020. Ryan Camarda, the film's director and producer, ran a fundraising campaign onKickstarterwith a goal of $30,000; by the end of the campaign, 524 backers had pledged $30,608.^[19]According to the Kickstarter page, the amount was needed for transportation to conduct in-person interviews with the various subjects featured in the film.^[19]The documentary has received positive reviews from critics.^[20]

Awards and accolades

In 2015, MacLeod was awarded the International Honorary Web Video Award at the 2015 German Web Video Awards by the European Web Video Academy for his lifetime achievement in influencing the German web video community.^[21]^[22]

Discography

Albums

2006:Dorney Rock
2006:Missing Hits 2
2012:Cuentos de Recuperación(with Sonia Echezuria)
2014:Horror Soundscapes
2014:Highland Strands
2014:Ghostpocalypse
2014:Calming
2014:Hard Electronic
2014:Madness and Paranoia
2014:PsychoKiller
2014:Supernatural Haunting
2014:The Ambient
2014:Cephalopod
2014:Dark World
2014:Disco Ultralounge
2014:Polka! Polka! Polka!
2014:Primal Drive
2014:Sadness
2014:The Descent
2014:Dark Continent
2014:Wonders
2014:Action Cuts
2014:Aspiring
2014:Light Electronic
2014:Medium Electronic
2014:Mystery
2014:Tenebrous Brothers Carnival
2014:Atlantean Twilight
2014:Healing
2014:Latinesque
2014:Take the Lead
2014:Thatched Villagers
2014:Happyrock
2014:Music to Delight
2014:Silent Film: Light Collection
2014:Vadodara
2014:Bitter Suite
2014:Comedy Scoring
2014:Double Drift
2014:Reunited
2014:Funkorama
2014:Oddities
2014:Silent Film: Dark Collection
2015:Christmas!
2015:Darkness
2015:Exhilarate
2015:Film Noire
2015: Fluidscape
2015:Netherworld Shanty
2015:Romance
2015:Video Classica
2015:Virtutes Instrumenti
2015:Ossuary
2015:Pixelland
2016:Maccary Bay
2016:Mystic Force
2016:Anamalie
2016:Final Battle
2016:Carpe Diem
2016:Groovy
2016:Mesmerize
2016:Traveller
2017:Shadowlands
2017:Destruction Device
2017:Spirit
2017:Ferret
2017:Teh Jazzes
2017:Miami Nights
2018:Spring Chicken
2018.Sheep Reliability
2019:Meditation
2019:Epic
2019:The Complete Game Music Bundle
2019:Complete Collection (Creative Commons)
2020:SCP-XXX
2020:Relaxx
2021:Missing Hits
2021:The Waltzes
2021:Missing Hits C to E
2021:Missing Hits N to R
2021:Missing Hits Calmness
2021:Missing Hits F to J
2021:Missing Hits K to M
2021:Missing Hits A to B
2021:Missing Hits S to T
2021:Missing Hits U to Z
2023:Over The Moon
2023:Changes(with ON THE TRACK)
2023:Robotik Party
2024:25 Years (Volume 1)
2024:25 Years (Volume 2)

Singles and EPs

2011:The Cannery
2013:Happy Bee
2014:Tranquility 5
2014:Sneaky Snitch
2014:Fluffing a Duck
2014:Orrganic Meditation
2014:Touching Moments
2014:Impact
2015:Guts and Bourbon
2015:Somewhere Sunny
2015:Garden Music
2016:Vicious
2017:Ever Mindful
2018:Magic Scout: A Calm Experience
2018:Laserpack
2019:Dream Catcher
2019:Flying Kerfufle
2019:Le Grand Chase
2019:Crusade: Heavy Industry
2019:OnionCapers
2019:Envision
2019:Glitter Blast
2019:Leaving Home
2019:Magistar
2019:Midnight Tale
2019:River Flute
2019:Symmetry
2019:Sovereign
2019:Hustle Hard
2019:Almost Bliss
2019:Beauty Flow
2019:Half Mystery
2019:Past Sadness
2019:Raving Energy
2019:Rising Tide
2019:Tyrant
2019:Sincerely
2019:Celebration
2019:Deep and Dirty
2019:Fuzzball Parade
2019:Lotus
2019:Realizer
2019:Stay the Course
2019:Verano Sensual
2019:Wholesome
2019:Farting Around
2019:Aquarium
2019:Monkeys Spinning Monkeys
2019:A Kevin MacLeod Xmas
2019:Folk?
2019:Menagerie
2020:Worldish
2019:Scheming Weasel (Peukie Remix)
2020:What You Want
2020:Island Music
2020:On Hold for You
2020:Canons in D
2020:Project 80s
2021:World
2021:Now That's Now!
2021:Night in the Castle
2021:Adventures in Adventureland
2021:WOTSITS!!!!
2021:Space Jazz
2021:Ethereal Relaxation
2022:Journey to Ascend
2022:Boogie Party
2023:Paradise Found
2023:Goblin Tinker Soldier Spy
2023:The August Album
2023:Brain Dance
2023:Cloud Dancer
2023:Equatorial Complex
2023:Galactic Rap
2023:Lord of the Rangs
2023:Mesmerizing Galaxy
2023:Sergio's Magic Dustbin
2024:That Zen Moment
2024:90mh (Sped Up)

References

^^a ^b ^c ^dKenny, Glenn (March 29, 2022)."'Royalty Free: The Music of Kevin MacLeod' Review: Into the Spotlight ".The New York Times.RetrievedJune 8,2024.
^Gutelle, Sam (December 2, 2016)."Kevin MacLeod Is The King Of Royalty-Free Music, And Millions Are Listening".Tubefilter.Archivedfrom the original on November 10, 2021.RetrievedSeptember 27,2023.
^^a ^b ^c ^d ^eCurto, Justin (January 11, 2024)."The Composer Behind the Globes' Best Bit Was Already in Bed".Vulture.RetrievedJune 8,2024.
^^a ^b ^c ^dPeirson-Hagger, Ellen (April 29, 2021)."How composer Kevin MacLeod became the king of royalty-free music".New Statesman.Archivedfrom the original on October 5, 2022.RetrievedMay 3,2022.
^"PDF Duplexer: An incompetech Utility".Incompetech.RetrievedJune 8,2024.
^Mike, McGreehan (June 24, 2015)."Piedmont: PHS students excel in global contest with video".Marin Independent Journal.RetrievedJune 8,2024.
^Pollari, Niina."Free Music – Kevin MacLeod Composes for the Internet".Kickstarter.Archivedfrom the original on December 22, 2015.RetrievedAugust 30,2015.
^^a ^bMacLeod, Kevin."Music License Forms".Incompetech. Archived fromthe originalon July 29, 2016.RetrievedMarch 25,2015.
^Duenas, Ulises (December 16, 2020)."'Royalty Free' Tells the Story of the Most Selfless Man in Music ".High Brow Magazine.Archivedfrom the original on September 29, 2023.RetrievedDecember 19,2020.
^Tyler, Aaron (May 30, 2017)."Earth From Space & Kevin MacLeod Music".On Stage Magazine.Archivedfrom the original on September 29, 2023.RetrievedSeptember 9,2020.
^"Soundtrack from Kerbal Space Program!".incompetech.Archived fromthe originalon August 12, 2022.RetrievedJuly 25,2022.
^Steele, Chandra (August 25, 2021)."These TikTok Songs Have Earned the Most Money in 2021".PCMAG.Archivedfrom the original on September 29, 2023.RetrievedMay 3,2022.
^^a ^bMacLeod, Kevin."Free downloads – Royalty Free Music".Incompetech.Archivedfrom the original on March 23, 2015.RetrievedMarch 25,2015.
^Hoffberger, Chase (March 3, 2020)."Royalty Free: Why YouTube and Creative Commons can't coexist".The Daily Dot.Archivedfrom the original on September 23, 2015.RetrievedAugust 30,2015.
^Camarda, Ryan (January 1, 2000),Royalty Free: The Music of Kevin MacLeod,archivedfrom the original on March 12, 2017,retrievedMarch 12,2017
^MacLeod, Kevin."Public Domain Music Downloads".FreePD.Archivedfrom the original on March 23, 2015.RetrievedMarch 26,2015.
^MacLeod, Kevin."FreePD FAQ".FreePD. Archived fromthe originalon August 16, 2016.RetrievedMarch 26,2015.
^Spacek, Nick (December 2, 2020)."Director Ryan Camarda on Royalty Free, his new doc on composer Kevin Macleod".The Pitch.Archivedfrom the original on September 29, 2023.RetrievedDecember 19,2020.
^^a ^b"Royalty Free: The Music of Kevin MacLeod by Ryan Camarda".Kickstarter.Archivedfrom the original on October 30, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 19,2015.
^"Royalty Free: The Music of Kevin MacLeod".Rotten Tomatoes.Archivedfrom the original on February 27, 2021.RetrievedDecember 19,2020.
^"German Web Video Award Page".Archived fromthe originalon October 30, 2019.RetrievedJune 14,2015.
^"Kevin MacLeod gewinnt den Ehrenpreis international"[Kevin MacLeod wins the honorary award internationally].YouTube(in German). Webvideopreis Deutschland. June 14, 2015.Archivedfrom the original on June 23, 2015.RetrievedJune 14,2015.

External links

Music

FreePD– MacLeod's public-domain music library
Profileon theFree Music Archive
Musical analysison Hooktheory

Background

Royalty Free: The Music of Kevin MacLeod– Documentary on MacLeod, 2022 [2014]
Q & A session with MacLeodonReddit'sAMA (Ask Me Anything),September 17, 2013
- Q & A session,October 14, 2014

[Kenny-1] Kenny, Glenn (March 29, 2022)."'Royalty Free: The Music of Kevin MacLeod' Review: Into the Spotlight ".The New York Times.RetrievedJune 8,2024.

[Gutelle-2] Gutelle, Sam (December 2, 2016)."Kevin MacLeod Is The King Of Royalty-Free Music, And Millions Are Listening".Tubefilter.Archivedfrom the original on November 10, 2021.RetrievedSeptember 27,2023.

[Curto-3] Curto, Justin (January 11, 2024)."The Composer Behind the Globes' Best Bit Was Already in Bed".Vulture.RetrievedJune 8,2024.

[Peirson-Hagger-4] Peirson-Hagger, Ellen (April 29, 2021)."How composer Kevin MacLeod became the king of royalty-free music".New Statesman.Archivedfrom the original on October 5, 2022.RetrievedMay 3,2022.

[5] "PDF Duplexer: An incompetech Utility".Incompetech.RetrievedJune 8,2024.

[6] Mike, McGreehan (June 24, 2015)."Piedmont: PHS students excel in global contest with video".Marin Independent Journal.RetrievedJune 8,2024.

[Pollari-7] Pollari, Niina."Free Music – Kevin MacLeod Composes for the Internet".Kickstarter.Archivedfrom the original on December 22, 2015.RetrievedAugust 30,2015.

[licenses-8] MacLeod, Kevin."Music License Forms".Incompetech. Archived fromthe originalon July 29, 2016.RetrievedMarch 25,2015.

[9] Duenas, Ulises (December 16, 2020)."'Royalty Free' Tells the Story of the Most Selfless Man in Music ".High Brow Magazine.Archivedfrom the original on September 29, 2023.RetrievedDecember 19,2020.

[Tyler-10] Tyler, Aaron (May 30, 2017)."Earth From Space & Kevin MacLeod Music".On Stage Magazine.Archivedfrom the original on September 29, 2023.RetrievedSeptember 9,2020.

[11] "Soundtrack from Kerbal Space Program!".incompetech.Archived fromthe originalon August 12, 2022.RetrievedJuly 25,2022.

[Steele_2021-12] Steele, Chandra (August 25, 2021)."These TikTok Songs Have Earned the Most Money in 2021".PCMAG.Archivedfrom the original on September 29, 2023.RetrievedMay 3,2022.

[IncompetechFAQ-13] MacLeod, Kevin."Free downloads – Royalty Free Music".Incompetech.Archivedfrom the original on March 23, 2015.RetrievedMarch 25,2015.

[Hoffberger-14] Hoffberger, Chase (March 3, 2020)."Royalty Free: Why YouTube and Creative Commons can't coexist".The Daily Dot.Archivedfrom the original on September 23, 2015.RetrievedAugust 30,2015.

[:0-15] Camarda, Ryan (January 1, 2000),Royalty Free: The Music of Kevin MacLeod,archivedfrom the original on March 12, 2017,retrievedMarch 12,2017

[FreePD-16] MacLeod, Kevin."Public Domain Music Downloads".FreePD.Archivedfrom the original on March 23, 2015.RetrievedMarch 26,2015.

[FreePD_FAQ-17] MacLeod, Kevin."FreePD FAQ".FreePD. Archived fromthe originalon August 16, 2016.RetrievedMarch 26,2015.

[18] Spacek, Nick (December 2, 2020)."Director Ryan Camarda on Royalty Free, his new doc on composer Kevin Macleod".The Pitch.Archivedfrom the original on September 29, 2023.RetrievedDecember 19,2020.

[Kickstarter-19] "Royalty Free: The Music of Kevin MacLeod by Ryan Camarda".Kickstarter.Archivedfrom the original on October 30, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 19,2015.

[20] "Royalty Free: The Music of Kevin MacLeod".Rotten Tomatoes.Archivedfrom the original on February 27, 2021.RetrievedDecember 19,2020.

[21] "German Web Video Award Page".Archived fromthe originalon October 30, 2019.RetrievedJune 14,2015.

[22] "Kevin MacLeod gewinnt den Ehrenpreis international"[Kevin MacLeod wins the honorary award internationally].YouTube(in German). Webvideopreis Deutschland. June 14, 2015.Archivedfrom the original on June 23, 2015.RetrievedJune 14,2015.

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Authority control databases
International	VIAF
National	Spain Germany Israel United States
Artists	MusicBrainz
People	Deutsche Biographie