audionautix.com

What is AudionautiX?

AudionautiX is a free production-music library by composer and producer Jason Shaw. Every track on the site is his own work, offered under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license: you can download and use it free of charge, including in commercial projects, as long as you credit him and the music is part of a larger created work rather than redistributed on its own. No account or signup is needed.

Who it suits

• Podcasters, YouTubers and small businesses that need background music without licensing fees.
• Anyone who wants a straightforward attribution requirement instead of a subscription or per-track purchase.
• Creators willing to search by mood, genre and tempo rather than browse a huge multi-artist catalog.

What you'll find The library is organized for practical searching rather than curation for its own sake:

• Genres: acoustic, blues, country, electronic, hip-hop, jazz, rock, soundtrack, techno and more.
• Moods: calming, uplifting, dark, epic, humorous, suspenseful, meditative and others.
• Tempo: fast, medium or slow, plus keyword search by title.

The trade-offs Because one composer writes everything, you get a consistent production style and a simple license, but less variety than a multi-artist library. The attribution requirement also means keeping credit text in your show notes or video description — easy once set up, but it is a condition, not an option. Tracks must be embedded in your own work, so you cannot repackage and redistribute the music itself.

Next step Pick a mood and tempo that match your project, preview a few tracks, then download the MP3 and paste the credit line into your description or show notes as you publish. If you want a formal document, the site notes that a signed copyright release form is available.

Official site: AudionautiX

How do I properly credit Jason Shaw when using his music in my YouTube video?

Credit Jason Shaw by naming him as the composer and linking to Audionautix wherever your viewers can see the attribution — typically the video description, and optionally an on-screen credit. The site's own terms require "appropriate credit" and state the music must be part of another created work (so it can't be uploaded as a standalone track).

A description line that fits the licence's intent:

Music: "Track Title" by Jason Shaw — Audionautix.com (Creative Commons Attribution 4.0)

Practical points:

• Include the track title as well as the artist, so the credit points to the actual piece rather than the whole catalogue.
• Link to AudionautiX rather than re-hosting the audio file, and don't imply Jason Shaw endorses your video.
• The licence covers commercial use, so monetised videos are fine under the same credit condition.
• Keep the credit visible even if you later edit the description; if you re-upload or repost the video elsewhere, carry the credit across.

Next step: open the track's page on Audionautix, copy the exact title, and paste the credit line into your description before publishing. If you need formal paperwork — for a client, broadcaster or platform dispute — the site offers a signed copyright release form, which is worth requesting at the start rather than after a claim arises.

Can I use AudionautiX music for commercial purposes like client projects or monetized podcasts?

Yes. AudionautiX music is free to download and use for commercial purposes, including client projects and monetized podcasts, under one condition: you must provide appropriate credit. No signup or payment is required to download.

What the license allows

The site states that all music is composed and produced by Jason Shaw and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. That means:

• Commercial use is permitted — client work, monetized podcasts, YouTube videos, phone messages, background music for a business.
• Credit is required — the site explicitly says use is free "as long as you provide appropriate credit."
• The music must be part of another created work — it cannot be redistributed or resold as standalone music.
• No further permission is needed — the site notes that no additional permission is required beyond crediting.

The site also offers a signed copyright release form if you need formal documentation.

How to credit in practice

A practical credit line follows the Creative Commons Attribution pattern:

"Music by Jason Shaw, audionautix.com, licensed under CC BY 4.0."

Place it in your podcast show notes, video description, or project credits. For client work, confirm whether the client wants the credit on the deliverable itself or in a separate credits document — some clients prefer a clean final product and a credits file.

A realistic scenario

You produce a weekly monetized podcast and need a consistent intro theme plus background beds. You filter by mood (for example, "Calming" or "Grooving") and tempo, download several tracks, and test them against your voice mix. You then add a credit line to every episode description. Because the license requires no payment or per-episode reporting, your cost stays at zero, but the attribution obligation follows every episode you publish.

Trade-offs to weigh

• Attribution is non-negotiable. If a client insists on no visible credits, this license may not fit without checking whether the site's copyright release form resolves that.
• Single-composer catalog. All tracks are by one producer, so the range is broad in genre but consistent in production style. If you need many distinct sonic identities across projects, you may want to supplement with other sources.
• No signup means no account history. Downloads are not tracked to you, so keep your own record of which tracks you used and where, in case a client or platform asks for proof of license.

For a dependable, no-cost option where credit is acceptable, this is a straightforward fit for client projects and monetized podcasts alike.

How can I search for music by mood or tempo to fit a specific scene?

Use the site's built-in Mood, Genre and Tempo filters on the search page. You can combine them: pick a mood such as Tension or Calming, set tempo to Slow or Fast, then add a genre like Ambient or Rock if you already know the style you want. A keyword field also lets you search by title, so if you half-remember a track name, start there.

How the filters map to a scene

Practical workflow

1. Write down two or three adjectives for the scene (for example, "hopeful, slow, sparse").
2. Translate those into one mood and one tempo filter, not five.
3. Audition three or four tracks rather than dozens; fatigue makes everything sound the same.
4. Check the track length against your edit. A 4-minute piece can be trimmed, but a 30-second loop is hard to stretch.
5. Note the credit line you will use before you commit, since attribution is required.

Whose observation this is

The site itself states that all music is composed and produced by Jason Shaw, that it is free for commercial use, and that credit is required. That is the site's own description, not a reviewer's opinion. My practical reading: the single-composer catalogue is a real advantage for consistency, because several tracks from the same hand tend to sit together in one project. The trade-off is range. If you need a full orchestral score or a specific regional instrument, you will likely exhaust the relevant genre faster than you would on a large multi-artist library.

Credit and licensing, in practice

Because attribution is mandatory, build the credit into your workflow early. For a YouTube video, that usually means a line in the description; for a podcast, a spoken or shownote credit; for a client project, a line in the end card. The site also notes a signed copyright release form is available if a broadcaster or client requires paperwork, which matters more for television or paid advertising than for a personal channel.

A concrete example

Suppose you are cutting a 60-second charity appeal. Start with Mood: Inspiration or Uplifting and Tempo: Medium. You want something that begins gently under the voice-over and lifts in the final 15 seconds. Audition tracks at full length, mark the timestamp where the arrangement opens up, and cut your picture to that moment rather than forcing the music to fit. If nothing lifts, switch to Mood: Epic and accept a bigger sound.

Next step

Open the search page, set one mood and one tempo, and download two candidates. If neither works, change the mood before the tempo; mood mismatches are far more noticeable to an audience than a slightly wrong tempo.

For a second opinion on the same track, check whether it appears in a public playlist or licensing directory such as Creative Commons before you build a whole campaign around it.

Do I need to sign up or pay to download tracks from AudionautiX?

No. AudionautiX is designed for direct, no-signup downloads, and the music is offered free of charge, including for commercial use. The only condition stated is that you provide appropriate credit to Jason Shaw, and the tracks must be part of some other created work rather than redistributed as standalone music.

What this means in practice

• You can search by genre, mood, or tempo and download an MP3 without creating an account.
• There is no paywall or subscription requirement; the site mentions donations and a PayPal option, but those are voluntary.
• The license is Creative Commons Attribution 4.0, so attribution is the key obligation.

A quick scenario

If you are producing a YouTube video, a podcast episode, or a phone message, you can pick a track, download it, and use it in your project. Just add a credit line such as "Music by Jason Shaw / AudionautiX" in your description or credits.

One decision point

If you need a signed copyright release form for a client or broadcaster, the site provides a link for that. Otherwise, no signup, payment, or further permission is required.

What should I do if a platform like YouTube flags my video for using AudionautiX music?

If YouTube flags your video, your first move is to dispute the claim rather than delete or mute the track, because AudionautiX music is licensed for commercial use and the claim is usually automated.

What to do, step by step

1. Open YouTube Studio, go to the video, and read the claim details. Note whether it is a Content ID claim or a copyright strike; a claim is common and low-stakes, a strike is serious.
2. Check that you credited Jason Shaw as the license requires. The site states the music is free even for commercial use as long as you provide appropriate credit. A missing credit is the most likely legitimate reason for a claim.
3. Dispute the claim through YouTube's built-in form. State that the track is "Falling Sky" or whichever title you used, that it is by Jason Shaw of AudionautiX, and that it is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.
4. Add the license details to your video description: track title, composer name, the AudionautiX URL, and a link to the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. This both satisfies the credit term and gives any human reviewer what they need.
5. If the claimant is a third-party distributor rather than Jason Shaw himself, say so in the dispute. Some distributors register Creative Commons tracks in error, and a clear license reference usually resolves it.

The credit wording that prevents most problems

Put this in the description, not just on screen: "Music: [Track Title] by Jason Shaw, audionautix.com, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International." The site also offers a signed copyright release form if you need documentation for a client or broadcaster, which is worth requesting before a deadline rather than after a claim.

When to worry and when not to

A realistic scenario

A podcaster uses a track, publishes, and gets a claim two days later. She checks her description, finds she credited the composer but omitted the license name, adds it, and files a dispute quoting the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 terms. The claim typically clears without removing the episode.

Limits worth knowing

The license requires the music to be part of another created work, so uploading a track on its own is outside the terms. Attribution is a condition, not a courtesy, and a platform's automated system will not read your intent. For anything with a legal or broadcast dimension, get the release form before you publish.

Start by opening the claim in YouTube Studio and copying the exact track title and composer credit into your dispute text.