Previously we explained how to download music from YouTube, but what happens when you want to do more than just listen? Maybe you have access to an instrument and want to polish your skills, or perhaps you need an extra pinch of inspiration when exploring classical works. Regardless of your situation, the starting point of choice is IMSLP, a virtual library with more than half a million scores, and 173,000 works by 21,000 composers, in the public domain.
Many believe that music should develop as something natural and instinctive. Some artists we now consider masters never received musical education, to the point that they couldn't even read a score. However, I think it's not a bad idea to combine the best of both worlds. For example, the key to your next viral mix might be hidden in a work written 150 years ago, and the truth is that our predecessors created a lot of quality music. Concentrating all that material in one place might seem like a titanic task, but IMSLP is doing an excellent job.
IMSLP: Where did it come from?
IMSLP, initials for International Music Score Library Project, is a project dating back to February 2006. Its goal is to become the largest virtual library for public domain musical works on the Web. Its first steps were scanned copies of out-of-copyright editions, but nowadays any contemporary composer can share their music with the library under a Creative Commons license.
As expected, those details didn't prevent the occasional legal friction with publishers around the world. IMSLP was forced to suspend its activities in 2007 after receiving a 'cease and desist' from an Austrian publisher, however, with the help of several copyright experts, the site returned to the Web in June 2008.
Public domain music, for everyone
What can you find there? Bach, Chopin, Brahms, Schubert, Mozart, Liszt, Ludwig van Beethoven, Tchaikovsky... the list goes on, and it's very long. At the time of writing, IMSLP reports more than 550,000 scores, 173,000 works, and 21,000 composers, whether in the public domain or under compatible licenses. The material can be filtered by instrument difficulty, composer, nationality, period, and genre. IMSLP's format is similar to a wiki, so you can enjoy little tidbits dedicated to the most famous composers, including links to full biographies and other external research sources.
Access to IMSLP is free, but if you decide to purchase a membership (just $3 a month) you will be enabled to explore the entire commercial section of the library, as well as remove ads and waiting periods between downloads. If you like music, this site cannot be missing from your favorites.
Official site: Click here
