The 2026 Guide to Royalty-Free Music for Internet Radio
Openverse, ccMixter, and the Internet Archive are quietly powering thousands of legal 24/7 stations. Here is how to source, license, and log them.
The 2026 Guide to Royalty-Free Music
Running an online station without a blanket license used to mean silence or lawsuits. The Creative Commons ecosystem has matured to the point where a full 24/7 rotation is entirely legal — if you know where to look.
The three pillars
Openverse aggregates over 800 million CC-licensed works. ccMixter specializes in remixable stems. The Internet Archive hosts everything from 1920s jazz to modern netlabels.
Attribution is the deal
CC-BY requires credit. Modern platforms auto-generate cue sheets. Skip this step and the license evaporates.
Building a rotation
Aim for 60% CC-BY, 30% CC0 (public domain), 10% direct-licensed. Rotate hourly, log ISRCs where available, and keep a monthly export for peace of mind.
