In a time when artists are fighting for the rights of their music, Kevin MacLeod, popular for being a prolific composer, has been creating royalty-free music for decades, amounting to up to 2,000 free tracks, and has managed to build a net worth of $2 million.
MacLeod is the mastermind behind Incompetech, a website he created in 1999 as a platform to share music. He provided free music when finding affordable music for videos, games, and projects was a challenge.
He has made his name as the internet’s go-to composer for royalty-free music. His tracks have become the backdrop for several YouTube videos, memes, podcasts, and even professional productions.
According to him, “Once you make it, you don’t own it. That’s part of the world now, and however people use it, that’s how people use it.“
He believes copywriting a song limits its reach and stops innovation, which is why he advises on getting rid of copyrights. Kevin MacLeod’s decision to freely share his music has made him one of the most successful composers in the world.
Advertising, donations, and licensing fees contribute to Kevin MacLeod’s net worth!
It feels almost paradoxical that a composer who gives away his music for free can still earn money. The answer to MacLeod’s wealth is that his income is distributed across a variety of small sources rather than one major revenue source.
MacLeod initially made money from the ad revenue generated on his website, which usually begins at a minimum of $500.
His songs were made under the Creative Commons copyright license, which allowed people to use his music freely, provided that they credited him.
While his music is free with credit, he also offers paid licenses to those who prefer to use his tracks without crediting him. The prices for such licenses are $30 for one track, $50 for two tracks, and $20 per track for a collection of at least three tracks.
This is a significant source of income for him, particularly from high-budget and commercial projects.
MacLeod occasionally licenses his songs to movies and games, along with hundreds of videos and independent films, contributing to his wealth. His music has also been featured in the video game Kerbal Space Program and Scorsese’s 2011 film Hugo.
In addition, he has a YouTube channel with more than 735k subscribers, where he uploads his compositions.
From just his YouTube account, Kevin Macleod earns somewhere between $1.5k and $24.3k on a monthly basis and an average of $300-$400 daily, which may have contributed a lot to his net worth.
Furthermore, MacLeod advocates for artistic freedom and encourages other content creators. In return, his admirers support him for his music with donations through platforms like Patreon.
Additional Information
- Born in 1972, Kevin MacLeod started playing the piano at a young age and studied music during college. He began sharing his compositions online in the late 1990s.
- In 2017, the International Space Station featured his music in one of their live feeds, Earth From Space.
- Ryan Camarda produced and directed a documentary about MacLeod, ‘Royalty Free: The Music of Kevin MacLeod,’ in October 2020.
