A composition and a score edition are different works
An old composition may be in the public domain while a newly engraved or edited score of it has its own copyright. Check the musical composition and the specific typeset edition separately.
Free viewing or downloading is not, by itself, permission to redistribute. The Hello, Piano classical catalog and Mutopia-based Czerny studies use editions with checked sources and licenses. A separate practice catalog also contains 18 original exercises created by Hello, Piano.
Public Domain, CC BY and CC BY-SA
A Mutopia edition marked Public Domain has its typesetting contribution dedicated to the public domain. CC BY requires attribution. CC BY-SA requires attribution and the same license for a modified edition. Use the exact license version linked for each score.
Examples recorded in the included catalog
These links are the source PDFs and edition licenses recorded in the app catalog. A different publication of the same composition may have different terms.
- Bach, Prelude in C Major, BWV 846 — Mutopia Project; typeset by Tobias Erbsland; Mutopia-2011/09/12-5; Public Domain
- Bach, Goldberg Variations: Aria — Mutopia Project; typeset by JD Erickson; Mutopia-2013/01/22-979; CC BY-SA 3.0
- Beethoven, Für Elise — Mutopia Project; typeset by Stelios Samelis; Mutopia-2015/08/18-931; Public Domain
- Satie, Gymnopédie No. 1 — Mutopia Project; typeset by Evin Robertson; Mutopia-2014/12/14-37; Public Domain
- Liszt, Consolation No. 3 — Mutopia Project; typeset by Ryan Prince; Mutopia-2019/06/23-1647; CC BY 3.0
Check permission before adding your own score
Buying a paper score or file does not automatically grant permission to reproduce or convert it in every service. Use material you created, a verified public-domain edition, or a file you are authorized to use.
For a community upload with unclear provenance, check the edition creator, original source page and license text rather than relying on the composition title alone.
Keep a source record for the actual edition
Save the original page for the specific edition, not just the song title. Keep the composer, arranger or typesetter, license name and version, source link and any changes together so you can check the conditions later.
- Check the rights status of the composition and the edition separately.
- Check whether the intended use, such as practice, conversion or sharing, is permitted.
- If conditions are unclear, ask the rights holder or source.
When choosing between two PDFs of the same piece
If you find two free PDFs of a public-domain composition, do not assume permission for one edition applies to the other. Check each page for its edition's contributors and license. For CC BY or CC BY-SA, record attribution and changes and check that version's conditions before sharing. Rights can depend on country and use.
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