As technology becomes more commonplace in the music classroom - even more so as many classes were delivered online during the pandemic - multimedia projects have become the norm. While music is often a critical component in these projects, students and content creators run the risk of having their videos removed or muted when they get caught in copyright filters. Realizing that gamers and streamers were in need of songs that are both copyright-safe and royalty-free, Michael Sheps and Bradley Leshch founded StreemTunes, a free platform where creators - and now students - can access amazing ready-to-use music from producers from all over the world. We chatted with Michael and Bradley to learn more about StreemTunes and how teachers and students can make best use of their platform in the classroom.

Tell us a bit about the StreemTunes origin story. How did StreemTunes come to be?

As avid gamers and musicians, we at StreemTunes know that the streaming and content creator community is currently facing a huge problem. Under current copyright laws, you can’t play music in a video and post that video online without first obtaining the rights to use the music. Every day, thousands of streamers and content creators have their videos muted or their accounts banned, due to copyright infringement. Some even face fines or lawsuits. StreemTunes was founded under the premise of giving back to the gaming and streaming community by providing a 100% free source of awesome music that is DMCA-safe and will never run into any copyright issues.

Did you always envision StreemTunes would be useful in the classroom?

Definitely! We have been producing music together for a few years, and long before StreemTunes was created, we were approached by friends and family looking to use our music in their school projects. These students were having problems submitting slideshows or video presentations (via YouTube and other platforms) as the presentation’s audio was muted or the content was blocked because of the music they used. With multimedia projects so commonplace, students need access to a platform of high-quality songs that are safe to use and share as part of their education.

How have you seen teachers integrate this kind of tool in the classroom?

Using StreemTunes in the classroom is very easy. Teachers simply direct their students to www.StreemTunes.com/create for instant access to a folder of StreemTunes’ most popular songs, ready to download. Students can then use these songs in multimedia projects and presentations and then share them on all platforms (YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, etc.) without worrying about any copyright issues.

StreemTunes values giving back to the community. Tell us a bit about your charitable endeavours, and why giving back is important to you.

We at StreemTunes appreciate the huge positive impact music can have on a person’s life. Music forms a part of our identity. It is often tied to our most precious moments and it gets us through the tougher times too. Everyone should have access to the gift of music, and the MusiCounts’ Band Aid Program helps make this dream possible by providing musical instruments and resources to those who need it the most.