5 Shocking Ways Kevin MacLeod, The King Of Royalty-Free Music, Is Embracing AI

The world of stock music is being reshaped by artificial intelligence, and at the center of this revolution is its most prolific figure: Kevin MacLeod. As of December 2025, the composer whose tracks have soundtracked billions of YouTube and TikTok videos has not only welcomed AI technology but is actively integrating it into his creative process, a move that has sparked both fascination and controversy across the digital creator community. This article provides the most current, in-depth look at MacLeod's surprising pivot, his official stance on AI training, and the future of his legendary Incompetech catalog.

The transition from a composer known for his vast, hand-crafted Creative Commons library to one utilizing sophisticated AI generators like Suno v3.5 is a landmark moment. This shift is not merely an experiment; it represents a fundamental change in how the "most-heard living composer" approaches music creation, directly challenging the traditional role of a stock music artist in the age of generative technology.

Kevin MacLeod: Biography and The Incompetech Legacy

Kevin MacLeod is an American composer and musician, often described by publications like The New York Times as "arguably the most prolific composer you've never heard of." He is renowned for his massive library of royalty-free music, which he generously offers to the public under various Creative Commons licenses, primarily the CC BY (Attribution) license.

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• Full Name: Kevin MacLeod
• Origin: Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA
• Primary Work Location: New York City, USA
• Career Focus: Stock music composition for film, video, and digital media.
• Library Size: Composed over 2,000 pieces of royalty-free library music.
• Platform: His official website, Incompetech, serves as the primary hub for his music catalog.
• Impact: His tracks—including iconic pieces like "Fluffing a Duck," "Sneaky Snitch," and "Monkeys Spinning Monkeys"—are ubiquitous, having been used in millions of videos and accumulating billions of views globally.
• Philosophy: MacLeod's core philosophy has centered on providing high-quality, accessible music to independent creators, facilitating the growth of the digital content ecosystem.

The AI Pivot: How MacLeod Is Using Generative Music Tools

While many in the music industry view AI with skepticism or hostility, Kevin MacLeod has taken an unexpectedly open and proactive approach. His integration of artificial intelligence into his workflow is not a secret; it’s a deliberate, documented choice that he defends as a powerful tool for creation.

1. Realizing New Compositions with Suno v3.5

The most significant revelation is MacLeod's use of AI to "realize" new compositions. Sources indicate that every song he has released since and including the track "Wizard Circus" has been realized using an AI music generator, specifically Suno v3.5. This is not mere inspiration; it means the AI is a direct tool in the final production of his officially released work. He has reportedly been utilizing AI technology in his process since as early as 2020, finding the tools to be "powerful."

2. Using AI for Practice and Inspiration

Beyond final production, MacLeod has also utilized AI-generated music for internal purposes. He uses the output for practice, experimentation, and as a source of inspiration for new musical ideas. This approach frames the AI not as a replacement for the composer, but as a sophisticated co-pilot or a new type of digital instrument, allowing him to rapidly prototype and explore genres or styles that might take longer using traditional methods. This use helps him maintain the prolific output his fanbase expects from the Incompetech library.

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3. Offering His Entire Catalog for AI Training

Perhaps the most controversial and telling decision is MacLeod's policy regarding the use of his existing work for AI training. Unlike many major music publishers and artists who are fighting to prevent their intellectual property from being scraped, MacLeod has explicitly offered his massive catalog for use in AI training projects. This open-source-friendly approach aligns with his Creative Commons ethos, effectively blessing the next generation of generative models with a clean, high-quality dataset of over 2,000 tracks. This move is a powerful statement on the ethics of AI, suggesting that when the artist consents, the technology can be a positive force.

The Future of Royalty-Free Music: MacLeod’s Stance on the ‘Wild West’

Kevin MacLeod is not just an AI user; he is an active commentator on the rapidly changing landscape of the music industry. His recent blog posts on Incompetech provide a window into his perspective on the ethical and commercial challenges posed by generative AI.

4. Critique of Corporate AI Partnerships

In a recent post dated December 5, 2025, MacLeod expressed his dismay over the direction of the AI music industry, specifically citing the partnership between Suno (the very tool he uses) and Warner Music. He titled his commentary "AI Music's Wild West Days are Numbered," indicating a belief that the early, open phase of AI development is ending as major corporations, or "Big Music," step in to control the technology and its output. He laments that models like Suno, which were trained on a vast, uncredited, and often non-consensual dataset, are now being legitimized through exclusive deals that benefit only a few.

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5. The Ethical Conversation on Consent and Licensing

MacLeod's actions force a crucial conversation about consent in the age of AI. By openly using AI and offering his work for training, he positions himself as an artist who is not afraid of the technology but rather seeks to guide its ethical application. The discussion surrounding his work now centers on the difference between an AI model trained on an artist's work with their permission versus models trained on scraped, copyrighted material. His continued use of Creative Commons licensing (CC BY) ensures that even his AI-assisted tracks remain accessible to the creator economy, maintaining the spirit of his original mission while embracing new tools.

The integration of AI into the Incompetech library is a watershed moment for the stock music industry. It highlights the potential for efficiency and creativity while simultaneously raising profound questions about artistic integrity and the future of music copyright. As a pioneer in the royalty-free space, Kevin MacLeod is once again leading the charge, demonstrating that the composer of the future may be one who works *with* the machine, not against it.

Entities and Keywords: Incompetech, Suno v3.5, Generative AI, Creative Commons, Royalty-Free Music, Stock Composer, Wizard Circus, Warner Music, Digital Content Creation, Music Copyright, Ethical AI, Prolific Composer, Music Library, CC BY License, Music Publisher's Association, Artificial Intelligence Music.