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Music / Genres / Classical

Genre

Classical music

Classical music is elegant and balanced, usually incorporating violins or orchestral instruments. Discover our high-quality, diverse catalog of royalty-free classical music, and download the best classical songs for your projects. Get started today!

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  • Is Classical music protected by copyright?

    If it’s public domain, it can be used freely without risk of copyright. Music typically enters public domain when the copyright expires, around 70 years after the original composer’s death. However, whilst public domain pieces are copyright-free, be mindful of the fact that several new recordings of these pieces exist. In short, always make sure the classical music in your content can actually be used.

  • How do I find and download royalty-free background classical music?

    Sign up for an Epidemic Sound subscription and easily download royalty-free classical music to use within your projects. Get started by following the steps below:

    1. Create an account
    2. Start your free trial or choose one of our subscriptions
    3. Connect your social media channels
    4. Download and use our music!
  • Can I use Epidemic Sound’s classical music in my videos?

    Epidemic Sound’s music license has you covered across all online platforms. Subscribe, connect your channels and discover over 55,000 tracks and 250,000+ sound effects and variations.

  • What defines classical music as a genre?

    Classical music is a broad genre built on orchestral and acoustic instrumentation, primarily strings, woodwinds, brass, and piano, with structured, formal compositions rather than looped or beat-driven arrangements. On Epidemic Sound, it spans several related styles, including Orchestral, Solo Piano, and Small Ensemble, and is typically defined by melodic complexity and reliance on live or live-sounding instruments rather than electronic production.

  • When and where did classical music originate?

    The term "classical music" broadly covers Western art music from roughly the 11th century onward, spanning the Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, and Romantic periods. The Classical period specifically refers to a narrower era, roughly 1750 to 1820, centered in Vienna and associated with composers like Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. There's no single inventor: the tradition developed gradually across Western Europe over centuries, shaped by changing styles of composition, instrumentation, and performance.

  • What's the difference between classical and orchestral music?

    Orchestral is generally used for modern, often cinematic music written for a full orchestra, commonly used in film, TV, and games. Classical refers more specifically to the historical tradition and formal composition styles developed over centuries, from Baroque counterpoint to Romantic-era symphonies. The two overlap heavily in practice: Epidemic Sound's Orchestral genre includes many classical-style compositions performed with the same instrumentation.