UPDATE
I have done some research, particularly on the soundtracks by Minomus (which is now Soft Knees) and Positively Dark, and I thought to post it for the benefit of all users on this platform.
Wind of the Fjords has a particularly interesting story. It is free to download for private use but not for commercial use/the license does not cover its use in videos and games. It has been (and still continues to be!) so prominent on Roblox because a Roblox worker added it to Roblox’s marketplace/official soundtrack without permission from Minomus a decade ago. Consequently, many people on the platform (including YouTube) are using the song without proper permission from them, and many people believe that because it has been used in the past (i.e., used in games associated with Roblox’s classic era), it is fine. However, there has been little Minomus could do about this situation due to the number of assets that are online and they do not have the time to file a copyright claim. However, they are open to paid licenses, which cost $150 USD.
Therefore, the right and just thing to do is to remove any presence of the song on this platform if you have not paid for the license.
The email that I received from them if you are interested in looking into the issue further:
"Nice to hear you enjoy Winds of Fjords. It indeed is a free download, but that is only for private use. If something is free to download, it does not grant permission to use it in videos, games, etc, and never has despite of many people using it since some Roblox worker added it there in the first place. So, the situation is that people keep using it and adding it without ever asking if it’s okay. Same thing with Youtube videos, etc. They think it’s fine because it has been in the game before and of pure ignorance about how copyrights work (never use without license or permission from original creator) and there is little I can do and as Roblox Corp is mega-sized corporation with minimal contact information for ordinary people without army of lawyers.
So, to be honest, I don’t have time or means to keep track of assets uploaded to Roblox and if you decide to use it in your game, I probably will never know (I have never played Roblox, never had an
account). But for those who want to do things right and fair way, there’s option to actually pay to me to obtain license for use of the song.
The license would cost 150 USD and come with following rules:
- You have responsibility to keep it private audio asset in Roblox, so
that your upload can be used only in your game/experience
- You have right to use it in your game and videos directly related to
your game (i.e. gameplay video, trailers, etc, but NOT a video with
just the music and no content of your game)
- You DO NOT have right to distribute, or sell it in any format,
upload it to any streaming platforms or any other sites."
Here is a link to their website if you are interested in purchasing a license: https://softknees.bandcamp.com
On another note, Positively Dark has personally granted me the use of his song Awakening and is okay with users using some of his other songs, with credit, of course.
[Edited for clarity on 27/4/2023]
