CELTIC MP3s MUSIC MAGAZINE: Celtic Music Frequently Asked Questions

Free Celtic MP3s Magazine and Music Downloads

Frequently Asked Questions

The Celtic MP3s Music Magazines began as a newsletter linked mainly to MP3.com. It was a way to promote my band's (the Brobdingnagian Bards) unique brand of Celtic folk music. Then, something amazing happened. I heard some of the best Celtic music I'd ever heard. And it was unaffiliated with any record label. From that point on I decided to help these great Celtic music groups find an audience.

Since then, I have featured CDs and MP3s from bands like Enya, Black 47, Natalie MacMaster, Silly Wizard, The Chieftains, Brobdingnagian Bards, Altan, Loreena McKennit, Clannad, The Dubliners, Lunasa, The Corries, Solas, U2, Planxty, The Clancy Brothers, Afro Celt Sound System, Capercaillie, Ewan MacColl, The Corrs, Irish Rovers, Seven Nations, Tannahill Weavers, and many more.

But the vast majority of what you download is Independent Celtic music from traditional Irish music and tunes, Scottish folk songs, Celtic rock, and a tiny bit of Celtic New Age music. However, the ezine leans more towards the traditional Scottish/Irish folk music that I love.

About Marc Gunn

Marc Gunn, Irish & Celtic Music Podcast Cats. Irish music. Drinking songs. Nowhere else but from the bright imagination of MARC GUNN would those three elements be so neatly integrated. Yet Gunn, sometimes called "the hardest working man in Celtic music" around his hometown in Austin, is an accomplished musician and entrepreneur who not long ago headlined at the Oscar party for Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King with the Brobdingnagian Bards, a musical comedy duo who perform at Renaissance festivals nationwide. Marc plays the autoharp with the group and for The Dubliners' Tabby Cats, a pet project for his Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers parody. He also publishes a free music marketing ezine for musicians.

In addition to Celtic MP3s Music Magazine, he hosts five podcasts including the Renaissance Festival Podcast, and the highly-celebrated Irish & Celtic Music Podcast, which is one of the most-popular music podcasts on iTunes.

What is Celtic music?

There's no short answer to what "Celtic music" is. It encompasses Irish music, Scottish music, fiddle music, bagpipe music, and lots more. So read instead how Celtic music is defined in the context of the Celtic MP3s Music Magazine.

Where are the free MP3s? I don't see any anywhere?

Celtic MP3s Music Magazine is a weekly magazine that features bands who offer free music downloads. There are no MP3s that can be downloaded directly from this website. Most of the Celtic artists who offer Free Celtic music are independent musicians hoping to get an edge in the world.

Check the Help Save Free Celtic Music webpage to find more MP3 downloads. These bands have kindly donated a track to a Celtic MP3s Music Magazine compilation CD. Many offer free music downloads outside of this website. Though some are exclusively available here. Have fun downloading.

Can you please help me find...?

I get dozens of requests every day from people looking for free Celtic music downloads. But sadly, I just don't have the time to help everyone. My suggestion is sign up to my magazine. And stay tuned. I'm currenlty working on an article called "How to Find Free Celtic Music on the Internet", as well as some eBooks which will point you straight to the free downloads.

If you are really anxious to find some great Celtic music from a particular artist, go buy the CD.

Isn't it illegal to giveaway MP3s?

Celtic MP3s Music Magazine is dedicated to helping Celtic music gain popularity and to help Celtic musicians develop a solid online business structure. That's why I support free MP3s. In my opinion, free MP3s help encourage sampling of music so that you will ultimately purchase the CD. Every MP3 featured on Celtic MP3s Music Magazine is given away by artists themselves, usually from their chosen website. I will never knowingly feature any illegal MP3s in my newsletter or on my website. I strongly encourage anyone interested in a particular artist to buy CDs from that Celtic artist.

What are the Top Celtic MP3 Music Downloads?

The Top Celtic MP3 Music Downloads is a list of the most-searched for Celtic bands online. The Celtic Music News website offers the complete Top 40 chart of Celtic Music searches.

What's with the Celtic Music Compilation CDs?

The goal of this magazine is to connect independent Celtic musicians with Celtic music fans. To that end, I create Celtic music compilation CDs featuring some of the hottest new Celtic acts. These CDs are completely non-profit. 100% of all profits generated by these CDs go to different non-profit organizations that promote or support Celtic cultures. Past organizations benefitting from these profits include: Austin Celtic Association and Celtic Cultural Center of Texas. Each CD is themed to promote a different aspects of Celtic music. Bands can submit music for a future compilation CD through our submission form.

What kind of music does Celtic MP3s Music Magazine feature?

Well, you will note in that the title of my magazine is Celtic MP3s Music Magazine. I got started playing Celtic music through the "Celtic song" tradition. I am also a singer and songwriter, I decided to focus the newsletter on Celtic Folk songs. But if you've ever read an issue, you know that this is not exclusive. I feature all sorts of Celtic music from Celtic tunes to Celtic folk songs, Celtic Rock to Celtic New Age. There are several things I look for and prefer when I feature a Celtic piece:

Does it contain acoustic instruments?
I prefer acoustic instruments, or at least acoustic-sounding instruments. It may have heavy production value, like incredible reverb, but in general, I don't prefer synthesizer-based Celtic New Age. I'll listen, but considering the majority of my audience is interested in traditional Celtic music, I rarely feature synthesizer music.
How good is the recording quality good?
I like to provide professional sounding recordings for my readers. I want to showcase artists at their best. Therefore, I look for great MP3s.
Does the artist have a CD?
I'm a big fan of MP3s, but in no way do I see them as a replacement for CDs. The reason is that artists put their life and soul into recording albums. It costs a lot of time and energy. They deserve to be compensated for the work. So I strongly encourage you to purchase CDs from artists you enjoy. By doing so, you will show support for musical artists the way artists need it the most...financially.
Does it sound vaguely traditional?
Okay, this is highly subjective. But that's the way it is. Very rarely will I feature an artist that doesn't have some resemblance to traditional "celtic music". My order of preference: Celtic folk songs, tunes, Celtic rock, and last, Celtic New Age.

Does that help? Probably not. As I've said, "celtic music" is highly subjective. My suggestion is to read a few issues. Then decide for yourself, if you like my definition and choices of free Celtic MP3s.

In the meantime, here's some statistics to consider as far as what I'm likely to feature:

1:1 Celtic Songs
1:4 Celtic Tunes
1:6 Celtic Rock
1:10 Celtic New Age

What Is Celtic Music?

The phrase "celtic music" has many different meanings to many different people. It is often the subject of many arguments among Celtic music lovers. Who is right? And who is wrong?

Well, there is no right or wrong answer. At it's core, "celtic music' could be defined as the traditional music of the Celts who settled in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Galacia, Brittany, Nova Scotia, and the Isle of Man. But during the last thirty years or so the term "celtic music" has undergone a transformation.

Traditional Celtic Music

Thirty years ago, "celtic music" referred almost exclusively to the traditional music of Ireland. The now-dormant website Ceolas defines "celtic music" in terms of their website as traditional Irish and Scottish music. They make the supposition that most Celtic musicians are bound to play those styles of music if they play traditional Celtic music no matter where they are from.

Another school of thought is that of Texas-based Celtic website owner. He told me that to be a Celtic musician in terms of his website, you must have a background in the traditional music of the Celtic nations. Basically, if you don't know how to play reels and jigs, you can't play Celtic music. His argument was that even Enya started off playing Irish traditional music.

Traditional Celtic Folk Music

John Wilmott of Celtic Ways pointed out to me that there are also regional differences in definitions of "celtic music". In the United Kingdom, when people mention "celtic music", they too are talking about the traditional reels and jigs of the Celtic nations. And often times, even traditional folk songs of Ireland and Scotland are called just that "folk songs" not "celtic songs".

I was performing once with The Rogues, a Scottish pipe & drum quartet. The former bodhran player argued that they did not play Celtic music. They played Scottish music. And he has a point considering the Celtic people of Scotland were based in the Highlands an 95% of the current population is based in the lowlands of Scotland. However, as one reader pointed out, the vast majority of the music was originally Celtic and preserved despite the Highland Clearances and repression of the Scottish Celtic culture.

Celtic New Age

This takes us to the other side of the spectrum--Celtic New Age. In the early 1980's "celtic music" took a new direction. Enya and Clannad introduced a new sound that is now known as Celtic New Age. This style of "celtic music" is largely based more around synthesizers and heavy effects. It attempts to capture the "feel" of "celtic music". Clannad was followed by Loreena McKennitt, Sara McLaughlin and many more artists. Each one having less of traditional sound and having more of a "feeling".

Celtic Rock

Then, there is Celtic Rock. Celtic Rock began with the formation of the Scottish band Runrig who combined Scots Gaelic in a modern rock band. They were the first successful band to do so, and their success spawned countless imitators.

In general, most Celtic Rock bands combine their sound with some traditional Celtic sound whether that be instrumentation (fiddle, bagpipes) or vocal (singing in Gaelic). But Larry Kirwan of Black 47 would argue differently. In the band's biography, Black 47 was playing at an Irish pub when someone shouted out "Play some Celtic music". Kirwan's response was basically, "I'm from Ireland. I am Celtic. Therefore, we are playing Celtic music."

'Celtic Music' Redefined

Obviously, there are some varying definitions as to what Celtic music is. For a more complete definition and the it's evolution, check out the Standing Stones article on What Is Celtic Music?

From what I've seen, many Celtic organizations like the Southwest Celtic Music Association and the Arizon Irish Music Society seem more interested in promoting and educating the growth of the organization and the music community, than hindering it with archaic definitions.

I, too, am more concerned with helping Celtic music grow than to hinder it with old definitions. For better or worse, "Celtic music" has changed. Consequently, if you're looking for traditional Celtic music, look for "pure drop" Celtic tunes.

Tunes vs. Songs

You see, there are two types of Celtic music: tunes and songs.

Tunes make up the bulk of the instrumental "celtic music" that you hear about. The Chieftains perform tunes. If you go to an Irish seisun, you will Irish tunes.

Songs, on the other hand, are the traditional vocal compositions that were passed down. Songs like "Whiskey in the Jar" have been performed hundreds of different ways by countless artists.

How does Celtic MP3s.com define "celtic music"?

In case you haven't figured it out, I do not subscribe to the traditionalist view of "celtic music". As far as I'm concerned, a musician can call their music whatever they want to call it. But will I print it in my newsletter? Not necessarily. I have my standards too.

I'm kinda of in the middle ground. Yeah, I love the music of Enya as much as I love the music of The Chieftains. And as far as I'm concerned, they both play Celtic music. .