A compilation of the best resources to find and get free and public domain sheet music. These musical pieces are not copyrighted, or else the copyright has expired. The majority of these collections contain strictly classical music, but you will occasionally find a pop, jazz, contemporary, or sacred piece among them. Happy hunting!
The Mutopia Project
http://www.mutopiaproject.org/
Free Sheet Music
http://www.freesheetmusic.net/
Free-Scores : World Wide Free Sheet Music (Directory and Direct Download)
Highly recommended! One of the best collections out there – very complete classical piano collection. Serves as both a directory and a direct download collection, with titles in PDF and often a sample audio file in MIDI format, so you can hear how the piece sounds before you play. Main site is in French; this link will take you to the English version.
http://www.free-scores.com/index_uk.php3
International Music Score Library Project
Very complete. Over 20,000 scores for download. Done in wiki format, very nice.
http://imslp.org/wiki/Main_Page
Piano Street
The Sheet Music Archive
http://www.sheetmusicarchive.net/
Music Viva
Historic American Sheet Music
http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/hasm/
G Major Music Theory: Freebies
http://www.gmajormusictheory.org/Freebies/freebies.html
Sheet Music Web
Free Sheet Music Library
8Notes
Large collection, including link directory. For many instruments.
http://www.8notes.com/
Music-Scores
Sheet Music Fox
Music Notes: Free
Rotates different pieces each week. Must install their free viewer before you can see the sheet music. Part of larger site with for-pay downloads.
http://www.musicnotes.com/free/
Virtual Sheet Music: Free
http://www.virtualsheetmusic.com/free.html
mFiles
Rowy
Over 1,900 pieces.
http://www.rowy.net/Download_Sheet_Music.html
Easy Byte
Simplified piano arrangements for beginning students.
http://www.easybyte.org/
Project Gutenberg: Sheet Music
Finally, the original resource for free e-books has a sheet music section! Small, but still growing.
http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/categories/4
Free Sheet Music Downloads
http://www.free-sheet-music-downloads.com/
Werner Icking Music Archive
Great collection. Icons by each piece make it easy to identify file formats. Most included in PDF format. Listed by composer.
http://icking-music-archive.org/ByComposer.php
Sheet Music Digital: Public Domain
2,500+ PDF titles available for direct download. They also offer a subscription model.
http://www.sheetmusicdigital.com/freepdffiles.asp
University of Rochester Sheet Music Library
Outstanding collection. Mostly PDF format. Listed by author.
https://urresearch.rochester.edu/handle/1802/292/browse-author
Online Scores Prototype
From a huge private collection.
http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/variations/scores/
Choral Public Domain Library
Established in 1998. Fantastic resource for choral works and sacred music.
http://www.cpdl.org/
More Free Music
Looking for more? Check out these sites for a more complete picture of free sheet music on the web. Have fun!
Piano Passion: Guide to Free Sheet Music
Great list, well annotated.
http://www.pianopassion.com/guideev.htm
The Cyber Hymnal
Great resource for church song leaders. Read hymn histories, complete lyrics to all the old traditional hymns, download MIDI audio, and in some cases sheet music is available in NoteWorthy Composer format. All in all an outstanding resource for the hymn lover.
http://www.hymntime.com/tch
Piano Files
A social network for piano sheet music lovers! Share and trade your sheet music collection with thousands of others. Can’t find that song you need? Search for it at Piano Files, see who has it, then email them your request. Interesting idea.
http://www.pianofiles.com/
Free Sheet Music Guide
http://www.freesheetmusicguide.com/
Best Places to Buy Sheet Music Online
A few sites that are worthy of mention.
Sheet Music Plus
http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/
Music Notes
Music Books Plus
Music Books Plus is your best source for music & audio books, videos, CD-ROMs, DVDs, software & sheet music. We carry over 12,000 titles on Music Business, Songwriting, Arranging, Theory, Directories, Pro Audio, Video, Live Sound, Recording, Lighting, MIDI, Synthesizers, Guitar, Keyboards, Bass, Drums, Percussion, Violin, Brass, Woodwinds, Harmonica, Voice, Biographies, Fake Books, Songbooks. Worldwide shipping.
http://www.musicbooksplus.com/