I Like Music for Education FAQs

Where do you get the music from?

I Like Music for Education is a digitised version of The Phil Swern Collection. This comprises of a CD or vinyl copy of every UK Top 40 hit since the charts began in November 1952 the US Hits 100 and further substantial quantities of Pop, Jazz, Country, Film Soundtracks, Stage Shows, Classical and Comedy Music sections. This remarkable vinyl and CD archive is probably the most complete collection of its kind anywhere in the world, containing many millions of recordings including 200,000 items on vinyl. The vinyl collection's previous owner being the BBC.

Is the service legal?

Yes, after 5 Years of negotiations with the music right bodies (PPL / PRS) we have successfully secured the rights to offer our huge music library to educational institutions.

How does the service compare to other online music services?

I Like Music for Education is exclusively licensed to be used in educational institutions. Access to free online music services for use in schools is generally illegal as they have NOT secured the rights with the music licensing bodies.

Can I download music tracks?

Currently, I Like Music for Education is a streaming only service. However, Download Bundles are under development.

How can I access I Like Music for Education?

Students and Teachers can listen to any track within the music library from any Internet connected PC within the educational institutions IT network.

Can the service be used from home?

Teachers may access the service from home, using a username and password for the purposes of class preparation. Students CANNOT use the service from home.

Do we have to manage usernames and passwords?

The service can be configured to use username and password credentials, or alternatively a school can register their IT networks IP address (s) or IP Range.

Is there a limit to the number of tracks that we can listen to?

No, the service provides unlimited access to any track(s) from our catalogue for the purposes of education NOT recreation.

Can tracks be inserted into MS PowerPoint presentations or a VLE?

The audio files cannot be downloaded or inserted into PowerPoint or VLE(s), however a ‘PLAYLIST FILE’ (‘M3U’ file) can be embedded into a presentation or VLE which will then play the audio file (on any internet connected PC).

How many tracks are accessible within the music library?

I Like Music for Education has over 1 million tracks.

How often is the library updated?

The library is updated with new content on a daily basis. On average we add over 20,000 new tracks each month. What types of music content are within the library?

The Music collection contains every Single TOP 40 Hit since the UK charts began in 1952 and the vast majority of the US TOP 100 since the US chart began in 1954. The library also contains audio content for primary and secondary school age groups, as well as all the other popular genres (Classical, Rock, Garage, Grime, Film Sound Tracks, and Musicals etc.).

Can the service be used to create playlists?

Yes, playlists can be created and saved to either an individual PC or into a communal ‘playlist resources’ area within the website. They can then be reloaded into the system and edited as per your requirements.