{ "ok" : true, "artist" : { "name" : "William Brooks", "page" : "william_brooks", "description" : "Entrancing and Ruggedly Individualistic, Earthy and Ethereal Songs", "location" : "NY, USA", "bio" : "Somewhere between names like Springsteen, Harry Chapin and Tom Petty is the entrancing and ruggedly individualistic William Ben Brooks.\n\nHis clever and engaging lyrics are deeply entwined with his slightly folk flavored rock which always spin a fine cinematic narrative. His beautifully embroidered songs of love, loss and questionable redemption are earthy and etherial, strong and sensitive.\n\nWilliam Ben Brooks is a part of a New York resurgence of the sensitive singer-songwriter, the kind of performer who gives you a lyric you'll catch yourself singing softly on the train home.\n\nWilliam's guitar work moves softly along while his lyrics dance over the notes. His sultry vocals are strong enough to convey every emotion which thread through his music.\n\nKimberlye Gold of THE SAN FRANCISO HERALD writes \"Music like this doesn't come around too often. There is a majestic quality to it, particularly his vocals, but his use of organic instruments, like Hammond B3 organ, mandolin and harmonica keep the overall feel grounded and unpretentious. Lyrically he reaches down deep, serious at times, pontificating about the world and his place in it, at times bitter and others hopeful about loss, love and the grand scheme of things, but he's still trying to have some fun. He's been around the block a time or two, and haven't most of us? Blink 182 you can get all over the place, music like this doesn't come around too often.\"\n\nWilliam Ben Brooks was born and raised in southern Oklahoma between the cool shade of the Arbuckle Mountains and the endless turns of the promiscuous Red River.\n\nHis music has been heard on \"The Late Show\" with David Letterman and CBS's primetime comedy \"How I met your mother\", the international release of Adam Carrolla's \"The Hammer\", Good Day New York and VH1.\n\nHis film music credits include \"The Dinner Party\", \"Out of the Garden\" and \"Underground New York.\"\n\nHe has also appeared on several daytime dramas, including Another World, One Life to Live, Search for Tomorrow and numerous times on the Gordon Elliot Show.\n\nWilliam has been honored as a New Folk Finalist at America's most respected folk music festival, The Kerrville Folk Festival. He is also a recipient of the Meet the Composer Grant from New York State Council on the Arts.\n\nUnder the banner of collaborator, his works have been performed at The Songwriter's Hall of Fame, Songwriter's Guild of America Pro Shop and the prestigious New York Songwriter's Circle.", "photo" : "https://magnatune.com/artists/img/william_brooks_new.jpg", "web_url" : "https://magnatune.com/artists/william_brooks/", "albums" : [{ "sku" : "wbrooks-bitternv", "name" : "Bitter Circus (vocals removed)", "artist" : { "name" : "William Brooks", "page" : "william_brooks" }, "release_date" : "2026-10-23", "genres" : ["Alt Rock","Rock"], "vocals" : "vocals removed", "moods" : ["driving","gritty","reflective","melancholic","ethereal"], "uses" : ["documentary","emotional storytelling","podcast background","interview bed","road trip","vlog"], "energy" : 4, "instrumentation" : ["bluesy guitar","piano","horn section","acoustic and electric guitars","full band"], "sounds_like" : ["Bonnie Raitt","Lyle Lovett"], "summary" : "A ruggedly individualistic, earthy and ethereal alt-rock album with bluesy drive, horns, and piano—ideal for documentary, emotional storytelling, or podcast background.", "cover" : "https://magnatune.com/music/William%20Brooks/Bitter%20Circus%20(vocals%20removed)/cover_400.jpg", "web_url" : "https://magnatune.com/artists/albums/wbrooks-bitternv/", "api_url" : "https://magnatune.com/api/albums/wbrooks-bitternv", "buy_url" : "https://magnatune.com/buy/album?sku=wbrooks-bitternv" },{ "sku" : "wbrooks-bluenv", "name" : "Blue Ribbon - The Best of William Brooks (vocals removed)", "artist" : { "name" : "William Brooks", "page" : "william_brooks" }, "release_date" : "2026-10-23", "genres" : ["Alt Rock","Rock"], "vocals" : "vocals removed", "moods" : ["tender","driving"], "uses" : ["road trip","emotional storytelling","documentary","podcast background","vlog","interview bed"], "energy" : 3, "instrumentation" : ["acoustic guitar","blues-tinged vocals","strings","folk-rock band"], "sounds_like" : [], "summary" : "Blues-tinged, narrative folk-rock with earthy and ethereal songs; ideal for driving, documentaries, and emotional storytelling.", "cover" : "https://magnatune.com/music/William%20Brooks/Blue%20Ribbon%20-%20The%20Best%20of%20William%20Brooks%20(vocals%20removed)/cover_400.jpg", "web_url" : "https://magnatune.com/artists/albums/wbrooks-bluenv/", "api_url" : "https://magnatune.com/api/albums/wbrooks-bluenv", "buy_url" : "https://magnatune.com/buy/album?sku=wbrooks-bluenv" },{ "sku" : "wbrooks-brokenbeastnv", "name" : "A Broken Beast (vocals removed)", "artist" : { "name" : "William Brooks", "page" : "william_brooks" }, "release_date" : "2026-10-23", "genres" : ["Alt Rock","Rock","Country"], "vocals" : "vocals removed", "moods" : ["melancholic","hopeful","reflective","tender","ethereal"], "uses" : ["emotional storytelling","documentary","podcast background","interview bed","slideshow or memories","meditation or yoga"], "energy" : 2, "instrumentation" : ["acoustic guitar","warm vocals","subtle strings","gentle percussion"], "sounds_like" : [], "summary" : "An earthy and ethereal Americana album of heartfelt, ballad-filled songs with warm vocals and gentle instrumentation, ideal for emotional storytelling and reflective podcast or documentary use.", "cover" : "https://magnatune.com/music/William%20Brooks/A%20Broken%20Beast%20(vocals%20removed)/cover_400.jpg", "web_url" : "https://magnatune.com/artists/albums/wbrooks-brokenbeastnv/", "api_url" : "https://magnatune.com/api/albums/wbrooks-brokenbeastnv", "buy_url" : "https://magnatune.com/buy/album?sku=wbrooks-brokenbeastnv" },{ "sku" : "wbrooks-buffalonv", "name" : "Buffalo Treason (vocals removed)", "artist" : { "name" : "William Brooks", "page" : "william_brooks" }, "release_date" : "2026-10-23", "genres" : ["Alt Rock","Rock"], "vocals" : "vocals removed", "moods" : ["ethereal","reflective","melancholic","dreamy","warm"], "uses" : ["podcast background","emotional storytelling","documentary","vlog","cafe or restaurant","study or focus"], "energy" : 3, "instrumentation" : ["acoustic guitar","soulful vocals","atmospheric textures","organic percussion"], "sounds_like" : [], "summary" : "Earthy and ethereal alt-rock with soulful acoustic vocals and atmospheric textures, ideal for reflective podcast backgrounds and emotional documentary storytelling.", "cover" : "https://magnatune.com/music/William%20Brooks/Buffalo%20Treason%20(vocals%20removed)/cover_400.jpg", "web_url" : "https://magnatune.com/artists/albums/wbrooks-buffalonv/", "api_url" : "https://magnatune.com/api/albums/wbrooks-buffalonv", "buy_url" : "https://magnatune.com/buy/album?sku=wbrooks-buffalonv" },{ "sku" : "wbrooks-karmanv", "name" : "Karma Dogs (vocals removed)", "artist" : { "name" : "William Brooks", "page" : "william_brooks" }, "release_date" : "2026-10-23", "genres" : ["Alt Rock","Rock"], "vocals" : "vocals removed", "moods" : ["warm","nostalgic","reflective","hopeful","ethereal"], "uses" : ["emotional storytelling","podcast background","vlog","documentary","road trip","cafe or restaurant"], "energy" : 3, "instrumentation" : ["acoustic guitar","piano","soulful vocals","organic rock band"], "sounds_like" : ["The Band","Elton John","Van Morrison"], "summary" : "Earthy and ethereal melodic singer-songwriter rock with soulful vocals and rich arrangements, ideal for emotional storytelling, vlogs, and relaxed background use.", "cover" : "https://magnatune.com/music/William%20Brooks/Karma%20Dogs%20(vocals%20removed)/cover_400.jpg", "web_url" : "https://magnatune.com/artists/albums/wbrooks-karmanv/", "api_url" : "https://magnatune.com/api/albums/wbrooks-karmanv", "buy_url" : "https://magnatune.com/buy/album?sku=wbrooks-karmanv" },{ "sku" : "wbrooks-socialcreaturesnv", "name" : "Social Creatures (vocals removed)", "artist" : { "name" : "William Brooks", "page" : "william_brooks" }, "release_date" : "2026-10-23", "genres" : ["Alt Rock","Rock","Country"], "vocals" : "vocals removed", "moods" : ["melancholic","reflective","dramatic","ethereal","quirky"], "uses" : ["documentary","emotional storytelling","podcast background","interview bed","slideshow or memories","period drama or history"], "energy" : 3, "instrumentation" : ["acoustic guitar","folk rock band","male vocals","organic percussion"], "sounds_like" : ["Bob Dylan","Neil Young","Joan Baez"], "summary" : "Earthy and ethereal folk-rock with rugged individualism, dramatic storytelling, and acoustic engagement—ideal for documentaries, emotional storytelling, and reflective podcast backgrounds.", "cover" : "https://magnatune.com/music/William%20Brooks/Social%20Creatures%20(vocals%20removed)/cover_400.jpg", "web_url" : "https://magnatune.com/artists/albums/wbrooks-socialcreaturesnv/", "api_url" : "https://magnatune.com/api/albums/wbrooks-socialcreaturesnv", "buy_url" : "https://magnatune.com/buy/album?sku=wbrooks-socialcreaturesnv" },{ "sku" : "wbrooks-wingsnv", "name" : "Silent Wings (vocals removed)", "artist" : { "name" : "William Brooks", "page" : "william_brooks" }, "release_date" : "2026-10-23", "genres" : ["Alt Rock","Rock"], "vocals" : "vocals removed", "moods" : ["reflective","melancholic","hopeful","ethereal","tender"], "uses" : ["emotional storytelling","documentary","podcast background","interview bed","meditation or yoga","slideshow or memories"], "energy" : 2, "instrumentation" : ["acoustic guitar","cello","saxophone","vocals"], "sounds_like" : [], "summary" : "Earthy and ethereal alt-rock with blues-tinged, soulful vocals and rich instrumentation; ideal for reflective, emotionally resonant media like documentaries and podcasts.", "cover" : "https://magnatune.com/music/William%20Brooks/Silent%20Wings%20(vocals%20removed)/cover_400.jpg", "web_url" : "https://magnatune.com/artists/albums/wbrooks-wingsnv/", "api_url" : "https://magnatune.com/api/albums/wbrooks-wingsnv", "buy_url" : "https://magnatune.com/buy/album?sku=wbrooks-wingsnv" },{ "sku" : "wbrooks-brokenbeast", "name" : "A Broken Beast", "artist" : { "name" : "William Brooks", "page" : "william_brooks" }, "release_date" : "2022-09-16", "genres" : ["Alt Rock","Rock","Country"], "vocals" : "vocals", "moods" : ["melancholic","hopeful","reflective","tender","ethereal"], "uses" : ["emotional storytelling","documentary","podcast background","interview bed","slideshow or memories","meditation or yoga"], "energy" : 2, "instrumentation" : ["acoustic guitar","warm vocals","subtle strings","gentle percussion"], "sounds_like" : [], "summary" : "An earthy and ethereal Americana album of heartfelt, ballad-filled songs with warm vocals and gentle instrumentation, ideal for emotional storytelling and reflective podcast or documentary use.", "cover" : "https://magnatune.com/music/William%20Brooks/A%20Broken%20Beast/cover_400.jpg", "web_url" : "https://magnatune.com/artists/albums/wbrooks-brokenbeast/", "api_url" : "https://magnatune.com/api/albums/wbrooks-brokenbeast", "buy_url" : "https://magnatune.com/buy/album?sku=wbrooks-brokenbeast" },{ "sku" : "wbrooks-socialcreatures", "name" : "Social Creatures", "artist" : { "name" : "William Brooks", "page" : "william_brooks" }, "release_date" : "2016-05-04", "genres" : ["Alt Rock","Rock","Country"], "vocals" : "vocals", "moods" : ["melancholic","reflective","dramatic","ethereal","quirky"], "uses" : ["documentary","emotional storytelling","podcast background","interview bed","slideshow or memories","period drama or history"], "energy" : 3, "instrumentation" : ["acoustic guitar","folk rock band","male vocals","organic percussion"], "sounds_like" : ["Bob Dylan","Neil Young","Joan Baez"], "summary" : "Earthy and ethereal folk-rock with rugged individualism, dramatic storytelling, and acoustic engagement—ideal for documentaries, emotional storytelling, and reflective podcast backgrounds.", "cover" : "https://magnatune.com/music/William%20Brooks/Social%20Creatures/cover_400.jpg", "web_url" : "https://magnatune.com/artists/albums/wbrooks-socialcreatures/", "api_url" : "https://magnatune.com/api/albums/wbrooks-socialcreatures", "buy_url" : "https://magnatune.com/buy/album?sku=wbrooks-socialcreatures" },{ "sku" : "wbrooks-blue", "name" : "Blue Ribbon - The Best of William Brooks", "artist" : { "name" : "William Brooks", "page" : "william_brooks" }, "release_date" : "2006-05-09", "genres" : ["Alt Rock","Rock"], "vocals" : "vocals", "moods" : ["tender","driving"], "uses" : ["road trip","emotional storytelling","documentary","podcast background","vlog","interview bed"], "energy" : 3, "instrumentation" : ["acoustic guitar","blues-tinged vocals","strings","folk-rock band"], "sounds_like" : [], "summary" : "Blues-tinged, narrative folk-rock with earthy and ethereal songs; ideal for driving, documentaries, and emotional storytelling.", "cover" : "https://magnatune.com/music/William%20Brooks/Blue%20Ribbon%20-%20The%20Best%20of%20William%20Brooks/cover_400.jpg", "web_url" : "https://magnatune.com/artists/albums/wbrooks-blue/", "api_url" : "https://magnatune.com/api/albums/wbrooks-blue", "buy_url" : "https://magnatune.com/buy/album?sku=wbrooks-blue" },{ "sku" : "wbrooks-wings", "name" : "Silent Wings", "artist" : { "name" : "William Brooks", "page" : "william_brooks" }, "release_date" : "2004-10-25", "genres" : ["Alt Rock","Rock"], "vocals" : "vocals", "moods" : ["reflective","melancholic","hopeful","ethereal","tender"], "uses" : ["emotional storytelling","documentary","podcast background","interview bed","meditation or yoga","slideshow or memories"], "energy" : 2, "instrumentation" : ["acoustic guitar","cello","saxophone","vocals"], "sounds_like" : [], "summary" : "Earthy and ethereal alt-rock with blues-tinged, soulful vocals and rich instrumentation; ideal for reflective, emotionally resonant media like documentaries and podcasts.", "cover" : "https://magnatune.com/music/William%20Brooks/Silent%20Wings/cover_400.jpg", "web_url" : "https://magnatune.com/artists/albums/wbrooks-wings/", "api_url" : "https://magnatune.com/api/albums/wbrooks-wings", "buy_url" : "https://magnatune.com/buy/album?sku=wbrooks-wings" },{ "sku" : "wbrooks-bitter", "name" : "Bitter Circus", "artist" : { "name" : "William Brooks", "page" : "william_brooks" }, "release_date" : "2004-03-24", "genres" : ["Alt Rock","Rock"], "vocals" : "vocals", "moods" : ["driving","gritty","reflective","melancholic","ethereal"], "uses" : ["documentary","emotional storytelling","podcast background","interview bed","road trip","vlog"], "energy" : 4, "instrumentation" : ["bluesy guitar","piano","horn section","acoustic and electric guitars","full band"], "sounds_like" : ["Bonnie Raitt","Lyle Lovett"], "summary" : "A ruggedly individualistic, earthy and ethereal alt-rock album with bluesy drive, horns, and piano—ideal for documentary, emotional storytelling, or podcast background.", "cover" : "https://magnatune.com/music/William%20Brooks/Bitter%20Circus/cover_400.jpg", "web_url" : "https://magnatune.com/artists/albums/wbrooks-bitter/", "api_url" : "https://magnatune.com/api/albums/wbrooks-bitter", "buy_url" : "https://magnatune.com/buy/album?sku=wbrooks-bitter" },{ "sku" : "wbrooks-buffalo", "name" : "Buffalo Treason", "artist" : { "name" : "William Brooks", "page" : "william_brooks" }, "release_date" : "2004-03-24", "genres" : ["Alt Rock","Rock"], "vocals" : "vocals", "moods" : ["ethereal","reflective","melancholic","dreamy","warm"], "uses" : ["podcast background","emotional storytelling","documentary","vlog","cafe or restaurant","study or focus"], "energy" : 3, "instrumentation" : ["acoustic guitar","soulful vocals","atmospheric textures","organic percussion"], "sounds_like" : [], "summary" : "Earthy and ethereal alt-rock with soulful acoustic vocals and atmospheric textures, ideal for reflective podcast backgrounds and emotional documentary storytelling.", "cover" : "https://magnatune.com/music/William%20Brooks/Buffalo%20Treason/cover_400.jpg", "web_url" : "https://magnatune.com/artists/albums/wbrooks-buffalo/", "api_url" : "https://magnatune.com/api/albums/wbrooks-buffalo", "buy_url" : "https://magnatune.com/buy/album?sku=wbrooks-buffalo" },{ "sku" : "wbrooks-fowl", "name" : "Fowl Mouth", "artist" : { "name" : "William Brooks", "page" : "william_brooks" }, "release_date" : "2004-03-24", "genres" : ["Alt Rock","Rock"], "vocals" : "vocals", "moods" : ["melancholic","reflective","romantic","ethereal","tender","nostalgic"], "uses" : ["podcast background","emotional storytelling","documentary","nature documentary","slideshow or memories","meditation or yoga"], "energy" : 2, "instrumentation" : ["acoustic guitar","weather-beaten vocals","stripped-down arrangements","unplugged instrumentation"], "sounds_like" : [], "summary" : "Stripped-down, earthy and ethereal unplugged folk-rock with natural blues influence, ideal for reflective, emotional, or atmospheric background use.", "cover" : "https://magnatune.com/music/William%20Brooks/Fowl%20Mouth/cover_400.jpg", "web_url" : "https://magnatune.com/artists/albums/wbrooks-fowl/", "api_url" : "https://magnatune.com/api/albums/wbrooks-fowl", "buy_url" : "https://magnatune.com/buy/album?sku=wbrooks-fowl" },{ "sku" : "wbrooks-karma", "name" : "Karma Dogs", "artist" : { "name" : "William Brooks", "page" : "william_brooks" }, "release_date" : "2004-03-24", "genres" : ["Alt Rock","Rock"], "vocals" : "vocals", "moods" : ["warm","nostalgic","reflective","hopeful","ethereal"], "uses" : ["emotional storytelling","podcast background","vlog","documentary","road trip","cafe or restaurant"], "energy" : 3, "instrumentation" : ["acoustic guitar","piano","soulful vocals","organic rock band"], "sounds_like" : ["The Band","Elton John","Van Morrison"], "summary" : "Earthy and ethereal melodic singer-songwriter rock with soulful vocals and rich arrangements, ideal for emotional storytelling, vlogs, and relaxed background use.", "cover" : "https://magnatune.com/music/William%20Brooks/Karma%20Dogs/cover_400.jpg", "web_url" : "https://magnatune.com/artists/albums/wbrooks-karma/", "api_url" : "https://magnatune.com/api/albums/wbrooks-karma", "buy_url" : "https://magnatune.com/buy/album?sku=wbrooks-karma" }] }, "license" : { "music_license" : "Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 1.0 (CC BY-NC-SA 1.0)", "music_license_url" : "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/1.0/", "listening" : "Stream the free previews, or buy an album for $8 to download it in MP3, AAC, ALAC, FLAC, OGG or WAV. 100% of the price goes to the musician.", "non_commercial" : "Non-commercial projects may use the music under CC BY-NC-SA 1.0: credit the artist and Magnatune, and share alike.", "projects" : "Magnatune members may use any Magnatune music in their projects, commercial or not (videos, films, podcasts, games, apps, websites, adverts), including work for clients, under the Magnatune Project Licence. Projects released while a member stay licensed for good; new projects need an active membership. Credit is required. TV or radio broadcast, cinema, and background music in shops, restaurants or on-hold lines are not included: license those from the musician. Membership: $10/month, $99/year or $299 lifetime; agents can buy one themselves with MPP at /api/member-pass ($10 month, $99 year, $299 lifetime, one-off).", "projects_status" : "available", "projects_signup" : "https://magnatune.com/member/signup", "royalty_free" : "Membership is royalty-free licensing: no per-video, per-download or per-view fees, for every project created and released while a member.", "youtube" : "YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, podcasts: members may use the clean songs in monetized videos. Members register their YouTube channel (the set_youtube_channel MCP tool, or their account page) so YouTube's Content ID doesn't claim their videos. The free versions carry a spoken Magnatune voice and are non-commercial (CC BY-NC-SA), so they're not for monetized channels or client work.", "details" : "https://magnatune.com/info/licensing", "how_to_credit" : "Name the artist and \"Magnatune\", with a link to the album's web_url." } }