Music can be a great way to make your YouTube videos more engaging.
Studies have found that videos containing music tend to come across more creative, empathetic, emotive and informative.
From relaxing the viewer to building suspense, music can play all kinds of fantastic roles, and if you want to turn your YouTube channel into a lucrative work from home gig, you’ll need to find the right music to complement your videos.
But just where can you find music to use in your YouTube videos?
As many YouTube content creators have learnt over the years, using copyrighted music in videos can result in content being muted, blocked in certain countries or removed. Getting permission to use copyrighted music from major label artists can often be a long and expensive process that is simply not viable for many small league video content creators.
However, fortunately there is so much music out there that isn’t copyrighted – or, at the very least, is much easier and cheaper to purchase.
Below are just some of the different places across the internet where you can find background music for YouTube videos.
Where to Find Background Music for YouTube Videos
Royalty-free sites
Using regular licensed music in a YouTube video typically requires paying ongoing royalties to the owner of the music license. These royalties come out of your ad revenue – with some artists demanding all of it.
Royalty free music requires you to make a single upfront payment per track. You can then use excerpts from this track in as many videos as you like without having to pay any ongoing royalties.
There are so many royalty-free sites out there where you can find background music to match all moods and genres. Some sites allow you to buy royalty-free tracks for as little as 1 USD, but you’ll generally want to pay more for better quality music. Others allow you to pay a subscription each month, allowing you to download multiple royalty-free tracks per month without paying individually for each one.
Examples of royalty-free sites: AudioJungle, Bensound, BeatPick
Public domain libraries
Public domain music is not protected by copyright and is therefore entirely free to download and use.
This music can be great for using within videos if you need background music but are on a very tight budget.
Various public domain libraries exist across the internet. Just be wary that, like free stock images, a lot of this music is very popular and overused.
That said, if you spend enough time hunting around, you can find plenty of original public domain music.
Examples of public domain libraries: YouTube audio library, Free Music Archive, Musopen
Creative Commons libraries
Creative Commons music is free to use – but only under certain conditions.
These conditions are determined by the musician or license owner. Usually they involve making sure that the musician is properly credited.
You may also not be able to use the music for certain purposes such as advertising (although some CC music can be used for this purpose).
You can find Creative Commons music everywhere, from SoundCloud to specialist libraries like Freeplay Music.
Be sure to always read the terms and conditions before downloading and using this music in your videos.
Examples of Creative Commons libraries: Freeplay Music, SoundCloud, Jamendo Creative Commons search
YouTube to MP3 converters
There is a lot of music available on YouTube, which you can download as an MP3 to use in your own videos using a YouTube to MP3 converter.
You can use a YouTube to MP3 converter for Macbook or for PC – different converters may be applicable to different platforms.
Just be wary that audio quality when using these converters varies – you ideally want to find a good one!
It’s also worth noting that, while converting videos into audio is legal, the same laws apply when it comes to seeking permission and paying royalties.
There are many YouTube channels that have uploaded videos containing CC music and sound effects with the intention of enabling users to download it using converters – look out for these channels when searching for music to convert.
Examples of YouTube to MP3 converters: Pulltube, Folx, Downie
DIY music
Last but not least, it’s worth noting that you can always create and upload your own music if you are a musician.
This could be a cheap way of creating background music, and could also give you the freedom to design the music that you want.
Such music is also certain to be original and could make your videos more memorable.
Can’t sing, play instruments or produce?
You may be able to pay musicians to create custom music for your videos.
For example, Fiverr is a great place to find musicians willing to do this.
Alternatively, you may even have some friends who are musicians that may be able to help you create something.
You will need to determine whether you or the musician is the copyright holder of this music in case you need to give permission for someone else to use this music in the future.
Where to Find Background Music for YouTube Videos | Final Thoughts
As you can see, finding good background music for YouTube videos doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. There are tonnes of websites out there where you can find the perfect background track for your videos, without having to sell your right arm!
That’s it for today, but as always, if you have any questions then don’t hesitate to reach out and ask in the comments section below.
Until next time,
XOXO
Leave a Reply