How to Find Best Copyright Free Music for Your Videos

Written By: Shagun   November 24, 2022

Every videographer can relate to the frustration of recording a beautiful video, editing it to perfection, and then finding that it still lacks the ideal soundtrack. Songs are an essential component of any multimedia project, but obtaining free soundtracks for videos is not always easy. Finding a legitimate source from which to obtain high-quality music is only the beginning; you also need to confirm that you have the right to utilize these songs for work-related purposes.

Although it's common knowledge among content producers that using royalty-free music is the best option if you want to stay legitimate.

Online sources for free copyright-free music mostly provide music that is:

  • Downloading and using it are both totally free.
  • There are no licenses to buy.
  • You may use it for business purposes.

In this blog post, we will talk about copyright-free, royalty-free music, licensing music for commercial use, and the sites that offer you copyright-free music.

What is Copyright Free Music?

Copyright-free music means music that can be used license-free by anyone. The usage of the content is unrestricted in the absence of copyright. However, as musicians are given inherent copyright for all generated works, no song is actually free from copyright. The copyright law, which defends original work and authorship, defines copyright as a type of intellectual property.

Introduction to Royalty-Free Music

The phrase "royalty-free" suggests that you won't have to pay royalties when you license music or other types of material. You don't have to pay fees when you license through a company that offers royalty-free music. Long-term savings result from doing this, particularly if you obtain a lifetime music license.

Is Copyright Free Music For Commercial Use?

Yes, you can use royalty-free music as long as you originally licensed it, whether you need it for movies, corporate videos, paid YouTube videos, or other projects. Although royalty-free and copyright-free music may include the word "free" in its names, it isn't really free. However, you save the expense of paying royalties and other licensing fees when you license this kind of music.

Licensing Music for Videos

In essence, you could utilize every music that has ever been created in your videos by just uploading the appropriate file to your preferred free video editing program. You can see that the majority of the music available while browsing for royalty-free music for videos is provided under a Creative Commons license. There are many levels of freedom within this license, despite the fact that it permits you to download and distribute the content. The following are the top five categories of creative commons licenses:

CC0: Unrestricted

Publish, share, modify, and commercialize without restrictions.

CC BY: Attribution

Unrestricted license if you give credit to the author.

CC BY-SA: Attribution-Share-Alike

Copied works are distributed under the same license.

CC-BY-ND: Attribution-No-Derivatives

Copied works and remixes are not allowed.

CC BY-NC: Attribution-Non-Commercial

Not to be used for commercial purposes.

Top 9 Sites to Find Copyright-Free Music

1. Thematic

Most YouTube creators should check Thematic if they want free music from well-known bands and performers. You must join Thematic in order to gain access, but you can do so without using a credit card. Once you join, you'll get access to the complete Thematic music library, which features tracks by a variety of original artists. Additionally, it gives users access to music from some well-known artists.

Remember that you can only use the music on YouTube or Instagram, and they are the only two platforms where you can display your video. Thematic members must adhere to certain crediting guidelines. You can, however, obtain free music and utilize a custom tune for your videos as long as you adhere to the rules.

2. YouTube Audio Library

There is plenty of copyright-free background music in the YouTube Audio Library. Public domain and Creative Commons works that are free to use have been combined. Many of them don't even demand that you give credit to the track's creator. You can use their useful search feature to look for background music by entering keywords, mood descriptors, duration, etc. As an alternative, you can use the "popularity" filter to view the most recent song downloads.

The option to "star" your favorite songs in YouTube's Audio Library is another excellent addition. It's possible to come across background music that you enjoy but doesn't quite work with the video you are working on. It's simple to bookmark a track on YouTube so you can return to it later.

3. Jamendo

Jamendo is a distinctive platform as it places a strong emphasis on listening rather than merely offering copyright-free music. When you visit their website, you can see that they have two distinct sections: Jamendo Licensing, where you can get royalty-free music for commercial usage, and Jamendo Music, which gives free listening and the chance to discover new artists. There is a button that directs you right to Music for Videos under the Jamendo Licensing banner.

The fact that Jamendo is the only platform here that was designed with marketers and advertising in mind makes it special as well. Because of this, our search feature differs greatly from those of other websites. Depending on the kind of project you're doing and the platform you'll be utilizing, you may search for songs. The website will automatically present you with alternatives depending on your preferences once you've made your choice between these two possibilities.

4. Pixabay

Pixabay is a well-known website for free stock pictures, but you can also download free, rogue-free music from here. Pixabay Music makes it an easy one-stop shop for you to get the content you need for your YouTube video production.

To get the right free music for your YouTube video, search by genre, attitude, and tag. In addition to free royalty-free music, this site also has stock video and sound effects. Download free music with no copyright restrictions for both personal and professional use, as well as modification, under the terms of the Pixabay License. Despite not being required, the website claims that giving credit to the creator of the free music you are using is a thoughtful gesture.

5. SoundCloud

SoundCloud boasts a collection of more than 125 million tracks and is one of the most well-known artist networks. Despite the fact that the "All rights reserved" licensing option is the default, many users opt to have their work protected by a Creative Commons license.

The majority of the tunes you'll find on SoundCloud sound like genuine music rather than the recognizable "elevator music" sound you frequently hear in promotional films, which is why SoundCloud stands out so much from the competitors. Simply search for the genre of song you're searching for and then modify the default "To listen to" filter option for the purpose of your project to view only free audio clips that are licensed under CC. After that, you can filter your results using a list of tags.

6. Unminus

Another website that offers free music downloads is Unminus. Due to the tracks' Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license, this website stands out among the others. With the CC0 license, you are allowed to alter any work in any way you see fit, use it for commercial or personal purposes, and do so without giving it any credit.

This implies that you are free to do anything you want with the music from Unminus and are not required to offer a link to it in the YouTube description or any credits.

7. TakeTones

TakeTones was made to allow you to utilize a variety of fantastic music without having to pay additional costs, and it has been going strong since 2014. This website is a gold mine for anyone who understands the value of great background music for videos.TakeTones helps its consumers save a ton of time in addition to offering them music that is not subject to copyrights. 

First off, the website is easy to use and features a cutting-edge search engine and set of filters that make it possible to locate a certain track in only a couple of minutes. Second, because the music is created particularly for commercial usage, you may locate a track with the exact duration you need without having to change it.

8. Free Music Archive

Free Music Archive, sometimes known as FMA, collaborates with radio stations, musicians, and industry enthusiasts to provide one of the broadest collections of free music for videos. Users can explore hundreds of genres and subgenres, do searches by song title, clip length, kind of license, and more.

Even though the great majority of the songs have Creative Commons licenses, some of them can only be downloaded and heard on personal devices. The results of your music search can also be filtered by licensing. For instance, unchecking the "non-commercial use" option will ensure that your search only returns songs that you may really utilize if your movie will be used for marketing purposes.

9. Bensound

Bensound provides both a free and a paid soundtrack library. If you give them credit in your description, their free license option also allows you to utilize their soundtracks on internet films. The platform may be searched by tags, popularity, genre, or upload date. The proprietor of the website Bensound, who once solely featured the compositions of composer Benjamin Tissot, now incorporates the works of other musicians as well.

The majority of the platform's videos are distributed with an attribution-no-derivatives Creative Commons license. This implies that as long as the website is credited and the tracks aren't remixed or used to produce new songs, you may use them for free as background music for videos.

Wrapping Up

If you choose the proper music and use it lawfully, your video will remain online for as long as you wish.

There are undoubtedly many copyright-free websites available. And, as anyone who has previously had to look for stock media will concur, the more alternatives you have, the better. We hope this article provides you with a great deal of information. Moreover, the best thing about copyright-free music is you can find the best music under budget. Reach out to us at Support@pixeldino.com if you want to create your next video with royalty-free and copyright-free music.