Have you noticed that music has become part of almost every video you watch? Music is like that magical ingredient that seems to tie everything together.
The problem is that sometimes you find the perfect piece of music for your video, but you can’t use it without first getting the artist’s permission. To do that, you need to get a legal license, and that requires a lot of money.
Luckily, there are websites that have found a way around this problem. Some are completely free of charge, others require only a small one-time fee to access as many tracks as you want. In return, you get the music you need for your documentary, infomercial, vlog, or whatever type of video project you’re working on.
Read on for a list of free music websites for video editing to help you complete your masterpiece.
The 5 Best Free Music Websites
Because I know you already have so much on your plate, I did all the hard work for you. Check out my top picks for free music!
1. Free Music Archive
Anyone who knows anything about music has heard of the Free Music Archive. This website has been providing artists with all kinds of free music for over a decade.
The reason why this site is so popular is that it allows users and curators to upload their music. This makes it easy for users to gain access to royalty-free music. Plus, you never run out because new ones are constantly being added.
Pros
- User-friendly
- Wide selection
Cons
- Certain conditions may apply if you wish to reuse a song
2. Purple Planet
Purple Planet boasts of a wide range of soundtracks, background music, and sound clips. The best thing about this music planet is that all their music files are free to download.
There’s one catch: free music tracks can only be used for non-commercial purposes. If you want to use anything for broadcast and commercial purposes, you can pay a one-time fee.
Pros
- You get unlimited free downloads
- Offers a wide collection of soundtracks
Cons
- Has no music filter option
3. Free Play Music
The Free Play Music website is just as its name implies. You’ll find plenty of royalty-free music tracks to download and use.
The best thing is their user-friendly navigation bar that helps you find the perfect track for your video. While there are many terrific options, they’re mainly instrumental tracks.
Pros
- Wide range of music genres
- Easy to navigate
Cons
- Lacks options for filtering music
4. Bensound
What’s great about Bensound is its diverse soundtrack collection. This includes cinematic, electronic, pop, corporate, along with many other genres.
Tracks are available for free or with a subscription-based pricing plan. While you have complete freedom with any of the free tracks, you’re obligated to credit the site in your video description.
Pros
- Decent selection of free and premium tracks
Cons
- Attribution is required when you use tracks in online videos
5. YouTube Audio Library
You know YouTube can’t sit this one out! It’s managed to create a large collection of top-quality tracks, sound effects, and music.
While all tracks are copyright-free, some may ask you to credit the artist in your video description. Also, some tracks aren’t copyright-free, but you’ll find them included, so make sure you check each track’s license agreement.
Pros
- Plenty of search options
- Wide range of sounds and music based on mood, genre, instruments, and duration
Cons
- Some artists ask for credit in your video description
How Does Music Licensing Work
After looking at the top five free music websites, let’s take a look at what royalty-free music is and how to use it.
The CCL
The Creative Commons License protects artists’ work from being used without their permission. A lot of music artists want their work to be used by others. Nonetheless, some artists stipulate certain conditions for the use of their music.
If you don’t comply with these conditions, this can lead to your video being pulled down from social platforms. It may also go as far as being sued in a full-fledged lawsuit.
So, how can you continue to create beautiful videos without repercussion? The first step is to double-check the license agreement found on every music track. This should tell you whether you can use that particular piece of music or not.
What happens if you find yourself in violation of the license agreement? The first thing is you’ll get an email asking you to take down the video with the accompanying music track. It’s only if you fail to meet this demand that legal action will be taken.
The conditions set by the artist can be broken down into these four groups:
Attributions
Under this condition, you’re obligated to credit the artist each time the music is used.
Non-commercial
This means you can only use the music in non-commercial videos.
No Derivative Work
A ‘derivative’ work is based on pre-existing tracks, such as remixes. This condition prohibits the production of any derivative works made from a particular track.
Share Alike
With this condition, you can freely copy an artist’s music. The catch is that the work must preserve its primary music license.
FAQ
Read these commonly asked questions to learn about free music.
Q: What’s public domain music?
A: Public domain music refers to music with no copyright protection. These tracks are also known as ‘copyright-free.’
In other words, you can use any of these soundtracks without ever needing to pay. You also don’t need permission from the artist. It’s nice if you give the artist credit, but that’s optional and not required by law.
Q: Does royalty-free mean the music is free?
A: Royalty-free music means you pay a small one-time fee to use the music, as opposed to paying on-going payments, or ‘royalties.’ Yet, you get permission to access the tracks for as long as you like.
Some artists put down certain conditions on using their royalty-free music. So, make sure you read the fine print so you don’t overstep.
The Takeaway
I know how important music is for your videos. So, I rounded up the best free music websites for video editing. After all, what’s the best way to give your videos that flawless finish? By adding music, of course!
