Need background music for your vlog or video project? Searching for royalty-free or copyright-free music you can use at no cost? Here are our tips and tricks for how to use music from YouTube and other sources for free—and fairly.
Actively creating original video content is a smart move for your website or YouTube channel's SEO and marketing. Whether you're making instructional videos, product showcases, or sharing tips and tricks, maintaining a high level of quality is essential to engage your audience and encourage shares.
A crucial part of any video is undoubtedly its musical underscore. You can use it to emphasize key moments, set the appropriate mood, or fill the space between descriptive text and spoken commentary.
What to Watch Out For with Free Music
Marketup is here to show you sources for music that meet three essential criteria:
The music is downloadable for free, no registration required.
It's available under a license that permits free use.
You can use it for commercial purposes.
This type of license still has specific terms of use. The most common requirement is attribution (crediting the author), which is easily done in the YouTube video description. Sometimes, you can even credit them directly in the video. It's a simple request to fulfill. We recommend always checking the specific terms for each website or track.
The license that allows you to use someone else's work is called Creative Commons (CC). It has several sub-categories that are good to understand, especially if you plan to monetize your content. If you violate these terms, YouTube may terminate your channel or block its monetization.
Top 4 Websites for Free Music
The following sites offer royalty-free music that can be used for free, but it's essential to familiarize yourself with their terms.
Bensound.com
This is a very simple site where users can access royalty-free music from a wide range of genres, completely for free, without any registration. However, you must credit the site (provide a link) in your video description.
Pixabay.com
Pixabay offers a huge library of music that can be used for free for commercial and non-commercial purposes. The license is very flexible and doesn't require attribution, though it's always a nice gesture.
YouTube.com
YouTube itself offers its own free tool for creators: the Audio Library. You can find it in your YouTube Studio. All music in it is safe to use in your videos. The conditions, such as required attribution, are clearly stated for each track, and you can download music with a single click.
Mixkit.co
Mixkit provides completely free music tracks and sound effects with a very simple license for commercial use. In most cases, attribution is not required, and you don't need to register to download.
When You Want More: Paid Services
If you don't feel like studying the copyright terms of every site or don't want to risk running into trouble later, we recommend investing in paid services.
Artlist.io
Artlist is a safe alternative for those looking for unique music for their projects. It's a beautifully designed site with a minimalist, modern aesthetic, reminiscent of popular streaming apps like Spotify.
Loudly.com
In the "Sound Tracks" app, users can edit individual recordings or add/remove various elements and instruments. It's priced similarly to Artlist, starting at just $9/month.
AI Tools: Create Music in Just a Few Clicks
Thanks to artificial intelligence, anyone can create original music for their videos today. Here are some of the best tools that can do it.
Suno.com
Suno creates complete songs, including vocals, based on a text prompt. Just enter the theme and style, and the AI handles the music and vocals. The free version allows you to generate several songs per day for non-commercial use.
Udio.com
A direct competitor to Suno, Udio also specializes in creating entire songs with vocals. Users praise its high quality and clean audio. It's ideal for quickly experimenting with musical ideas and offers a generous free plan.
Soundraw.io
This tool focuses on the rapid creation of instrumental music. Instead of text, you choose the mood, genre, and length, and the AI instantly generates a backing track. It's a great choice for video creators who need custom music without complex prompts. This is a paid tool.
Not Sure Where to Start? We Can Help
At Marketup, we're experts in every field. We have successful campaigns with Eiskafee, a long-term collaboration with Horalky, and a video spot for XXXLutz Kitchens under our belt.
If you decide to entrust us with your ideas—or leave the whole thing to us—we'd love to hear from you. Contact us using the form here.