Where to Find Royalty-Free Music for YouTube Videos

While having quality video, audio and editing will greatly improve your video but without a good piece of background music to accompany those elements the video may feel unbalanced. Also, using copyrighted music could result in Content ID identifying your video and either muting your content, taking all the advertising money away from you and giving it to the owner of the rights to that song.

There are many other ways to obtain music which can be used as part of your videos without having to worry about copyright infringement. These range from entirely free music to subscription based music libraries costing a few hundred dollars a year. Your choices would depend on how often you produce new content, and whether you want high-quality professional sounding background music.

Prior to discussing the different resources of music available, it would be helpful to discuss what "royalty-free" really means. Royalty-free does not necessarily mean that the music is absolutely free. Instead, royalty-free refers to the fact that you will only need to purchase the music one time (either as a flat fee or through an ongoing monthly or yearly membership), regardless of how many times you decide to use that same piece of music.

You should also know that YouTube's Content ID system can still identify your video as being in violation of copyright even after purchasing a royalty-free license for that music. This occurs when the original creator/owner of that particular song has registered the song with Content ID. Therefore, it is essential to choose a platform that will work with you proactively to clear their music with Content ID and provide proof of proper licensing if your video ever gets flagged.

Start with the YouTube Audio Library

First, we will begin with the simplest and most accessible place to start looking: the YouTube Audio Library located within YouTube Studio. The best part about this option is that it is completely free. All of the tracks are clear to be used on YouTube, and there isn't anything to worry about as far as Content ID claims go.

This library has thousands of tracks available in various genres (electronic, ambient, acoustic, and cinematic), as well as a great deal of sound effects available.

As for quality, it varies greatly. There are many of these library tracks that tend to lean toward being very generic sounding, so finding a track that does not sound like every other "stock" audio track from 2009 may take some searching.

For the majority of your vlogs and tutorials, when using music simply as a background texture for your video, this should be sufficient. However, please note that several of the tracks found in the library will require an artist credit to be placed in the video description -- the library makes sure you know by flagging them, but make sure to do so prior to publishing your video.

Lastly, the sound effect section of this library is one of the better places to look for simple foley, ambient room tones, and transitions. Without having to search another separate library.

Free Resources Beyond YouTube

If you can't find what you're looking for within the YouTube Audio Library, then there are a number of additional free music libraries that you might also consider adding to your list.

One such library is Free Music Archive (freemusicarchive.org). This library has an extensive collection of music available through Creative Commons licenses. Quality however can vary from track-to-track, as both professional artists and amateur musicians share their works. Generally most tracks will require some form of attribution.

A second library is ccMixter (ccmixter.org), which is primarily a user-generated content site using Creative Commons licensed materials. The remixable content found here typically tends to be much more interesting than typical royalty-free stock audio, and the community is very active. However, most tracks will still require some form of attribution, yet they do offer a useful search engine.

Kevin MacLeod's Incompetech (incompetech.com) is another popular resource for royalty-free music. He has had a tremendous amount of success with having his music used across the web (YouTube especially) due to its high production value. While the familiarity of his catalog may actually work against you when trying to find something unique, his entire collection of music is available for download at no charge with proper attribution.

The biggest disadvantage to using free resources is consistency over time. The hours spent searching for something usable can easily exceed the cost of a paid subscription if you produce content on a regular basis.

Paid Subscription Platforms

For creators who want to stop hunting and start making videos, paid platforms are worth the investment. These four are the most widely used among YouTube creators and filmmakers.

Epidemic Sound

With Epidemic Sound, you will find that it is the most widely used music subscription service for YouTube creators. This is largely due to the fact that it has the largest library of professionally recorded tracks with 40,000 plus tracks. Additionally, you may easily browse through this large library using a variety of different parameters including mood, genre, BPM and instrumentation.

A major benefit of using Epidemic Sound compared to other music libraries is Content ID Management. When you purchase a track from Epidemic Sound, they automatically register that track and maintain a list of their subscribers, so your video continues to earn money despite any Content ID claim. Plans start around ten dollars a month for personal use, which pays off quickly if you're publishing more than a few videos per month.

Artlist

Artlist operates somewhat differently than Epidemic Sound. While Artlist has significantly fewer tracks in its database, it is focused on providing music that is similar in style and feel to music found in film and television -- less stock, more cinematic. Artlist is able to offer an annual plan for a flat rate that covers YouTube, commercials, advertisements and social media platforms all in one fee.

Another key feature of Artlist is that once you have downloaded a track, you will retain the rights to use that track regardless of whether you cancel your membership with them. In recent years, Artlist has continued to grow beyond just music licensing and now offers both AI video tools and stock footage, which makes the interface feel busier than it used to -- but the core music database remains strong.

Soundstripe

Soundstripe positions itself as the filmmaker's alternative to Epidemic Sound. The library is smaller but well-curated, and the platform emphasizes that all music is made by working musicians, not stock producers. Stems are available on most tracks.

What Soundstripe does well is search by vibe -- you can look for music that feels cinematic, suspenseful, upbeat, or melancholic without needing to know exactly what genre you're after. For people who know the mood they want but not the technical label, that's more useful than it sounds. Pricing is competitive with Epidemic Sound.

Musicbed

Musicbed is the premium end of the market. The music quality is excellent -- Musicbed sources from established indie artists and film composers, not stock producers -- but it's priced accordingly. The sync licensing structure makes it popular with advertising agencies and production companies.

For YouTube creators, the cost is hard to justify unless you're running a professional channel with commercial clients or producing branded content. If you are doing that kind of work, the quality difference is noticeable and the licensing terms hold up under scrutiny.

How to Choose the Right Track

Finding the correct source is only half the battle. The second half is selecting the appropriate track for your particular video.

Match the pace of your track with the rhythm of your cut. Tracks with clear beat and lots of energy are perfect for fast-paced edits. Tracks that are slow and atmospheric can be paired with slower paced footage. Pay attention to vocals -- even if a track would normally work well, vocal competition with VO or dialogue will cause the track to lose its ability to work as intended.

Test your tracks using a good quality set of headphones. Computer speakers will over-compress the low-end frequencies of all your tracks giving you a false sense of how each track fits into a mix.

Video editors use the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x because it has an accurate frequency response without coloring your tracks. Budget conscious alternatives to this include the Sony MDR-7506 which has also become a long-standing industry standard in audio engineering but at a lower price point. It's also available at B&H Photo. For video editors who may find themselves working from noisy locations, the Sony WH-1000XM5 provides both active noise canceling and accurate playback.

Reduce the level of music before exporting. Even though a given track might seem fine by itself, in a final mix, dialogue and narration need to be louder than the music. When a music track is too loud it is often considered one of the biggest technical errors made by many YouTube editors -- it overwhelms the viewers' senses and buries the actual content.

If you're still trying to figure out your post-production workflow, check out our article covering some of the top best video editing software for YouTube videos along with their respective strengths and weaknesses regarding audio mixing.

Understanding the Licensing Terms

Even when you use paid stock music websites, there are many things you should know about the "fine print".

Attribution requirements: Many artists provide royalty-free tracks that allow you to include them in your videos as long as you give the artist proper credit within your video description. Most paid stock music websites do not have such restrictions, so make sure to confirm with the website prior to posting.

Content ID clearance: Research how the website handles Content ID disputes. Epidemic Sound and Soundstripe both have automated systems to help resolve Content ID issues. Some smaller websites may not have these capabilities.

Perpetual vs. active subscription licenses: Both Artlist and Musicbed offer perpetual license agreements. That means once you've purchased a track, regardless of whether or not you continue to subscribe to their service, you will always have the right to use that particular track. However, some tiers of other websites may require an active subscription to be able to use previously downloaded tracks. Make certain to research what type of license agreement you are purchasing prior to canceling your subscription.

For those channels earning money from YouTube ads or creating commercial projects for clients, it would be beneficial to confirm with all stock music providers what type of license they provide. The risk of having one of your videos removed from YouTube due to a copyright dispute is far greater than paying for a year's subscription.

If you plan on using your own voice-overs or recording original audio to accompany your stock music, a good starting point could be an entry-level audio interface like the Focusrite Scarlett Solo. This provides you with clean, high-quality inputs at a price that won't break the bank. You can also check our guide to best free video recording and editing software if you're building out the rest of your production toolkit on a budget.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is YouTube Audio Library music actually free to use?

Yes. All music in the YouTube Audio Library is free to use on YouTube without a subscription. Some tracks require attribution in the video description -- the library marks these clearly. You don't owe royalties, but you do need to credit the artist if the license requires it.

What is the difference between royalty-free and copyright-free?

Royalty free music is paid for by the purchaser (either through buying individual songs or purchasing a yearly membership). Once purchased, the buyer does not owe royalties every time they play the song. However, this does not mean that the song is in the public domain.

Most royalty free music is still under copyright. Therefore, while you have permission to use the song, there could potentially be a Content ID claim made against you if the creator has not cleared the track.

Can I use Spotify music in my YouTube videos?

Spotify music is available for streaming purposes only and cannot be used for commercial purposes such as using them in YouTube videos. If you were to use Spotify music in your YouTube video without having obtained a separate sync license first, you would be infringing upon the copyright of the original creators of that particular piece of music. This would likely result in a Content ID claim being filed against your account and possibly lead to demonetization.

Do I need a music license even if my video isn't monetized?

Yes. Even though your video is not making money, you still need to obtain a music license because you are subject to copyright laws. Content ID claims can appear on any video regardless of monetization status, and rights holders can request takedowns of your videos at any time.

Is Epidemic Sound worth it for a small channel?

If you publish consistently -- more than a few videos per month -- and want professional-quality music without spending hours searching free libraries, the Epidemic Sound personal plan is worth it. If you publish infrequently, the YouTube Audio Library covers most needs. You can always upgrade as your output increases.

How do I add music to my YouTube video in editing?

Add your music track to an audio channel below your main video and voiceover tracks in your editing software. Lower the music volume to roughly -20 to -25 dB relative to dialogue. The specifics depend on your software -- see the guide to best video editing software for YouTube videos for how each major tool handles audio track management.