2025 social media content calendar: Key dates marketers need to know
Luke McCarthy
December 16, 2024
Table of Contents
Video marketing can be transformative. Your audience loves it. Your clients love it. And, let’s face it, you love it.
Thing is, music can be expensive, so you need to know the best sites for affordable, quality background music for your videos.
Video marketing is invaluable as it taps into a huge audience. In the United States alone, 41% of people watch videos every day, 54% want to see videos from the brands they like, and 92% of marketers believe video delivers a strong return on investment (ROI).
What all these statistics add up to is this – video gets attention. And to create videos with the biggest reach, you need music.
Using music for YouTube videos
When you choose your music, make sure that you’re aware of licensing and copyright regulations so you don’t spend your yearly marketing budget on court cases… When you visit the best sites for background music, you’ll find that they’re clearly marked when it comes to copyright and licensing, but always double-check before you use anything.
There are three different types of music licence: public domain, royalty-free, and creative commons. Each one is unique and requires you to adhere to specific rules.
The best sites for music for videos
Now that you know the basics, here are four of the best sites for background music for YouTube videos:
Artlist
This isn’t free, but it does offer you a wide range of tools designed to help you create incredible videos. You can use templates, music, footage, sound effects, and more. Plus, the content is royalty-free and comes with clear licensing restrictions. You can try it out for free for a limited period of time.
LickD
This site includes more than 100,000 royalty-free tracks plus mainstream songs from well-known artists. It comes at a cost, but it opens up a world of music. You can get a 14-day free trial.
Epidemic Sound
A beautifully designed site with impressive music, Epidemic Sound gives you unlimited access to music and sound effects with a licence that covers all rights required. It also has a 30-day free trial so you can see if you like it before you subscribe.
Sound Stripe
This has royalty-free music, sound effects, and videos that can be used anywhere, including YouTube, from a vast library of more than 9,000 songs. You can sign up for free, but then you’ll have to pay a fee dependent on what you need from the platform.
Songtradr
Welcome to a world of music where you can get every sound you need on a platform that ensures your licensing and legalities are taken care of in one space. Songtradr is used by some of the biggest brands in the world – Sony, Nike and Unilever to name a few – and offers a bunch of different pricing options for you to choose from.
Music to buy for videos
If you want to buy premium music for your videos, then you’ll want to look at these three sites:
MassiveMusic
This international creative music agency offers the biggest brands, sonic branding, music composition and production for advertising. MassiveMusic is an official TikTok Sound Partner.
Extreme Music
YouTube, Toyota, Jeep, and HBO are among this site’s customer list and it’s easy to see why; the music and services on offer are excellent. While the site is a bit confusing to navigate, you’ll fall down many different musical rabbit holes as you find your way around.
Spitfire Audio
Here you can find a mix of free and paid-for music, discounted to students and educators. You’ll also find inspirational sounds that, as it says on the site, are created by well-known composers such as Hans Zimmer.
The best free background music for YouTube videos
You can get free (or very cheap) music for YouTube videos from the following superb sites:
No Copyright Sounds (NCS)
A record label and music platform for creators by creators.
Pond5
Stock videos and music tracks that are either free or very easy on the bottom line.
Uppbeat
Here you don’t have to worry about copyright claims and the pricing is very reasonable.
Ben Sound
Described as the best music by the best artists, this is royalty-free music specially for videos.
AShamaluevMusic
A chaotic site that’s packed with free instrumental background music, AShamaluevMusic is hard to navigate but offers a lot of free music and variety that you can use in many different ways.
The best free background music for YouTube videos list above is packed with superb music made by experts – you’ll definitely find something that fits your mood, theme, and brand on these sites. They offer you clearly marked royalty-free and copyright-free music so you don’t have to worry about licensing or copyright infringement.
Free music for videos
You want more of the best free music for videos? Here you go:
ccMixter
The moment you arrive on this site, you know that you’re in the right place. Its bold heading ‘You Already Have Permission’ puts thousands of hours of free music at the end of your mouse.
Incompetech
This site offers you unlimited music for videos and is broken down into different categories and licensing requirements to make your life easier.
Musopen
The site offers you sheet music, textbooks, and recordings for free and without any copyright restrictions because it has a mission to ‘set music free’.
SoundCloud
This site has a lot of music for you to use and engage with. In fact, it probably has one of the biggest libraries on the planet, but you have to hunt for the licensing agreements and ensure you get things right before you use the tracks.
YouTube Studio
This isn’t very easy to navigate, but it does have a tonne of music for you to enjoy. Just make sure you read the terms and conditions before you take the music and use it.
Free stock music for videos
These sites offer a mix of free and paid music with different licensing and royalty requirements, which means you have a lot to choose from and you can manage your budget carefully:
Epidemic Sound
This is one of the best sites for YouTube videos and for stock photos, which is why it’s back in the list for free stock music for videos.
Pond5
A great site for stock videos and music that offers plenty of variety.
Sound Stripe
This offers unlimited royalty-free tracks through a massive stock music library.
Free Stock Music
You can choose between different types of licences and opt into paying for music or simply use the free music that’s available on the site.
Background music for YouTube videos
If you’d like some of the coolest sites that offer you background music for your YouTube videos, then look no further. Here are five of the best:
Pixabay
A well-known resource for images, this site also has background music on offer. It has a variety of different sounds and music elements that you can use to add mood and nuance to your videos.
ccMixter
Back in the ring, but this time for background music, ccMixter has so many different musical styles and artists that you’re bound to find the perfect music for your YouTube video.
Beatpick
Here you can find high quality music designed to bring real depth to your YouTube videos. The search bar is superb – you can find background music based on your mood, artist, instrument, and more.
AudioJungle
You’ll have to pay for the music, but the fee of only $1 is very reasonable for royalty-free tracks and music. You can choose from music packs, sound effects, and music clips to create the ideal YouTube background sound.
Audionautix
You can download free music that you’ve chosen using an impressive list of tick box filters, and you can use it in your YouTube videos as you wish, as long as you credit the artists.
Background music for videos
Next up is background music for videos that isn’t free, but isn’t going to cost you that proverbial arm and a leg (or should it be ears?). These sites bring in beautiful sounds that can be used to really enhance your videos and your campaigns.
Audio Network
This well-designed site includes easily accessed music that you can break down according to mood, instruments, production genre, musical styles, and more. The songs come with different mixes and they’re original and vibrant.
Musicbed
Here you can find more than just background music for videos, this is a site that’s designed to provide the perfect soundtrack to your movies. It’s packed full of stunning sounds, great filters, and an impressive list of composers and musicians.
Marmoset Music
Another massive resource for video background music, you’ll be able to find all types of music for all different needs right here. You can use this for background music for videos or to find the soundtrack for a movie and so much more.
Free background music for movies
Finally, you can dig into these sites if you still haven’t found what you’re looking for:
Fesliyan Studios
Orchestral music that’s free to use and download as long as you adhere to the licensing conditions.
AShamaluevMusic
Another notch in the musical belt for this site, as it offers as much for the movie background as it does for video with its vast offering across multiple styles and genres.
Chosic
Free downloadable music for cinematic backgrounds in a fairly easy to use website that has a lot to offer.
Filmmusic.io
This is a hub for Sascha Ende and artists that want to showcase their music in film. You can search for different types of music and use it for free as long as you attribute the creator.
Background music FAQs
How can I ensure that the music I use fits the specific mood or theme of my video?
To ensure that the background music fits your video’s mood, consider your video’s message, pacing, and emotional tone. Start by identifying the emotion or atmosphere you want to convey, whether it’s upbeat, contemplative, or dramatic.
Then, select tracks that complement your video’s visuals and tempo. Testing different music samples with the footage can help you find the best match. Music platforms often provide filters by genre or mood, so you can narrow down choices to suit your video’s theme.
Are there any legal considerations or best practices for editing licensed music?
Yes, when using licensed music, it’s important to understand the specific terms of the license. Many licenses restrict editing or modifying music, such as cutting or looping sections.
If the license allows edits, ensure that they don’t alter the original track in a way that violates the license agreement. Always review the platform’s terms of use, and when in doubt, contact the provider for clarification. For paid licenses, ensure your edits are within the scope of the purchased rights to avoid potential legal issues.
What are the differences between licensing for various social platforms, and how can I avoid copyright issues when repurposing videos across multiple platforms?
Each social platform may have different policies regarding music licensing. For example, TikTok and Instagram may have built-in music libraries that allow usage within the platform, but that same music might not be licensed for YouTube or Facebook.
When repurposing content, ensure that the music you’ve licensed or selected is covered for all intended platforms. To avoid copyright issues, either choose royalty-free music with broad usage rights or obtain individual licenses for each platform where the video will be shared.
Next up
If you enjoyed this insight into how you can transform your marketing and social media, why not delve into digital marketing tools, influencer strategy and how much you can earn from YouTube?
Want to know even more? Discover what Vamp can do for you.
