Background music for videos: the best free and paid sites
The best background music for videos comes from licensed libraries like Artlist, Epidemic Sound and Uppbeat, sites that clear the copyright so your content doesn't get muted, claimed or pulled.
The right track does real work. It sets the pace, carries the emotion, and keeps a viewer watching past the first three seconds. The wrong one, or an unlicensed one, gets your video silenced, demonetised or taken down. This guide covers where to find background music for videos, free and paid, and how to use it without a copyright strike.
Key takeaways:
- Background music for video should always be licensed for your specific use: public domain, royalty-free or Creative Commons.
- Paid libraries (Artlist, Epidemic Sound, Songtradr) clear the rights and broaden the catalogue; free libraries (Uppbeat, Pixabay, NCS) work well if you check the terms.
- The same track can be cleared for one platform and not another. Confirm coverage before you repurpose across YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.
- Music is a creative choice and a compliance one. Brands working at scale should treat sound as part of the system, not an afterthought.
Video earns attention better than almost any other format. A large share of internet users watch video daily, most say they want to see more of it from the brands they follow, and marketers consistently rank it among their highest-ROI content (see Statista and HubSpot for current figures). To make that video land, you need the right sound behind it.
How does music licensing work for YouTube videos?
Before you choose a track, understand the licence behind it. Getting this wrong can cost you far more than the music ever would. The best music sites mark their licensing clearly, but always double-check before you publish.
There are three licence types you’ll encounter:
- Public domain: no copyright applies; free to use without permission or payment.
- Royalty-free: you pay once (or subscribe) and use the track without ongoing per-play fees, within the licence terms.
- Creative Commons: free to use under specific conditions, usually including crediting the creator.
Each carries its own rules. A track cleared for a personal YouTube upload may not be cleared for a paid ad or a brand campaign, so read the terms for the use you actually have in mind.
What are the best paid sites for background music for videos?
Paid libraries clear the rights for you and open up a far deeper catalogue. These are the strongest options for royalty-free and licensed music:
Artlist
A broad creative library: music, footage, sound effects and templates in one place. The catalogue is royalty-free with clear licensing terms, and there’s a limited free trial so you can test it before committing.
LickD
More than 100,000 royalty-free tracks plus mainstream songs from well-known artists, the closest you’ll get to commercial music cleared for content. There’s a 14-day free trial.
Epidemic Sound
A well-designed library with strong music and a licence that covers the rights most creators need. A 30-day free trial lets you try the catalogue before you commit.
Sound Stripe
Royalty-free music, sound effects and video cleared for use anywhere, including YouTube, from a library of more than 9,000 tracks. Pricing scales with what you need.
Songtradr
A licensing-led catalogue that handles the legal side in one place. Used by major brands including Sony, Nike and Unilever, with a range of licensing options depending on your use.
Where can I buy premium music for videos?
For high-end work, brand films, ads, sonic branding, these libraries and agencies are where to look:
MassiveMusic
An international creative music agency working with major brands on sonic branding, composition and production for advertising. MassiveMusic is an official TikTok Sound Partner.
Extreme Music
Clients include YouTube, Toyota, Jeep and HBO. The site takes some navigating, but the depth and quality of the catalogue make it worth the dig.
Spitfire Audio
A mix of free and paid music, with discounts for students and educators, and instruments and sounds created by composers including Hans Zimmer.
What are the best free background music sites for YouTube videos?
Free doesn’t mean low quality. These sites offer free or low-cost music with clearly marked licensing:
No Copyright Sounds (NCS)
A record label and platform for creators, by creators.
Pond5
Stock video and music tracks that are either free or easy on the budget.
Uppbeat
Free music with no copyright claims to worry about, and reasonable pricing if you upgrade.
Ben Sound
Royalty-free music made specifically for video.
AShamaluevMusic
A deep, if chaotic, library of free instrumental background music across a wide range of styles.
Every site on this list marks its royalty-free and copyright-free tracks clearly, so you can find something that fits your mood, theme and brand without risking a licensing problem.
More free music for videos
Still hunting? These sites add even more free options:
ccMixter
Its bold “You Already Have Permission” heading puts thousands of hours of free music a click away.
Incompetech
Unlimited music for video, sorted by category and licensing requirement to make the right choice obvious.
Musopen
Sheet music, textbooks and recordings, free and without copyright restrictions, a mission to “set music free”.
SoundCloud
One of the largest music libraries anywhere, though you’ll need to hunt for the licensing terms and get them right before you use a track.
YouTube Studio
A large built-in library, free to use. Just read the terms before you add a track to your video.
Free and paid stock music for videos
These libraries mix free and paid tracks with varied licensing, so you can manage your budget while keeping plenty of choice:
Epidemic Sound
Back on the list, strong for video music and stock footage alike.
Pond5
A reliable source of stock video and music with plenty of variety.
Sound Stripe
Unlimited royalty-free tracks from a large stock library.
Free Stock Music
Choose between licence types and either pay for music or use what’s available for free.
More background music for YouTube videos
A few more libraries worth a look for YouTube backing tracks:
Pixabay
Better known for images, but its music section offers plenty of moods and elements to add nuance to a video.
ccMixter
Back again, this time for background music, a wide spread of styles and artists.
Beatpick
High-quality music with a genuinely good search bar: filter by mood, artist, instrument and more.
AudioJungle
Royalty-free tracks, music packs, sound effects and clips at low per-track prices.
Audionautix
Free music filtered by an extensive set of options, usable in your videos as long as you credit the artist.
Background music for videos (paid)
Not free, but not expensive either. These libraries bring real depth to videos and campaigns:
Audio Network
Well-designed and easy to filter by mood, instrument, genre and style, with original tracks supplied in multiple mixes.
Musicbed
More than background music: a soundtrack library built for film, with strong filters and a deep roster of composers.
Marmoset Music
A large resource covering everything from video backing tracks to full film soundtracks.
Free background music for films
If you still haven’t found the right track, dig into these:
Fesliyan Studios
Free orchestral music to use and download, subject to the licensing conditions.
AShamaluevMusic
Another entry for this site, with as much on offer for film backgrounds as for video, across many styles.
Chosic
Free, downloadable cinematic music from a site that’s easy to navigate and has plenty to offer.
Filmmusic.io
A hub for Sascha Ende and other artists showcasing music for film, free to use with attribution.
How we see it
The track is the last thing most teams think about and the first thing the algorithm notices. A muted upload, a copyright claim or a demonetised video isn’t a creative problem. It’s a process one, and it tends to surface at scale, right when a brand is shipping content across YouTube, TikTok and Instagram every week.
That’s why we treat sound the way we treat everything else in creator-led growth: as part of a system, not a finishing touch. Music rights, platform clearances and creative direction get decided up front, so nothing gets pulled after the fact. Influence isn’t something you run. It’s something you engineer, and that includes the soundtrack.
Background music FAQs
How do I choose music that fits the mood of my video?
Start from the emotion you want, upbeat, contemplative, dramatic, then choose tracks that match your visuals and pacing. Most libraries let you filter by genre or mood, so narrow the field, then test a few options against the actual footage. The right track should disappear into the edit, not fight it.
What are the legal considerations when editing licensed music?
Read the licence terms before you cut. Many licences restrict editing, looping, trimming or remixing, and editing a track in a way the licence doesn’t allow can void it. For paid licences, keep your edits within the rights you’ve purchased, and contact the provider if anything is unclear.
How do music licences differ across social platforms?
A track cleared for one platform isn’t automatically cleared for another. TikTok and Instagram have built-in libraries licensed for in-app use, but that same music often isn’t licensed for YouTube or Facebook. When you repurpose a video, confirm the music is covered for every platform it will run on, or use broadly licensed royalty-free music to avoid claims entirely.
Next up
For more on building video and social that performs, read our guides to influencer strategy and how much YouTube pays creators.
Picking the right track is the easy part. Turning consistent, well-made video into sustained relevance is the harder problem, and the one we build for. Vamp is a tech-enabled influencer marketing agency that designs creator-led growth systems for brands that want influence to perform. Talk to us.