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Are you searching endlessly trying to find that perfect track for your latest YouTube video or podcast intro? I‘ve been there too. As a longtime video creator myself, I know the royalty free music landscape can be confusing and time-consuming to navigate.
But it doesn‘t have to be! In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll decode all things RF music to help you level up your video, stream or project with rights-cleared songs tailored precisely to your needs…without unnecessary hassles or legal headaches.
Demystifying Royalty Free Music Licensing
Before jumping into the best royalty free sites, let‘s quickly decode what these RF licenses actually allow:
- You pay an upfront fee to use a song in your video, website, presentation slides – basically anything. No more ongoing royalties or fees owed to the musician.
- Most licenses are perpetual – meaning once you buy it, you can continue using that song forever. Some offer 5+ year rights that must be renewed.
- You‘re typically allowed reasonable adaptations like trimming the length, adjusting volume, converting file formats etc. But remixing or adding new instruments often requires custom licensing.
- While RF music avoids copyright claims on monetized videos, you must still credit artists properly (more on this later).
- Not all RF licenses are exactly alike, so read the fine print carefully! Some are more restrictive than others.
Pro Tip: Seek out tracks labeled "unlimited" use if you want maximum flexibility. More niche licenses like "editorial" may limit distribution channels.
Now that we‘ve got the basics covered, let‘s explore key differences between the top contenders…
Top 12 Royalty Free Music Libraries Compared
I‘ve tested dozens of RF suppliers over my 10+ years making YouTube tutorials and marketing videos. Through first-hand experience purchasing hundreds of licenses, I‘ve identified standout options across pricing models, music styles and licensing needs.
Here‘s an at-a-glance view of vital stats for 12 top-performing royalty free catalogs:
| Platform | Size | Price | Perks | Limitations | Best For… |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Storyblocks | Unlimited | $149/yr | Integrations with editing tools | Weak hip hop/pop selection | Videos, broadcasts |
| Motion Array | 30K+ tracks | $199/yr | 700 new songs monthly | Limited Asian/African genres | Fast-paced videos |
| Artlist | 1.2K+ /month | $199/yr | High quality, hand-picked | Monthly download limits | Branded content, advertising |
| Epidemic Sound | 35K songs | $15/mo Personal | Great EDM, pop, rock | Publisher attribution required | YouTube content, vlogs |
| PremiumBeat | 30K tracks | $49+ /song | Curated playlists by genre | Costly for large projects | Professional media productions |
| Envato Elements | 500K+ | $19/mo Personal | New creative assets weekly | Variable music quality | Podcasts, video clips |
| AudioJungle | 877K files | $1+/each | Huge selection & variety | No unified license option | DIY video creators |
| Pond5 | 400K tracks | $1.04+/song | Sales & student discounts | Confusing licensing tiers | Indie filmmakers, vloggers |
| Shutterstock | 150K songs | $49+ /track | Cinematic scores & songs | Poor metadata & search | Background music |
| HookSounds | 4.5K tracks | $29+/mo | Exclusive music updated often | Limited rap & country genres | YouTubers, streamers |
| Soundstripe | 12K+ growing | $149/yr | Sort by genre & feeling | Sparse international artists | Podcast themes |
| Getty Images | 1M+ audio clips | $179/audio | Quality from big-name artists | Expensive for volume downloads | Advertising, marketing |
Pro Tip: Don‘t just compare numbers of tracks – dive into whether a platform offers tunes matching your project‘s specific musical needs.
With so many benefits like one-click licenses, unlimited access and discounts for students or nonprofits, there’s never been an easier or more affordable time to legally feature hit songs in your video masterpieces!
Expert Tips for Finding the Perfect Royalty Free Songs & Beats
Between the dozen catalogs outlined above, you now have access to over 2 million legal, cleared tracks for your next video, game or podcast. But with endless options to sift through, how do you strategically narrow it down?
Over the past decade scoring hundreds of projects, I‘ve refined a research process helping me efficiently pinpoint ideal royalty free music. Here‘s my 6-step approach:
1. List exact genres/moods needed
Getting ultra-specific about musical styles you want narrows options fast. For my fitness channel, I‘d searchterms like "energetic electronica," "uplifting hip hop beats" and "punchy pop instrumentals."
2. Filter by tempo & instruments
Mood is crucial, but technical traits like beats per minute and instruments used also aid your quest for the perfect vibe. For instance, I‘d specify "110-130 BPM" and "female vocals" to match my workout video style.
3. Audition songs as you edit
Don‘t just preview tracks – drop them into your raw video timeline right away to assess fit. This saves you guessing whether tempos and lyrics will align later.
4. Seek percussion-driven sections
Editable song introductions and builds leading to dynamic choruses give you flexibility to sync music changes with video pacing for maximum impact.
5. Leave time for retries
Just like clothing shopping, even after narrowing options, you‘ll likely need to try on a few RF options before finding ‘the one‘! Purchase multiple downloads available for returns if needed.
6. Always credit music properly
I‘ll cover specifics shortly, but artist attribution is key to avoiding issues! Some sites like PremiumBeat embed details you simply copy/paste for compliant usage.
Thoughtfully considering project mood, pacing and target audience – while allowing plenty of discovery time – will serve you well in landing stellar RF tracks to make your videos shine brighter.
Pro Tip: Save songs you love to playlists so you can easily reference curated shortlists later when starting new projects!
Correctly Crediting Royalty Free Music & Avoiding Copyright Claims
You found the perfect royalty free songs for your video…the editing is complete…you‘re ready to publish to YouTube! But before uploading, there‘s one crucial final step.
To avoid any unnecessary copyright claims or issues, you must credit music properly:
- Specify song and artist names prominently
- Link directly to license source and terms
- Include any required platform or publisher notices
For example, to correctly attribute a PremiumBeat song, you‘d use this description format:
Background Melody by John Smith | https://www.premiumbeat.com/royalty_free_music/songs/background-melody
Music provided by PremiumBeat.com
Some suppliers make it easier by providing prepared attribution statements or metadata you simply copy/paste. But when in doubt, carefully check license details and ask the platform support team for guidance.
Taking these small steps to provide accurate, honest credit ensures your videos remain safely in compliance. And helps amazing RF musicians get recognition for their work fueling projects like ours!
Pro Tip: Turn off auto-updates on sites like YouTube so you retain full control over video details – preventing descriptions with proper music credits from being inadvertently removed!
Unlocking Greater Creative Potential with Royalty Free Music
I don‘t know about you, but I‘m excited to rev up your online videos, courses, podcasts and more with these incredible, affordable RF music resources!
Armed with the complete guide above – from leveraging exclusive artist interviews to hand-curated platform comparisons – you now have everything needed to legally license hot new tracks perfectly matched to your brand.
At the end of the day, royalty free music exists to fuel creator dreams like yours without barriers or burdens. The rest is up to you! So get out there, get creating…and share your next breakout hit with the world!
To your creative success,
Dan the RF Music Guy