Estimate reading time:
Creating engaging YouTube videos that garner tons of views and engage an audience is challenging if you can't afford background music. Perhaps you've recently launched a YouTube channel and aren't yet monetizing your content or maybe you wish to upload a video that promotes your business and budgetary constraints don't allow for music licensing. You're in luck. We’ve listed 5 ways you can use background music in your video for free.
Creative Commons
Creative commons is a licensing term that allows free use of the work being offer. Images and some background music are typically offer under creative commons license model. Quite often, licensing under the creative commons model requires a link to the copyright holder’s website. Contact the publisher and iron out all the nitty gritty before committing. There might be strings attached and a few unpleasant restrictions.
Ask an artist
Find a track you like? Great! Nowadays, everyone has a website or a social media profile at the very least. Get in touch with the artist and explain how you would like to use their awesome music in an upcoming YouTube video. Flattery goes a long way so don’t shy shy to lay it on thick. Stat browsing through music based platforms like Bandcamp and Soundcloud.
Bartering
Got a talent?
Are you great at writing?
Can you build a website?
Can you make your tongue touch the tip of your nose?
Ok, that last talent is entertaining but might not help you here.
Consider offering your services to a musician in exchange for a few tracks.
Work out a deal that is fair.
Many people in need of background music happen to be creatives. If you make logos, then offer logo design or even an update to a musicians logo.
Good at coding? Maybe a one page website against a few soundtracks is a fair trade. Negotiating your way to someone’s music catalog in exchange for services rendered improves your portfolio and potential client base.
If you’re a social media influencer with a strong following, then give the musician a shoutout during your next post. This alone might suffice and you’d have scored background music for free.
Sponsored video
Ask any music producer if they’d be interested in sponsoring one of your YouTube videos. Don’t be quick to shoot down this idea. You would be surprised. Be clear about not wanting them to pay to have their music appear in your music. Also, it’s probably a good idea to lead your video with “ this video is sponsored by musician X, check out their website or social media at www…”
Get this info out at the very beginning of the video. Do not leave the shoutout ’til the very end as viewership steadily declines toward the final moments of a video. You can even throw in a link to the musicians social page in your video’s description.
It’s important to make the musician feel like they are getting an amazing opportunity. If you’re just getting your YouTube channel off the ground and don’t have many subscribers then offer other incentives. Help promote the artist’s social media long after they’ve agreed to sponsor your video. Share, like and comment on their posts.
Later, as your channel grows, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to purchase a track in show of support.
Free royalty free music
Run a quick search on Google to find high quality background music for videos. Some royalty free music libraries freely offer a portion of their catalog in exchange for a permanent link. Unfortunately, a link embedded within an Instagram post won’t cut it. These publishers are looking for what is known as backlinks - a tactic that influences a website’s seo (search engine optimization) by manipulating Google’s algorithm. It’s a perfectly legitimate means of accessing professional background music for free. If you must, contact the music library’s administration and ask if they’ll consider backlinks to their website in exchange for free background music.
Conclusion
Don’t let budgetary constraints get in the way of creativity. Artists know a thing or two about ‘struggle’. In hindsight, many artistic masterpieces were born out of adversity. As creatives, we need to think outside the box, not only artistically but from a business perspective as well. Stay creative and happy hunting for free background music
