One of the ways that streamers enhance their videos is by using sound effects and background music. Many streamers, including Luria Petrucci (who hosts our Go LIVE Now each week) use music in their countdown timers to get their audiences amped up for the show. Music helps to entertain, to create an ambiance, or simply to delight viewers with a favorite song. And sometimes, streamers and content creators do this without knowing if they have the rights or the permission to use the music they’re broadcasting.
The thing is, if a piece of music has a copyright, then you would need a license to use it. The owner has the power to decide when and where their music will be used. This means that you have to apply for a license to be able to use most music in your live stream broadcasts. And this also means that you have to pay for it.
But don’t worry, this is the part where we tell you the good news.
Royalty-free music is an option that allows you to completely and freely download and use music for your live streams. You just have to pay a one-time licensing fee and you’re good to go. Afterward, you can use the music whenever, wherever, and however you want – including your live streams!
And you may wonder about the artists of the royalty-free music that you are planning to use. You don’t actually have to worry. This can also be a way for them to build a free music marketing strategy. Whether they are a starting musician or a veteran in the field, this can be a wise move for them.
Both the artists and the fans benefit. Where can you find a better deal right? They get their work out there and you get to use copyright-free music. It’s a win-win.
So the question remains: where can you get this royalty-free music that you can use for your live streams?
The Right Sound for Your Next Live Stream
Epidemic Sound
Epidemic Sound is one of the best places to source your royalty-free music and our top choice. The reason is this: it includes everything! It packages all the legal rights you might need and place them all into one simple license. It also offers a varied and easy-to-navigate library of music.
Another benefit is that they offer a free trial. This will give you a sense of what you’ll be getting when you avail of the full subscription. Aside from that, Epidemic Sound offers its single-track licensing for $79. As for its subscriptions, they start from as little as $10 a month.
HookSounds
HookSounds provides modern, trendy, and unique music that most content creators are looking for. It is a royalty-free music site that is inclusive and it boasts of a highly curated collection composed by handpicked artists all over the world.
Since the music they offer is exclusive, you won’t be able to find these tracks anywhere else. They also offer several licenses for different purposes. Licenses range from $24 up to $580, depending on your needs. The free license is for personal use only.
Artlist
Artlist is a site with a slick and professional aesthetic. It provides an extensive list of cool indie tracks. Partnering with a large number of indie artists, Artlist broasts a collection of original tracks that are being used by thousands of companies worldwide. The best thing about Artlist – every song you download is yours to use forever.
Artlist is following a subscription-based model. It allows unlimited downloads and unlimited use for a fixed yearly price. Their pricing is a flat $199 annual price for unlimited downloads to all the music it offers.
YouTube Audio Library
YouTube Audio Library has hundreds of royalty-free music tracks that you can easily search and filter according to your needs. This makes your search process as short and easy as possible. Moreover, it’s the most popular source for getting audio files.
As far as free resources go, YouTube Audio Library has set the standards too high for others to beat. There are plenty of free tracks and sound effects to choose from. And yes, you read that right – it’s free!
Incompetech
Incompetech is one of the top sites for sources of royalty-free music. It offers a web design that allows for easy searching and filtering of music tracks and sound effects. It also has a decent library size with hundreds of tracks available for you to download and use.
Incompetech regularly updates new music in its library. And its licenses range from $20 to $95 depending on how you’re going to use their tracks.
TeknoAxe
TeknoAxe isn’t the prettiest when it comes to its website design, but what counts is what’s inside. It boasts of more than a thousand tracks, covering all genres. There’s really a solid collection that you can definitely use for your live streams.
The best thing about the music from TechnoAxe is that they are covered by a Creative Commons license. This means that with proper credit, you can share and use their songs even for commercial use.
MachinimaSound
MachinimaSound provides a wide range of tracks in a wide range of genres. This collection can be used for any of your needs including your next live stream.
Music from MachinimaSound, particularly the Legacy Tracks, is covered by a Creative Commons license. You can download, use and share their music as long as appropriate attribution has been done.
Premium Beat
Premium Beat offers a great variety of royalty-free music tracks. If you are looking for a polished feel that you can only get from big production houses, this is the place for you. Since it is backed by Shutterstock, you are assured of quality playlists.
Premium Beat claims that they have tracks that you won’t be able to find anywhere else on the internet. All of its tracks are available for prices that range from $49 to $199.
AudioJungle
AudioJungle is also known as Envato Market. It boasts millions of tracks, background music, special effects, and audio files. These are specifically curated for their website. It’s a global community of musicians and sound engineers who always update the website with new tracks from different genres.
Out of all the websites where you can find royalty-free tunes, AudioJungle is one of the best places due to its cheap $1 tracks. Also, whatever kind of audio file you are looking for, you’ll find a lot of options in this collection.
SoundCloud
SoundCloud provides a refreshing collection of royalty-free music. You can always find some interesting, including lots of cool background tracks. Use of their music is free, but be sure to put appropriate credits in your description.
Bensound
Bensound offers a nice collection of royalty-free music from a wide variety of genres. If you don’t know what music to use, Bensound is a great place to test the waters and see where it will lead you. Using this site, you can go straight to the tracks without any problem.
The good thing is that tracks provided by Bensound are covered by a Creative Commons license. This means that with appropriate attribution, you can use any music for any purpose. If you don’t want to credit them, there’s always the option to purchase the license for €24 a track or €129 for a standard annual subscription.
Purple Planet
Purple Planet provides a wide variety of options for your audio needs. What makes them stand out is that they have a different way of classifying their music. If you are looking for the standard and traditional genre filters, you might want to go and look somewhere else.
They have divided their genres into either what the music sounds like or how the music makes you feel. So instead of straight-up usual genres, you would find silly, active, or creepy. And for this, the license they offer is priced at 5$ for the standard and $40 for the unlimited one.
Live and Uncensored
Pre-recorded videos are easier to manage since they can be cut and edited. But live streaming is quite different – it’s live and uncensored. The music you use can be a make or break for your live streams.
Being prepared can surely save you a lot of trouble. With a variety of sources of royalty-free music and a wide range of genres to choose from, you can set the mood and the ambiance for your next live stream. As they say, ignore your music and you ignore your audience.
Want to learn even more?
Check out Best Digital Mate’s article on Royalty-Free Music for Video Making and XttraWave.com’s 4 Ways to Design and Implement Music Portals with Web-Based Applications.
