Last Updated on 11 months by Go Review Rite
Excellent background music is an essential component in helping enhance the videos you create for YouTube.
However, finding music and audio tracks that align with your YouTube videos and are copyright-free can be tricky.
The last thing you want is to spend time and effort creating a great video only to have it flagged for using copyrighted sounds.
Fortunately, many Royalty Free Music for YouTube sites offer high-quality, copyright-free music and sound effects perfect for YouTube.
The best part is that you can monetize your YouTube videos that use music or soundtracks obtained from many of these sites.
Whether you need upbeat dance melodies, subtle ambient scores, or catchy pop tunes, these 10 handpicked sites have great music options for all YouTube videos.
Table Of Contents
What is Royalty Free Music for YouTube?
Royalty-free music (stock music) refers to songs, musical scores, or sound effects that content creators can license and use for personal or commercial projects like YouTube videos without needing ongoing royalties.
This differs from licensed music, where royalties and fees would be paid to the rights holders every time the content is used or generates revenue.
Royalty-free music providers charge a one-time upfront fee for use or provide tracks at no cost in exchange for attribution.
This allows video creators to avoid copyright issues and monetize their YouTube videos cost-effectively.
The key takeaway is that with royalty-free or stock music, you pay once to license a track and can then use it repeatedly without owing additional royalties down the road.
This makes it suitable and budget-friendly for YouTube channels looking to add professional, engaging music without legal risks.
1. Epidemic sound.
Epidemic Sound is a popular music licensing platform for creators, offering royalty-free music and sound effects for use in videos, podcasts, streams, and many more.
Epidemic Sound Features
Epidemic Sound provides over 1 million royalty-free music tracks and 100,000 sound effects for use in video, podcasts, and other projects.
An intuitive search and filtering system makes finding the perfect sound easy. All files are in high-quality MP3/WAV formats.
Epidemic Sound Pricing
Epidemic Sound has two main subscription plans, which are:
- Personal ($9.99/month, billed annually) Provides unlimited downloads for individuals and small businesses.
- Commercial ($24.99/month, billed annually) Adds advanced features like stem files and production music access for larger teams.
Other options include custom enterprise plans.
Also, a 14-day free trial is offered.
2. Artlist.
Artlist is another popular music licensing platform for creators, offering a vast library of royalty-free music, sound effects, footage, and templates.
Artlist Features
Artlist provides over 300,000 royalty-free music tracks, 1 million sound effects, 800,000 video clips, and various templates.
Their platform makes finding the perfect audio, visual, or creative asset easy through advanced search and filtering tools. All files are professionally produced in high-quality formats.
Artlist Pricing
They offer multiple subscription plans for personal and commercial use cases:
- Music & SFX Social ($9.99/month billed annually): Covers non-commercial use for one channel per platform
- Music & SFX Pro ($16.60/month, billed annually): Adds commercial use licenses and unlimited channels
- Music & SFX Teams ($20.20/month per member billed annually): Team collaboration tools
- Artist Max Everything ($35.99/month billed annually): Includes footage library, templates, editing software and more
Key benefits are secured usage rights and no monetized or public content claims. A free 14-day trial is provided.
3. Jamendo.
Jamendo is a royalty-free music platform that primarily provides music for personal and non-commercial use. However, they also offer licences for commercial projects.
Jamendo Features
Jamendo provides a music library with over 250,000 tracks across various genres to licence or stream for free. Users can directly support independent artists on the platform.
Jamendo Pricing
Two primary licensing options exist:
- Standard License ($19): Up to 1,000,000 downloads; On-hold music; Corporate videos; All social media
- Large licenses ($49): up to 10,000,000 downloads, Broadcast in public places, Performing Arts, Local TV/Cinema, and Radio
Other options include custom enterprise licenses and value-priced track packs.
4. Incompetech.
Incompetech is a popular platform for creators looking for royalty-free music to use in their videos, podcasts, streams, and more.
It boasts a vast library of high-quality tracks and sound effects, making it a go-to option for many content creators.
Incompetech Features
Incompetech provides royalty-free music tracks and sound effects licensed for use in video, software, commercial applications, public spaces, broadcasts, and more.
Their catalog spans over 1 million files across genres, searchable by filters like mood and tempo. Downloads are offered in MP3 and WAV quality.
Incompetech offers its library free of charge for commercial and personal use. Attribution is required where possible.
Unlike paid platforms, Incompetech does not offer subscriptions, multiple user accounts, trial periods, or different license types since everything is available for free public use.
Incompetech legally provides media creators, businesses owners, and others with a sizable collection of audio files to enhance projects and products free of charge. Credit is requested in return.
5. Audiojungle.
AudioJungle is a popular platform for creators to find high-quality, royalty-free music and sound effects for their projects. It boasts a vast library, flexible licensing options, and a user-friendly search interface.
Audiojungle Features
AudioJungle provides access to over 2 million professionally produced, royalty-free music tracks and sound effects for video, software, games, and other media projects.
Their library can be searched using advanced filters to pinpoint audio by genre, mood, tempo, duration, etc. Downloads are offered in MP3 and WAV formats.
Pricing is based on pay-per-track, starting from $1, with additional fees for commercial, Broadcast, public performance, or mass reproduction licences. Licences secure rights, so content can be monetized without claims.
6. Bensound.
Bensound is a popular platform for creators seeking royalty-free music for their videos, podcasts, streams, and other projects. It’s known for its catchy melodies, positive vibes, and affordable pricing options.
Bensound Features
Bensound offers an extensive library of over 800 high-quality, royalty-free music tracks suitable for video projects.
Handpicked tracks span various genres and moods, with no gloomy or complex songs. The intuitive interface allows browsing by mood, genre, keyword, or video type.
Bensound Pricing
Licensing options are flexible for personal, commercial, or public use cases. Pay-per-track pricing starts at 34 euros per song.
An All Access Subscription provides unlimited downloads
- Standard: €9 99/month (Billed €119 annually)
- Extended: €19.99/month (Billed €239 annually)
- Premium: €39.99/month (Billed €479 annually)
7. Free Music Archive.
The Free Music Archive (FMA) is owned by the U.S. radio station WFMU. It stands out as a unique platform in music licensing because it offers free access to a vast collection of original music with no subscription fees or hidden costs.
Free Music Archive Features
The Free Music Archive (FMA) provides a library of over 1 million tracks from independent artists across all genres, all available for free download and use under Creative Commons licenses.
By allowing personal, non-commercial usage, FMA gives video creators, students, etc., access to music without fees. Attributing content properly is required.
For commercial applications, users can contact artists directly about licensing options. Otherwise, donations help support FMA’s free mission and community of indie musicians.
8. Storyblocks
Storyblocks (Audioblocks) is a popular platform offering an extensive library of royalty-free music, sound effects, and stock footage. The platform is widely used by creators, filmmakers, and media professionals to enhance their content.
The platform features over 1 million professionally produced audio tracks that can be used in various media projects, such as videos, software, and games.
The collection includes music from multiple genres, moods, and durations, making it easy for users to find the perfect audio to fit their project’s needs.
With Storyblocks, users can easily search for the ideal audio using advanced filters like genre, mood, duration, etc. Downloads are available in premium MP3 and WAV formats, ensuring high-quality audio for users.
Storyblocks Pricing
- Unlimited All Access: $30 per month, billed annually
- Starter: $15 per month, billed annually
- Pro: $35 per month, billed annually
9. Filmstro
Filmstro is a popular web-based platform for creating and editing videos with royalty-free music. It boasts a user-friendly interface and an extensive library of customizable music tracks, making it a popular choice for creators of all levels.
Filmstro Features
Filmstro is an online video editor that provides access to over 1 million royalty-free music tracks that can be edited and customized to match the tone of your video projects.
Innovative AI editing tools, an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, text overlays, and publishing options simplify and streamline the editing process.
Filmstro Pricing:
- Free: Limited access
- Pro ($37.99/month): Unlimited editing and download
- YouTuber ($14.99/month): Adds YouTube monetization licenses
Other notable features include:
- Stock footage/effects.
- Integration with top editing programs.
- A free 14-day trial of the Pro plan.
10. YouTube Audio Library
The YouTube Audio Library is a free built-in resource within YouTube Studio, offering a variety of royalty-free music and sound effects for creators to use in their videos without worrying about copyright claims or hidden charges.
Features
The YouTube Audio Library offers over 1,000 free music tracks and sound effects that can be used in videos without attribution. Genres span uplifting, dramatic, and ambient songs to foley, transitions, and other effects.
Files can be searched through filters or downloaded in high-quality MP3/WAV formats. Importantly, monetized YouTube videos can commercially utilize Audio Library content without concerns over rights or claims.
Limitations exist around the smaller library size and limited mood variety compared to paid platforms. However, the YouTube Audio Library remains an excellent free foundation of royalty-free audio for beginner creators and hobbyists seeking to enhance videos legally.
Attributing artists is still encouraged.
While less robust than paid providers, the Audio Library meets basic audio needs for personal and commercial projects on a $0 budget.
Conclusion
And there you have it—our picks for the top 10 royalty-free music libraries for adding engaging, original sounds to your YouTube videos in 2024.
From accessible stock music archives like Free Music Archive to paid but affordable subscriptions like Epidemic Sound, fantastic options suit all video types, styles, and budgets.
Review each site’s licensing, monetization policies, catalog, and overall value to determine the best fit for your channel.
With access to such rich libraries of copyright and royalty-free tunes—everything from motivational pop songs to mysterious ambiances—you’ll find plenty of music to make your videos stand out while avoiding any issues.
Enhance your videos with a quick music search, license what works, and get back to creating compelling content and connecting with your audience.
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