Most epic movies have an epic soundtrack. Music creates a mood, emotion, and a story. Not all of us are going to become famous movie producers, but you may find yourself needing to make a video somewhere down the line. Putting the right background music to your video can take it from “That’s pretty good” to “Holy smokes! That’s awesome!”
Finding free music:
If you are doing a simple video project for a class or presentation, you probably don’t want to throw down $50 for one background song. Luckily for us, there is free music out there that you can use for such projects. The key words you want to search are “Royalty Free Music” or “Public Domain Music”. These searches will bring you music that is free to use without infringing on copyright laws. Make sure you always read the fine print though. You don’t want to be stealing someone’s work.
Some songs will straight up be free for any use:
Other times there may be stipulations for using a song for free:
Please respect the wishes of the website / artist. You don’t want your video being taken down because you didn’t give someone the attribution they deserve.
Free background music downloads:
Here are 3 favorite sites that let you download music for free:
Youtube Audio Library: https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/music
Bensound.com: http://www.bensound.com/
Purple Planet: http://www.purple-planet.com/
Tips for choosing the perfect song :
- Make sure the music you pick fits the message of your video.
- Don’t use music that is going to steal the limelight of your video.
- Find something that enhances your video, adds to it, complements it.
- Avoid music with lyrics if your video is going to have people talking or a voice-over.
- Test out a few different songs to see which is the best fit.
Good luck finding that awesome song that will make your video come to life!