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Whatever your film or video project plans are; from a feature to a YouTube show, you’ll need a great musical backing in order to make your production truly professional.
The massive rise in the production of content, or all kinds, has fuelled a need for affordable, quality music and sound effects (SFX) that is not hampered by licensing and permission issues.
This has led to a marked increase, and availability, of royalty-free music for videos and as a resource this is almost certainly the avenue you’ll want to pursue when scoring your visuals.
What is Royalty-Free Music?
Royalty-free music, or copyright-free music as it is sometimes incorrectly termed, is musical content that is available for a fixed-rate payment that is usually covered by a monthly or annual subscription to a provider service.
This offers video and filmmakers a massive treasure trove of music, and SFX, to use in their projects for an affordable price. The size of the databases offered by the specific provider you sign-up with offers you a large range to select the best music for a given video, scene or film.
The use of these services has become so popular that even big budget studios opt to make the most of such a rich resource, as it’s a far cheaper and resourceful way to put together a soundtrack to any type of film or video.
Why Not Use Mainstream Songs?
Some directors and producers, as well as social media influencers, may consider using music that’s well known and in the mainstream. Maybe a song that is hugely popular at the given time they are putting together their production.
Attempting to secure the rights to such musical output is not only incredibly expensive, it’s also not without other pitfalls.
Firstly, you’ll need to spend time to find out who owns the rights to a given piece of music and be aware that this aspect alone is time consuming. Factor in that the ownership could be split between individuals and companies, which further complicates matters.
Then take into account that permissions may be forthcoming for some projects but may not be available for commercial use. In other instances, the rights holder may just not want to give you the relevant permissions, regardless of your budgetary capabilities.
Why Royalty-Free Music Truly is the Wise Option
Royalty-free music negates all these concerns and frankly the output provides you with more options.
Whereas a cursory hearing of a track might make a director think that ‘this would be perfect for that chase scene we shot’, the ability to instead scan through and listen to dozens of possible options to find the track that really does fit the visuals is in many ways a better, more creative way to conduct the practice of scoring your project.
The music offered is far more purpose built for scoring of film and video because it’s made with this very idea in mind. You can search through the vast catalogs offered by sorting by genres and types and this makes it even easier to locate a piece of music that is truly ideal.
Can’t I Just Use Music Without Permission?
Yes, you could do that, but be prepared for the consequences because there is close to zero chance you’ll get away with this type of copyright theft. Anyone who’s accidentally posted a video or track to their social media account will know that the possibility of being punished is high.
Any use of a mainstream, or even niche, piece of music will be spotted as the technology designed for this very purpose has become incredibly effective. If you use unlicensed music on social platforms you’ll see your accounts suspended and then likely deleted.
However the possible punishments go far beyond this. If you are deemed to have done so deliberately, or even accidentally, you are likely to be hit with a DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) notice and this will require you to remove or take down the music you have used.
That won’t be the end of it though. If you are found to have done so illegally you will be the subject of a financial penalty and repeat offences can even lead to a prison term.
In other words, don’t even think about using music without getting the relevant permission. It’s not only illegal, it’s also immoral. You are after all stealing someone’s hard work.
Where Should I Go to Get the Best Royalty-Free Music?
Anyone with just a modicum of knowledge in this department will have heard the name Artlist. They really are the premier location and brand for royalty-free music and if you take a look at the thousands of reviews of the products and services they offer you’ll see the overwhelmingly positive nature of the cyber footprint they have created.
As well as having a gargantuan library of great music, the quality of the recordings is second to none and the pricing is competitive in nature. So if you are considering taking a journey into the world of royalty-free music, there really is no better guide than Artlist.
