Songs, like books, are copyrighted. When adding music to a video or podcast, make sure you have the right to use it without paying royalties.
We love tips that help authors save money, so huge thanks to MakeUseOf who recently turned us onto 5 Resources for Royalty-Free Music. MakeUseOf contributor Joshua Lockhart took it upon himself to find sources that not only provide free music options, but quality music options.
When would you need royalty-free music? For book trailers or vlogs, podcasts or perhaps you want to produce a sample reading of your book with intro and outro music. Bear in mind, this is not free music, it’s merely royalty-free. The difference? You may pay a one-time fee for the personal or commercial use of a piece of music. But then you’re done. You don’t need to pay the composer or recording artist a royalty every time someone plays your book trailer (have you seen the numbers under some of those YouTube videos?).
Lockhart’s sources include:
- Vimeo Music Store
- SoundCloud
- Free Music Archive
- Incompetech
- AudioNautix
Apologies for not linking, but visit MakeUseOf’s post for links and a brief overview of the types of music you’ll find at each site.
The right music can make an important contribution to your video or audio piece. Make sure any music you use is licensed properly.