Every video content creator has at least once encountered certain copyright problems when inserting music into their videos and uploading them on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok. Using copyrighted music illegally, without the creator’s permission, can result in getting your videos taken down by the platform or getting copyright strikes.
Video content creators spend many hours editing their videos so it may seem unfair to see your content taken down for merely a snippet of a song inserted in the video.
However, musicians’ hard work should also be appreciated. That’s why their musical compositions are protected by copyright.
What can you do if you want to use music in your video without risking getting your video taken down by the platform?
This is where royalty-free music’s role comes into play.
What Exactly is “Royalty Free Music”?
Websites that offer royalty free music could be considered the saviors of video content creators. Whenever vloggers or general video creators edit their videos, they feel that the video needs a good track to attract viewers’ attention and make them engaged with the content.
Since all music is protected by copyright, video creators need to make sure that the music track they want to insert in their videos is legal to use.
The easiest way to do that is to find a song in royalty-free music catalogs and buy the license that allows you to use it legally in your project.
Royalty-free music refers to legal music for which you only have to pay once and don’t need to worry about the royalties (because the royalties will be paid to the artist by the middleman – a music licensing company from which you purchase the track.
Is Royalty Free Music Free of Charge?
No, and you might be confused as to why it is called royalty-free music if, in fact, you have to pay for it. The term does not imply that the music is free of cost; it simply means that it is free of royalties after you purchase the license for it. You pay for it once, and then you can use it in your video project for unlimited time.
So, “royalty-free” means that you can infinitely insert a track in a video when you have purchased it from a royalty-free music company, and you do not have to pay any royalties to have a type of ownership of the track legally. Think of it as a type of “permit” to use the track in your video project.
Royalty-Free Music Is Not Actually Free of Royalties
As mentioned in this article, many interpret the term royalty-free music as music that is actually free. But the real answer is that they are not free of royalties.
The royalties are the amount paid to each singer, band, or even an instrument player, who allows you to use their tracks in your projects and videos – these can be YouTube vlogs, Instagram Reels, TikTok videos, and even advertisements to market your products. So, it seems fair that these music creators have to earn something by allowing their music to be used publicly / for personal or commercial use.
To put it simply, whenever you purchase a track from a company that sells royalty-free music, you will not be responsible for paying the royalties. Still, the company will be responsible for paying the royalties back to the right owner.
Is Royalty Free Music Not Copyrighted Music?
Whenever someone creates content, and it does not matter what the type of content is, they automatically become the rightful owners of that piece. In other words, all content created is copyrighted content. However, some artists are not as strict as others, and sometimes they may even let others use their content as long as the attribution to the author is provided.
So, royalty-free music is still copyrighted music, but the amount people have to pay to use an artist’s tracks differs from one artist (or a licensing company) to another.
What is the Best Way to Get Royalty-Free Music
The best way to purchase royalty-free music is through websites dedicated to pre-cleared music (music that’s ready for instant licensing).
There are a lot of websites out there that offer great, affordable deals to their customers for royalty-free music purchases. So, if you are a video contendt creator, whether on Instagram, YouTube, or another platform, and need a music track to use legally in your content, try to do some research and find the best websites that offer royalty-free music at your preferred rates.
What to Take Away From This Article
Royalty-free music is not free music that creators can use however they like.
It simply means that video creators can purchase a one-time license for a music track and do not have to pay royalties every time they want to use this track in their project.
On top of that, this type of music is still copyrighted, so if you try to use a copyrighted song without the author’s permission or a legal license, you will get your video removed from the platform and risk getting a fine or a copyright strike.
If you are interested in purchasing legal music to use in your videos and avoid copyright strikes or getting your account blocked, find music on royalty-free music websites. These companies offer a wide selection of music tracks in many genres, from ambient to rock, pop, hip hop, and much more.
Using legal royalty-free music will save you from legal problems and will benefit you in the long run.
