Whether you’re crafting YouTube videos, TV ads, podcasts, or live streaming on Twitch, nowadays, if you’re a content creator, you’ve probably realized that music and sound effects go hand in hand with your creativity. Did you know that music can make or break the success of a commercial? Studies have shown that 90% of ads with strong musical associations are more likely to be remembered by viewers. This is because music enhances emotional engagement and memory retention when it aligns with the ad’s narrative or evokes specific emotions.
If you’re monetizing any content or sharing it from a business account or corporation, you need to be mindful of copyright laws and use music that is appropriate for commercial use. Even if you’re not directly selling a product or service, you’ll need a license to use copyrighted music in your work or create royalty-free music. So, what exactly is music for commercial use, and where can you find it? Let’s dive in and find out.
What is commercial use?
Commercial use relates to any use of a product or service for financial gain. In the case of music, it means using music in videos with the ultimate goal of increasing sales, e.g., ads and promotional videos. As such, you’ll need to purchase the right commercial licensing agreement for any music you’re interested in using. Although commercial use also extends to offline activities, the scope of this article deals with online music use.
Why do you need a license?
Music for commercial use is either specifically licensed for a particular project or a royalty-free track that anyone can use. If you don’t have the necessary licenses and permissions, you can face legal consequences, as well as having your content silenced or removed by platforms like YouTube and TikTok.
Licensing a song can be a time-consuming and expensive process. Often, it’s a choice made by top-tier brands with big budgets and legal teams. For example, Pepsi would have had to negotiate the right to use the song ‘Bassline’ in its commercial.
@allisterx Thank you to @Pepsi for featuring ‘Bassline’ Feat. @CKAY and co-written with @TylerJamesBellinger. _ #allisterx #musicproducer #ckay #pepsi #commercial #collab #pepsicommercial
♬ original sound – Allister X
Fortunately, there are cheaper and easier ways to find music for commercial use. Content creators should look for music labeled royalty-free. Artlist is one provider of royalty-free music, meaning subscribers can browse high-quality royalty-free music and sound effects and use them to create without the expense and headache of music licensing.
Royalty-free music and YouTube
Even if you use royalty-free music, you may still get a copyright claim on your video from YouTube. Fortunately, Artlist has a feature called Clearlist to protect Artlist subscribers and their YouTube content. Simply provide Artlist with links to your channels, and we can manage any content claims on your behalf, usually within minutes, saving you time and hassle.
Finding music on Creative Commons
Creative Commons is another platform where you can find royalty-free music, although the music quality varies. The nonprofit organization offers six different types of licenses that range in usage allowances. The music licensing works on top of the existing copyright and allows the song artist to share their work while maintaining ownership. The 6 licenses are as follows:
- Attribution / CC BY: Gives you permission to distribute, remix, modify, and add to the work for commercial use. Credit must be attributed to the artist. This is the least restrictive license with the most usage options.
- Attribution-ShareAlike / CC BY-SA: Gives you permission to remix, modify, and add to the work, including for commercial purposes. Credit must be attributed to the artist. It requires you to license your work as a CC BY-SA, which means you have to allow others to modify and use your work for commercial purposes.
- Attribution-NoDerivs / CC BY-ND: Commercial use is allowed with attribution to the artist. The work cannot be modified in any way, and even layering a song within a video is not allowed. This makes the CC BY-ND unusable for most filmmakers.
- Attribution-NonCommercial / CC BY-NC: Gives you permission to remix, modify, and add to the work, but not for commercial use. Artist attribution is required.
- Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike / CC BY-NC-SA: You can modify the work, but not for commercial use. Artist attribution is required. You must offer your work with the same license.
- Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs / CC BY-NC-ND: Non-commercial usage only, and you must provide credit to the artist. You cannot change the original work. This attribution basically forbids the use of this music in a video and is the most restrictive.
Be sure to document the song’s origin and its listing of Creative Commons terms in your work.
Where to find music for commercial use
So, where can you find royalty-free music for commercial use? You guessed it—right here on Artlist. Whether you need music for a Twitch stream, YouTube video, or an ad with an Artlist subscription, you get unlimited downloads of royalty-free music and an easy license that allows you to use the music for any type of video, live stream, podcast, or commercial.
You can use a song as many times as you like and across multiple projects. Your Artlist subscription gives you access to the entire library, which includes the highest quality of music created by the world’s top independent musicians.
Where to find sound effects for commercial use
Want to boost your sound? Royalty-free sound effects are ideal for filmmakers and video editors who want pro-quality SFX and no-hassle licensing. With an Artlist subscription, you can choose from thousands of whooshes, impacts, foley, and ambient sounds, and never have to worry about copyright or licensing. Every sound effect you download for your video on Artlist is made by a professional sound designer, and the Artlist license covers every use, including commercial use.
Wrapping up
Finding the perfect music for commercial use is easier than you think. With platforms like Artlist, you have access to a diverse library of high-quality, royalty-free tracks that can elevate your commercial projects to new heights. Start exploring today and discover the difference the right music can make.
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