YouTube is a great place for content creators, small businesses, musicians, artists, and more to create a channel for their audience. The platform boasts billions of viewers watching hours of content daily.

Almost every YouTuber who has an established channel uses some type of music. You might hear it at the beginning of each video as an introduction, as background music, a way to set the mood within or throughout the video, as a way to emphasize quick cuts or edits, or as the outro or end of the video.

There is a ton of variety in the music used on channels all over YouTube. It might have you wondering where YouTubers get their music from and how things like copyright claims and monetization come into play.

YouTubers can access a wide range of sources to legally get music for their channels and videos. Here's a breakdown of where you can find music for YouTube and how content creators incorporate songs in their videos.

What Music Do YouTubers Use?

The music that YouTubers use can come from a variety of places. Sometimes, content creators can locate free music available for commercial use. However, this isn’t the best method because you could still unwittingly get yourself into trouble for copyright violations due to YouTube’s Content ID system.

In most cases, you'll still need to obtain legal permission from the artist to ensure that you're using music legally in your videos. One of the easiest ways to do this is by subscribing to an online service that offers licensed tracks. Using a music licensing subscription service is a great way to ensure you have a wide variety of music options, and you won’t need to worry about copyright strikes.

Some other ways that YouTubers get music is by creating their own custom tracks. Certain music licensing services offer the ability to make beats or background songs using existing stems, so you won’t have to compose something from scratch, but you’ll still get a song that’s unique to your channel.

Where Do Vloggers Get Their Background Music?

Vloggers with YouTube channels often use music in the background, perhaps as they talk over it or to set the scene for their video.

Sometimes those who just started a new YouTube channel look for ways to include music on a budget. There are various places online where vloggers can find background music, including music licensing subscription websites like Track Club or free music that they can find directly from YouTube’s music library.

It’s important to note you must follow licensing requirements set forth by copyright law. Using a music licensing subscription service like Track Club ensures that you are in compliance with copyright laws, and the original artist gets paid for their hard work.

The Importance of Choosing High-Quality Music for YouTube and Vlogs

Finding the "right" type of music may be challenging when perusing free music libraries. Sometimes the emotion you're trying to evoke is very specific and hard to articulate through genre filters.

Another potential problem with many free-to-use options for commercial or personal YouTube channels is that the quality could be better. Moreover, many people have access to these same places for background music, so there's a high chance you'll hear the same music across many accounts, making it less unique to your channel.

The quality of the music also makes a difference in how people perceive your YouTube videos. The music supplies texture, peaks interest, and engages your audience.

The sound is crucial for your video because it will help retain your viewers by complimenting what they are seeing and providing an excellent connection. The audio creates emotions, and it can be a crucial tool to make something resonate with those who are watching.

Some things you can do to incorporate better music and audio quality within your videos include the following:

  • Invest in a good external microphone.
  • Educate yourself on audio editing so you can fix problems with sound and add effects to help other sounds and music stand out.
  • When creating your video, ensure no background noise or music is nearby.

These are a few suggestions to help boost the audio quality within your YouTube channel. You can also enlist the help of a sound engineer or specialist to aid you further.

The easiest way to avoid copyright infringement for your YouTube channel is to ensure you have permission to use whatever music you're choosing. Purchasing a music subscription from a reputable licensing service or website is the easiest way to avoid copyright strikes on your channel.

If you go with an online subscription, you'll get plenty of music options through a catalog of songs; plus, it’s far easier to understand and utilize without having to figure out all of the legal jargon that comes with sorting out your own licenses.

How Do YouTubers Get Copyrighted Music?

Copyright infringement claims can be very costly, and YouTube takes them very seriously, so you must be sure you're using music and sound works with permission. If not, you could face suspension or even removal from your channel.

When you use Track Club’s music license subscription service, all the steps involved in obtaining a music license are already done for you, making it a simple, easy, and more affordable experience for getting copyrighted music overall.

All you have to do is sign up, and you’re ready to browse numerous songs and tracks in their meticulously curated music catalog.

Using Music from YouTube's Audio Library

Another method content creators use to get music for their channels is to use the YouTube Audio Library. The Creator Studio on YouTube gives you access to various music and sound effects for your video content.

The music and sound effects found through the library provided by YouTube are copyright-safe. But it's only available exclusively within the Creator Studio, so you must have a YouTube channel to access it. You also can’t use this music across other social platforms.

The Advantages of Licensing Music for YouTube Videos

YouTube creators can find many benefits in licensing music with a subscription licensing service for their videos.  Here are some of the advantages.

Broader selection

Having access to a wide selection of music, sound effects, and tracks from a curated music catalog will help save you time. A subscription service gives you a broad range of musical genres and styles and even the ability to develop your own versions of tracks for easy licensing. Plus, you can use as many songs as you want, whenever you want.

More affordable

Working with a music lawyer or legal entity can be very expensive when obtaining a music license directly from an artist. If you don't have the time to understand the legal jargon, you'll likely not want to pay more for all the hassles that come with it to get your licensing agreement. What’s more, you’ll go through all that just for the ability to use only one song.

Licensing services let you pay more affordable prices with their subscription model. Track Club's pricing allows you to pay monthly, with an option to cancel any time if you decide to stop posting videos on your YouTube account.

Better quality

Since sound quality is essential to standing out on YouTube, going with a licensing service is a great option. Why is that? Because you can be assured that the music catalog provides top-notch audio quality.

Many licensing subscription services only accept musical tracks and audio in "master recording" form. It means that the artist has gone through and edited out any of the unnecessary sounds, they've had sound engineers work on it, and they ensure that the quality of the music is as good as you hear on the radio or streaming.

These are just a few of the critical reasons that going with music licensing for your YouTube channel is the best option. Saving time is essential for content creators who are busy uploading and editing videos, so doing the same for music also takes more time.

A simple solution would be to locate your music through a broad catalog where you can search for your specific genre or mood and find the perfect audio to compliment your video.

Why "Free Music" and "Public Domain" Music Aren't the Best Choice for YouTube

If you're new to YouTube or just beginning your journey as a creator, you may want to save some money. Some online options provide YouTubers with free music or public domain music. No copyrights exist on these songs, so you can use them without a license.

However, there are many disadvantages to going this route. These are just some of the reasons why there are better choices than using " free " music for your YouTube channel.

Poor quality

Music that's free for use in the public domain isn't the best quality of audio. In fact, it'll be a far cry from the kind of master recording of a track you hear when streaming. And you already know that having poor-quality audio goes against your viewership.

Music is limited

Many of these online music libraries with "free music" don't have the best options for your search. It can be challenging to filter by genres and instruments to find what you're looking for and, therefore, can take more time to find.

The music options are also limited, meaning there are only so many tracks available in this fashion. So, you'll also find it hard to get that "just right" music you need.

Saturation

Another issue that pops up when going through one of these "public domain" music libraries is saturation. Many of these tracks have been perused by other content creators like yourself, and it’s likely many of them have already been featured in multiple videos across social media. Most YouTubers want to stand out in the YouTube world, not look like a copycat using the same music that's been used ten times over.

These are just a few reasons to stay away from those places where you can get "free" music for your YouTube account. Some others to consider are staying within newer music trends since many of the "public domain" music catalogs will be outdated and unfamiliar with YouTube's music policy to know if the music is "free."

Finding Music for Your YouTube Channel

Even a few seconds of a copyrighted song can lead to demonetization and copyright strikes on your channel. The best way to avoid copyright issues regarding your YouTube music is to have a license.

Investing more in licensing music you know is safe for use is worth the extra time and effort. Finding that perfect track for your YouTube channel will be far easier, and establishing yourself as a genuine YouTuber will take you further in your journey as a creator.