Tutorials Audio

Where to Get Free, Good Music

Beginner · ~20 min

Overview

Royalty-free music libraries are full of generic, forgettable tracks. The best music is on real platforms, made by real artists: and a lot of it is either already free to use, or one polite DM away from being licensed.

What You Need

A SoundCloud account (free)
A Freesound account (free)
A clear, honest message if you're contacting an artist

Steps

Browse SoundCloud for music you actually like

Go to soundcloud.com and search by genre, mood, or a track you already like. Don't limit yourself to "royalty-free" tags. The full catalogue is available. The goal here is to find something that genuinely fits your project, not just something that's technically available.

Check if it's already Creative Commons

Many artists on SoundCloud publish under a Creative Commons licence. Look under the track description for a CC badge. If it says CC BY (Attribution), you can use it freely as long as you credit the artist. If it says CC BY-NC, you can use it for non-commercial work only. Always check the specific licence before using anything.

DM the artist if it isn't CC licensed

Most independent artists are approachable and genuinely pleased someone wants to use their music. Send a short, honest message: tell them what the project is, where it will be published, and that it's non-commercial (if it is). Many will say yes for free. Some will ask for a small fee or just a credit. Either way, you get a much better track than anything from a stock library.

Keep the DM brief. Artists get spam too. One short paragraph is enough: who you are, what the project is, where it'll be used, and what you're asking for.

Try Freesound for sound design and ambient music

Go to freesound.org. Everything on the site is Creative Commons, no negotiation needed. It's primarily used for sound effects and field recordings, but search for "ambient", "drone", "loop", or an instrument name and you'll find plenty of usable music beds. Filter by licence type in the search sidebar to find CC0 (public domain) tracks if you want zero attribution requirements.

Attribute correctly when required

Most Creative Commons licences require attribution. The recommended format is: Title / Artist / Source URL / Licence. For example: "Dusk Loop" by Maria Santos, freesound.org/people/mariasantos/sounds/12345, CC BY 4.0. Put this in your video description, credits roll, or podcast show notes, wherever makes sense for your format.

The full Creative Commons attribution guidance is at wiki.creativecommons.org.

Pro Tips

Save tracks you like to a private playlist as you browse, good music is hard to find twice.
When DMing an artist, mention a specific track by name. It shows you listened, not just searched.
CC0 (Creative Commons Zero) means no attribution required at all. It's effectively public domain. Freesound has a good selection filtered by this licence.
If an artist says yes via DM, ask them to confirm in writing (even a reply counts). Keep that message in case a platform ever disputes the licence.
Freesound has a bulk downloader and an API if you ever want to build a personal library.

Knowledge Base

What You'll Learn

Find, license, and use high-quality royalty-free music for YouTube videos, podcasts, and commercial projects. Learn the difference between creative commons, royalty-free, and stock music. Understand attribution requirements and usage rights.

Free Music Sources

YouTube Audio Library: Free for YouTube creators. Limited selection but good quality.
Epidemic Sound: $9.99/month for unlimited downloads. Largest library of royalty-free music.
Artlist: $14.99/month (annual). Film-quality music and SFX, curated selections.
Pixabay/Pexels: 100% free music library. Quality varies. Good for background music.
Creative Commons: Free but requires attribution. Check license before using.

Rights You Need to Know

Attribution Required: You must credit the artist. Common in Creative Commons.
Commercial Use: Can you use in ads or products? Not all free music allows this.
Derivative Works: Can you edit or remix the music? Depends on license.

Picking the Right Music

Match music energy to your content. Upbeat music for fast-paced tutorials, ambient for documentaries. Keep music subtle (don't compete with narration). Test on phone/laptop speakers, what sounds good on studio monitors might sound harsh elsewhere.

Where This Fits

This guide covers one specific part of audio recording. The wider picture, how microphone distance, room acoustics, polar patterns, and gain staging decide whether a recording is usable before any processing, is in Audio Recording Fundamentals: The Complete Guide, which frames the discipline as a whole and links out to the detailed guides underneath it, including this one. If you are starting from scratch rather than solving a specific problem, read that first and come back here.

FAQ

Q: Can I use any YouTube Audio Library song commercially?
A: Yes, with attribution. Check each track's specific license.