In this guide, we’ll explain what “royalty-free” means, how to license it properly, and the most common legal issues to watch for so your next project is ironclad.
What Does ‘Royalty-Free’ Actually Mean?
No, “royalty-free” doesn’t mean music you don’t have to pay for. It simply means that those who license the music don’t have to pay ongoing royalties. In most cases, you’ll pay a one-time fee for the rights to the music rather than regular, ongoing fees in perpetuity.
This is different from “copyright-free” music - music that exists in the public domain or no longer has a copyright. This music is usually free to use as you wish without any licensing fees.
So yes, there are some major differences between “royalty-free” and “copyright-free” music, namely that “royalty-free” music is copyrighted and usually requires a purchase to license.
Can You Use Royalty-Free Music in Commercial Projects?
Absolutely, as long as the license allows it.. If you’re using a royalty-free music platform, like PremiumBeat, most licenses cover “commercial use”, that is a project in which its purpose involves money, promotion, and marketing. You know these kinds of videos — they’re ads you see on TV or on the internet, sponsored content, branded videos, etc.
So, what if your license doesn’t include a commercial-use license? Don’t use it! You risk takedown notices, demonitization, or legal action.
Legal Pitfalls to Avoid
You’re a creator, and dealing with the legal side of content creation can be a huge bummer, but it’s so important to be able to identify (at least) the most common pitfalls to avoid when looking for music for your project.
Getting Music From Sketchy Sources
We all get excited when we see “free,” right? But don’t take the bait. If a website says the music is free, it’s either not truly free or it’s extremely low-quality.. It’s best to get your music from trusted platforms, like PremiumBeat, to avoid any copyright issues.
Credit: Pavel Danilyuk
Misunderstanding the License
If you’re not a lawyer, it’s easy to misread a license. When you are ready to purchase a license, make sure to take your time, do your research, and ensure that the license explicitly includes commercial use - if that’s what you need.
Content ID Claims
You did everything right! You used a reputable royalty-free music platform, you paid for the license, and the license included commercial use, but you still got hit with a YouTube Content ID claim.
What happened?
Well, this can happen if the track you used is in the Content ID system. (That’s not your fault.) The best way to avoid this is to go with a platform that has a whitelist system that allows you to use their music without having to deal with copyright claims. PremiumBeat does this well, so you don’t have to worry about takedowns or lost revenue.
Case Study: How PremiumBeat Licenses Cover Commercial Use
The cool thing about PremiumBeat is that they make licensing music super easy. Theymake it clear which licenses include commercial use - which in fact, all of them do, except the “Creator” license.
So, a Creator license allows you to use tracks on your YouTube videos, social media, podcasts, and internal corporate projects, however, client work is not allowed. Once you get into the next tier, client work is allowed, with Standard being ideal for the same types of projects as Creator, with the added benefit of doing so for clients. The Enterprise license is ideal for those working in TV, movies, and other large-scale media.
Conclusion
Creators just want to do what they do best — create. They don’t want to second-guess every music selection they make, wondering if the video they delivered to a big client is going to get flagged or taken down.
That’s why platforms like PremiumBeat are a smart choice because they make finding music for projects so much easier and safer. (Not to mention affordable.) You can find the music that works for your project and use it without wondering if that takedown notice or lawsuit is coming up around the corner.
There are a lot of royalty-free music platforms out there, but PremiumBeat stands out for the quality of the songs, streamlined integration with YouTube, and price point, so definitely check out its library and see if it’s right for you. If you want to give PremiumBeat a try, you can use the exclusive code NFSPB to get a 15% discount on individual tracks and Unlimited Subscriptions.
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