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7 Best Places to Get Free Music for Your film

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7 Best Places to Get Free Music for Your film

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Adding music and effects is a great way to polish you podcast, but using illegal music can quickly get you booted off major directories.

In this blog, we share the best podcast music resources, and debunk common about using copyrighted content.

What kind of podcast music can you use?

The vast majority of music is subject to copyright. Artists want to protect their music and get paid when it's used.

Record companies utilize teams of lawyers to find people who violate copyright laws and can have your podcast taken down, or even sue you for violation.

Here are the three kinds of podsafe music.

#1 Creative Commons Music

Creative Commons music allows artists to share their compositions with the world for free.

Creative Commons licenses vary, but they usually let you use a piece of music without getting permission, as long as you give credit to the artist.

Pro tip: Some CC licenses allow for commercial use, but not all do. Be sure to read terms of use carefully before using a track.

#2 Royalty-Free Music

Royalty-free music includes any song you need to make a one-time payment for or have a subscription to use.

Royalty-free podcast music can come with a lifetime license or one that remains active as long as you have an active subscription from the music service where you purchased it.

#3 Public Domain Music

Copyright on a song eventually expires. When it does, the track enters the public domain where you can use it however you see fit.

In the U.S., any music work published in 1926 or before is public domain.

Top 10 podsafe music resources

All the resources on this list are safe to use for your podcast. Still, make sure to read the terms of service for each song as every license varies.

Pixabay is a completely free resource with some of the best royalty-free music, images, and even video.

The platform lets you browse music based on genre and mood and offers a wide variety of sound effects perfect for audio dramas and narration.

All content on the site is copyright-free and released under Pixabay's license, so you don't have to give the artist credit or pay a fee.

Many creators aren't aware that Youtube has an extensive selection of royalty-free music available for free use in the Audio Library within YouTube Studio. You can search the music library by mood, track name, artist, or genre.

Once you upload your podcast to Youtube, you can overlay the downloaded track on top of your footage directly on the site. All you need is a YouTube account to get started.

This resource is one of the older, more well-known royalty-free music sites.

All of the music on Incompetech comes from a single artist named Kevin MacLeod. You might recognize some of his songs from other podcasts or Youtube videos.

There are hundreds of songs to choose from in a wide variety of genres, but remember, you do have to give credit to the artist to use a track for free.

909 Music offers a small but quality library of royalty-free music from a few different artists.

Their music tends to be more modern and cutting-edge, perfect for contemporary intro music, outro music, or theme songs.

You can download unlimited music from the site and don't need to worry about attribution. Just find the track you need, download the file, and incorporate it into your podcast.

This nonprofit organization offers a wide variety of royalty-free music, with a focus on mostly instrumental music.

You can search based on instrument, composer, or time period (i.e., Renaissance, Baroque, or the 21st century).

Musopen's search function is intuitive, and its rating system makes it easy to spot a good song. You don't even have to make an account to download tracks!

CCMixter is a global music community of over 45,000 musicians around the world. The site encourages users to download, cut up, sample, and share the music.

Since users can upload their own music to CCMixter, it's a less curated experience and might take some time to find your diamond in the rough. But if you need your music for free, we think it's worth checking out.

Free Music Archive has an "open source" approach to music, just like CC Mixter.

The archive has a library full of high-quality songs you can safely use for podcasting (be sure to read their FAQ to understand exactly how you can use each song.)

You can also access their library of songs on Android or iOS devices through the FMA app.

Freebeats lets content creators use their tracks for free as long as you follow them on social media and give them credit.

This is one of the best royalty-free music libraries for hip hop, EDM, and electronic music, but doesn't have a lot of options outside those genres.

Audionautix has a background music library that is free to use if you give appropriate credit.

You can search major categories like cinematic or acoustic or narrow your search by tempo, keyword, or subcategories like "silly" or "suspenseful."

Purple Planet Music is written and performed by creators Chris Martyn and Geoff Harvey.

You can download a free MP3 and give credit to the creators or purchase a higher quality WAV with a commercial license.

Best paid resources for podcast music

Free music sites are an excellent option for most creators, but some want to use original music listeners won't hear anywhere else.

These paid resources are a great alternative if you want a more extensive selection of higher-quality jingles and theme songs!

Price: Custom quotes available

Musicbed was created for filmmakers but has plenty of tracks for podcasters, too. The library has 100+ filters, so you can find exactly what you need.

All their songs are curated by vetted musicians and composers to ensure the highest quality.

Price: $19.99 a month or $39.95 per track

When you pay for a track on StockMusic, you get a lifetime "synchronization" license that lets you use the song on your podcast indefinitely.

You can browse StockMusic's database by album, track, genre, or even keywords like "relaxed" or "somber."

Once you make a StockMusic account, you can create a cue sheet to help with production. You can also curate a full playlist where you can download and pay for all your tracks at once.

Price: Starts at $5 per track

Audiojungle is part of Envato Market and has over 35,000 professional creators and thousands of royalty-free tracks starting at $5 per song.

You can search through the corporate-sounding stock music tracks or find more unique songs composed by indie artists.

Price: $12 a month

Epidemic Sound is a great resource for music and sound effects, especially if you want to use the track on other platforms.

A personal subscription gets you unlimited downloads and can be used on YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Twitch, and podcasts.

Price: $19 a month

If you use a lot of new music on your podcast and don't want to worry about each license's limitations, Soundstripe could be the perfect option for you.

Run by professional musicians, Soundstripe's sound engineers only accept the most exceptional music and sound effects.

The site has 24/7 customer support and unlimited access to thousands of premium songs.

Price: $64.95 a month or a single purchase of $49

PremiumBeat by Shutterstock has a large library broken down into 26 genres.

You can search the catalog by genre, mood, instrument, or keyword. A PremiumBeat license lets you use the track for podcasts and video services like YouTube and Vimeo.

Misconceptions about using copyrighted music

At this point, you might be thinking there's a way to get around copyright law so you can use your favorite songs under the radar.

These are the most common internet myths concerning music copyright.

Myth #1: I can use any music if I'm not making money off it.

You're subject to copyright law even if you have a small podcast with only a few downloads and no plans to monetize.

Myth #2: It's okay if I play less than 10 seconds of the song.

The amount of music that you play has no bearing on whether it's legal. Artists can get into plagiarism disputes even if their melody sounds too similar to an existing song!

Myth #3: I can use any music under "fair use."

While fair use is a legitimate defense for using copyrighted material in some cases, you can't use a copyrighted song with the intent to claim fair use.

Myth #4: As long as I give attribution, the artist will understand.

Giving credit to the artist doesn't exempt you from copyright law.

Myth #5: It's okay to use music if I review it on my podcast.

Playing a song you don't have the rights to is a copyright violation, even if you only play a short clip of the track with the purpose of reviewing it.

Final thoughts

To summarize, you cannot use copyrighted music unless you obtain the rights or get explicit written permission, regardless of length, intent, or monetization.

Obtaining the rights to popular songs is too expensive for most podcasters, making other music services the best option for content creators.

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10 Best Places to Get Free Music for Your Podcast [2022]

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Using music in your podcast adds dimension to your episodes, but you have to use podsafe music to avoid legal trouble. In this blog, we'll show you the best places to find free, podsafe music, and debunk some common myths around using copyrighted content.

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We got funding to read Othello and make it into a hip hop at McLaughlin Youth Detention facility. Look out world! #shakespeare #hiphop #seestories

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@seestoriesak
We got funding to read Othello and make it into a hip hop at McLaughlin Youth Detention facility. Look out world! #shakespeare #hiphop #seestories
♬ original sound - Marie Acemah

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Example Student Film: Understanding COVID & My Alutiiq Heritage

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Example Student Film: Understanding COVID & My Alutiiq Heritage

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Understanding COVID and my Alutiiq Heritage by James

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This film was produced by a Kodiak 9th grader during a "Kodiak COVID-19 and Culture" film workshop in partnership with Bitanga Productions and the Kodiak History Museum. Generous funding for this workshop was provided by the Alaska Community Foundation Social Justice Fund and the Charlotte Martin Foundation.

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1) Name
2) What do you do at the Chevak School?
3) Why is storytelling important to you?
4) Anything else you'd like to share?

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Copyright - Discuss with students & be clear, cite sources

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Copyright - Discuss with students & be clear, cite sources

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Writing Interview Questions Handout (adaptable)

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Writing Interview Questions Handout (adaptable)

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Marie Acemah,
Founder / Director, See Stories

Storytelling helps me to connect to my humanity and become a better person.

I'm working with the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council, Chevak School, and the Tribal Council on a project in Chevak this fall, and will be camping at Sea-week and then returning later in the fall to help students create films based on the footage and interviews they took during Sea Week. I also will offer a 3-credit teacher PD course in the fall for teachers who want to learn about this process and help with the project. This is a chance for you to see if you're interested in being a part of this project.

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Videography Tips (for interviewing & filming b-roll)

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Videography Tips (for interviewing & filming b-roll)

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This is just a condensed version of Katie Harris's presentation at ASTE; she DID say we could use it and share it. Please credit her if it goes further ;)

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Modified Videography Tips from Katie Harrison

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Support your students to fine-tune their questions

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Support your students to fine-tune their questions

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https://training.npr.org/2016/12/13/beyond-the-5ws-what-should-you-ask-before-starting-a-story/

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We all know the classic "5 W" questions journalists ask: Who, what, where, when, why (and bonus, "how"). But you should also consider the six additional questions listed below, which complement those fundamentals. They are informed by journalism but focused on storytelling.

Your answers to these questions may change in the process of reporting. That is OK. The idea is not to set a course and refuse to veer from it, but rather to make a creative investment at the beginning of your story process that will help guide you to the end of it.
Print this poster out! Here's a PDF. (Illustrations by Chris Kindred)
What is my story's driving question?

You may be accustomed to writing a focus statement. There's nothing wrong with that, but I'm partial to questions instead of statements. A question gives you a mission; a puzzle to solve. The process of answering that question focuses your reporting and allows your story to become a journey for the listener or reader. (For example, " Why are members of the state legislature voting to give themselves a raise?")

Beware: If you have multiple questions, you probably have multiple stories. Stick to one and answer it well. Your audience will stay with you.

What is the story not about?

Too often, we bite off far more than we can chew in our stories. It's understandable. We feel an obligation to be comprehensive and we fear the consequences of leaving out a detail. But no story - not even an hour-long documentary or a -length essay - can encompass an entire topic.

Our first job is to communicate clearly and memorably - and that requires leaving things out . So make a list of the angles, questions and context you can cut. Test them against your driving question: Will this help to answer the question for listeners? Will it distract, or diffuse, the focus? And then, release yourself from this sense of obligation (editors, you must help reporters do this). Let yourself tell the most focused story possible.

How will I ensure my story is fair to the people and ideas it represents?

As journalists, we understand the importance of fairness. NPR's Ethics Handbook is a great guide . As storytellers, achieving fairness can feel more complicated. A narrative may be stronger if it presents one person's journey, instead of multiple perspectives. And yet, is that fair?

Related reading
Exercise: Imagining your story How audio stories begin A good lead is hard: Here's how to write a good one

First of all, ask yourself if your story is transparent enough. Does it make clear to the audience that different viewpoints exist, even if it doesn't delve into them?

Secondly, seek tension. Stories that present one viewpoint often lack the tension that a compelling story needs. So even if you are focusing on one person or situation, ask yourself where the conflict resides. (If there is no conflict or tension, or nothing significant is at stake, you may not have a story.)

Finally, remember that fairness can be achieved coverage. Each story can't present all viewpoints equally, but comprehensive coverage can. Tell your audience where related stories can be found and be transparent about your editorial approach.

How will I engage my audience - and hold them?

Always try to put yourself in your audience's shoes. Just saying an issue is important or the stakes are high rarely gets the job done.

How can you illustrate it in a way that's interesting? Why would your audience want to listen to or read this? Is there a big, compelling idea? A character whose story should be prioritized? An emotional or intellectual thread that can run throughout the story? Are there ear- or eye-grabbing ways to attract the audience? This is your chance to think creatively about story and storytelling.

What are my dream ingredients?

Imagining the elements of your story ahead of time is a time-honored approach. It helps you conceive your story and plan your reporting.

What voices are essential? What complicated issue must be explained? What quotes will clearly address your driving question? What moment or scene will make the story unforgettable? What transition will tie the pieces together? What will give the story personality?

Think big. Of course, you can't produce all the ingredients you want and many of the best ones should be serendipitous or results of reporting - but thinking about them ahead of time helps you reach for the best story you can tell.

What will the audience remember when it's over?

This is a great thought experiment that keeps in mind the limitations of the audience. We rarely remember entire stories; more often, it's particular quotes, scenes, characters or ideas.

So put yourself in the shoes of that listener in her car or walking down the street with earbuds. She has just finished your story. What is she thinking about? Is she left with a question to ponder? A new way of seeing her neighborhood or her city or her country? An idea that expands her thinking?

You can build your stories to have the impact you want them to have - by keeping in mind what you want the audience to remember and working towards it as you report, write and produce. (And yes, you should always be prepared to pivot when you learn new things in the course of your reporting.)

A final note

Don't feel there are natural answers to these questions floating out in the ether, if only you can grasp them. There aren't. Answering these questions is all about you making choices. Liberate yourselves to make them.

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Beyond the 5 W's: What should you ask before starting a story?

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We all know the classic "5 W" questions journalists ask: Who, what, where, when, why (and bonus, "how"). But you should also consider the six additional questions listed below, which complement those fundamentals. They are informed by journalism but focused on storytelling. Your answers to these questions may change in the process of reporting.

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Brainstorm - what could you (and your students) use for b-roll? Comment below.

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Brainstorm - what could you (and your students) use for b-roll? Comment below.

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Storycorps - Good resource for teaching students to interview

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Storycorps - Good resource for teaching students to interview

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Developed in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, StoryCorps Connect is a first-of-its kind platform that enables you to record a StoryCorps interview with a loved one remotely using video conference technology. The audio and a still photo from each interview goes into our archive at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.

Useful Guides for Getting Started

StoryCorps Connect in Five Steps

Plan Your Conversation. Pick someone you want to honor with an interview and invite them to participate. Prepare for your interview using our Great Questions list and aim for 6-8 questions over the course of a 40-minute interview.

Join Our Community. Make sure both you and your partner are logged in on the StoryCorps Archive and visit the StoryCorps Connect recording page.

Record Your Conversation. Make a plan to record and when you're ready, start recording by sending the interview link to your partner. Once you are there, send the provided interview link to your partner.

Preserve It for History. When you're done, click "Stop Recording," and then, "Save Interview". Add a title and keywords to your interview if you are the organizer of the interview.

Share Your Interview. When you're done recording, you'll be prompted to select your privacy settings. Share your interview with the world, or save it for friends and family.

Partners and Supporters

StoryCorps is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting,a private corporation funded by the American people.

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Developed in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, StoryCorps Connect is a first-of-its kind platform that enables you to record a StoryCorps interview with a loved one remotely using video conference technology. The audio and a still photo from each interview goes into our archive at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.

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Connecting with ARCHIVES brainstorm (where can you and your students find archives?)

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Connecting with ARCHIVES brainstorm (where can you and your students find archives?)

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Interviewing an Elder or Other Community Member Tip Sheet

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Interviewing an Elder or Other Community Member Tip Sheet

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Use iMovie or ClipChamp (or another free software you are comfortable with). Import your interview and b-roll into your editing software. 

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Use iMovie or ClipChamp (or another free software you are comfortable with). Import your interview and b-roll into your editing software. 

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Gather 1 - 3 of the following b-roll shots

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Gather 1 - 3 of the following b-roll shots

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-Close-up
-Medium shot
-Long / wide shot
-Archival video / image / document
-Image or video from Creative Commons

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https://taketones.com/blog/rule-of-thirds-in-filmmaking

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Why some footage doesn't attract the viewer in spite of the interesting action in them, while others look magnificent even without a strong sense? It's all about a well-built composition. It works like a mathematical equation. If you calculate everything correctly, you'll get a positive result.

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1) Choose a topic
2) Write 1 - 3 interview questions (avoid yes or no questions)
3) If time, each person shares one sample question
4) Conduct sample interview (whole or small group) and try to follow the rule of thirds. RECORD YOUR INTERVIEW.