Music is what gives your podcast an air of professionalism, but finding music copyright free can be difficult. Music smoothes out inconsistent recordings, helps listeners tune in, and sets the mood of a podcast episode. Podcasts are entirely audio-based, and music is an important part of creating a great sound experience for your audience.
Producing and editing a podcast also means you must source “podsafe” music for your podcast. Using copyrighted music without permission is not a risk worth taking.
Let’s take a closer look at the types/licenses of royalty free music you can use in your podcast, and then we will dive into where you can find the widest selection of music copyright free.
1. Creative Commons Music
2. Public Domain Music
3. Royalty-free Music
Don’t let the word “free” fool you; you still have to buy a license to use royalty free music. When you purchase a track, you can use it however you want and however long the terms of the license are specified.
You can make a once-off purchase, and buy a specific song. Or you can use a subscription service. With podcasts on the rise, more and more services offer massive catalogs of professional music for a monthly subscription fee. Typically, you can use the song for as long as the subscription is paid.
Free Music Libraries
Some platforms offer music that is 100% free to use. These may fit your budget, but there won’t be a wide collection that is systematically organized. Additionally, the music on offer will probably not be high-quality tunes. However, if you are not too choosy about finding the perfect track, plenty of options from the list below will give you access to music copyright free for your podcast.
A. PodcastBuffs' Podcast Music Library
Yes, we’ve built a free music library for podcasters. This music is specifically built to be used in intros and outros.
The music tracks are completely free for both commercial & non-commercial use. We own the full rights of those tracks, so you’ll never face any copyright or royalty issues.
Check it out here: Podcast Intro Music
B. Podcast.co
C. Pixabay Music
D. Free Music Archive
E. Silverman Sound Studios
Paid Music Libraries
There are several advantages in paying to get music copyright free, the main two being choice and quality. Subscription services are some of the best ways to find affordable music for your podcast. Paying a monthly fee gives you access to an entire library of tracks, enabling you to find what you’re looking for from a wide selection.
But if there is only a single track that you want to use, buying the license to a single track is a great option. Here are a few great sites to find royalty free music to download.
A. Musicbed (Subscription)
PremiumBeat (Pay-per-track).
Shutterstock powers PremiumBeat. The site offers everything from intro and outro music segments to transactions and background music. It offers a one-stop shop experience with tracks that are categorized and labeled to navigate the site easily.
You’ll find collections like “Medieval Fantasy,” “Ultimate Summer,” and more. The site offers several licensing subscriptions, starting at $12.99 per month per track. You’ll have great quality music that is royalty free and stress-free.
Shutterstock has recently begun a subscription service where podcasters can access royalty-free music for download from an extensive library for $199/ per year.
Jamendo (pay per track).
There is plenty to choose from with Jamendo. The site offers 200,000 tracks from thousands of independent artists. If you’re looking for a long-term theme song to use consistently on your show, then Jamendo is an excellent place to buy a one-off track.
They offer several licenses, but their standard one costs $50 per track and includes a commercial license. They also offer a composition service for anyone looking for a unique song for their podcast.
Pond5 (Pay per track/subscription).
