Music Licensing & Copyright

If you’ve spent time looking for music to use in your audiovisual projects, you may have come across limitations regarding ‘commercial use’. This can be a barrier for filmmakers, YouTube creators and many more. So, what is commercial use and is there such thing as free commercial music? Read on to hear more about using commercial music, and what alternatives there are to help you find incredible tracks for your content.

free commercial music music licensing

What Is Commercial Music?

Commercial music is music that is marketed to the general public by any medium. This could be in corporate videos or advertisements, for example. When looking to use certain music, you may see limitations such as ‘non-commercial use only’. Let’s look at what commercial use means.

What Is Commercial Use?

Noncommercial use is defined as “not primarily intended for or directed towards commercial advantage or monetary compensation”. So, an example of commercial use would be if you used music in an advertisement for a product or business. If you’re unsure whether your audiovisual work counts as commercial use, make sure to do your research! It may be best to go for a license that includes commercial usage, just in case. Now, let’s look at where you can get these types of licenses. One way to access free commercial music is through Creative Commons.

Creative Commons

Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization, who enable access to licenses for music at no cost. CC figured out how to maintain the protections of copyright whilst providing artists with a way to offer their work for public use. There are 6 different types of Creative Commons licenses, which include some that allow commercial use. Some restrictions in the varying licenses include the ability to remix, distribute etc., and some that specify giving credit to the artist. Check out the full list of licenses and their restrictions here.

Free Commercial Music – Sounds Great, Right?

As with most free things in life, free commercial music comes at a cost. There are a lot of tracks out there that fall under the Creative Commons and unfortunately, not all of them are great quality. You may end up spending a lot of your time searching to find a good quality track. It can also be tricky to ensure that the track you want to use is covered by CC. There is also the worry of not being able to find what you want at all! So, what is the alternative?

Audiosocket As An Alternative

audiosocket music licensing company logo where to find music for videos

If reading about the various CC licenses is making your head spin, there is an easier way. Instead of having to research licenses, sift through poor quality songs and worry that you’re doing things by the book, you can use Audiosocket. We offer a huge, wide-ranging catalog of top quality music that you can license for as little as $10 a month. This gives you unlimited access, and saves you the hassle. Sign up for Audiosocket now!



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