How to Add Music Without Violating Copyright

Music is a huge asset to a video, adding both quality and emotion. Unfortunately, copyright laws mean that you can't just use any music track, even if the video is not for profit and even if you give credit. If it has a copyright - and all popular tunes do - you can't use it without a license. Period. Crackdowns for use without permission have become faster and more frequent in recent years: YouTube can automatically detect most copyrighted songs and will either remove the audio, paste ads all over your video, or penalize your account. So what is a DIY videographer to do?

#ProTip: Don't violate copyright. Look for "public domain" or "creative commons" music.

Some editing programs, including YouTube's own Creator Studio, have royalty-free songs in a library that you are welcome to use. You can also search for "public domain" songs, which means the copyright no longer applies, or "creative commons" music, which means that the creator chose to release their rights. Read very carefully - "creative commons" music often comes with caveats, including that you must credit to the musician, it must be used in not-for-profit projects only, and/or that you release your own rights to your video by using the song. If you hire a video editor (like us!), you can rely on them to navigate the copyright laws, pay the necessary royalty fees, and get proper permission to use music. But for the DIYer, "creative commons" and "public domain" are good options, much better than the penalties of violating copyright.