User-generated content is now watched for more hours by the average American than the amount of time they watch TV via ‘traditional’ means. As a statement of fact, this is something that most of us wouldn’t have believed possible just a few short years ago.

We’ve all become mini-content providers, from simply pulling out our phone to record the sunset to those who make full-on videos for their YouTube channel. It’s now become a far more common type of viewing experience than it was in the recent past.

If you are a YouTuber, regardless of your audience’s size and indeed the type of content you are producing, you will need to have some semblance of a soundtrack to your visual efforts.

Royalty-Free Music: Why You Need It

Whether you are looking to score your video with some background music, perhaps to suit a certain mood, or for sound effects of some kind, you’ll need to get hold of the right kind of track or sound for the relevant purpose.

In the past, you may have elected to use an existing mainstream song or a big hit that was popular at the time, and you could perhaps have gotten away with doing so. Now that just wouldn’t be the case.

YouTube and other social networks are able to spot the use of pretty much any licensed track within seconds. If they deem your usage to be without a license or the copyright approval needed, they will hit you with a copyright strike.

You’ll then receive a DMCA notice, this refers to the breaking of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and that’s where things could get very nasty indeed. Should a publisher elect to do so, you could be hit with a severe financial penalty for using their material without permission and even a prison sentence.

More likely is that you will have your YouTube channel suspended or even deleted, and you will find it very hard to ever get that suspension lifted.

Royalty-Free Music: What is It?

Therefore using Royalty-Free music for your YouTube video is a no-brainer. Royalty-free music, which is sometimes referred to as copyright-free music, is the option of using music and sound effects from a relevant provider that is offered as part of a subscription program.

Royalty-Free music isn’t made by established acts but is often just what you are looking for, mainly because the providers you sign-up to offer you massive databases full of quality musical output that will fit your needs like a glove.

These libraries are well ordered, and using them is very intuitive, and the search facility helps you find the right type of track or sound effect for your specific needs.

As an example, you might be looking for a snappy intro for your YouTube channel, you might want it to be a particular style, and you can then try out all the available material until you find just what works for you.

Perhaps you want a great upbeat musical background for a video covering the latest dance craze, something that really grabs the viewers’ attention instantly. Again, the fact you can cycle through such a large source of music means you will invariably find something that really fits instead of trying to use a track that everyone already knows.

Finding music for videos on YouTube is a key part of your production. Sometimes the music is even more important than the visuals. For instance, think about the attention span of a viewer who digests hundreds of videos a day or week. Selecting the type of music to open your video with can be the fine line between someone continuing to view or simply moving on to another video.

Simple and Effective

The option of using royalty-free music over any other option, especially the idea of taking existing music and hoping not to get caught, is in many ways the simple and effective choice to take.

It is especially relevant for regular YouTube users who have to find musical accompaniment for many videos a week. It takes a lot of the uncertainty out of the equation, and it’s also a wise option in terms of using up your time.

By selecting and signing-up with a royalty-free music provider (and there are many reputable ones out there), you will be freeing yourself from worrying about possible criminality as well as saving time when searching for the song that works best for your individual needs.