In this fast paced and competitive scene, many don’t possess the skill or expertise to create audio content from scratch. That’s where stock music comes in.
Stock music is a great way to quickly and effectively add that finishing touch to a project.
In this article we’re going to go deep into the role of royalty-free music and discover its true value, amongst a certain subset of consumers.
So, what does “Royalty-free” actually mean?
Put simply, royalty-free music is a type of licensable music which carries no auxiliary fees, royalties or hidden charges beyond a simple initial payment, called the ‘sync fee’. Purchase the appropriate license and you’re good to go.
It’s an excellent way to license music for your projects, because:
1. It's a quick, legitimate way to license music
With virtually unlimited access to all kinds of music - from CDs to tracks streamed via YouTube - it’s become incredibly easy to find and use music. Many people however are unaware that they are using copyrighted content for which they do not have the permission or rights. Look on YouTube and you'll find millions upon millions of videos illegally using copyrighted audio without a license. When you purchase a CD or a track online, you’re essentially buying a license to listen to it. But that’s all you’re permitted to do.So how can you legally obtain the rights to use copyrighted music?
Whilst licensing your favourite pop tune may not be financially viable, let alone possible for many, Royalty-Free music is a great way to quickly and easily license music for legitimate use in your projects. Easy peasy!
2. It's cheap and cost effective
Royalty-free music is undoubtedly the cheapest way to license music.Often companies will spend anywhere between 4 and 7 figures to license a specific song or track for their production. Licensing the latest big name pop songs carries an incredible price tag, along with several limitations and often extra fees and costs down the track. Even certain types of stock music can be pricy.
Royalty-free music, on the other hand, combines all the fees and charges into one cost affective sum. With royalty-free music, you can have access to high quality material for reasonably affordable prices that won’t break the bank.
3. There are no hidden fees or royalties
Often when licensing music, there is a myriad of extra fees and royalties to pay down the track.On top of the Synchronization License, you can anticipate mechanical royalties, publishing royalties, master use royalties, neighboring royalties and sometimes even additional fees to the music library.
With such low prices for royalty-free music, you may expect to be paying these additional fees down the track, right? Wrong! The clue is in the name; with royalty-free music you’ll pay a one-off sync fee and from there you’ll have peace of mind knowing that you’ll never have to pay a cent more in royalties. No hidden fees.
Note: in some cases, where a piece of music is registered under a PRO (Performing Rights Organisation), broadcasting companies will pay additional performance royalties.
4. It's high quality!
There are a lot of misconceptions about Royalty-Free music and stock music in general. One is that it's outdated, and the other is that it's low quality.While that may have been the case many years ago, stock music has come a very long way, with much higher production standards than ever before. Today, you’ll find many quality tracks mixed and mastered to extremely high standards.
5. There's a lot of it!
There are millions of royalty-free tracks available for licensing. Covering genres from cinematic and orchestral, to deep ambient soundscapes all the way to catchy, upbeat jingles, the selection of quality music to fit your project is virtually endless. In fact, there's almost too much to choose from. The perfect track is waiting to be used in your next project.
6. Versatility and customisability
Unlike chart topping singles designed for listening only, royalty-free music tracks have been intentionally engineered to be used alongside visuals. This type of production music has been carefully and thoughtfully designed to work perfectly with your video. Quite often you'll also find multiple edits and cuts of the same track to suit your video. Additionally, many authors will be more than happy to create a custom edit to perfectly fit your project.
7. By legitimately licensing your music, you're helping out your fellow creatives!
If you're not sold on the idea of royalty-free music yet, and would rather just use that song you downloaded on iTunes hoping to avoid copyright issues, consider this: by paying for a license to use this content, you're not only being granted the legal rights to use the music, but you're also helping out the producer and artist who created it. Music - just like any other commodity - has value, and too often in the age of the internet, composers are not getting the support or recognition they deserve. So, next time you purchase a license to use a piece of music in your project, feel good about it knowing that you're supporting your fellow creatives!
A note to future authors
You may be reading this and have just discovered for yourself the thriving world of royalty-free music. Well, I've got some good news for you - right now AudioJungle is a great place to be when it comes to selling your music. It's home to one of the coolest audio communities around, with a friendly and constructive group of music composers, both hobbyists and seasoned veterans. AudioJungle authors benefit from excellent exposure for their music with a diverse range of clients; from individual creatives, to large companies, from all around the world! You'll also be in the prime position for external freelance opportunities. If you've got high-quality content to offer, I definitely recommend AudioJungle as a platform to get started on.
So where can I get high-quality music for my next project?
Glad you asked. Well, you're in the right place. Envato is home to an ever growing ecosystem of digital content ready to be used in your next multimedia production. It's audio division, AudioJungle, is one of the leading royalty-free music libraries in which you will find hundreds of thousands of high-quality, royalty-free audio items.
