Indie films are always interesting to watch, because they tend to be less conventional, doing things a little differently in comparison to “mainstream” Hollywood blockbusters. Not quite knowing what you’re going to get with an indie film is part of the fun. This is true for the music choices in the film, too! Indeed, one thing that can help an indie film stand out and gain notoriety is its music choices.
Music plays a crucial role in indie films by enhancing the emotional depth and atmosphere of a story, which can help in compensating for smaller budgets or limited special effects. Indie filmmakers will frequently use unique, lesser-known tracks to create a distinctive mood, add authenticity and support storytelling in ways that dialogue or visuals alone cannot achieve alone. Carefully curated soundtracks in indie films can evoke powerful emotions, underscore character development and help establish a memorable tone that sets the film apart from mainstream cinema.
When it comes to indie film music, Musicbed is a premiere go-to source for all of your licensing needs.
Where to Get Cinematic Music for Indie Film
When it comes to music licensing for indie films, indie filmmakers have a wide range of music sources to choose from when crafting their films. They often collaborate with independent or emerging musicians who can provide original scores or tracks that align with the film’s tone and budget.
Meanwhile, royalty-free music libraries offer affordable, pre-licensed tracks that can be tailored to fit scenes without the complexities of copyright negotiations. There are also other platforms that enable filmmakers to discover unsigned artists who are potentially willing to license their music for little or no cost. Crowdsourcing and open-source music could be viable options, allowing filmmakers to access diverse, global talent while maintaining creative control over their project, as well as affordability.
At Musicbed, with a simple monthly subscription, you can access a catalog of over 60,000 songs from 1,500 artists, all legally covered and available to use in your indie film with the click of a button.
What Single Song License Do You Need for Your Indie Film?
If you’re looking to license indie film music with Musicbed, then you require an enterprise license. Not only will you be able to use your chosen song in your indie film, an Enterprise license will grant you special privileges including unwatermarked download previews, preferred rates, same-day quotes and team accounts, meaning you’ll have special assistance from our team of dedicated professionals every step of the way through your project.
The cost of the song license for your indie film will be negotiated with one of these account executives, assessing the project’s budget, planned usage and various other factors.
Choosing Music for Your Indie Film
No matter what sort of music for short films you’re looking for, you can find it through Musicbed. Our collection of music is curated by experts with stringent requirements that ensure we only host the very best, top-quality music. As mentioned above, there’s an extensive catalog of over 60,000 songs ready for you to browse. To hone in on exactly what you’re looking for, you can use the various tools and filters available. You can browse by genre, mood, instruments, song attributes and even fine tune the BPM range, the build of the song, its length, keys and more.
If you’re having trouble finding the exact song you have in mind, it may be worth looking into creating a custom piece of indie film music. With Musicbed, we can facilitate collaboration with our leading composers and producers, or one of the hundreds of artists that we represent, working with you every step of the way to achieve the best custom indie film soundtrack possible.
Even if you have big ambitions and want to license a popular song from a mainstream artist, we can help with that. No matter the song, regardless of its origin, get in touch today and we’ll work with you to facilitate the process of licensing the song for your indie film.
Top tips for soundtracking your indie film
There are lots of different ways to go about choosing music for an indie film, and these are a few top tips we’ve found have helped many filmmakers over the years.
Understand the film’s tone
To find the perfect soundtrack, you need to identify the emotional and narrative tone of the film and select music that enhances or complements it. Whether it’s uplifting, melancholic, suspenseful or nostalgic, you can find a song in the Musicbed catalog.
Leverage indie artists
In the spirit of independent creativity, consider collaborating with independent musicians or bands whose music fits the film’s mood. Often, their work is affordable and unique, which really helps to create a fresh and distinct sound, making your film that much more memorable.
Use music to guide emotion
No matter the type of film or video, music should not only fit a scene but also guide the audience’s emotional journey, subtly enhancing key moments without overshadowing the visuals.
Match music to characters
Watch your favorite TV shows or films and you may notice how certain songs and melodies play whenever certain characters are on screen. You should think about the personality of your characters and how certain styles or genres of music can reflect their inner worlds, reinforcing themes or character development.
Seek original scores
Commissioning an original score, even from a budding composer, ensures your film has a unique musical identity tailored to its story, avoiding the overuse of common tracks. At Musicbed, we can work alongside you and one of our artists to make this happen.
Test the music in context
As the edit (and even the filming) goes on, you should always be testing how music feels in the context of the film. A track might sound great on its own, but does it align seamlessly with visuals, pacing, and dialogue?
Wrapping up
Indie films stand out by offering unique, unconventional experiences and their music choices play a key role in that distinction. Carefully chosen soundtracks help indie filmmakers evoke deep emotions, support storytelling and establish a memorable atmosphere that sets their projects apart from mainstream cinema. Indie filmmakers will often use lesser-known or original tracks to create an authentic mood and further develop characters and themes in ways that visuals alone cannot achieve. A thoughtfully curated soundtrack not only adds emotional depth but also reinforces the film’s creative identity.
For indie filmmakers seeking the perfect music, Musicbed offers a vast catalog of over 60,000 songs from independent artists, all available with a simple subscription or enterprise license. Whether you need an original score, want to collaborate with emerging musicians, or even license a popular song, Musicbed ensures high-quality, legally covered tracks. By choosing the right music, filmmakers can elevate their project and create a truly unforgettable cinematic experience.
