If you’re in the business of making YouTube videos, whether it’s just for fun or your full-time job, then you’re going to need access to high-quality, licensed music. Music enhances any YouTube video by setting the mood, reinforcing emotions and improving your viewer engagement. It can make your videos far more memorable and impactful, helping to convey specific themes and maintain viewer attention throughout the video.
The right music choice will also elevate the storytelling and create a more immersive experience that feels more professional and appeals to your audience. However, it’s really important to ensure that you’re using royalty-free or licensed music to avoid any copyright issues. If you don’t use licensed music on YouTube, you won’t be able to monetize your videos and your channel may even receive a copyright strike, which can prove damaging to your YouTube channel’s longevity and success.
When it comes to licensed music for YouTube, Musicbed is an industry leader.
How to Find Cinematic Music for YouTube Videos
At Muscibed, we specialize in high-quality, cinematic scores, offering a curated selection of over 60,000 professional-grade tracks from over 1,500 artists. If you’re looking at how to find music for YouTube videos, then you’ve come to the right place.
Using our array of search tools, you can filter songs by genre, mood, artist, instruments, attributes and even finer details such as BPM, the build and length of the song, as well as vocals and keys used. For example, let’s say you want to find an epic, cinematic track for your Himalayan trekking video. You’re looking to soundtrack beautiful visuals of the tallest mountains in the world, so it needs to be fitting for that. First, in genre you may select cinematic, then in mood, select epic and atmospheric. For the build, you could opt for songs that have a build up, leading to an epic crescendo. These tools allow you to quickly hone in on the exact type of music you’re looking for.
Key things to consider when searching for cinematic music for YouTube videos
When on the hunt for music for YouTube videos, there are a few guiding principles to bear in mind.
Licensing and copyright. You must ensure the music is properly licensed for use on YouTube to avoid copyright strikes, and check if it’s suitable for any videos you wish to monetize.
Mood and emotion. The music should always align with the tone and message of your video, enhancing the emotional impact and storytelling.
Quality and production value. Opt for professionally produced music with high audio quality that complements your video. Poor quality and production value can make your video feel amateurish.
Consistency. You should choose music that fits your video’s pacing and style, blending well with the transitions and key scenes.
Length and editability. Look for tracks that offer multiple versions or loops so that you can match the length of your video without abrupt cuts.
What is ContentID and How SyncID from Musicbed Helps
Have you ever had a notification from YouTube letting you know your music can’t be monetized? That’s because the YouTube Content ID system has identified that the music used in your video has been licensed, and therefore you can’t make money from it.
YouTube Content ID is an automated system that scans uploaded videos for copyrighted content by comparing them to a database of reference files provided by content owners, such as music artists and broadcasters. These files are converted into unique “fingerprints” stored in the database. So whenever a video is uploaded, YouTube scans it for matching fingerprints, and if copyrighted material is detected, it notifies the content owner and issues a Content ID claim to the uploader.
At Musicbed, we’ve developed the SyncID system to simplify the process of clearing YouTube Content ID claims – it’s a seamless solution for our subscribers. SyncID automatically validates the video during the upload process, ensuring that any Content ID claims are quickly released if the channel and music are part of the subscription. This process often happens within seconds, sometimes before the content creator even receives a claim notification from YouTube, allowing them to continue monetizing their videos without interruption.
For creators, SyncID eliminates the hassle of dealing with Content ID claims, providing a streamlined way to ensure their videos remain free of copyright issues. To take advantage of this, users need to link their YouTube channel to their Musicbed subscription. Once linked, SyncID instantly clears any flagged content on that channel, offering stress-free uploads and uninterrupted monetization.
Music Licensing for YouTube Videos
The license needed for your YouTube video depends on the nature of the project; who it is for and what channel it is being published on? If the video is affiliated with any brand, company, or organization, then it will need one of the promotional license options we offer. The promotional license options available under ‘Business’ are meant for brands with no more than 250 global employees. Anything larger than this should go through requesting a quote with our Licensing Team.
If the video is for vlog/lifestyle content that you are sharing with your family/friends/followers on your personal YouTube channel, then the Individual license option will work.
It’s worth noting that the single song licenses we offer on the site don’t include monetization rights, so if you are looking to earn monetization revenue from your video then one of our subscription plan options will be needed. These include rights to monetize and automatic claims clearance through SyncID as an added perk. You can check out our pricing here.
Practical Tips for Your YouTube Videos
Integrating music into your YouTube videos is an important part of the filmmaking craft. There are several things you should pay close attention to.
Choose music that matches the mood
As mentioned above, you should be selecting tracks that enhance the emotional tone of your YouTube content. For example, upbeat music for YouTube videos works well for those big, energetic vlogs, while soft, ambient tracks are ideal for more reflective or serene scenes. As a further top tip, consider the use of instrumental tracks to avoid unwanted distraction from any voiceovers or dialogue.
Use music to create structure
If you know how to use it, music can act as a guide for your audience, marking transitions between segments, introducing themes, or emphasizing key moments. As a general rule of thumb, you should use different pieces of music for intros, conclusions, or changes in topic or scene. To play devil’s advocate, you could also break this rule…
Adjust volume levels
This is a big one that many people miss when they’re first starting out with music for YouTube videos. You need to make sure the music doesn’t overpower the dialogue or important sound effects. Balance the music level with the rest of the audio by lowering its volume during speech and then raising it back up (not too far) during montages or transitions.
Sync music with visuals
As a general rule for editors, you should always try to align music beats or transitions with cuts in the video. This can create a more cohesive and professional feel. Dramatic shifts in music can mirror changes in the video’s pace, helping to build anticipation or release tension for the audience. As mentioned above, the music acts as a guide here.
Choose licensed music
Always use music that is legally permitted on YouTube, through licensed tracks from a trusted, reliable source such as Musicbed. If you’re using copyrighted music, you have to ensure you have the appropriate license to avoid issues like demonetization or video takedowns.
Consider your audience and genre
When you’re making YouTube videos, everything needs to be tailored to your audience and target demographic. That includes your music choices. For example, younger audiences might resonate with more contemporary or pop sounds, while niche audiences could prefer genre-specific music like lo-fi or classical. You should know what your audience wants and keep your content’s genre in mind. Travel vlogs, tutorials and gaming videos may all require very different music choices.
Create a signature sound
This doesn’t always work, but experiment with the idea of creating consistent background music in your videos to establish a recognizable brand identity. This can be a specific track or genre that viewers begin to associate with your content. You could even consider creating or commissioning an original theme song or sound logo for your channel’s intro/outro – something that Musicbed can help facilitate with our custom songs service.
Use music to maintain engagement
If you want to be successful on YouTube, you need to maintain engagement. Music is a fantastic way to do this. Upbeat, fast-paced music may help maintain viewer interest during less visually exciting sections of the video, such as explanations or slow-motion shots. Meanwhile, pausing the music briefly in moments of high tension or importance can make those sections stand out more. It’s about creating a structure and flow that keeps the audience guessing what’s next.
Examples of YouTube videos featuring Musicbed tracks
There are thousands of incredible filmmakers and creators using Musicbed tracks on YouTube right now. Here’s a few for inspiration!
Documentary filmmaker Josh Edwards uses the emotional, atmospheric Andes by Inola in his trailer that introduces the audience to his series Notes from Nepal. The soaring instrumental works in tandem with the voiceover to inspire and intrigue viewers, encouraging them to watch the full journey through five episodes.
Travel filmmaker and YouTube sensation Sam Kolder has been a long-time user of Musicbed, using a variety of songs to soundtrack his stunning cinematography from around the world. In this video, he discusses what he loves most about using Musicbed.
Street photographer Faizal Westcott uses Musicbed to soundtrack his many beautiful photography films. In each video he discusses a different theme or topic relating to the craft of photography, and the music really helps to tie everything together. The song choices often reflect the location, as well as creating a calm, relaxing energy that draws you in and keeps you watching.
To get an idea of just how many YouTube creators use Musicbed, you can take a look at our custom playlists, each put together by one of our favorite YouTube filmmakers.
Wrapping up
If you’re looking for the best music for YouTube intros, top music for YouTube vlogs and everything in between, then Musicbed is your go-to source. Musicbed provides YouTube creators with access to a vast library of high-quality, cinematic music that enhances video content by setting the right mood, reinforcing emotions and improving viewer engagement. With its curated selection of over 60,000 professional-grade tracks, Musicbed helps storytellers find the perfect soundtrack for any theme or genre, adding a polished, immersive feel to their videos. Its advanced search tools allow users to filter music by mood, genre or even song structure, ensuring they can quickly find the best fit for their content.
Proper music licensing is critical to avoid copyright claims and maintain monetization on YouTube. Unlicensed music can result in demonetization or even copyright strikes, which can be damaging to a creator’s channel. Musicbed not only offers licensed music but also features SyncID, a tool that really helps simplify the process of clearing YouTube Content ID claims, ensuring seamless uploads and continuous monetization. To access these benefits, explore Musicbed’s music subscription options and elevate your YouTube content with professional, worry-free music.
