When it comes to pressure in filmmaking, there’s nothing quite like the wedding video industry. It’s the big day. You only get one shot. You can’t shout “cut!” and start again. For your clients, a wedding video is the best way to continue to cherish and relive the memories of one of the most special days of their life…it has to be great, every time.
A large part of the success of a good wedding video lies in the choice of music. The mood, tempo and lyrics all dictate how the audience feels when they watch the final video, so you have to think carefully about your music choice.
Of course, before you start analyzing the nuances of different tracks, you need to ensure that you’ve obtained the right music licensing for a wedding video. This is where Musicbed comes in – you’re all-in-one solution for high-quality wedding video soundtracks.
Where to Get Music for Wedding Videos
When it comes to wedding video music licensing, Musicbed has long been a leading source for professional wedding videographers. We have a catalog of over 60,000 high-quality songs from over 1,500 artists, all curated and hand-picked by our team of experts. Using tools and filters such as genre, mood, instruments and song attributes, navigating the catalog and honing in on exactly what you need for your wedding video is a straightforward, enjoyable process.
At Musicbed, we even offer a custom music service where you can work directly with one of our artists to curate a unique soundtrack specifically for your wedding film. With simple, monthly subscription tiers, soundtracking your wedding videos has never been easier.
Can You Use Any Music in Wedding Films?
We’d love to say yes, you can use whatever background music for wedding videos you want! But unfortunately, it’s not that easy.
Using music in wedding videos requires obtaining the appropriate license, always. Without this, you’re exposing yourself to significant legal risks. Music is and always has been protected by copyright laws, and any unauthorized use can result in legal consequences from the rights holders. This could involve fines, content removal, or even lawsuits.
A really common misconception about using popular songs in wedding videos is that it’s acceptable as long as the video is for personal or non-commercial use. Many believe that if they’re not making a profit from the video or if it’s just for a client’s private viewing, they can freely use any music. However, copyright law applies regardless of the video’s purpose, and distributing a video with unlicensed music – whether for personal promotion or even for private events – can still lead to legal repercussions.
To avoid these issues, filmmakers must ensure they have the proper licenses for any music included in their wedding film projects. This often means acquiring a synchronization license, which allows the pairing of music with visual content (such as those provided by Musicbed), or opting for royalty-free music where the rights have already been cleared. Having these licenses guarantees you have legal permission to use the music, protecting you from potential legal action, including costly fines.
Beyond legal protection, obtaining the right licenses reflects your professionalism. Using licensed music shows respect for other creators’ work and highlights your dedication to producing quality, legitimate content. It also ensures the video can be shared freely across platforms without fear of copyright removal, ensuring maximum reach and impact for your business.
How to License Music for Wedding Videos
In general, obtaining the correct music licensing for a wedding video may follow a process like this:
The first step is to choose the song you want to use. This could be a popular hit, background music, or a custom score. Next, you’ll need to track down the rights holders, which may include the songwriter, composer, music publisher, and record label. Once you’ve identified them, explain how you plan to use the music – in this case, a wedding video for a client.
After that, you’ll have to negotiate the terms, which include deciding how you’ll use the music, the duration of the license, and where it will be available. You also need to ensure all necessary rights, such as any samples or excerpts in the song, are properly cleared. These details really matter, and ultimately determine what kind of license you’ll need.
Once everything is agreed upon, the parties will draft a formal contract detailing the terms. Finally, after signing the agreement and making any required payments, you’ll need to give proper credit to the song in your film and any potential promotional materials. While this process can be time-consuming and costly, it ensures you’re legally covered and protects your project from copyright issues.
How Musicbed simplifies the process
If you use Muscibed for your wedding video music licensing, then the process looks a whole lot easier:
First up, we offer rights and clearances – you have a well-known song you want to use, we’ll take care of the entire process for you.
Alternatively, you can take a look at our extensive music catalog to license a song straight from our website:
- Using tools to hone in on exactly what you’re looking for (genre, mood, attributes etc), find the music you’d like to use.
- Click Download, fill in the details about your project and social media channels.
- Download the file and use the music track in your wedding video edit, however you want. Easy!
If you can’t find what you need straight away, at Musicbed we have a team of dedicated professionals who can help you obtain whatever it is you’re looking for. We can enquire about any song in the world.
Single Song License for Wedding Videos
A single song license is a legal agreement that gives you permission to use one specific song in a project, like a wedding video. A wedding single song license typically covers the rights to sync the song with visual content, allowing you to legally pair the music with your video. It simplifies the process by focusing on just one song, making it more affordable and easier to manage than broader licenses, while still protecting you from copyright issues, ensuring that you can use the song without facing fines or copyright takedowns.
At Musicbed, the Wedding single song license is specifically meant for use in wedding event videos for one specific couple. You should be aware that the Wedding single song license type cannot be used to promote your photography or videography business. However, the filmmaker is allowed to post the exact same edit given to the client as an archive of their work on their website or UGC channels, provided there is no promotional language or contact links in the video description.
Wedding licenses only cover the client (couple) to publish the video. If you need to promote your wedding business, then you’ll want to select one of the promotional single song license options instead: Small Business, Business, Enterprise.
If you’re in the wedding videography business then you most likely have multiple clients at any one time. In this case, Musicbed’s monthly subscription options are a much better alternative to single song licenses.
How to Choose Music for Wedding Videos
As we’ve established, choosing the right music for your client’s wedding video is a critical part of the wedding filmmaking process – the music choices dictate everything, influencing how viewers feel when they watch those precious memories back. Here’s a few things you should take into account:
Mood
You want the mood of your music choices to reflect the moments of the wedding. For example, if you’re editing the “getting ready” sequence that happens pre-ceremony, then you want to select something that’s full of anticipation, excitement and joy. During the ceremony itself, a song that’s emotional, intimate and sacred will go down well.
Lyrics
When it comes to lyrics in wedding video music, you need to be selective about when they’re used. During a ceremony sequence, it’s probably best to opt for instrumental versions of songs so there’s no distraction from the couple’s vows. During other parts of the day, choose heartfelt and intimate lyrics that speak of love and connection.
Tempo
Tempo should directly match what’s happening on screen. Let it rise and fall with the emotional arc of the video. As a general rule of thumb, this means using slower music for tender moments and upbeat songs for high-energy sequences like dancing or entrances.
Meaning
Lastly, wherever possible, can you pick out a song that means something to the couple? In your initial meetings with them, you could ask them to put forward a few of their favorite songs. Also, pay attention to the songs that are played at the wedding – can you use some of these in the final film? Paying attention to the small details and incorporating these meaningful songs into the wedding video will have a huge impact on your clients.
Musicbed has a wide selection of music tailored specifically for wedding video music licensing. You can find it using our search features, or even browse through one of our specially curated wedding playlists.
Wrapping up
Musicbed is an ideal solution for wedding videographers seeking high-quality, licensed music for their projects. With a catalog of over 60,000 songs from more than 1,500 artists, it offers an extensive selection that can be easily filtered by genre, mood, or instrument to match the tone of any wedding film.
We’ve simplified the wedding video music licensing process, ensuring videographers remain legally compliant while protecting their work from copyright issues. Offering both single-song licenses and affordable subscription plans, Musicbed ensures flexibility for videographers working on multiple projects, enabling you to elevate your wedding films with legally licensed, expertly curated music.
