5 Free Music For Commercial Use Resources

Music can be a game-changer for creating online visual content for your brand. But where can you find music available for commercial use?

More specifically, where can you get it for free?

Before we dive into the resources available, let’s talk about commercial use.

When you’re wondering whether something counts as commercial use, think about whether you’re using it for your business. If what you’re creating is for your brand in any way, then it’s probably for commercial use.

For use directly connected to making a profit, it’s almost definitely commercial.

If you’re getting the word out or are marketing your business without directly making money on the content, it’s still best to err on the side of caution and treat it as commercial.

Using someone’s music or art without express permission can result in a cease and desist—or worse.

Free Music for Commercial Use Resources

Free music for commercial use does exist—even on reputable websites. Whether you’re looking for instrumental pieces to play in the background of your next explainer video or you need some hot sounds for your social media campaigns, there are lots of great resources to choose from.

How Can I Use Free Music for Commercial Use?

Music can be a great addition to online marketing efforts—but how you can use the music depends on the owner of the tunes. We will talk about the variances below, but be sure to do your research on the site you are interested in downloading music from to be sure you’re within their parameters in your use.

Just because music is free doesn’t mean there won’t be attribution requirements. Think of attribution as your nod to this music’s creators or distributors. Check carefully to see how each site requires credit for the song— this is often with a link in your video description or caption.

In addition, free does not necessarily mean unlimited use. For instance, some places may allow for remixing or adding lyrics, while others may not. Check the licensing agreements on each website.

Is There Really “Free” Music for Commercial Use Available?

Sometimes free music for commercial use is entirely free. Other times, you need to pay a subscription fee to access some or all of the content.

The subscription often opens more opportunities for use or may give you a more extensive library to choose from.

Others have genuinely free music, but usage may still be limited–so be sure to look at the fine print.

Royalty-Free Vs. Free Music for Commercial Use

As you’re looking for free music for commercial use, remember “free” isn’t the same as “royalty-free.”

Royalty-free means you aren’t obligated to pay a royalty fee to the music’s creators. But, use is still restricted to certain formats, amounts of usage, etc.