Podcast Music: Best Places to Get Them for FREE

Wouldn’t it be great if you can use your favorite song as your podcast’s outro, intro, or background music? In a perfect world, it is allowed! However, in real life, music licensing and copyright laws make using awesome music a little challenging to navigate.

Music You Can Use

Since most music is subject to copyright, artists protect their music and get just compensation each time it’s used. Let’s get something straight: using copyrighted music on your podcast is illegal. You might be able to get away with doing so for a while but eventually, someone will call you out for it.

Most record companies have a team of lawyers that track down individuals who violate copyright laws. They can have your podcast taken down or in worst case scenarios, sue you for violation. Fortunately, there are still music you can use that won’t get you into any legal trouble.

Creative Commons Music

Creative Commons music gives artists the opportunity to share their compositions with the world absolutely free. While Creative Commons licenses can come in all varieties, they often allow people to use a piece of music without asking permission, provided they give the artist credit.

Public Domain Music

A song’s copyright will eventually expire. When it does, the track will become part of the public domain where anyone can use it however they want. Many older music like classics as well as some old children’s songs now belong to the public domain.

Royalty-Free Music

As the name implies, royalty-free music means you are not required to pay any royalties to the artist each time the music is used. Creative Commons music is an example of royalty-free music. Royalty-free music can also include songs that need a subscription or those that require a one-time payment.

Podsafe Music Resources

It is reassuring to know there’s no shortage of awesome podsafe music resources you have access to. All the resources below are considered safe. However, we strongly recommend that you read the terms and service for each song as licenses can vary.

• Pixabay (copyright stock music provided by a community of creators)
• YouTube Audio Library (Vast selection of royalty-free music)
• Incompetech (Plenty of tracks created by solo artist Kevin MacLeod)
• 909 Music on Soundcloud (Cutting-edge and modern songs)
• The Free Music Archive (Free and vast music library for podcasters)
• CCMixter (Community music remixing site)
• Musopen (Classical music tracks)

Common Misconceptions About Copyrighted Music Debunked!

There is no way to get around using your favorite music under the radar. So, yes, don’t even think about it. Below are other prevalent myths about copyrighted music and the truths behind them:

Myth 01: It’s okay to use any music as long as you’re not making money off it.

Truth: The copyright law still applies even if you have a small podcast and have no plans of monetising it.

Myth 02: It’s okay to use any music under “fair use.”

Truth: Although fair use is a legitimate defense to use copyrighted material in some instances, a copyrighted song cannot be used with the intent to claim fair use.

Myth 03: As long as attribution is given, the artist will understand.

Giving the artist credit won’t exempt you from the copyright law.

Over to You

Evidently, there’s no shortage of copyright music you can use. As long as you put in the work, it won’t be long until you find the perfect song that will truly embody what your podcast is all about.

Have you found the perfect song for your podcast? Let us know in the comment section below!