Video production can cover anything from film to advertising, TV shows to YouTube videos.

Whatever you’re creating, the right music will ensure that your content stands out in an increasingly crowded market.

Here’s our guide to all the ins and outs of choosing, using and licensing the best music for video editing.

Get Started: The Best Background Music Tracks for Video

‘Slow Landing’ by Dan Skinner & Adam Skinner

‘Apprehension’ by Richard Lacy

‘Market Chase’ by Jordan Gagne

‘Jungle Trek’ by James Brett

What feels criminal but isn’t? Producing a video without music. Seriously, unless you’re responsible for a dry and sarcastic production, à la The Office, it’s paramount that you accompany your recorded footage with a soundtrack.

As for the kind of music you pick, well, that all depends on the concept and purpose of your project. Of course, a feature film that pivots around a haunted mansion will require a different kind of soundtrack to a 30-second ad promoting a new flavour of Coca-Cola. 

To find out everything you could possibly want to know about music for videos – from where to get music for videos to playlists of music for videos – we suggest you keep scrolling. 

Music For Videos

• Where to Get Music For Videos 
• Why Does Good Music For Videos Benefit Content Creators?
• How to Choose the Best Background Music For Your Video 
• Music For Film 
• Music For Advertising
• Music For TV Shows
• Music For YouTube Videos
• Popular Music For Video Playlists
• Why Do I Need Music For My Video?
• Music Rights and Music Royalties
• How to License Music For Video: Audio Network’s Licence Model
• The Edit: Inspiration

Where to Get Music For Videos

Where can you get your hands on the best background music for videos? Here at Audio Network!

We’ve got good music for videos in abundance. From happy music to mysterious music to vintage music – you name it, we’ve got it. Not sure where to start? Most begin by exploring our playlists.

Why Does Good Music For Videos Benefit Content Creators?

Music is usually one of the most memorable elements of a video – examples that spring to mind are Michael Giacchino’s Inside Out soundtrack, the main theme of Game of Thrones and Cadbury’s use of Phil Collins’ ‘In The Air Tonight’ for their gorilla advertisement.

Get the music right, and viewers will find it hard to shake your project from their heads. 

How to Choose the Best Background Music for Your Video

• First, what purpose is the music serving in your video? Is it subtle background music, or is it driving the content?
• Ie, do you need music with an ambient feel, or a track that’s more dynamic? Bear in mind that if the music is designed to be in the background, but your viewer notices it too much, it could distract from your content
• An alternative editing technique is to music to ‘top and tail’ the video. By featuring the music more at the start and finish, it can provide a more polished finish. You can also foreground the music at particular points, if you need to divide the video into segments, change the pace or increase the emotion
• What’s your budget? If you’re going to be using a lot of background music in your videos, it’s worth looking into a subscription to a music library, rather than paying for individual tracks

Music For Film 

The best films have the best soundtracks. Period.

From future classic The Batman to cult classic Blade Runner and animated classic Up, there really is nothing quite like a film complete with extraordinary music. 

What type of music should you pair with your film? Something cinematic should never let you down. But, really, you should be considering your story when selecting your songs.

Is it a love tale you’re telling? Opt for something romantic. Does the narrative build towards a sad ending? Maybe something sombre is most suitable. Is the main character a sax player? Perhaps our jazz playlist is where you’ll come across songs for your soundtrack. 

Read more about music for film. 

Music For Advertising 

Ever catch yourself randomly singing the Sheilas' Wheels tune? Or reminiscing about the time you first witnessed Beyoncé singing ‘Moon River’ in the Tiffany and Co. 2021 commercial?

It just goes to show that there’s power in including unforgettable music in your adverts. 

To find the right song for your advert, you must bear two things in mind: the vibe you're going for and the product or service you’re trying to promote.

Say you’re looking to advertise a new cajun flavoured snack for a Southern American brand, it may make sense to opt for a bluesy, jazzy track redolent of New Orleans.

On the other side of the spectrum, a family solicitors firm creating an information-heavy ad is likely to select a song from a fresh and factual album. 

Read more about music for advertising. 

Music For TV Shows

That moment when your favourite television series finally returns to screens, ushered in by that all so familiar theme tune, is a moment that’s hard to beat.

Seriously – we get goosebumps every time we hear the main themes of the likes of Westworld, The Apprentice and The Good Place.

Evidently, it’s worth spending time contemplating which songs are powerful enough to encapsulate the essence of your entire series. 

How do television producers go about deciding on the soundtrack to their show?

Well, they usually collaborate with a composer, like the ones that contribute to our catalogue, asking them to take inspiration from the overarching themes of the show.

A show that revolves around an unexpected death may be paired with music redolent of classic murder mysteries, whereas a reality series may be soundtracked by upbeat lifestyle music. 

Read more about music for TV shows.

Music For YouTube Videos

It’s easy to instantly enhance a YouTube video by adding an alluring composition to your video, no matter what kind of content creator you are.

From fashion to travel, cooking to comedy, all vlogs deserve to be paired with high-quality music. 

A YouTuber will usually use similar songs in all of their videos so that their viewers become hooked on the atmosphere their channel offers.

For instance, a vlogger who focuses on cleaning and tidying tips may regularly opt for relaxing tracks to create a soothing ambience, whilst a tech vlogger may constantly aim to trigger nostalgia by starting their videos with a very-80s synthwave song.

Read more about music for YouTube videos.

Popular Music For Videos Playlists

As mentioned above, one of the easiest ways to find good background music for videos is by exploring songs via music genres. Allow us to acquaint you with four of our best-loved music genre playlists.

Hip Hop & R&B

Hip Hop and R&B music comes in all kinds of flavours – from sexy to soulful to pensive to party – which explains why the genre pops up in a range of video productions: the opportunities are limitless.

Spotlight track: Right now, we’re enjoying the sounds of Zaide, Davanport and Bowen’s ‘Honey Love’. Why has this particular song got us in a chokehold? It sounds like what we imagine a Lauryn Hill x Cardi B collaboration would deliver. 

Epic Orchestral

We live in a time where it’s hard to witness a blockbuster that isn’t soundtracked by an epic orchestral music track. It’s as though every young composer once looked to John Williams as their role model.

Well, if you think about it, they probably did. Not that we’re complaining: musical drama only adds to the viewing experience. 

Spotlight track: Terry Devine-King’s ‘Solar Orbiter’ takes the listener on a trip across the universe. Almighty percussion and rising strings conjure up thoughts of unexplored territories and natural phenomena.

Pop

Pop music deserves a place in every video project you’re working on as it’s the genre that pleases the most people. It’s music that’s easy to love and hard to hate – a fluid genre that changes with people’s preferences. 

Spotlight track: The pop track we’re loving right now is Matt Goodman’s ‘Wear The Crown’, a track that lives both in our mainstream pop playlist and in our minds. Excuse as we listen to it again for the billionth time. 

Keen to work your way through more of our music? Check out our new releases and commercial releases playlists. 

Jazz

Jazz is the musical equivalent of a fireplace – it’s warm, comforting and, we’ve got to say it, fiery. It’s a living, breathing genre that’s unpredictable and intimate. Bearing all this in mind, it’s no surprise that jazz is a popular video accompaniment.

Spotlight track: Jason Rebello’s ‘Late Night Mellow’ transports the listener to the finest table in a New York jazz club. It’s a smooth and spicy piano solo that goes down like a cinnamon whisky cocktail. 

Why Do I Need Music For My Video?

Without music, a video can lack depth and character. The very idea of sitting through a three-hour-long superhero flick or engaging in a fantasy series that eschews music sounds depressing.

Just imagine a songless Guardians of the Galaxy flick, or an episode of The Witcher stripped of its soundtrack. Dull, right?

By adding music to your video production, you aid the viewer as they immerse themselves in the narrative.

Music tells them how to feel, which characters to trust, what to expect next and a whole lot more. Think of music as the viewer’s companion as they journey through the story.

Music Rights & Music Royalties

It’s paramount that a creative considers music rights and music royalties when it comes to incorporating music into their project as there can be grave consequences if they do not abide by copyright law.

Essentially, the creative needs to acquire a licence for any music they use in their project before it's released to the public. That’s unless, of course, it’s an original piece of music. 

To discover everything you need to know about music rights and music licensing, hit the respective links. 

Stock Music For Video

If you’re nervous of falling foul of YouTube’s Content ID system, which can see your video blocked or taken down if you’ve used a copyright-protected track without permission, then you can search YouTube’s Music Policies section, where you’ll find a list of popular tracks, and details on whether or not you can use them.

How to Licence Music For Video: Audio Network’s Licence Model

Audio Network strives to make music licensing as simple as possible by providing producers with clear options that cover all grounds.

From single-track licences to subscriptions that allow you to shop our catalogue without having to worry about obtaining a licence, we have options for every type of creator and business. 

Find out more over on our music licensing page. 

Audio Network’s search tools enable you to filter based on musical style, mood or emotion, instrumentation, genres such as action, comedy, horror and documentary and even by bpm.

We hand-pick playlists every month to help you to find the background music you need, from our catalogue over 175,000 tracks.

Here’s a selection of our most popular categories:

Music for Video Production

Find the perfect background music for videos with our category playlists. Showcase tutorials, lookbooks or hauls with our Fashion and Beauty selections. We’ve got an expert menu of bright, fun tracks for recipes and demonstrations in our Food category.

Up the ante on Gaming videos with everything from the epic to the eerie. Parenting vloggers can take their pick of our cheerful songs, while Travel experts can go globetrotting without setting foot outside. Choose from swinging Parisian jazz or get your Om on with a spiritual sitar sound.

Chilled-Out Background Music for Video

Take it easy with our curated playlist of chilled-out tracks, featuring plenty of dreamy, ambient, laid-back lo-fi.

Corporate Background Music

Whether it’s for explainer videos, brand presentations, or a soundtrack to your conference sizzle reel, we have a mass of pumping, powerful, uplifting tracks to motivate, inspire and engage your viewers. 

Orchestral Background Music

Audio Network’s Classical Collection has been arranged, recorded and edited specifically for media use.

Each collection of tracks includes a huge variety of edits and cut-downs. We’ve looked at the classical favourites through an editor’s eye, to make it easier than ever to incorporate fantastic instrumental background music for video.

American Background Music

The US is home to a huge range of music styles, from the Blues to Nashville-based, pedal steel-infused Country Rock.

Go back to the dawn of rock and roll to sample some Rockabilly, or jump on your Harley and embrace your inner rebel with our Rock list.

Hip Hop Background Music

The Beats Series is your go-to source for the ultimate collection of hip hop – from the East Coast to the West Coast, trap to UK grime.

Divided into six different playlists, the series expertly covers production types such as ‘Sports’ and ‘Party’, together with staples from sub-genres including UK hip hop and grime, trap and classic sounds.

Indie Background Music

From indie rock to indie reggae, fresh cuts to old favourites, catchy hooks, guitars and vocals all feature on this eclectic playlist.  

If you need seasonal background music, we have dedicated playlists, plus gorgeous romantic tracks for Valentine’s Day.

Summer Background Music

Looking for a track to create that Route 66 road trip vibe? Or the ideal backdrop to a poolside scene? Or maybe to give the stifling feel of summer in the city or the dry heat of the desert.

Check out our hand-picked playlist of sun-drenched sounds.

Christmas Background Music

Bring festive cheer to your videos with our Christmas collections.

Innocent nostalgia, heartwarming big band, stunning orchestral arrangements of traditional classics, rock & roll to RnB, traditional and contemporary.

Our Christmas catalogue has a full spectrum of sounds and songs for the holiday period.

The Edit: Inspiration

Now that you’ve learnt everything you need to know about music for videos, it’s time to source some inspiration for your next project. Look no further than the inspiration tab in our content feed, The Edit.

Here, you will find an abundance of articles that take a look at some of the greatest examples of music in videos – from the best environmental ads to the best hip hop movies to Suicide Squad soundtracks: songs from both films. There really is something for everyone.

 

This page was originally published 21/08/2015 and updated 31/03/2022