What is Royalty-Free Music?
Royalty-free music refers to a type of music licensing that allows the purchaser (or user, if the track is free) to pay for the music license only once and use the music for as long as desired. You don't have to pay ongoing royalties to the creator each time the video is played or monetized.
It is a common misconception that "royalty-free" means "free of cost." While many platforms offer free royalty-free music (often under Creative Commons licenses), premium platforms charge a one-time fee or a monthly subscription for access to higher-quality, exclusive libraries.
Copyright Strikes vs. Content ID Claims
Copyright Strike
A strike occurs when a copyright owner submits a complete and valid legal takedown request for using their music without permission.
- Your video is completely removed from YouTube.
- Your channel loses certain privileges.
- Getting 3 strikes within 90 days results in permanent channel termination.
Content ID Claim
A claim is generated automatically by YouTube's Content ID system when it detects matching copyrighted music in your upload.
- The video usually remains live on your channel.
- The copyright owner can choose to monetize your video (running ads on it) or block it in certain regions.
- It does NOT result in a channel strike.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to credit the artist?
It depends on the license. If the music is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY), you MUST provide credit in your video description exactly as the creator requests. If you purchase a license from a site like Epidemic Sound or Artlist, attribution is generally not required.
Can I use Spotify or Apple Music tracks in my videos?
No. A subscription to a streaming service only grants you the right to listen to the music for personal, non-commercial use. It does not grant you the synchronization rights needed to pair that music with video and distribute it on YouTube.
What is the safest source for free music on YouTube?
The safest source is the official YouTube Audio Library, accessible from inside your YouTube Studio. All tracks there are guaranteed to be safe for monetization, and you can easily filter for tracks that do or do not require attribution.