Music greatly enhances most videos, and it can often make or break your production. Most music is copyrighted… and the more popular it is… the more you will pay in royalties to use it. If you don’t pay for usage rights, you could be sued. Furthermore, Youtube will restrict any video with copyrighted music… and they may also take away your entire Youtube channel. However, there are several ways to avoid all of this… from free… to costing thousands. Here are our suggestions:

1. Youtube has a free music library. You can upload your video to Youtube, select a music track from their library, and Youtube will automatically sync the music with the video. The drawback is, you don’t have much flexibility with how the music is used within the production. It’s either all or nothing. And if you want to add two different cuts of music to your production, forget it. A better solution is to download the music track, or tracks from Youtube, and edit the music into the video, exactly where you want it to be (Advanced Editing Skills Required).
2. Select your music from an online music library. There are many online music libraries to explore! This is commonly referred to as “canned” music. This method is probably the most effective and economical way to add music to your production. And it’s surprisingly easy and fun to search. Here are the steps to follow:
   • Search online for music libraries.
   • Search for the music you think will work best for your production.
   • Purchase the rights (usually $40 – $60 per song).
   • Download the music file.
   • Edit the music into the production (Advanced Editing Skills Required)
3. Commission music to be produced. The upfront can be expensive, but you own the rights. Search the web for a company that will handle writing the music, performing the music, and recording the music.  Have them produce various different versions, so you will have the flexibility to use your music in many different ways. You’ll want a :05, :10, :15, :30, and 1:00 version. If there are lyrics with the music, you will want a music-only track produced, as well.

Just like a lot of things… with music, you get what you pay for. If you are a start-up or new company, you should probably consider option #1 & #2. If you are a medium to large company, you should consider option #2 & #3.