12 Resources To Find Free Background Music For Your Videos

Adding background music to videos can elevate the production value and help set the mood and tone. However, finding good royalty-free music can be challenging, especially on a budget. This article will explore 12 great resources to find free background music for your videos.

Overview of Background Music

Background music, also known as stock music or production music, refers to pre-recorded music that can be licensed out for use in film, TV, advertising and other media projects.

Here are some key things to know about background music:

• Royalty-free – Royalty-free music can be used in return for a single flat fee. No ongoing royalties need to be paid.

• Copyright – Reputable stock music sites handle licensing so you can use the music legally in your projects.

• Mood Setting – Background music establishes mood, enhances emotion, and supports the visuals.

• Production Value – Quality background music instantly elevates production value.

• Editable – Stock music is designed to be easy to edit to fit your projects. Most tracks offer 30 sec, 60 sec and full length versions.

Challenges of Finding Background Music

For video creators and producers, finding the right background music can be frustrating. Here are some of the key challenges:

• Budget – Premium stock music sites are expensive. Subscription fees can run $200-500 per year. Individual track costs are $50-100+ each.

• Overused Tracks – Many budget sites feature the same tired, overused tracks. Your video risks sounding clichéd and amateurish.

• Limited Selection – Affordable stock music libraries often have a very narrow selection of tracks in only the most popular genres like corporate pop and electronica.

• Copyright Issues – Using copied or pirated music risks copyright strikes and legal issues.

• Editing Difficulties – Music that can‘t be edited or looped to fit your video can ruin your whole project timeline.

Thankfully, there are resources to find high quality, legal background music 100% free. Keep reading to discover the top 12 sites.

1. Artlist

Artlist is an excellent source for free stock music. They offer a sizable library of tracks across a wide variety of genres including cinematic, corporate, inspirational and more.

Artlist‘s music is top notch quality. All tracks are:

• Recorded in professional studios
• Mastered by Grammy Award winning engineers
• Available in lossless WAV format
• Cleared for commercial usage like YouTube videos

With Artlist‘s free account, you can download two tracks per month completely free. Paid plans unlock unlimited downloads starting at $199/year.

Key Features

• Over 1 million royalty-free tracks
• New music added daily
• Filter by genre, mood, keyword
• 30 sec previews of all songs
• Sort tracks by popularity

Artlist makes it easy to find the perfect background music for your videos. Sign up for a free account to claim your two free tracks per month.

2. Mixkit

Mixkit offers a library of over 350,000 high quality audio and video clips that are 100% free to download and use.

Their stock music collection features over 7,000 tracks in genres like cinematic, corporate, motivational and more. Everything is:

• Recorded in professional studios
• Mastered in lossless HD quality
• Cleared for commercial usage
• Easy to browse and filters like mood, genre and instrument

No account signup or attribution is required to start downloading. You have unlimited access to this expansive free library.

Key Features

• 7,000+ stock music tracks
• New music added weekly
• HD lossless quality
• Sort by mood, genre, instrument
• Completely free even for commercial use

For high quality tracks guaranteed to elevate your video production value, Mixkit is a fantastic resource.

3. Bensound

Bensound offers over 200 tracks of free stock music spanning cinematic, corporate, jazz and other popular genres.

While the library is not as massive as other options, the music quality is great. All Bensound tracks are:

• Professionally produced
• Available in HD WAV format
• Easy to browse by genre and mood

Bensound‘s licensing is very flexible. You can use tracks free for personal and commercial projects with simple attribution. Paid monthly subscriptions unlock attribution-free usage.

Key Features

• 200+ stock music tracks
• Cinematic, corporate, jazz genres
• HD WAV format
• Sort tracks by genre and mood
• Free personal and commercial usage with attribution

For creators needing quality cinematic tracks on a budget, Bensound hits the spot. Sign up for free to start downloading.

4. Free Stock Music

As the name suggests, Free Stock Music offers a library of legal stock music 100% free.

With over 200 tracks across corporate, inspirational and cinematic genres, it has all the essentials. Everything is:

• Professionally produced
• Available in lossless WAV quality
• Cleared for personal and commercial use
• Easy to filter by genre, instrument and mood

No signup is needed. Simply browse, preview and download any track you‘d like for free.

Key Features

• 200+ stock music tracks
• Corporate, cinematic, inspirational genres
• Lossless WAV quality
• Sort tracks by genre, instrument and mood
• Completely free including commercial usage

For a straightforward free stock music option, Free Stock Music hits the spot.

5. Free Music Archive

Free Music Archive offers a treasure trove of over 120,000 freely licensed tracks spanning all genres.

While not all tracks are cleared for commercial usage, it‘s easy to filter specifically for "YouTube Safe Tracks" approved for your videos. Everything is:

• Available in lossless WAV quality
• Easy to filter by genre, mood and license type
• Focused on independent artists – not corporate elevator music

No signup is required to start downloading free tracks for personal usage. Check each track‘s license for details on allowed commercial usage.

Key Features

• 120,000+ free stock music tracks
• All genres – rock, jazz, ambient, curated playlists
• Filter for "YouTube Safe Tracks"
• Lossless WAV quality
• Independent and vintage tracks

For a truly vast selection, Free Music Archive is a top choice. Easily filter it down to approved tracks for your YouTube videos.

6. AShamaluevMusic

AShamaluevMusic offers a library of over 300 high quality cinematic tracks available for free download.

The selection is specifically focused on cinematic background music perfect for YouTube videos and other projects. All tracks are:

• Professionally produced
• Available in lossless WAV format
• Cleared for all personal and commercial projects
• Easy to filter by genre and mood
• New tracks added weekly

No signup or attribution is required to start downloading. This is a straightforward, hassle-free resource for cinematic background music.

Key Features

• 300+ free cinematic tracks
• Updated with new music weekly
• Lossless WAV format
• Filter by genre and mood
• 100% cleared for any usage

For quick, legal access to cinematic music, AShamaluevMusic is a superb resource.

7. Silverman Sound

Silverman Sound offers a range of corporate, motivational and cinematic background music tracks 100% free.

While the library is on the smaller side, it focuses specifically on providing free tracks for video projects. All music is:

• Professionally recorded
• Available in lossless WAV quality
• Easy to browse by genre and mood
• Cleared for commercial usage with attribution

No signup is required. Find the perfect track for your project and download it instantly.

Key Features

• 100+ free background music tracks
• Corporate, cinematic and motivational genres
• Lossless WAV quality
• Filter by genre and mood
• Free for commercial use with attribution

For quick access to legal, quality background music, Silverman Sound hits the spot. Sign up now to start downloading.

8. Jamendo

Jamendo stands out for its massive library of over 500,000 tracks spanning every genre imaginable.

While not every track is cleared for commercial use, they make it easy to filter specifically for background music free to use on YouTube and monetized videos.

Jamendo is also a great platform to discover lesser known independent artists. All tracks are:

• Professionally recorded
• Available in MP3 320kbps or lossless FLAC
• Diverse catalog of highly reviewed independent artists
• Easy to filter specifically for YouTube background music

Simply create a free account to access this huge catalog and claim your licenses.

Key Features

• Over 500,000 tracks spanning all genres
• Find hidden gems from independent artists
• License tracks specifically for YouTube monetization
• MP3 320kbps and FLAC formats
• New music added daily

Jamendo is by far the largest free music resource if you take the time to narrow it down to approved YouTube tracks. The independent artists bring a unique sound compared to corporate stock music.

9. Pixabay

While known primarily for free photos and videos, Pixabay also offers an excellent collection of over 1000 free music tracks as well.

Pixabay‘s tracks are:

• Suitable as background music for videos
• Professionally produced
• Available in lossless quality up to 24-bit FLAC
• Cleared for all commercial and personal usage
• Easy to filter by mood and genre

No signup or attribution is required. Just browse, preview and download any track for 100% free usage.

Key Features

• 1,000+ background music tracks
• Lossless quality up to 24-bit FLAC
• Cleared for any usage without attribution
• Sort tracks by mood and genre
• Hand-picked selection of quality tracks

For completely hassle-free commercial usage, Pixabay‘s music library is a great pick.

10. Tunetank

Tunetank stands out as a music library built from the ground up specifically for content creators on platforms like YouTube.

With over 200 tracks across cinematic, electronic, ambient and other popular genres, everything is:

• Created by composers experienced in background music
• Available in lossless WAV format
• Optimized specifically for content creators
• Simple attribution license

Just enter your email address and download your first track free today.

Key Features

• 200+ tracks designed for content creators
• Cinematic, electronic, ambient genres
• Created specifically as background music for videos
• Lossless WAV quality
• Recurring free downloads after signup

If you‘re looking for music produced specifically as background tracks for videos, Tunetank is a superb pick.

11. Audionautix

Audionautix provides free music downloads created by composer Jason Shaw.

The library includes over 100 tracks across cinematic, electronic, jazz and other instrumental genres perfect for background music.

Audionautix music is:

• Composed and produced by experienced musicians
• Available in MP3 format up to 192kbps
• Easy to browse by genre and preview
• Free for commercial use by crediting the artist

No signup is required – just browse the genres and download any track you‘d like for free.

Key Features

• 100+ free background music tracks
• Cinematic, jazz, electronic genres
• MP3 format up to 192kbps
• Preview and download any track for free
• Free for commercial use with credit

For quick, legal access to quality instrumental tracks, Audionautix is a great pick.

12. Chosic

Chosic is home to over 15,000 free Creative Commons licensed music tracks ready to elevate your videos.

While the interface is a bit dated, it offers an enormous library of music including many hidden gems. Tracks are:

• Suitable for use as background music
• Available for direct download in MP3 format
• Easy to sort by genre, duration, instrument
• Filter for tracks requiring no attribution

No signup is needed to start browsing and downloading. This is an oldie but goodie free stock music resource.

Key Features

• 15,000+ free music tracks
• MP3 format with 192-320kbps bitrates
• No signup required
• Sort tracks in various ways like genre and mood
• Massive library of hidden gems

Don‘t let the dated interface fool you – dive into Chosic‘s catalog of free tracks waiting to be discovered.

Get the Right Music for Your Video

Adding background music can instantly amplify the quality of your video projects. With these 12 free stock music sites, you can source all the legal, high quality tracks you need without blowing your budget.

Remember to:

• Preview Tracks Extensively – test out candidates as actual background music with your visuals before committing.

• Check Licenses – while these tracks are free to download, review terms to ensure commercial usage rights for your particular project.

• Give Attribution – follow required attribution steps for the specific tracks you end up using.

Set the right tone and elevate your production value with a custom music score from these incredible free resources.