Copyright law was not invented in vain. For wedding films, it protects the intellectual rights of the artist who made the original recording of your soundtrack.

Making music is also a job for which the author wants to get paid. Using music in wedding films without permission is almost the same as stealing the artist’s work.

There are several reasons to use only legal music for videos. First, you could face fines or legal problems if you don’t get the right license before using the music. In addition, videos with unlicensed music could be quickly removed from platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram. If your clients would like to share their wedding videos online, it’s important to make sure that any music used is properly licensed.

Types of music licenses

There is no universal type of license that can be suitable for all videographers and content creators. The licenses differ depending on how and what you plan to use the music and what you use it for. Today we will talk about the most widespread options.

Royalty-Free Music

Royalty-free music, or royalty-free licensing, means you can use music in your commercial content, YouTube videos, Twitch streams, and more without worrying about legal issues. Simply put, you don’t have to pay royalties to use a royalty-free song every time it is featured in your videos.

Usually, popular music sites or platforms ask you to pay once and will grant you lifetime access to their music. Also, there are music platforms offering stock music that you can use in your videos for free or nearly free.

Creative Commons Music License

If you plan to use music for creative purposes — for example, in your wedding films — then you should consider this type of license. It gives permission to use music in any kind of wedding day or wedding-themed videography or slideshow video montage.

The difference between a wedding music license and others is that you will not be able to use that music in other videos, including commercial ones.

This is exactly the kind of license that we offer our clients so that they or newlyweds can upload their wedding films on their social media or other websites.

Commercial Music License

Unlike the previous option, this type of license allows the use of music for commercial purposes. That is, you can add it to the videos whose ultimate goal is to increase sales.

It’s also possible to add music with this license to any studio films, streaming advertisements, personal films, internal communications, and other commercial ventures..

The best music licensing platforms for wedding videography

When we figured out what licenses are, let’s discuss where to find music. Years ago, to use music for creative purposes, you had to interact with the label, the songwriters, the artists, and the publisher. Now, with the advent of music licensing companies, everything is much easier. These companies have started creating music libraries where you can choose songs and get a license within minutes.

So, among all the existing music libraries, we would like to highlight the following:

1. Musicbed

Musicbed

Musicbed is a Texas-based company that specializes in licensing the commercial use of independent artists’ music. It was founded in 2011, which made it one of the first services to appear on the market. The company has served more than 170,000 clients, including well-known names like Sony, Amazon, and Netflix. Everything Musicbed licenses is of exceptionally high quality, and this is the main advantage for creators.

2. Audiio

Audiio

Audiio is an exciting, fairly new online music licensing library. The company has offices in Delaware and Tennessee and has attracted some serious music talents, independent artists, and commercial composers to its platform. Audiio offers an annual subscription to its music and SFX library and also provides lifetime membership packages. However, canceling your subscription will allow you to continue using the tracks you have already downloaded.

3. Soundstripe

Soundstripe

Soundstripe is one of the best services for finding and licensing free music online without overpaying per song. The price for an annual subscription is quite reasonable, and their background music library consists of quality content that suits all genres and moods. Soundstripe is great for wedding videographers who want quality, royalty-free music libraries without spending a ton of money.

4. Artlist

Artlist

Artlist is a stock music service offering a huge library of free tracks and sound effects that can be licensed for all types of video projects. The main goal of this company is to provide high-quality sound for creators of all levels. This company aims to bridge the gap between low-quality, cheap music sites and expensive, high-tier services.

5. Envato Elements

Envato Elements

Envato Elements is a great value for the money. This site combines affordable prices, a good selection of music, the ability to easily cancel a subscription, and reasonable licensing terms. This service does not limit the number of products you can use during the year, which sets it apart from its competitors.

6. AudioJungle

AudioJungle

AudioJungle is a royalty-free music website created in 2008 and is a part of the Envato Market. This service offers a fairly large selection of music and sound effects. Users can filter music by genre, mood, BPM (beats for minute), price, or tempo. In addition, AudioJungle provides weekly and yearly lists of the top-selling songs in every genre.

We work with the first two music platforms: Musicbed and Audiio. So, we license all songs that our editors use in wedding films. These music libraries are quite large, and you can find songs for any musical taste there.

However, if you want a song that is not presented on Musicbed or Audiio and you are using a different music library where you paid for the licensing, we will use it in your wedding video without any problem.

Pros and cons of stock music

Stock music represents the largest segment of the music licensing market. The advantages of this type are the availability in all styles and, most importantly, low price. For up to $50, you will receive a song for your videos. Sometimes inexpensive access to music is the only way to meet the budget.

The downside is that it’s often pretty standard music that doesn’t have a lot of artistic emotion. And if you find a great song, chances are high that it’s already been used thousands of times in other films. 

FAQ

How to use copyrighted music on Facebook/Instagram legally?

To avoid legal issues and copyright infringement when using copyrighted music, you will need to obtain permission to use the music directly from the copyright holder. Keep in mind that there is often more than one copyright holder for a song. Music libraries like Musicbed and Audiio can be a great solution to this issue.

How to use copyrighted music on YouTube legally?

Just as with Facebook/Instagram, if you want to legally use copyrighted music on YouTube, you need to get permission from the original creator or use music platforms like Musicbed and Audiio.

Can I use copyrighted music if I give a credit?

As a general rule, you must always obtain permission from the owner before using their music. Simply crediting the author will not save you from copyright infringement, especially since the author may not be the copyright owner. Getting licenses and songs from music libraries like Musicbed and Audiio will help.

How much does it cost to license a song?

The cost of a license for a copyrighted song can vary greatly. A song by an unknown, independent artist can cost less than $100, while a track by a major artist or label can cost tens of thousands of dollars. But when you use Musicbed or other similar platforms, you can pay for the subscription and use songs you like more affordably and without the likelihood of facing legal issues.