Every streamer knows how important background music can be. This goes for YouTube videos, Twitch streams, and TikToks alike – the right choice of background music can set the mood and the tone for a video. It’s also a somewhat complex production process involved in finding the right music and purchasing the rights to use it.
In this article, we’ll go over finding appropriate and affordable background music. There are plenty of online resources dedicated to it, and most of them are available even to smaller streamers.
Why Music Matters
Music plays a lot of roles during a stream. It sets the tone for the whole experience, and it fills the gaps that often arise in the course of the stream. A good piece of music could keep the audience hooked during transition moments.
The content without music can often feel flat or even unnerving. If the goal is for the stream to be immersive, music playing in the background should be chosen ahead of time so that it fits with the overall approach the streamer plans to take.
Understanding the Licensing Process
There are three main types of licensing that streamers should be aware of. These are divided based on the obligations the streamers have when they purchase and use a piece of music.
- Royalty-free Music. This is music that streamers buy once and then have the right to use in perpetuity, as well as cut it and use portions of it.
- Creative Commons. This is a term used for music that’s free to use, though you may be obligated to attribute it to those who have exclusive rights to it – usually to the artists who made it. In some cases, creative commons means that the music can only be used for non-commercial purposes.
- Public domain music. This refers to the music which is completely free to use by anyone with no restrictions.
Streaming sites such as Twitch and YouTube have algorithms put in place to recognize music content and to attribute it to its rightful owners. This is done automatically even though there’s an appeal process for streamers to argue their case if they’ve used content they don’t have the license to use.
What’s Affordable?
Obviously, what’s affordable depends on numerous factors, including the size of the streaming audience, the budget a streamer has to use, and which piece of media they are purchasing. Now, when almost everyone can easily learn how to buy Cardino or any other crypto available online, there are also many ways to finance such purchases. Buying a license for a piece of music with crypto utilizes smart contracts and, therefore, provides ways to gain access to music and share it instantly as payments are made. It also makes it easier to share ownership over a license with other creators.
It’s also important to note that there are a few ways to gain access to a license over a piece of music:
- Some platforms provide a subscription-based service, where the payments are renewed each month, and the streamer loses the license if they don’t pay for a subscription.
- Other platforms allow users to purchase a right to use the content with a single payment.
- Use of some background music is free.
Platform-Specific Recommendations
Each streaming platform has its own rules, even though all of them are based on the same legal framework. For instance, Twitch is known for being very strict. Even background music used in the game itself can be used as a cause to strike the content down. YouTube is more lenient, meaning that it won’t take the video down for a copyright infraction, but it will demonetize it. Facebook Live is known for muting videos that don’t have the right to music playing in the background.
The best way to avoid licensing issues is to have the right to the music you’re using and to follow the rules set by the platform.
How to Choose the Right Music
Choosing the right music isn’t only a matter of finding a piece of content that you could license. It’s also a creative choice that the streamer has to make alongside producing the rest of their content.
It helps to choose a loopable track that can keep playing in the background. The repeats will be seamless, and it won’t break the mood by suddenly ending.
Many streamers also forget to choose the right volume for their background music. It shouldn’t overpower the game or the voiceover, which are the main features.
Sticking to a genre helps provide consistency. This is especially important for streamers who are just getting started and are working on creating their brand. Working within a single genre provides a variety of music to choose from while still creating an identity.
Match the style of music you plan to add to the background to your overall sense of style and presentation. For instance, upbeat music works well for gaming streamers since it keeps the audience engaged. Lo-fi music, on the other hand, works better for live hangout sessions.
Even though consistency is important and helps to create an aesthetic, there’s nothing wrong with mixing things up every once in a while in order to keep your streaming content fresh and engaging. Work on creating a playlist that will slowly include new music.
Conclusion
Background music can make all the difference when streaming content online. It’s essential to choose the right music in terms of genre, volume, and tone of the video. It’s equally important for the streamer to have the right to use the music and, therefore, avoid copyright issues.
Most streaming platforms have algorithms in place to prevent streamers from using music without having the license to do so. Licenses for using music online can be purchased via a single payment or as a subscription, and there’s music that’s free to use. With the use of crypto payments, streamers are able to make these purchases using smart contracts and, therefore, often share ownership of it.