How do you put background music on a video?

Adding background music to videos is a great way to enhance the viewing experience. Music can help set the mood, tone, and energy of a video. It also fills in quiet moments and keeps viewers engaged. There are several reasons why someone may want to add background music to their videos:

Makes the video more interesting and entertaining
Avoids long silent gaps

Creates an emotional impact
Sets the tone or feel of the video
Makes amateur video look more professional

Covers up unwanted noises
Improves storytelling
Engages viewers and keeps them watching

There are a few different ways people can add background music to their videos. The easiest options are using stock music sites, YouTube’s audio library, mobile apps, online tools, or software on your computer. You can also purchase and download music files to upload into your video editing program. We’ll explore these various methods in more detail throughout this article.

Choose Music

When adding background music to a video, you’ll need to decide whether to use royalty-free or copyrighted music. Royalty-free music can be used in videos without needing to pay royalties or licensing fees. Many stock music sites offer a wide selection of royalty-free songs and instrumental tracks that are safe to use (cite source). Copyrighted music typically requires licensing and permissions from the rights holders. If you don’t have the rights, using copyrighted music could lead to copyright claims and your video being taken down.

Pick music that matches the overall tone and genre of your video. Upbeat, energetic music works well for fast-paced videos, while slower emotional tracks fit better for serious or somber content. Research shows background music can positively impact learning and productivity if it aligns with the video style and intended effect (cite source). Listen to music options and choose ones that won’t be distracting but will complement the visuals.

Use Stock Music Sites

There are many stock music sites that offer high-quality, royalty-free background music for videos. Some popular options include:

Epidemic Sound – With over 30,000 tracks, Epidemic Sound is one of the largest providers of royalty-free music. Licensing starts at $15/month. You can browse by genre, mood, instrumentation, duration, and more. Downloading tracks is easy once licensed.

Artlist – Artlist offers unlimited downloads from a library of over 1 million royalty-free songs, sound effects, and loops. Licensing plans start at $199/year. The site makes finding the perfect track easy with options to filter by mood, genre, keyword, and more.

These sites allow you to legally use background music in your videos without worrying about copyright claims. Make sure to read the licensing terms to understand usage rights. With the right subscription plan, you can download high-quality tracks to use in your next video project.

YouTube Audio Library

YouTube provides the YouTube Audio Library, a free resource with a wide variety of royalty-free music and sound effects that you can use in your videos. The Audio Library has over 200,000 tracks that you can download and use for free.

To find music in the Audio Library, go to the YouTube Audio Library website and use the search bar to look for specific genres, artists, or tracks. You can also filter your search by duration, mood, instruments, and more. When you find a track you like, you can preview the audio, add it to playlists, or download it directly.

Downloaded tracks can be uploaded into your video editing software. The Audio Library allows monetization on YouTube, but you must credit the artist and track in the video description. Downloaded tracks can also be used commercially off of YouTube. This makes the Audio Library a great free option for content creators looking for background music.

Apps and Software

There are many user-friendly software options that make it easy to add background music to videos. Two popular free video editing tools are iMovie for Mac users and Windows Movie Maker for PC users. Both of these apps have music features that let you add audio tracks to video clips.

iMovie comes pre-installed on Mac computers and iOS devices. It has a built-in music library with dozens of songs and themes to choose from. You can browse by genre, mood, and duration to find the perfect background track. Once imported, the music can be edited on a timeline and faded in and out as needed. iMovie also lets you record voiceovers while background music plays.

Windows Movie Maker has a similar drag-and-drop interface for adding music files from your computer. It features tools to trim audio clips, adjust volume, and mix and match multiple tracks. The app also includes a small selection of free music that can be downloaded from within the program. When finished, the video can be exported directly to YouTube or other platforms.

For advanced video projects, more robust paid software like Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, or CyberLink PowerDirector provide professional-grade audio editing tools. But for basic video projects, the built-in music options in iMovie or Windows Movie Maker offer an easy way to add background audio.

Online Tools

There are many popular online tools and apps that allow you to easily add background music to videos. Two of the most popular are Vimeo and Animoto. These sites have built-in options that make adding a soundtrack simple.

Vimeo has a large library of royalty-free music that you can browse to find the perfect background track for your video. When uploading your video, you can select a music track and Vimeo will automatically sync it to the length of your video. You can adjust the volume and tweaking the timing as needed.

Animoto also has a music library with a wide selection of songs and instrumental tracks to choose from. When creating your video, you can drag and drop a music clip onto the timeline. Animoto will mix and match the music to fit with your video content seamlessly.

The built-in music options on sites like Vimeo and Animoto provide a straightforward way to add background audio to enhance your videos.

Upload and Edit Music in Video Editors

Once you’ve selected the music tracks to use, it’s time to import them into your video editing software and make adjustments. Here are some tips for smoothly incorporating music:

Import the music file into your video editor, either by dragging and dropping or using the import function. Make sure it is added to the timeline as a separate audio track.

Trim the music track as needed so it matches the length of your video. Use the razor tool to slice the music at the precise start and end points.

Use volume envelopes or keyframes to lower the music under important dialogue, or to gradually fade it in and out. Many editors let you draw volume shapes to automate levels over time.

Add crossfades of around 1-2 seconds between music tracks to smoothly transition from one song to another. Overlap them slightly and use a fade curve for a seamless blend.

Add additional music tracks for layering different elements like melodies, rhythms, and ambient pads. Adjust volumes individually and pan tracks to spread them across the stereo field.

Equalize the music to carve tonal areas for vocals to cut through more clearly. Sidechain compression can also help music duck under dialogue when needed.

With careful editing, you can make the music ebb and flow to match the energy of the visuals. Keep levels consistent across cuts and scenes for a polished end result.

Avoid Copyright Issues

When choosing background music for your YouTube videos, it’s crucial to avoid copyright violations. YouTube’s Content ID system actively scans for copyrighted material, and using unlicensed music can lead to video muting, blocking or monetization of your content by the rights holder.

YouTube receives over 500 hours of video uploaded every minute. With such a massive amount of content, their automated systems are constantly looking for copyright infringements. If you use a popular song without permission, there’s a good chance YouTube’s bots will catch it. This can lead to your video being taken down or you receiving a copyright strike.

Three copyright strikes will lead to your channel being permanently deleted by YouTube. Even one strike can restrict your account features like live streaming. It’s not worth the risk of losing your channel over background music. Always use legally licensed tunes or stick to YouTube’s Audio Library of free tracks.

Credit the Music

When using royalty-free or Creative Commons licensed music, it’s important to properly attribute the artist and source. According to the Creative Commons website, attribution for CC licensed works should include:

Title of the work
Author or artist name
Source or website it was obtained from

License – specify it is CC licensed and include a link to the specific license

Proper attribution is important for several reasons:

It’s legally required for CC licensed works. Failing to provide attribution could constitute copyright infringement.

It gives credit to the musician/artist for their work.
It allows viewers to find and access the original work if they want.
It shows you respect copyright law and the terms of use for the music.

Attribution is usually included in the video description, but can also be shown in credits at the end of the video. Use services like YouTube’s Audio Library to easily find music that is pre-cleared for use on YouTube with attribution.

Conclusion

Adding background music to your videos can elevate them from good to great by enhancing the mood and emotion. In this guide we covered the main ways to source and add background music to videos, including using stock music sites like AudioJungle and Free Music Archive, utilizing YouTube’s Audio Library, and leveraging media editing apps and tools to import tracks.

The key is choosing music that complements your visuals and message. Opt for instrumental tracks without lyrics, and pick a song that matches the tone and pace of your video. Stay mindful of copyrights and properly credit any music used. With the right background audio, you can take your videos to the next level.