Royalty-free music has become quite the buzzword in a lot of productions, especially when it comes to low-budget projects. Indeed, today’s filmmakers depend on these easy-to-access tracks for their productions. Despite its popularity, though, not everyone knows where the idea of royalty-free music started. On top of that, some have the wrong idea about what it truly is.

1. The Videographer’s
Essential Guide to Royalty-
Free Music
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2. Royalty-free music has become quite the buzzword in a lot of productions, especially when it comes to low-budget
projects. Indeed, today’s filmmakers depend on these easy-to-access tracks for their productions.
Despite its popularity, though, not everyone knows where the idea of royalty-free music started. On top of that,
some have the wrong idea about what it truly is.
A Brief History
Royalty-free music stemmed from the need to reduce
production costs for both television and film. Although
the term may sound new to some, such deals on
production music have been in place for decades now.
Background music, needle drops, music libraries—all
these terms are close synonyms of royalty-free music.
Put simply, it indicates that the production house can
acquire the right to use a particular track or album for
use in a production—film, television, or online video.
In the past, the only way to enjoy music was through
live performances. It was only after the invention of
early phonographs that recorded audio became a
reality.Soon after, film production zoomed in
popularity. Early films did not have soundtracks yet;
instead, live piano performers played simultaneously
with the movie. With the availability of recording
devices, the soundtrack became an essential part of
every film.
Over time, production became a serious—and
expensive—business, with licences for certain songs
costing thousands of dollars. This is when royalty-free
music started serving as a good alternative to lower
overall production costs.

3. c
Misconceptions and Clarifications
Despite being commonplace, the idea of “royalty-free” music still confuses many. For some, the idea of
royalty-free music means there is no need to pay for a particular track. Some insist royalty-free tracks are the
same as stock music, even though there are stark differences between the two. Worse, there are people who
think royalty-free issynonymous with copyright-free. All these, however, are misconceptions.
Royalty-free music means a distinct kind of licencing for a particular track. Customers who purchase such music
have the right to use the track(s) as many times as they want across different platforms. Once a producer or a
filmmaker pays for a track, the production may use the song as they please. For example, no matter how many
views a YouTube video gets, the only cost would be that one-time payment. Some royalty-free licences,
however, do not cover commercial productions.
Today, royalty-free music serves as a good concept for filmmakers, especially the independent ones. With
tracks that require only a one-time payment, more people get to improve their productions with music for less.
Resources:
http://www.motionelements.com
http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/filmmaking/guide/before-you-start/music-rights
http://www.ebay.com/gds/Royalty-Free-Music-What-is-it-and-how-can-I-use-it-
/10000000021125211/g.html