10 Top Sites to Find Free Music for Video Editing (Download 2023)

Great music isn't that hard to find, but great free music? That may be a little harder. There's a lot to consider, but we can help you. Check out our 10 Top Sites to find free music for video editing
What is the Difference Between Free Music for Video Editing and Royalty Free Music for Video Editing?
The key difference between free music and royalty-free music (for video editing) lies in their licensing terms and usage restrictions. Free music is usually just that, music you can download and use for free, sometimes with certain restrictions; attribution, as an example.
Sometimes people think royalty free means free music, but actually it usually requires some form of (one time) payment but then provides more flexibility with usage, like using it as part of commercial projects. Here’s a useful quick guide.

Free Music Downloads for Video Editing

Free music for video editing usually refers to music that can be accessed and used without any cost or payment.

You can usually find free audio for video editing from platforms like YouTube, SoundCloud, or personal blogs, where artists share their work with the public. You’ll find many of those in this round-up!

While it can be used for personal or in non-commercial projects, it isn’t always suitable for commercial use due to copyright restrictions so you should check terms carefully.

Royalty-Free Music Clips for Video Editing

Royalty-free music can be used for various purposes, including commercial projects, without paying ongoing royalties or licensing fees. It’s a one off payment.

It’s typically purchased or licensed from stock music libraries or online marketplaces specialising in royalty-free music.

Royalty-free music is a more straightforward and legal way to include music into commercial works like videos, podcasts, presentations, and so on.

Learn about CC licensing before you jump in to any sites. 

10 Top Sites for Free Music Downloads for Video Editing

1. YouTube Library

You need to have an account and be signed in to use YouTube Library, as it’s part of Studio, but once you are, you’ll find a selection of free audio for video editing: music and SFX. Each track will tell you any license requirements at a glance, plus you can change your search criteria to include either attribution or no attribution.
Pros and Cons

Pros

Free music and sound effects. Easy to see licensing requirements at a glance. Easy to use.

Cons

Limited options. The search options could be better.

2. Free Music Archive

Free Music Archive (FMA) has original music from around the world, with tracks for all occasions. It doesn’t require an account to browse, and claims not to scoop a bunch of your data when you do make one. The free tracks work on the basis of you checking the license and abiding by those terms – like an attribution on your project. You will be prompted to donate to the site to keep it running, but it’s optional.
Pros and Cons

Pros

It’s totally free, no account required if you’re just browsing. There are lots of ways to discover new music, including ‘artist shuffle’ which is nice if you’re lacking inspiration.

Cons

Tracks are still quite limited and at times, obscure.

3. SoundCloud

SoundCloud has millions of songs, although many of those will not be available for you to license for free. However, you can change your search filter to include only those with a CC ‘free to use’ license. SoundCloud is great if you’re looking for unique and emerging tracks.
Pros and Cons

Pros

An extensive collection of music, including independent artists.

Cons

Not all tracks are free or free to use, you’ll need to check licensing carefully.

4. Incompetech

Incompetech was created by musician Kevin MacLeod, and provides a selection of royalty-free music spanning various genres. As it’s a site made by one person, it’s quite basic, but the personal touches like the ‘'far too honest' guide to contacting Kevin’ are a refreshing change to the usual corporate flannel.
Pros and Cons

Pros

Diverse music genres. More personalised than larger company’s sites. Easy to use. Most tracks don’t require any attribution so they truly are free to use.

Cons

The site looks very basic. It can be hard to find what you want. Choices are limited compared to sites with huge libraries.

5. Jamendo

Jamendo is separated into two sites, Music and Licensing. If you want to find free music clips for video editing then choose Music. If you’re looking for royalty free music clips for video editing, then you’ll want Licensing. You can make playlists, save favourite tracks for later, and share tracks. There seems to be a decent amount to choose from and the site(s) look nice and are easy to navigate.
Pros and Cons

Pros

Having it split as two sites works quite well and if you find, for example, a free track but then you want to buy a license to use it commercially, you’ll find that on the track page – no need to seek it out again on the Licensing site.

Cons

Search is still quite broad, making it hard to filter by more specific terms. Most tracks seem to require attribution, which isn’t necessarily a con but could be for some users.

6. ccMixter

ccMixter features free audio for video editing under a Creative Commons license. Listening to the music is do-able without an account but you’ll need to create one if you want to download music tracks – and you’ll do that through their sub-site, Dig. There’s a mix of free and royalty free music.
Pros and Cons

Pros

There are some useful sub-categories like instrumental music and music for video games.

Cons

It looks a little clunky. Search filters are limited.

7. Bensound

Bensound has some great royalty free music clips for video editing, plus free music. Bensound is a nice looking site and fairly easy to use, with a good range of what they call ‘copyright safe music’. When you filter to free music you know you can use anything listed for personal use, but there’s also the option to license that track and pay for it individually, or to subscribe for greater access.
Pros and Cons

Pros

A good range of free music downloads for video editing.

Cons

Subscriptions are quite expensive if you decide to start licensing for commercial use.

FREE


30 Minutes


How to Choose the Perfect Music for Your Videos: Tips from a Professional Music Producer

 You’re almost done editing, and since you can’t use that stupidly popular song you like—and there’s no way we’re for paying royalties—what do we do? Choosing music for videos is not an easy task. Marco Korreli (Envato Tuts+ Video Producer) will take you through a bit of theory on Generic Music, tips on how to select an interesting track and various technical aspects to consider, as well as some useful tools that you can use on your next video production.





10 Top Sites to Find Free Music for Video Editing, Continued
8. Freesound

As well as free music for video editing, Freesound also has free sound effects for video editing. Its aim is to create a ‘collaborative database of audio’ and is another site that works on the basis of CC licenses. They have a lot of helpful posts in the FAQ section and it’s all quite informal, which is nice.
Pros and Cons

Pros

Informality is still a nice change to the Very Corporate Language we’ve become accustomed to. A good amount of sounds and free sound effects for video editing.

Cons

Looks a little basic. The sound effects seem to take priority over music, which may or may not be a ‘con’ depending on what you’re looking for!

9. Musopen

Musopen focuses on classical music either in the public domain or free to use with a license. While the lack of other genres might be off-putting, Musopen would be perfect for people looking for free music downloads for video editing for things like atmospheric tracks or situational music. It’s a non-profit site, too!
Pros and Cons

Pros

The site is clean and easy to use. It also includes free sheet music and educational resources.

Cons

Its popup ads are a little annoying. It primarily deals with classical music and instrumentals.

10. Internet Archive: Audio Archive

Internet Archive hosts an extensive audio archive with a wide range of content, including music, spoken word, and historic recordings. There's an integrated forum too, so you can interact with other members of the community, and get help and tips.
Pros and Cons

Pros

Diverse selection of audio, including free sound effects for video editing

Cons

The library can be hard to navigate.

Summary: Free Audio for Video Editing
Free music sites play an essential role in providing accessible and affordable resources for video editors who want to enhance their projects with music and effects. It’s hard to know where to go for good assets – and the answer, as always, depends on what you need. Remember though, there’s a difference between free and royalty-free music, and what you need depends on the video project:

Free Music: Mostly for personal projects, unless you can find a free from copyright or CC0 1.0 license in which case you can use it for anything. Free music can be a great option choice for personal projects, amateur creators, or non-commercial content. Just remember to check those usage restrictions, you may need to provide attribution or you might be prohibited from commercial use.

Royalty-Free Music: Great for a bunch of professional projects like commercial content, and for those seeking greater flexibility. Royalty-free music usually has a one-time licensing fee or subscription cost, but it allows for broader usage rights, including monetisation and commercial distribution.

There’s no harm in bookmarking and using all of these sites, plus any you come across on your own. Here are some things to consider when choosing.

Licensing Terms: We’ve said this a lot already but it’s really important to check the licensing terms carefully. Some free music sites require attribution, limit commercial use, or have other usage restrictions.

Genre and Style: Make sure the free music library has the genre or style of music that suits your video project(s). Different sites may specialise in specific genres or eras – like we saw with Musopen dealing with mostly classical music.

Quality: Check the audio quality of the tracks. Low-quality audio can negatively impact the production value of your video, so look for sites that provide high-quality music and free sound effects for video editing.

Ease of Use: A site with an intuitive interface and effective search and browsing features can save you time and frustration. Likewise, some of the sites may look a little cheap and clunky, but don’t write them off too quickly.

Community and Reviews: Explore any user reviews or community feedback to help you with the reputation and reliability of the site.

Updates and Fresh Content: Does the site regularly update its music library with new tracks and content? Fresh music options can keep your video projects current and engaging, you don’t want to keep using the same old stuff.

Compatibility: Be sure that the music files you download from the site are compatible with your video editing software and tools. This isn’t usually a problem, but it’s always worth making sure so that you aren’t disappointed.

Legal Compliance: Verify that the music offered on the site complies with copyright laws. Using copyrighted music without proper licensing could lead to legal issues, which you absolutely don’t want to happen, so choose sites that care about getting it right and keeping you protected.

Envato Elements
If you're looking for music for video editing then try Envato Elements where you’ll find a huge range of royalty free music for video editing. For a monthly subscription you get access to those, plus other great assets like video templates, add-ons, stock footage, and more.

If you love freebies, then you’ll be pleased to know that each month, Envato has a bunch, including the occasional free sound effects for video editing and royalty free music.
Conclusion
We hope you've found some great inspiration in our site list of free audio for video editing. Whether it’s personal projects or professional productions, there’s a ton of great free content around, so why not sign up for a few sites and keep your options open!
About This Page
This page was written by Marie Gardiner. Marie is a writer, author, and photographer. It was edited by Gonzalo Angulo. Gonzalo is an editor, writer and illustrator.