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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →For a regular YouTube video, start with the free YouTube Studio Audio Library. For a Short, add music from the in-product Shorts Audio Library using YouTube’s Shorts tools. Those are different libraries with different permissions. If you use music from somewhere else, check the exact track license for monetization, Shorts, commercial work and any other platform where you plan to publish.
“Copyright-free” is often an imprecise label: most music is copyrighted, even when its owner licenses it for free. Keep a copy of the license and any required attribution so you can show why your use is permitted if a claim appears.
What “copyright-free” music actually means
Copyright can protect both a musical composition and a particular sound recording. The U.S. Copyright Office explains the distinction in its copyright overview. A free download does not, by itself, give you permission to put the recording in a video.
- Copyright-free: A casual phrase, not a reliable description of the rights you receive. Ask what permission applies to the specific track and use.
- Royalty-free: Usually means a license does not require recurring royalty payments. It may still cost money and may limit platforms, commercial use or the number of projects.
- Free to download: Describes the price of the file, not whether you can edit it, monetize a video or use it in an advertisement.
- Creative Commons: A family of licenses with different conditions. Some require credit; others restrict commercial use, adaptations or the licensing of derivatives.
- Public domain: The relevant work is free of copyright restrictions, but a composition and a modern recording of it can have separate rights. Check the recording as well as the music.
- Licensed music: Music used under permission granted by its rights holder or a library, subject to the terms of that license.
- YouTube copyright-safe: YouTube uses this assurance for music and sound effects in its Audio Library. It does not extend it to tracks found on other YouTube channels or third-party libraries.
The useful question is: does this license permit this track in this video, on this platform, for this audience and purpose?
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- Relaxation and Peace: Helps you relax and find peace through carefully composed instrumental music
- Professional Musicians: Soothing classical guitar with cello performed by Billboard Top 10 artists, Ryan Judd and Kristen Miller
- Versatile Use: Calm your mind with this relaxation CD suitable for meditation, yoga and massage sessions
- Stress Relief: Relieves stress and anxiety through gentle, expressive acoustic performances
- Therapeutic Design: Developed by a board-certified music therapist with a percentage of profits donated to help children with cancer
Choose the right YouTube music source
| What you need | Best starting point | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Free music for a regular YouTube video | YouTube Audio Library | Check whether attribution is required; do not assume its permissions cover other platforms. |
| Popular music in a Short | Shorts Audio Library, accessed through Shorts creation tools | Use only for the Shorts use and duration shown; it does not automatically clear other edits or platforms. |
| Popular commercial music in an eligible long-form video | Creator Music, if available to you and the track’s terms fit | Eligibility and track terms vary. Creator Music tracks are not for Shorts or live streams. |
| Cross-platform, client or recurring commercial work | A library whose track-level license explicitly covers those uses | Verify platforms, client work, ads, claim support, channel limits and post-cancellation rights. |
| Maximum control over the music | Commission or record original music | Use written agreements that address composition, performance and recording rights. |
Use the YouTube Audio Library for a regular video
YouTube says Audio Library music and sound effects can be used in monetized YouTube Partner Program videos and will not be claimed through Content ID by a rights holder. Its copyright-safety assurance applies to Audio Library files, not to music merely described as “royalty-free” elsewhere. The library is in YouTube Studio; YouTube says it adds releases twice a month. See its Audio Library instructions for current details.
- Sign in to YouTube Studio and choose Audio library from the left-hand menu.
- Search or filter by title, artist, genre, mood, attribution requirement or duration, then preview tracks.
- Check the track’s license or attribution indicator. Choose Attribution not required for the simplest credit workflow.
- If the track requires attribution, open its Creative Commons details and copy YouTube’s generated credit text.
- Download the MP3. Save it in the project folder along with the track title, artist, download date, license details and copied attribution.
- Add the track to your edit. If required, paste the attribution into the video description.
- Upload the video and review its copyright checks before publishing. If a claim appears, compare its details with your saved license before disputing, replacing, muting or trimming the audio.
Do not substitute a re-upload from another YouTube channel for the Audio Library download. A channel title or video description promising “no copyright” is not proof that the uploader controls all the relevant rights or can license the track to you.
Add music to a YouTube Short
For a popular song, use YouTube’s in-product Shorts Audio Library rather than downloading the song elsewhere and inserting it yourself. YouTube’s Shorts music guidance says the permitted music duration varies by song; in a three-minute Short, YouTube may show up to 90 seconds of music. Follow the limit shown for the particular selection.
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- Helps you relax and sleep. All of these calming tracks are at the rhythm of the resting heart rate.
- 60 minutes of calming guitar music with ocean waves. Creates white noise to drown out other sounds.
- Relax your body and calm your mind with this relaxation and sleep CD that is research-based.
- An ocean background track relaxes you and lulls you to sleep. Relieves stress, anxiety and insomnia.
- Developed by a music therapist. A percentage of profits are donated to help children with cancer.
- Create or upload the video through YouTube’s Shorts workflow.
- Choose Add sound or the equivalent music control and select a track in the Shorts Audio Library.
- Check the displayed music-use duration and keep the Short within that limit.
- Review the copyright status before publishing.
Music selected in the Shorts tools receives rights handling for that Shorts use. It does not automatically give you permission to export the song in a separately edited video, use it in long-form content, add it to an advertisement or publish it on TikTok or Instagram. If you import external music instead, confirm that its license specifically covers YouTube Shorts and your intended commercial use.
YouTube treats qualifying new vertical videos of one to three minutes as Shorts under its current rules. A Short longer than one minute with an active Content ID claim is blocked, regardless of the claim policy. That makes external music particularly risky for one-to-three-minute Shorts; see YouTube’s eligibility and music-duration rules.
Is Creator Music free, and can it be used in Shorts?
Creator Music is a catalog for eligible creators making long-form YouTube videos, not a general free-music library or a Shorts solution. YouTube currently describes access as available to U.S. creators in the YouTube Partner Program, with expansion outside the U.S. pending; check its eligibility information for current availability.
Depending on the track, a creator may pay an upfront license fee, use a track offered at no cost, or share revenue. Rights holders set track-specific prices and usage terms, which can include territory, duration and expiration limits. A license can preserve the video’s normal monetization share if the other content is cleared, but Creator Music tracks available for licensing or revenue sharing are not permitted in Shorts or live streams. Licenses are generally for one use in one YouTube video; YouTube identifies Audio Library licenses as an exception that can apply across multiple YouTube uploads. Read the chosen track’s terms before using it, and consult YouTube’s Creator Music usage details.
Check Creative Commons and public-domain music carefully
Creative Commons is not one blanket permission. Check the actual license attached to the track, not a search result, a different upload or a credit copied from someone else’s video.
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| License or label | Practical check before using it |
|---|---|
| CC BY | Attribution is required. Commercial use is generally permitted when the license conditions are followed. |
| CC BY-NC | Restricts commercial use. Do not assume it covers monetized, sponsored, branded or business content; seek separate permission if needed. |
| CC BY-ND | Restricts sharing adaptations. Check whether your planned editing, looping or other changes are allowed. |
| CC BY-SA | Adaptations may need to be shared under the same or a compatible license. |
| CC0 or a public-domain dedication | Intended to waive rights as far as legally possible, but verify the source and the particular recording. |
| Public Domain Mark | Signals that a work is believed to have no known copyright restrictions; it is not proof that every recording of the work is unprotected. |
For Audio Library tracks marked Creative Commons, YouTube requires attribution in the video description and provides copyable text. Follow that track’s displayed instructions.
An old composition may be in the public domain while a newer piano, orchestral or studio recording remains protected. A public-domain score does not make a recording downloaded from the internet free to use. You may need to record the composition yourself or obtain permission for a specific recording. Copyright duration and public-domain rules depend on jurisdiction and the work’s publication history, so there is no universal year cutoff that safely answers every case.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Before using music from a third-party library
Read the license on the actual track page and save a copy of its terms as they existed when you obtained the music. A link alone may not show what the terms said at the time. Check these points before editing:
- Does the license explicitly allow commercial use and YouTube monetization?
- Does it cover Shorts, sponsored or branded videos, client work and paid advertising?
- Is attribution required, and does it need a specific format or placement?
- May you synchronize, edit, loop or remix the track? Is redistribution of the audio prohibited?
- Is the license limited by platform, territory, expiration date, channel, video, project or account type?
- Does it cover podcasts, websites, apps, livestreams and other social platforms you plan to use?
- Can the provider or a rights holder register the track with Content ID, and what is the procedure if a claim appears?
- Do you need an account record or receipt to prove the license? Does it remain valid for a published video after a subscription ends?
Music inside an editing app, template or stock-video service has its own terms; availability inside the app does not automatically clear a track for monetized YouTube or off-platform use. Sample and loop licenses may allow use in a new composition while forbidding resale of the isolated sound or registering it in Content ID. YouTube’s monetization guidance says software, samples and loops need commercial-use permission under the relevant license.
A song can also involve several rights holders, including a songwriter or publisher, performer, record label, sound-recording owner or sample owner. Permission from one party may not clear every right.
Can you monetize a video with free music?
Permission to use music and eligibility to earn money from a video are separate questions. YouTube says Audio Library music can be used in monetized videos. Other royalty-free or Creative Commons music is monetizable only if its license permits commercial use. A music license does not clear other third-party material such as footage, images, samples or game content.
Even when the music is cleared, a video must still meet YouTube’s monetization rules, including requirements concerning originality, reused or repetitive content, and advertiser suitability. Conversely, music available through a YouTube tool does not make an otherwise ineligible video monetizable.
Shorts use a pooled revenue model. YouTube says monetizing partners keep 45% of the amount allocated to creators, whether or not they use music; music licensing costs are handled within that system. A Short over one minute with claimed content is blocked and cannot earn Shorts revenue. See YouTube’s Shorts monetization and claimed-content rules.
What to do if a copyright claim appears
A Content ID claim is a rights-management action that may monetize, track, mute, restrict or block a video. A copyright removal request can remove the video; a valid takedown can result in a copyright strike. They are not interchangeable. Do not dispute a claim just because a track was labeled “free”: dispute only when you have a defensible basis, such as a license, permission, ownership or public-domain status.
If the track came from YouTube Audio Library
- Confirm the exact track title and artist, and make sure the file came from Audio Library rather than a re-upload.
- Check whether attribution was required and whether you included it in the description.
- Compare the claimant and claimed audio with your saved track and license details.
- If the claim conflicts with the Audio Library terms, use YouTube’s dispute process and provide the relevant license information.
- If you cannot resolve it in time, consider replacing, muting or trimming the claimed section.
YouTube says Audio Library downloads are not expected to receive Content ID claims from rights holders. That is not a promise that every technical error or claim involving other material in the video is impossible.
Quick Recap
If the track came from another library
- Find the original license and receipt or account record.
- Confirm that the license covered monetization, the video format, the territory and the use in question.
- Follow the library’s stated process for releasing or disputing claims.
- If the license is ambiguous or does not cover the use, replace the music rather than making an unsupported dispute.
Final checks before publishing
- The file came from an official source or its track-level license is verifiable.
- The permission covers the video format, monetization and any sponsorship, brand, client or advertising use.
- You followed attribution, editing and duration requirements.
- You saved the license, receipt or download record, attribution text, track identity and download date.
- You checked separate permissions for cross-posting to other platforms.
- You reviewed YouTube’s copyright status before publishing.
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