Jolley FrankieBackground music will add a twist to your live broadcast. It will help you set the tone for your broadcast and make it more appealing to viewers. Before you start going through your favorite artists’ playlists to find the perfect track for your live broadcast, you should understand the legal requirements for using other people’s music.
This guide to using music in live broadcasts looks at the legal requirements for background music and the best places to find free music for live broadcasts.
Why you need music in live broadcasts
Music increases the production value of your live broadcast. Viewers pay more attention to broadcasts with music , and you can set the tone of your broadcast with music. A fun pop song can create excitement, a slow piano solo can evoke sadness, and a little EDM will make your viewers feel ready to party.
Adding music at just the right moment will add another layer to your broadcast. Even if you or your guests are very engaging speakers, the right music will make your live broadcast extreme.
How can you use music during a live broadcast?
Play a tune at the beginning of the broadcast to cement your brand in the minds of your viewers.
Add music before the start of the broadcast to set the mood for the rest of the broadcast.
Assign a “musical theme” to the guests who appear on your show.
Your live broadcast provides endless possibilities for adding music. You just need to make sure that you add music that you have the rights to. Copyright infringement can get your broadcast shut down and get you in serious trouble.
What kind of music can I use?
If you want to add music to your live broadcast, you have three options:
Music in the public domain.
Music without royalties
Original music
Music Licensing Explanation
Many streamers mistakenly think that if they bought a song or have access to it through a streaming subscription service, they have the right to play it on their streams. Buying the song gives you a license for personal use only ; playing it live is considered public. So even if you paid for the song, you still need permission to play it live.
- the public domain
How do I know if a song is in the public domain or if I have to pay a license fee to use it? Songs in the public domain are available for anyone and everyone to use at any time. Popular Christmas carols such as “Deck the Halls” and “Jingle Bells” are in the public domain. - royalty-free and synchronized license
A royalty is a fee you pay once for the right to use a song in your broadcast. This is also called a sync license. When producers want to add songs to commercials, TV shows, movies, or YouTube videos, they need a sync license. The license allows you, as the content creator, to “sync” the music to your video content. If the song is copyrighted and you don’t pay royalties or get a sync license, you can’t play it live.
When you pay royalties to purchase a song for use on the live broadcast, the original creator may impose restrictions on its use . Some artists also allow you to use their songs for free, but they may still restrict their use or require you to specify it.
- original music, covers, and remixes
Of course, you can play original music you’ve created live. But what counts as an “original”? A cover is a version of another song that doesn’t use elements of the original. You can use covers that you created entirely on your own, but you still have to pay royalties to the owner of the original song . This type of license would be a mechanical or cover license.
A remix is a modified version of an existing song. If you download the song and edit it on your computer, you are creating a remix, not a cover. To use a remix legally, you would have to negotiate a licensing agreement directly with the copyright holder. If you create a remix or cover without the copyright holder’s permission, it’s a smuggled copy, and it’s illegal.