Music is an essential element for effective video marketing. A great song can convey a message, evoke emotions and even encourage action from the target audience. And any established marketer will confess that music can make or break any video marketing campaign.
Despite these benefits of music, using copyrighted music without permission or license from the owner may lead to the video being brought down from the most important platforms. Fortunately, there are many quality royalty free music online to choose from.
We have tailored this guide to outline issues around royalties, music copyright, and intellectual properties to help marketers choose music for their videos without getting into problems.
Why is Music Important in Video Marketing?
To answer this question, it comes down to what kind of video content is being created. But mainly, music only adds value to what is already created.
Also, videos and movies are basically audiovisual experiences, so music is a significant part of any production. It is a blend of good sound and footage that makes an outstanding video.
There are great ways in which music can help compliment videos, and sometimes when it is a must to use it. Here are a few examples.
- To complete the meaning of the scene. For instance, in a dance scene, the viewer should hear the music to understand the video’s choreography.
- Music can be used to alter the tone. Music can literally change the mood of the video and how viewers will interpret the scenes.
Is it Illegal to Use Copyright Protected Music?
Using patented music without license or owner’s permission is unlawful and is classified as a criminal offense, known as copyright infringement.
Using a person’s work without their knowledge or permission violates their intellectual property rights, which is a legal system put in place to protect artists’ works from being used by others.
Different platforms have their own terms of use arrangements that dictate actions against violation which can range from banning of users to the removal of the contents.
Difference between Royalty-Free Music and Public Domain Music
Public domain music is not under any copyright laws. This means that they can be used freely for commercial or personal reasons without permission or paying any royalties. Though no one may own them, it is important to keep track for future reference.
Creative common is a licensing style offered by the creative commons organization, which gives out tools alongside intellectual properties laws. There are various subcategories that can be used in different classifications.
Based on the classification of the works, it means that they can be used freely without royalties under specified conditions.
How to know if a Song is Royalty-Free
Unless stated otherwise, if a song was produced more than 70 years ago, it will probably have copyright protection. It is worth confirming from Wikipedia or search engines, where copyright information can be found.
PD info, a public domain music platform, lists all the quality royalty-free music, meaning that any song that appears here can be used freely.
Also, another method of confirming this is to upload it as a private video on platforms such as YouTube and run it through a content copyright detection system. Any copyrighted content will be flagged off immediately.
Conclusion
Music has a lot of important benefits to video marketing campaigns. However, choosing a royalty-free music can be challenging as it can lead to a criminal offense when copyrighted music is used without permission or license from the owner.
Check on search engines and Wikipedia to confirm whether the music is IP protected or not. Also upload it on YouTube and run it as a private video through a copyright detection program to ensure only royalty-free music is used.
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