If you’re looking for fantastic places to download free background music from then you’re at the right place.
As you might have expected, finding quality background music is a challenge as many sites ask you to pay royalty fees while some require a membership/subscription before you can download tunes from them.
This normally leads to the question, Where to download background music for free?
Well, I’ve tried and tested numerous sites and here are the best places you can download background music from, for free.
Here are the top 10 sites to download background music for free
- Free Music Archive
- SoundCloud
- YouTube Audio Library
- Musopen
- Incompetech
- Jamendo
- ccMixter
- Netlabels
- AudioJungle
- Audionautix
Table of Contents
Where To Download Background Music For Free
Background Music or GBM are those songs that come with a Creative Commons license, this license permits you to use these songs publicly and without paying royalty.
Those in the entertainment industry will know first-hand how difficult it is to obtain some good royalty free music for whatever they’re working on, this can be from making a simple YouTube video to a full length movie/documentary.
If you find it hard to locate some decent royalty-free background music download sites, you can check these out.
Free Music Archive
Free Music Archive or FMA is an American based site that’s run by the U.S radio station WFMU. It’s an easy to navigate site with a ton of content that’s free to download. The music ranges from Blues all the way to R&B, so you can rest assured that there’s something for everyone.
The music you download from FMA are royalty-free and come with a variety of Creative Commons licenses. Which means that while some tracks can be downloaded only for non-commercial use there are other files that would require attribution in order for them to be used.
This information has been covered in their FAQ section so feel free to check out the types of licenses they offer.
Point to note: Though Free Music Archive is free and open to users to download background music for free, the permission to have any of the downloaded content edited will be granted only on an invitation basis.
Info
- Founded in: 2009
- Known For: Blues, Classical, Country, Jazz, Novelty, Rock Soul, R&B, International, Hip-Hop
- Website URL: https://freemusicarchive.org/home
- Price: Free to Download (Different Creative Commons licenses Available)
SoundCloud
SoundCloud is already one of the most famous music streaming and download sites in the world and if you’re not familiar with it then it’s a social music platform where all kinds of artists can upload and share their music.
If you plan on searching for free music to download on SoundCloud then you will not be disappointed, the music can be filtered to list out tracks that are licensed for reuse.
With SoundCloud being a social element, searching for tracks that will please your listeners is rather simple, in the search bar simply type out background music or try something like stock background music. You will be able to figure out which are the most popular songs based on the likes and how many times the song was played.
Info
- Founded in: 2007
- Known For: LoFi Hip-Hop, Soca, Future Bass, Trance, Electronica, Rap, Pop, Soul
- Website URL: https://soundcloud.com/
- Price: Free to Download (License to Reuse)
YouTube Audio Library
The YouTube Audio Library is a section of the Creator Studio for YouTube that consists of a bunch of music from a variety of genres, from Electronic to Folk music. These music files can be downloaded for free and added into your video content.
The music that’s provided are a mix of Creative Commons and public domain files and the only thing you’d have to do is attribute the owner of the music in your video or documentary.
As a creator, you’d be able to get the most out of YouTube’s library by making use of their search functions. You are able to search based on the mood or duration of the track based on what kind of project you’re working on.
In order to access the YouTube Audio Library, you must have a valid YouTube Account and follow these steps:
- Login to Creator Studio
- Tap on Create
- Click on Audio Library
Info
- Founded in: 2005
- Known For: Ambient, Dance & Electronica, Hip-Hop & Rap, Rock, Country, Blues
- Website URL: YouTube Music Library
- Price: Free to Download (License to Reuse with no Attribution)
Musopen
As compared to other BGM download sites, Musopen specializes in classical royalty-free music. The music listed on Musopen is basically sheet music by popular composers such as Bach and Beethoven.
Music can be searched based on the type of instrument used, composer name and even by the author’s name. This feature is useful if you already have a specific idea of what type of music you want to download.
Downloading music on Musopen is easy, you’d have to create a free account with them to be able to download music. However, the only problem is that as a free user you’re only provided with the ability to download up to 5 tracks a day and these songs will be downloaded in standard quality and HQ.
Info
- Founded in: 2005
- Known For: Composer & Sheet Music
- Website URL: https://musopen.org/music/
- Price: Free to Download – No License or Attribution
Incompetech
Incompetech is a royalty free music download site owned and operated by musician Kevin Macleod. There are currently a little over 2000 tracks that can be downloaded for free and used royalty free as long as you attribute the credit to the artist and site.
On this platform, you will find tracks arranged in collections based on genre such as Disco, Classic Rock and Lounge. It even comes with a section dedicated to film scores where you can practically find something for any kind of movie be it horror or dark themes.
Its recommended to check out the most downloaded section and most recent as this is normally where you can discover what the site truly has to offer. Incompetech allows you to download individual tracks for free butt if you’re looking for the complete collection of music then you can opt in for their one time fee of $38 and download their entire library.
Info
- Founded in: 1996
- Known For: Electronic and Rock, Film Scores, Light Music, World Beats
- Price: Free to Download – Attribution Required
Jamendo
Jamendo is not only a free download site for background music but also one where you can upload your music as well. On this open community you can find background music in a range of genres such as rock, pop, emotional, hip-hop, jazz and chill out.
It’s considered to be one of the best resources for free background music as it features music from a variety of regions and a broad base of languages. So there’s practically something out there for every kind of video you make.
Jamendo even has an in-built radio function that allows you to play any type of genre in the form of a radio station.
On Jamendo, you are provided with a list of music based on themes and moods, genres and instruments. Once you select the most appropriate track you will have to click on the three dots next to the name of the song and click on the download button.
Info
- Founded in: 2005
- Known For: Rock, Pop, Emotional, Hip-Hop, Jazz and Chill out
- Website URL: https://www.jamendo.com/
- Price: Free to Download – Attribution Required
ccMixter
ccMixter is a community based hosting site for free music downloads. This site lets musicians, DJ’s and singers share their work for free only as long as you attribute the music to them. ccMixter is an excellent resource to find original background music for any type of reason.
The website has an Editors Picks which is a collection of the highest rated tracks on ccMixter. While searching for BGM files, you can visit artists profile sections to see what else they have composed or performed in the past.
While clicking on the name of the track, you’re provided with the relative information of that music file, this will give you an understanding on what kind of Creative Commons license the track comes with and how it can be used.
Info
- Founded in: 2004
- Known For: Acapellas, Loops, Remixes and Samples
- Website URL: http://ccmixter.org/
- Price: Free to Download – Attribution Required
Netlabels
Netlabels is an online internet archive/digital record label that houses a vast range of music to download for free under Creative Commons license. The site currently has over 65000 tracks that can be filtered based on year of release, artists or genre.
Though similar to platforms like SoundCloud, Netlabels offer music under licenses that encourage work to be shared while their artists often retain copyright.
A great feature of Netlabels is that the songs listed have a view count where it’s easier to know which tracks are more popular than others.
Info
- Founded in: 2003
- Known For: Experimental, Ambient music in a variety of foreign languages,
- Website URL: https://archive.org/details/netlabels
- Price: Free to Download – Attribution Required
AudioJungle
AudioJungle or Envato Market is a royalty free music download site with a global community that constantly uploads their tracks based on categories. You can find these files by searching the most popular or the recent files section of the webpage. You can either opt to purchase royalty free music from $1 or subscribe and obtain a larger collection for much less.
A great initiative by AudioJungle is the ability for users to manipulate the tracks by themselves by using the Music kits. This is one way you can make the jingle sound unique and unlike any other.
This site even has an incentive if you’re a regular video creator, if you sign up for the website then you will receive freebies each month including and not limited to free music, video effects and stick footage.
Info
- Founded in: 2008
- Known For: Experimental, Ambient, Cinematic, Jazz, Sound Effects, Music Packs
- Website URL: https://audiojungle.net/
- Price: Free to Download – Attribution Required
Audionautix
Audionautix is a free to download site that’s run by Composer/Producer Jason Shaw. Here the process to find your ideal BGM is easy, simply tap on the check-box of the genre you’re looking for and all the songs that fall in the selected genre will populate on the page before you.
With Audionautix you can download songs for free and all you’d have to do is agree to use the track appropriately based on the Creative Commons license it comes with. You can even search for music according to the tempo or genre you’re working with.
Info
- Known For: Experimental, Groove, Uplifting, Jazz, Funk, Dance, Country and more.
- Website URL: https://audionautix.com/
- Price: Free to Download – Attribution Required
Conclusion
Whether you’re a content creator or a video-grapher, Background music is something you will eventually search for online. These songs are what help cover dead air in videos and can at times improve the overall video.
Most of the background music sites require you to pay/subscribe before you can use their services and though this is a good thing there would be some who are starting off with a low budget and won’t be able to afford these subscriptions.
That’s where the free sites come into play, while there are not many sites that offer free background music, those listed above will surely help you find exactly what you’re looking for.
Also Read:
- Best Music Recording App For iPhone 2021
- Best Free Music Download Sites For Android Phones 2021
- Spotify Free vs Premium | Is it Worth the Upgrade?
Greetings! My name is Michael and this is my website.
I've been specializing in audio equipment and accessories for a while and have a little something in store for every kind of hi-fi enthusiast.
Based in California, I keep attending special launch events across the globe. This has helped me understand the products better, and with a unique hands-on experience I'm able to provide you with easy to understand reviews about the best in audio tech from around the world.
