Beginner’s guide to legally using music in business videos

using music in business videos

Business content matters, but the type of content that you pick for your business is even most important.

When people mention “content” to you, you most probably think of the good-old written content. But there is more than this out there!

People have different learning styles and not everybody is ready to digest 3,000-word blog posts. While many take pleasure in doing so and also seem to understand your message, others would rather watch a video, explaining the same concept. So, you have to match your content to different learning styles and personalities.

Now, you can’t have a boring 3-minute explainer video without any background music, can you? This is where music comes in. And if you think you can just choose whatever song you like on the web to beautifully finish off your video content, you’re in the wrong. There are so many legal matters and copyright issues in doing so. But, fear not, this guide will teach you how to legally use music or hire a music video production company for your business videos, without ever worrying about legal matters. But let’s start with the beginning, shall we?

Why would you use background music?

All types of business videos, from marketing to product presentation and company presentation are proven to get the message out there better when accompanied by music. Still not convinced? Below are three rock-hard reasons why you would want to integrate music in business videos.

  • Music influences perception. Depending on how you want your audience to perceive your products or services, you can influence their perception by using the right type of music. Music can instil different views on your company: reliable, comforting, worry-free.
  • Music will grab viewers’ attention before the video itself starts.
  • It can help brands and businesses create an emotional connection with their viewers. It can also help your marketing team set the mood more accurately. Depending on how you want your audience to feel (excited, emotional, alert) when watching your videos, you can easily achieve it through music.

See, we told you music is a strong tool you can integrate into your marketing efforts! But first, you have to establish which videos demand background music. Otherwise, you risk to throw off all the efforts behind the said video. For instance, while an animated explainer video would be awkward, it could throw off an entire conference presentation. When judging whether you should include or not video presentation music in your content, use common sense. It will help you determine how appropriate integrating music in your content is.

Common misconceptions about music in business videos

People live under the impression that once they find music they like online, they’re free to use it however they want. But, as many have found the hard way, this is highly illegal and you should avoid doing so at all costs. Below are other common misconceptions people have in terms of video music.

  • As long as you give credit, you don’t have to worry about legal aspects. Well, this is far from being true. While giving credits is something all artists will appreciate, it offers you no usage rights. So, avoid falling into this trap.
  • It’s OK to use any music, as long as you don’t use it to make money off it. This is also false. For artists and copyright laws, it doesn’t matter if you make a profit or not. You will need artists’ explicit permission to use that music in your video content.
  • But the Fair-Use Law allows me to do so! Not really, the law allows you to use it for parodies, news, and other video content.

So, if you can’t use whatever music you find online for your business videos, what else is there for you?

What is royalty-free music and how to use it in your business videos?

You’ve heard about this term by now, most certainly. In a nutshell, royalty-free music is the type of music for which you pay once and use it for as long as you like, the professionals at Melody Loops explain.

To choose the right type of music for your business videos, you have to carefully pick a royalty-free music vendor that features a wide selection of categories where you can choose from. This will help you ensure your music for business purposes is exactly what your company needs, and you always send the right message to your audience.

Make sure to only work with reliable and trustworthy royalty-free music vendors. This will help you ensure the music you purchase is actually copyright-free and no legal problems will ever appear when using it.

Besides, reliable platforms will help you ensure all your user data is protected. From name to credit card details, you must ensure everything is in good hands.

Royalty-free music platforms also feature a wider selection of music, whereas new websites can offer users a limited experience. So, again, make sure to do your research beforehand.

Your extra small guide to choosing the right music for business videos

Now that you know why integrating music on some corporate videos is so important, you want to make sure you choose the right type of music every time. Just picking whatever music you find on royalty-free websites won’t do it, so follow the advice below.

  • Think of the role your music will have. You want to help you draw attention to the message you want to send, but don’t overdo it. When music is the only thing the viewer notices, you’re overdoing it.
  • Intro and outro segments matter. You want to set the mood and to leave a lasting impression on your audience, so pay attention to these sections, too.
  • Choose music that speaks to your audience.
  • Music pacing matters, too.

If you ever doubt the need to integrate music into your company videos, try to remember the reasons exposed above. It will make a tremendous difference when you choose the right music and integrate it beautifully with video content. Let it speak to your company, and you will see the results