Finding the right music is crucial for setting the tone and emotive impact of documentaries. But licensing music legally for commercial projects like documentaries can be challenging and expensive. The good news is there are several great options for finding quality royalty free music purpose-built for use in documentary films and productions.
4 Best Places to Find Royalty Free Music for Documentaries
1. Mubert
Mubert Render makes original and royalty-free music for your content
Mubert is an AI-powered music generator that creates original, customizable royalty free music of any genre, mood, and length in seconds.
Highlights:
- 100% original music – no copyright risks
- Created and tailored on demand
- Unlimited licensing from just $16/month
- Ideal for documentary underscores and scene transitions
- Easily adjust runtimes and instrumentation
Mubert makes it easy and affordable to score an entire documentary with unique music.
2. AudioJungle
Part of Envato Elements, AudioJungle has over 1 million music tracks from human composers available à la carte.
Notable features:
- Huge selection of instrumental background music
- Filters by mood, genre, duration
- Licenses start at just $1 for YouTube/Facebook
- Also offers sound effects and loops
- New tracks added daily
Great one-stop-shop for royalty free documentary music on a budget.
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3. PremiumBeat
PremiumBeat offers a highly curated library of over 50,000 exclusive, high-quality tracks.
Benefits:
- Music purpose-made for film, TV, ads
- Numerous subdued documentary scoring options
- Intuitive website with smart filtering
- Quick and easy licensing process
- New tracks added weekly
Lower selection but very refined catalog ideal for cinematic projects.
4. Pond5
Pond5 is an enormous creative marketplace with over 2 million video clips, music tracks, sound effects, and more.
Notable features:
- Massive selection of music in every genre
- Previews enable sampling tracks
- Light and dramatic documentary options
- Licenses from $5 for web docs up to $199+
- Millions of video clips available too
A vast selection with competitive licensing pricing.
FAQ About Royalty Free Music for Documentaries
What types of music work best in documentaries?
Instrumental background music without distinct melodies works well for underscoring emotional moments without being distracting. Ambient, cinematic, acoustic, and classical make good foundations.
What are the licensing requirements?
Ensure your purchase provides a “synchronization” license, allowing use in video. “Extended” licenses grant additional long-term rights.
Should I credit the artists?
Read the license terms. Most estado credit the artist and music source in the production credits.
Can the music be edited or rearranged?
It depends on the license. Many allow adaptations while others prohibit changes or distributions of stems.
Is royalty free music lower quality than licensed?
Not at all! Plenty of superb composers offer their music royalty free for film and media usage. The licensing model does not affect musical quality.
With the right royalty free music sources, you can legally score exceptional soundtracks for documentaries without breaking the bank on licenses.
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