The talk
What is royalty free music?
Royalty free music is music you can use without paying a fee each time it’s played. You still need a licence. Here, the licence is free.
Three kinds of “free”
One payment or a subscription, then no per-play fees. Most stock music libraries work this way.
No payment at all; the licence asks for credit. That’s every song on this site, under CC BY 4.0.
No owner, no conditions. Mostly very old recordings and compositions.
How to pick royalty free music
- Check the licence is named next to the song. Here it’s on every profile.
- Check where you’re allowed to use it. Here: all social media and livestreams.
- Check it isn’t registered with Content ID. Purrple Cat Self Releases aren’t meant to be.
- Pick by sound, not just genre. Every profile shows energy, mood, acoustic feel and groove.
Questions
What does royalty free music mean?
Royalty free means you don’t pay a fee every time your video is played or your stream runs. Some royalty free music still costs money up front; the music on this site costs nothing at all.
Is royalty free the same as copyright free?
No. Royalty free music still has an owner and a licence. Copyright free usually means public domain. Purrple Cat keeps the copyright and gives everyone a CC BY 4.0 licence, so you can use the songs for free with credit.
Is royalty free music safe for YouTube?
It is when the licence covers YouTube and nobody has registered the songs with Content ID. Purrple Cat Self Releases are free to use with credit on YouTube, and uploading them to streaming services, which is what causes false claims, isn’t allowed.
Do I have to credit royalty free music?
It depends on the licence. CC BY 4.0, used here, asks for credit. Copy the line from any profile, or let your Matches page write one block for every song you used.