With over 2 billion users, YouTube has become one of the most popular websites for listening to music online. Many people use YouTube to find and enjoy their favorite songs and discover new artists. However, what is less known is that YouTube also offers an extensive audio library that allows you to download royalty-free music to use in your own projects and content.
What is the YouTube Audio Library?
The YouTube Audio Library is a collection of free music and sound effects that creators can download and use in their videos, websites, games and other projects. It includes a wide variety of music genres such as cinematic, pop, jazz, electronic, hip hop, rock and more. The audio library is constantly updated with new tracks to give creators fresh and trending options.
All the music in the YouTube Audio Library is licensed under Creative Commons, which means it can be reused and repurposed freely. As long as you properly attribute the artist in your project, you can use these songs without having to worry about copyright issues or paying expensive licensing fees. This makes the audio library an invaluable resource for video creators, website developers, mobile app builders, podcasters and more.
Benefits of Using the YouTube Audio Library
Here are some of the key benefits of using the YouTube Audio Library for your projects:
Completely Free to Use
You can browse and download any of the music tracks in the audio library 100% free of charge. You don’t need a YouTube or Google account to access it.
High-Quality Audio
The library only contains professionally produced tracks in pristine audio quality. This ensures your projects have great-sounding backing music.
No Copyright Issues
All the songs are legally licensed for reuse, so you’ll never run into copyright claims or strikes when using them.
Diverse Music Selection
With over 150,000 tracks in every genre, you’ll find the perfect background music for any type of video, website or project.
New Music Added Regularly
YouTube refreshes the audio library weekly with fresh tracks, keeping your options updated.
Easy Attribution
You simply need to give credit to the artist in your project description to fulfil the Creative Commons license terms.
Search and Filter Options
You can easily search for tracks by keyword or filter by genre, mood, duration, etc to find suitable music.
How to Download Music from the YouTube Audio Library
Downloading tracks from the YouTube Audio Library is quick and straightforward. Just follow these simple steps:
- Go to the YouTube Audio Library site at www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/music
- Use the search bar or filters to find tracks suited for your project.
- When you find a song you like, click on it to open its details page.
- On the details page, click the “Add to project” button to add it to your audio library.
- From the project page, you can download the track as an MP3 file by clicking the download icon.
- Save the MP3 file wherever you want on your computer.
- Add the downloaded track to your video, website or other project!
You can download an unlimited number of songs for free this way. Just be sure to provide attribution to the artist by mentioning them in your project description.
YouTube Audio Library Music Usage Rules
When using songs from the YouTube Audio Library, you must follow some basic rules:
- Credit the artist in your project description.
- Don’t claim you own the music or imply YouTube endorses your content.
- Don’t redistribute or resell the music on its own.
- Don’t use the music in an offensive, illegal or pornographic project.
- Don’t use the music in paid ad campaigns without permission.
- Only use the provided MP3 downloads, don’t rip audio from YouTube.
As long as you follow these rules, you can use Audio Library music freely in monetized YouTube videos, commercial projects, apps, podcasts and more. The flexible Creative Commons licenses give you wide usage options.
YouTube Audio Library vs. YouTube Studio Music
The YouTube Audio Library is different from YouTube Studio’s music library accessible in the YouTube video editor. Though they have some overlap, here are the key differences:
| YouTube Audio Library | YouTube Studio Music Library |
|---|---|
| Over 150,000 songs and sound effects | Much smaller selection of songs |
| Anyone can download and use | Only available for your own YouTube videos |
| Downloaded as MP3 files | Used directly in YouTube Editor |
| Must credit artist when used | No attribution required |
So while the Studio music library is easier to use for YouTube videos, the main Audio Library has a lot more tracks and flexibility with downloads and usage. Use the Audio Library when you need music for other projects besides YouTube videos.
Finding the Perfect Music for Your Project
With such an expansive catalog, you may feel overwhelmed searching for the right background music for your specific needs. Here are some tips for finding the perfect YouTube Audio Library tracks:
Search Relevant Keywords
Use descriptive keywords related to your project such as “uplifting pop,” “chill hip hop,” or “electronica for gaming.” This will surface fitting results.
Filter by Genre, Mood and Duration
Use the filters to narrow your search to a specific genre, mood like happy or dramatic, and length like under 60 seconds or over 5 minutes.
Listen to Previews Before Downloading
Preview tracks to ensure an instrumental perfectly matches the vibe you want before downloading them.
Curate a Shortlist of Favorites
Save songs you like to your Audio Library favorites or a playlist so you can easily find top options later.
Look for High View Count
Sort search results by view count to find widely-used instrumentals that are often a safe bet.
Taking the time to find the right background music can really enhance your projects, so use the above tips to discover Audio Library gems perfectly suited for your needs.
Conclusion
The YouTube Audio Library offers an immensely valuable collection of music that creators can use freely. With its endless variety, high-quality audio, regular new additions, and flexible licensing, it’s easy to find great backing tracks to elevate any video, website, app or other project. Just remember to properly credit the artists, follow the usage rules, and take your time curating music options to get the best results.
