It’s the question every creator asks eventually: can I put this song in my video? The honest answer is usually “not unless you have permission,” and the ways people try to get around that mostly don’t work.
The good news is that there are plenty of legitimate ways to get great music. Here’s what you need to know, without the legal jargon.
This is general information, not legal advice. Rules differ by country and change often, so check each app’s current help pages, especially if you’re a business.
Every song is owned, usually twice
Music is protected by copyright the moment it’s written and recorded. A recorded song usually has two separate owners:
- The composition: the melody and lyrics, owned by the songwriters and their publishers.
- The recording: that specific performance, owned by the artist or label.
That’s why a band saying “sure, film us” isn’t always enough. They may own their performance, but not the song they’re playing.
The myths that get videos muted
- “I only used a few seconds.” There’s no universal safe number. The U.S. Copyright Office says there’s no formula that guarantees a set amount is OK to use without permission.
- “I gave credit.” Good manners, not permission.
- “I’m not making money from it.” Non-commercial use can still break copyright.
- “I sped it up or added a filter.” Changing it a little doesn’t make it yours.
- “No copyright infringement intended.” Typing this in your description doesn’t protect you. YouTube says so directly.
- “I bought the song.” Buying a track lets you listen to it. It doesn’t license it for your videos.
What happens if you use it anyway
Apps scan uploads automatically. YouTube’s Content ID, for example, compares every video against reference files sent in by music owners. When it finds a match, the owner can:
- Claim it: the video stays up, but its ad earnings go to the owner, or it’s blocked in some countries.
- Mute it: the music (and often your voice with it) is removed.
- Block or take it down: the video is removed. A copyright strike is more serious, and several can put your account at risk.
Turning the music down doesn’t help. Automated systems can match songs playing quietly in the background, like a café’s speakers or a TV in the next room. That’s why the safest habit is never recording with music playing at all.
Using music inside each app
The big apps license music so you can use it in posts made inside the app. But the rules depend on your account type and what the video is for. At the time of writing:
TikTok. Personal accounts can use the general music library for non-commercial posts. Business accounts can only use the Commercial Music Library, a large set of pre-cleared tracks. Anything with a commercial purpose (ads, promotions, paid partnerships, affiliate posts) needs commercially cleared music, even from a personal account.
YouTube. The free YouTube Audio Library has music you can use in any YouTube video, including monetized ones (check each track’s terms; some ask for credit). Shorts also has its own library of song clips you can add inside the Shorts editor.
Instagram and Facebook. Both have music libraries, but business accounts get a much more limited selection. Meta’s Sound Collection has free tracks and sound effects made for Facebook and Instagram videos; check the terms for how you plan to use them.
Two catches:
- App music usually stays in that app. A song licensed for TikTok isn’t licensed for YouTube. If you export a TikTok with its music and post it elsewhere, it can be muted or claimed. Export a version without the music, then add a sound from each app’s own library after you upload.
- Deals change. Even music an app lets you use today depends on agreements you don’t control. When a big publisher’s deal with an app lapses, songs can disappear and old videos can go silent.
Safe ways to get music
| Option | How it works | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| App libraries | Use music inside the app | Different rules for business and commercial posts |
| Stock music libraries | License tracks for your videos | Is commercial use allowed? Do you need to credit? |
| Royalty-free music | Pay once (or nothing) and use it under the terms | “Royalty-free” doesn’t mean “no rules” |
| Creative Commons | Free music with conditions | Some require credit; some ban commercial use |
| Your own music | Make it, or commission it | You own it outright |
The Free Assets guide lists legitimate free sources for music and sound effects, with what each license allows.
Keep records. Save the license or receipt for every track. Even properly licensed music sometimes gets an automatic claim, because the system can hear the song but can’t see your license. If that happens, dispute it with your proof.
What about fair use?
In the U.S., fair use lets you use limited amounts of copyrighted work for purposes like commentary, criticism, teaching and parody. Other countries have similar, often narrower rules. But it’s decided case by case, it’s a legal defense rather than a setting, and automated systems don’t decide fair use. They detect matches. A use you think is fair can still be claimed or blocked, and you’d need to dispute it.
For music in particular, using a song as background or atmosphere is very unlikely to count. Fair use is much more about genuinely commenting on the work itself.
If you run a business account
Businesses face stricter rules almost everywhere, because promoting something is a commercial use. If your video sells anything, even indirectly, stick to commercially cleared libraries or music you’ve licensed for commercial use. The Platform Rules reference covers what each app expects for paid and branded content.
Try it
Go through your last ten videos. For every piece of music you didn’t make, write down where it came from and what permission or license you had. Can’t answer for one? Replace it in future videos, and start a simple rights log so you’ll always know.
