Where to Get Background Music for LinkedIn Videos

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Background music can greatly enhance a LinkedIn video and should be considered when making one. But you need to be sure you are using music you are legally entitled to use in your video.

To choose background music for your LinkedIn video, consider what the purpose of your video is. What are you trying to accomplish?

Background music is not intended to be listened to directly. It can fill the silence and help to set the tone and atmosphere for your LinkedIn video. It can help to engage your audience, create more interest, and engender certain feelings in the viewer.

The type of music matters, as does your budget. There are free options for background music out there as well as copyrighted and paid versions.

Why the Background for Your LinkedIn Videos Matters

LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network on the internet,  is used to foster professional relationships, make connections, and help people learn new skills to further their careers. It is a professional community where videos play an important role in brand marketing, both for individuals and companies.

Videos can create more engagement and brand recognition. Videos that include background music can have an even greater effect.

Background music can make a viewer feel a certain way and help to set the atmosphere or tone that you are trying to get across. Videos with music in the background can help to captivate audiences and draw viewers in. Music can both help drive your content and support it.

Background music can also aid in accentuating a message and pace your video. Background music in your LinkedIn video makes it more recognizable and palatable to audiences.

Things to Consider When Choosing Background Music for Your LinkedIn Videos

When choosing your background music for a LinkedIn video, it is important to consider your purpose and exactly what you are trying to accomplish with the video.

Consider these factors:

  • Role of your music: It is imperative to know if you want the music to play a supportive role or be more of a driving force. Background music should not take over the video, but merely be used to enhance it.
  • Tone: Music can help to make people feel a specific way and can be paired with images to accomplish this purpose. The tone of the music should match your overall goal of the video.
  • Demographics of your audience: If you are looking to reach a broad audience, try not to be too genre-specific, but if you are targeting a specific group of people then something more genre-specific or cultural can be appealing.
  • Pacing of the video: Music can be used to keep the video flowing or for transitions. It can help to accent a message. Music with consistent rhythm is often optimal, although it can be helpful to start and stop music at certain points too.
  • Budget: Some background music is available for free, but if you are looking for something more recognizable or popular, this will generally cost a licensing fee. Your budget is an important aspect to consider.

Why Can’t I Just Use Any Music for My Videos?

Music and musicians are protected by copyright laws that designate legal ownership and exclusive rights to the music. This means that popular or common music cannot be used for distribution purposes without special permission or licensing.

Most songs have not one but two copyright licenses: one for the sound recording and one for the musical work. If you want to use a recognizable or popular song as background music in your LinkedIn video, you will need two different copyright licenses. You will need to obtain these from the holders of the copyright directly.

Using copyrighted music without proper permission can result in legal action or your video being taken down.

Where Can I Get Legal Music for My LinkedIn Videos?

There are ways to get music for your LinkedIn video that are legal and will not incur penalties.

  • Paying for copyright licenses: You will need to obtain both a master use license and a synchronization license to use a commercial song in your video. This requires contacting the holders of the copyrights directly, and it can get costly.
  • Royalty-free music: This type of music still incurs a fee the majority of the time, but it is generally easier and cheaper to obtain than copyrighted music. It generally requires a one-time fee, and many services provide royalty-free music for purchase.
  • Public domain music: Copyrights expire, and music published prior to 1927 is in the public domain and therefore free and legal to use. Just be sure to research the music to make sure the version you are using falls under the public domain before using it.
  • Creative Commons music or artist community sites: This type of royalty-free music is usually free and often just requires a credit to the artist who made it to use it in your video.
  • Personally created music: Music that you compose and create yourself is not subject to licensing, but hiring a composer can also be costly.

LinkedIn also compiles a list of sources for free music to use in corporate videos.

Why Add Music to Corporate Videos?

Attention spans of viewers are incredibly short. Music can help to grab and keep a viewer’s attention right away.

Music sets the mood and tone of your video and can help to promote your message or brand. Music can enhance brand recognition, help to foster an emotional connection with your audience, and encourage a viewer to share your video for even more widespread viewership.

Music can aid in directing the pace of the video, set the mindset of your audience, keep them engaged and interested in your message, and help them to remember it long after it is over.

Tips on How to Choose the Right Track for Your Business Video

  1. Know the role you need your music to play in your video.
  2. Understand your budget and stay within it.
  3. Use music intros and outros as a bookend in your video.
  4. Understand music genres and pick one that suits your message and intended audience.
  5. Use reference music as a guide to find similar music to copyrighted versions.
  6. Consider hiring a composer for an original score.
  7. Keep your music in the background, and don’t let it detract from your spoken word.
  8. Choose music that will speak to your targeted audience.
  9. Use the music to drive points, direct, and pace the viewer.

Sample Songs for Corporate Videos

There are a variety of songs that can be used for background on corporate videos, many of which can be found through royalty-free sites and streaming services. These can include the following:

FAQs

Can I use music on LinkedIn?

Yes, you can add music to your LinkedIn videos, just be sure to use music to which you have legal rights.

Should you put your music on LinkedIn?

Music can play an important role in your video and viewership on LinkedIn. Music can increase the value and range of your video. It should certainly be considered when making LinkedIn videos.

Can I use any music I want in my LinkedIn video?

Music will need to be legally obtained and properly licensed to use it on LinkedIn. This can include free options as long as they are properly cited or obtained and used.

References

Welcome to Your Professional Community. (2022). LinkedIn.

What Musicians Should Know About Copyright. U.S. Copyright Office.

6 Sources of Free Music for Your Corporate Videos. (January 2020). LinkedIn.

Uplifting Corporate. (2022). Envato Pty, Ltd.

A Good Mood. Artlist.

More Now Than Ever. Epidemic Sound.

Presentacion Corporativa. Envato Elements Pty, Ltd.

Uplifting and Inspiring Corporate. (2022). Envato Pty, Ltd.

How to Add Music to a Video (A Step-by-Step Guide). TechSmith.

Add Music to Your Videos for Free. Adobe.

What Music Can You Use in Your Video Production? LinkedIn.

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