3 Best Resources for Copyright Free Music for Instagram

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Instagram’s Current Rules to Use Music in Video Posts

Instagram notes that they have negotiated deals for a limited amount of music use in their platform with several rights organizations. Though they cannot release the details of these contracts, guidelines for content creators include the following:

Filming an artist or band performing live as a live stream on Instagram is permitted.
However, filming multiple live streams of the performance will be limited so as not to infringe on public performance licensing.
Using music in other clips that are short is allowed.
Recorded audio cannot be the primary purpose of the video. Instead, the video must be enhanced by the music, not vice versa.

Instagram has also created a library of music for content creators to use in their videos at no cost, called Facebook’s Sound Collection. This is a library similar to YouTube’s library, which allows you to use certain songs without violating licensing agreements. In fact, Instagram will notify you during a live stream about potentially accidental violations of music copyright laws and cut off your social media post.

If you are a content creator or the social media manager for a business, you want to ensure you do not violate copyright laws, but you also want your video posts to be entertaining. There are online resources that provide music for content creators like you, who need great songs without worrying about copyright violations.

3 Resources for Copyright-Free Music for Instagram

To get great music without running afoul of PROs and licensing agreements, you can turn to music sources that have different types of copyright or are copyright-free.

These include music in the public domain, royalty-free music, and music in the Creative Commons.

1. Public Domain Songs

People who write, perform, and publish songs are protected by copyright. But those rights aren’t permanent. When the copyright expires, the song enters the public domain.

When does copyright expire? Typically, copyrights expire 70 years after the artist passes away. However, some songs are never protected by copyright. They enter the public domain automatically.

Public domain songs are typically very old, and remakes don’t count. For example, a song performed by Irving Berlin may be in the public domain, but a new version sung by Lady Gaga is not.

To search for public domain songs for your Instagram posts, these are the three best sites:

Open Music Archive: This collaborative online project digitalizes and redistributes music and sound recordings that are out of copyright.
Public Domain Information Project (PDInfo): This is one of the largest online sources for information about public domain music, offering access to these songs.
International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)/Petrucci Music Library: This wiki is devoted to international, public domain songs.

2. Royalty-Free Music

If music published before 1926 is not to your taste, another great option is royalty-free music.

A royalty is a payment one person makes to use an asset owned by someone else. In a typical arrangement, you would make a royalty payment every time your song plays on Instagram.

Royalty-free music is different. In a typical royalty-free arrangement, you make one payment to use the song with no further money required.

These are the three best resources for royalty-free music that is great for Instagram:

Premium Beat by Shutterstock: The internet’s largest stock photo service developed a similar royalty-free music service for content creators and other artists to find the perfect songs for their video projects.
Epidemic Sound: Another of the internet’s largest resources for stock and royalty-free music, Epidemic Sound is a subscription service with a page devoted to music that works well for Instagram videos.
TakeTones: Although a smaller resource for royalty-free music, TakeTones has an Instagram page you can follow for help using their database as a resource for your social media presence.

3. Creative Commons Music Licensing

Creative Commons offers artists a whole new way to protect their songs. Several license types are available, and they’re all a little different.

Creative Commons licenses are defined by acronyms. These are the terms to know:

CC: Creative Commons
BY: Credit is required.
SA: Adaptations must follow the same terms.
NC: Only noncommercial uses are allowed.
ND: No derivatives or adaptations are allowed.

Songwriters can choose a combination of these acronyms to define the terms of the license. No fees are required, but you must meet the terms of that license.

The Creative Commons website offers a page with information on how to find CC-licensed music.

Choose the Right Music by Post Type

Instagram offers several different types of posts, and each one might benefit from different types of music. In general, it’s best to choose music based on the images you’re sharing. However, a few basic guidelines can make selection a little easier.

These are good general music choices by post type:

Posts. Visually striking images might benefit from ambient tunes, while funny pictures should have off-kilter or children’s songs.
Stories. Most creators lean on upbeat and catchy songs in their posts, and they’re typically in the pop or electronic genre. Stand out by choosing something completely different.
Reels. Most people use energetic tunes for dances or comedic content, while others use slow songs for storytelling.
Live. The music should closely match the content you’re sharing. In general, the music in a live video should be playing in the background, rather than taking center stage.

No matter what music you choose, do your best to be authentic and a little different. As Aimee Song, an Instagram influencer with more than 5 million followers, says: “Think if you’re trying to become like me or somebody that’s already out there, it’s going to be impossible. Unfortunately, there’s only one Aimee Song. But, if you find your unique voice, and stay authentic, it will resonate with people.”

How to Verify Copyright-Free Music for Instagram

You’ve found the absolutely perfect song for your Instagram post. How can you determine that it’s truly copyright-free and ready to use without a payment? Several steps are required.

To verify that the song you love is truly copyright-free, follow these steps:

Check the public domain. Visit the Public Domain Information Project, and search for the song you like. Ensure that you’re searching for the original song and not a remake.
Search for Creative Commons paperwork. Visit the Creative Commons search portal, and search for the song.‍
Try YouTube. Search for the song you like on YouTube, and read the information in the description box. You could see copyright data there.

Even with all of these steps, you could choose a song protected by copyright. You’ll find out if you upload the song, as the platform will tell you so.

What if You Need Other Options?

Even if you find great tracks using these resources, copyright-free music just might not provide the ambiance or trendiness you want on your Instagram page. Maybe you want access to popular, familiar songs that work with your brand and that you know your social media followers will love.

This means you either need to adhere strictly to Instagram’s guidelines for posting music, use their library, or find a way to pay for appropriate licensing.