01 · The terms
Royalty-free, free and copyright-free are not the same
Royalty-free means you pay once (or nothing) and don't owe a fee every time the episode is played. It does not mean free, and it does not mean you can do anything with it: the licence still sets the rules. Free music usually comes with a Creative Commons licence or a site licence. Public domain music has no copyright at all, but most recordings of public domain pieces are themselves copyrighted.
- Royalty-free: no per-play fees; licence still applies
- Creative Commons: free, with conditions
- Public domain: the composition may be free; the recording often isn't
- Never use a commercial song because it's "only 10 seconds"
02 · Licences
Creative Commons licences in plain English
Most free podcast music is licensed under Creative Commons. CC0 means no conditions. CC BY means you must credit the artist, usually in your show notes. NC (non-commercial) rules out shows with sponsors or ads. ND (no derivatives) means you can't edit or remix the track, which can include cutting it down. If your podcast makes money now or might later, avoid NC.
- CC0: use freely
- CC BY: credit the artist in show notes
- CC BY-NC: no ads, sponsors or paid shows
- CC BY-ND: no edits, so trimming may not be allowed
03 · Free sources
Where to find free podcast music
Good places to start: Pixabay Music (free under its own content licence, no credit required), Free Music Archive (licences vary by track, so check each one), Incompetech by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY, credit required) and the YouTube Audio Library (built for YouTube videos; read the terms before using tracks in an audio podcast elsewhere). Download the licence or a screenshot of it with every track you use.
- Pixabay Music: free, no credit needed
- Free Music Archive: check each track's licence
- Incompetech: free with credit
- YouTube Audio Library: check terms for use off YouTube
- Save proof of the licence
04 · Paid libraries
Paid royalty-free libraries
If you want a distinctive sound or your show is commercial, a subscription library gives you higher quality and clearer rights: Epidemic Sound, Artlist, Musicbed and Audio Network are common choices, and Pond5 and AudioJungle sell single tracks. Check that the plan covers podcasts and keeps working for episodes you published while subscribed.
- Confirm podcasts are covered
- Check what happens to old episodes if you cancel
- Single-track purchase is often cheaper for one theme
05 · Intro and outro
Choosing free podcast intro music
Pick music that matches the tone of your voice, not just your topic, and keep the intro short: 5 to 15 seconds before you start talking. A track with a clear, simple loop is easier to fade under speech than one with vocals or big drops. More on picking and timing in podcast intro music and jingles.
- 5 to 15 seconds before the first word
- No lyrics under speech
- Use the same track every episode so listeners recognise it
06 · Adding it
Add music to your episode without a DAW
In Hilite's podcast editor you add your intro and outro music to the episode, and loudness normalisation keeps voice and music at a consistent level, so you don't need to learn fades and ducking in a full audio workstation.
- Music under speech: well below the voice
- Fade in and out, don't cut
- Credit the artist if the licence requires it
Got the music? Add it in two clicks.
Hilite adds your intro and outro music and balances it under your voice.