Audio plays a crucial role in creating a top-notch YouTube video—whether it’s background music, sound effects, or other sound clips that enhance your video content. However, it’s not enough to simply grab any track or sound you like. You need copyright-free audio to avoid running afoul of legal restrictions.
One solution for this is the YouTube Audio Library, a resource offering free music, sound effects, and some audio clips. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to access it, what it offers, and whether it’s the best option for your content creation needs. Additionally, we’ll consider other alternatives to help you find the best claims-free audio for your YouTube videos, while having engaging content alongside legal protection.
1. What is the YouTube Audio Library?
For YouTubers on a tight budget, finding ways to save money is essential. While compromising on audio quality isn’t recommended, there are a few legitimate sources for free music. One of the most accessible options is the YouTube Audio Library.
With the YouTube Audio Library, you can explore a diverse collection of free music tracks and sound effects. Once you find something that fits your video, you can download and use it right away—no need to worry about copyright claims or revenue loss to third parties. However, before you dive in, it’s important to be aware of some potential downsides, which we’ll discuss shortly.
2. How to get access to the YouTube Audio Library
You can access the YouTube Audio Library either through YouTube Studio in your account or by visiting its dedicated site. The interface is straightforward, allowing users to easily navigate and find what they need.
You can search for music by various categories such as genre, mood, attribution requirements, and even track title. After running a search, you can preview each track with the play button and narrow down your options with filters. If you find a track you like but aren’t ready to use, you can mark it as a favorite with the star icon for future reference. Additionally, there’s a separate section specifically for browsing sound effects!
Download Sounds from the YouTube Audio Library
Via the download button on the interface it is straightforward to download any sound, music or sound effect from the YouTube library for free. You can subsequently organize the audio files in your personal folders to have faster access whenever you need them in your favorite editing software.
3. Are YouTube Music and Sound Effects Royalty Free?
Many creators wonder: “Is youtube audio library royalty free?” The short answer is yes as YouTube Audio Library promotes itself as offering “no copyright” music, but that can be a bit misleading. In reality, it provides a free license to use its tracks, as long as you adhere to specific guidelines.
If you don’t follow the rules, you’ll be in violation of the license. This means you’d be using the music without proper permission from the copyright holder, which could lead to serious consequences. According to the YouTube Audio Library’s own guidelines, there are key rules you must follow in order to maintain the free license for using their music.
Guidelines for Using Music from YouTube Audio Library
We listed the most important guidelines of the YouTube Library here for you:
• Always provide full credits in your video description as specified by the artist.
• Do not claim the music as your own creation.
• Do not sell the music or redistribute it in any form.
• Do not remix or alter the music without the explicit permission of the artist.
• Never use the music without proper credit in the video description.
• Do not modify the credits—you must leave them as they are.
• Only use the official download links from YouTube Audio Library; third-party downloads are prohibited.
• Contact the artist directly if you plan to use their music for projects outside of YouTube.
Following these rules is crucial, as YouTube Audio Library warns that failure to comply may lead to copyright strikes. The rules are straightforward, but even minor slip-ups can lead to serious consequences. For the exact details of the YouTube Audio Library guidelines, see YouTube Audio Library Guidelines.
4. Can I Monetize Videos that Use Music from YouTube Audio Library?
Yes, as long as your videos are eligible for monetization, YouTube allows you to monetize content that includes audio from the YouTube Audio Library.
5. How to Use the YouTube Audio Library for Other Platforms
Once you’ve downloaded music or sound effects from the YouTube Audio Library, you may want to use it on platforms beyond YouTube such as TikTok, Snap, Instagram, Twitch or even outside social media. However, there are some limitations you need to be aware of. While the Audio Library allows usage within YouTube, extending this to platforms is tricky.
Many sounds in the library require attribution, and a number of them are licensed under Creative Commons. This generally allows you to use them on other platforms, such as Instagram, but it’s essential to double-check the specific license for each track. In some cases, the track may not be permitted outside of YouTube.
As mentioned earlier, a critical rule is that you MUST contact the artist directly if you plan to use their music on any project outside of YouTube. This ensures you remain compliant with the license terms.
Some tracks in the Audio Library may not require attribution, but the copyright owner’s restrictions still apply. In these instances, you may need to contact the artist or rights holder to verify whether the music can be used beyond YouTube. In some cases, YouTube may have secured rights for internal use only, limiting your ability to use the music on other platforms.
This is where a platform like Voicy Premium can offer a significant advantage. Voicy Premium allows you to use music, sound clips and sound effects across multiple platforms—YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitch and more—under one easy-to-understand license. This flexibility is something the YouTube Audio Library doesn’t always guarantee, making Voicy Premium a more convenient option for multi-platform creators.
6. YouTube Audio Library vs. Voicy Premium – Which one is best?
The YouTube Audio Library can be a valuable resource to some creators, but most video creators will need a more enhanced solution for their audio needs.
1. YouTube offers a much smaller audio catalog
YouTube provides creators with a rather limited catalog of sounds compared to Voicy Premium, which offers a broader range of sound effects and music. The available options on YouTube are often not clearly categorized, making it difficult for users to discover and browse through relevant audio. This limited selection and poor organization can be a challenge for creators looking for specific sounds & tracks.
2. Voicy Premium offers royalty free trending sound clips
Voicy Premium offers an everyday growing collection of royalty-free sound clips, featuring trending audio that resonates with creators and their audiences. Unlike the YouTube Audio Library, which has a more static selection of SFX and music, Voicy Premium keeps up with viral sounds and royalty free meme sound effects. The catalog gives creators access to the latest popular clips, ensuring their content stays fresh and engaging.
3. Voicy Premium sounds can be used cross-platform and without restrictions
Voicy Premium sounds can be used across all platforms (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Twitch & more) without any licensing complexities, giving creators complete freedom to incorporate them into their content. Unlike other libraries, Voicy Premium sounds come with no restrictions, allowing them to be used on any social media platform or even in offline publishing. This flexibility makes it easy for creators to integrate trending audio into their work without worrying about usage limitations.
4. YouTube offers lower quality downloads and audio files
YouTube offers lower-quality audio downloads, limited to MP3 files, which may not meet professional standards. In contrast, Voicy Premium provides studio-quality sound files that can be downloaded in both MP3 and WAV formats. This makes Voicy Premium the preferred choice for professionals who need high-quality audio for their projects, ensuring that their content maintains the best possible sound fidelity across platforms.
Why Voicy Premium is a great platform to find royalty free audio for YouTube videos
The tracks and sound clips available in the YouTube Audio Library can feel a bit outdated and lack the punch needed to make your videos truly stand out. Many of the songs seem to come from hobbyists eager to share their music with the world, which is great for them—but might not give your content the impact it needs.
If you’re aiming to leverage audio to bring engagement of your video to the next level, you’ll need something with more energy than a boring track from someone still getting the hang of their recording software. You want music that resonates emotionally with your audience and sound clips that remind viewers of another funny video.
This is where Voicy Premium steps in. With Voicy Premium, you get access to a unique selection of high-quality music and trending meme sound effects that go beyond the typical stock offerings. Say goodbye to generic, repetitive music and SFX —Voicy Premium provides music that truly stands out. In fact, you can now incorporate popular meme sound clips in your YouTube videos, something that was previously out of reach! And the best part? It’s free for 7 days.