Niche guides
Main mix or alt mix? Using two versions of the same cue
Several of our tracks come with an alternative mix. Here is how to use a pair of mixes to raise tension without changing the musical identity of a scene.
The blog
Notes for creators:music that fits the video.
Plain answers on picking background music, licences and copyright claims, one niche at a time.
50 posts
Niche guides
Background music for true crime podcasts: how to pick it
Good background music for true crime podcasts is slow, low and tense, and never fights the narrator. How to pick it, where to place it and what to license.
Creator workflow
How to brief music for a video in five words
A good music brief is short. Here is a five-word formula that makes searching, or asking someone else to search, much faster.
Creator workflow
Building a small house sound library for your channel
A handful of well-chosen tracks, organised properly, can cover most of your videos for a year. Here is how to build one.
Niche guides
Chiptune for gaming edits: when 8-bit works
Chiptune is instantly recognisable as gaming music, which is both its strength and its risk. Here is where it fits and where it fights your footage.
Niche guides
Choosing a niche sound for your channel
Channels that sound consistent feel more professional. Here is how to decide which musical niche your channel belongs in.
Niche guides
Cinematic music for channel trailers that people finish
A channel trailer has about a minute to say what you make and why it matters. The right cinematic cue does half of that work for you.
Platform tips
Copyright claims explained for creators
Automated copyright systems scan uploads for matching audio. Here is how they work in general, and what to do if a claim appears.
Niche guides
Cosy music for home tours and get-ready-with-me videos
Home tours, hauls and get-ready-with-me videos are conversations with the viewer. The music should feel like background in a nice room, not a performance.
Editing with music
Cutting video to the beat: tempo maths for editors
Every track row shows a bpm. Here is how to turn that number into a grid you can cut on, in any editor.
Editing with music
Ducking music under voice: a starting recipe
The most common complaint about creator audio is music that is too loud under talking. Here is a simple recipe for getting it right.
Editing with music
Ending on the music: hitting the last frame
A strong ending makes a video feel finished. Here is how to line up the music's ending with your final shot, logo or end card.
Creator workflow
How many music tracks does a channel need?
How many music tracks does a channel need? Two to four to start: a theme, a bed for talking and one for energy. How to pick them and add more over time.
Platform tips
Instagram Reels: music for viewers who watch on mute
Plenty of people scroll with the sound off. Here is how to make Reels that work silent and sound better with audio on.
Creator workflow
Keeping licence records: order numbers and PDFs
If a question about your music ever comes up, you want the answer in a minute, not a day. Here is a simple record-keeping system.
Editing with music
B-roll reels: letting the music lead
Sometimes the best way to edit B-roll is to choose the music first and cut the footage to it. Here is how that workflow works.
Niche guides
Lo-fi for study-with-me streams: what to listen for
A study stream is hours long and viewers are trying to concentrate. The music needs to be steady, unobtrusive and pleasant on the hundredth listen.
Editing with music
Looping a track seamlessly under a long video
Long videos, streams and meditations often need more music than one track provides. Here is how to extend a track without an audible seam.
Niche guides
Music for coding tutorials and app demos
Screen recordings are visually static, so music does a lot of work. Here is how to make a tutorial feel finished without distracting from the explanation.
Niche guides
Horror reads and mystery shorts: drones, silence and the tick
Scary content depends as much on what the audience does not hear. Here is how to use drones, pulses and silence to build dread.
Podcasting
Interview podcasts: keep music out of the conversation
Music under a conversation makes it harder to follow. Here is where music belongs in an interview show, and where it does not.
Niche guides
Meditation and yoga beds: why no surprises matters
Guided meditation, yoga and sleep content need music that the listener can forget is there. Here is what makes a good wellness bed.
Platform tips
Podcast clips on social: music for audiograms and short video
Clips are how most podcasts find new listeners. Here is how a little music makes a short clip feel finished.
Niche guides
Music for recipe videos: warm, not sleepy
Cooking videos need music that feels like a kitchen on a good morning. Here is how to keep it cosy without it dragging the pace down.
Niche guides
Music for speedruns and highlight reels: matching pace
A highlight reel is a series of peaks. The music has to keep up without flattening every moment into the same level of excitement.
Platform tips
Twitch and live streams: music for intros, breaks and outros
Streams have natural spots for music: the starting screen, breaks and the end. Here is how to plan them so your VODs stay clean too.
Platform tips
Music for YouTube Shorts: the hook in the first second
On Shorts, viewers decide in a moment whether to swipe. Here is how to use music to hold them through the first second and the whole loop.
Creator workflow
Music in client videos: what freelancers should check
Editing for clients adds a question: who holds the licence? Here is what to think about before you put music in a client's video.
Platform tips
Using music in paid social ads: what to check first
Boosting a post or running an ad changes how music rights apply. Here is what to check before you put money behind a video.
Platform tips
Posting one video everywhere: a music checklist
Cross-posting the same video to several platforms is efficient. Here is a checklist so the music works, and is covered, everywhere you post.
Podcasting
Cold opens: music for the first thirty seconds
A cold open drops listeners straight into the story before the intro. Here is how to score it so they stay for the rest.
Podcasting
Podcast intro music: length, fade and voice-over
Your intro is the part of every episode that listeners hear most. Here is how long it should be and how to talk over it.
Podcasting
Mixing podcast music to loudness targets
Podcast apps expect episodes at a consistent loudness. Here is how to set your music so the finished episode meets the target without burying the voice.
Podcasting
Stingers and transitions between podcast segments
A few seconds of music between segments tells listeners the topic is changing. Here is how to make stingers from the tracks you already use.
Creator workflow
A pre-upload audio checklist for creators
Ten quick checks before you hit publish, so the music in your video sounds right and your paperwork is in order.
Creator workflow
Previewing music against your own footage before you buy
A track that sounds great on its own can feel wrong under your video. Here is a quick way to audition music against real footage.
Podcasting
Making a series sound like itself
Reusing the same music across episodes builds recognition. Here is how to create a consistent sound for a podcast or video series.
Niche guides
Scoring a mini-documentary in three acts
A ten-minute documentary does not need ten tracks. It needs a plan: a sound for the set-up, one for the complication, and one for the payoff.
Podcasting
Scoring a true-crime episode, segment by segment
A walk through one episode's structure and the music under each part, using four tracks from the same shelf.
Editing with music
Searching music by mood: tense, warm, epic, retro
Every track in our library carries two mood words. Here is how to use moods to narrow a search fast, and why two words beat one.
Editing with music
Where the music should start: the first three seconds
Viewers decide whether to keep watching almost immediately. Here is how the opening of your music affects that decision.
Platform tips
TikTok: licensed music or trending sounds?
Trending sounds can help reach, but they have limits. Here is when licensed music is the better choice for TikTok creators.
Editing with music
Moving between two tracks in one video
Longer videos often need more than one track. Here is how to switch between them without the audience hearing a jolt.
Niche guides
Travel vlog music that keeps a montage moving
The travel montage lives or dies on rhythm. Here is how to choose an upbeat track that carries your footage without turning it into an advert.
Editing with music
How to cut a song to 30 seconds without a hard fade
How to cut a song to 30 seconds for Reels, Shorts and TikTok: keep the intro, jump to the real ending on a bar line, and never fade out mid-phrase.
Platform tips
Vertical and horizontal: one piece of music, two edits
Most creators now publish a long horizontal video and several vertical clips from it. Here is how to plan the music for both.
Podcasting
Video podcasts: one soundtrack for YouTube and audio feeds
Publishing a show as both video and audio raises a few music questions. Here is how to plan one mix that works in both places.
Creator workflow
WAV or MP3 for video editing: what actually matters
WAV or MP3 for video editing? A high-quality MP3 is fine for almost every creator video. What matters more is how you handle it in your edit and export.
Editing with music
When to use no music at all
Music is a tool, not a requirement. Here are the moments where taking the music out makes a video stronger.
Platform tips
Why your music sounds quieter after you upload
YouTube and other platforms adjust playback loudness. Here is what that means for your mix, and why pushing the music louder does not help.
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