• Indie Short Mag TV
Indie Shorts Mag
  • Home
  • Interviews
  • News
    • Film Festival News
    • Short Film News
  • Reviews
    • Short Film
    • Documentary
    • Web Series
  • Hall of Fame
  • Short Film Festival – 2025Accepting Films
  • Tutorials
    • Pre-Production
    • Post-Production
  • Submit Short Film
    • Submit Short Film for Review
    • Submit Web Series for Review
    • Interview Submission Form
No Result
View All Result
Indie Shorts Mag
  • Home
  • Interviews
  • News
    • Film Festival News
    • Short Film News
  • Reviews
    • Short Film
    • Documentary
    • Web Series
  • Hall of Fame
  • Short Film Festival – 2025Accepting Films
  • Tutorials
    • Pre-Production
    • Post-Production
  • Submit Short Film
    • Submit Short Film for Review
    • Submit Web Series for Review
    • Interview Submission Form
No Result
View All Result
Indie Shorts Mag
No Result
View All Result

10 Websites To Get Royalty Free Music For Short Films & Documentaries [Updated 2025]

Indie Shorts Mag Team by Indie Shorts Mag Team
05 Jan 2025
in Post-Production
6
10 Websites To Get Royalty Free Music For Short Films & Documentaries - Indie Shorts Mag

Music is a preeminent source of expression that adds a pleasing note to the film. It sets the tone for the narrative & makes it more engaging for the audience. Irrespective of the duration of the film, a song or little melody can make the film seem out of the ordinary.

A famous director once said, “It can’t be explained how important music or sound is in setting up your story or film. If you can do it right, the whole film just falls into place”, and we couldn’t have agreed more! Contrary to how short films are perceived as less significant, they carry the advantage of being more easily accessible t to the masses on their screens. Besides, they not only come out with solid messages but, more often than not, also acquit as a mode of entertainment.

As a filmmaker, you might have wondered ‘where to get royalty free music’? For the ones still clueless about the sources available for copyright-free music and scores, Indie Shorts Mag has done the work for you! Here’s a list of music publishers’ websites that could help revamp your short film and set it apart by using the right song. Your film’s score should invoke emotions and take your viewers to the world that you have made for them. Music activates your viewer’s emotions.

Background music, also known as film score or soundtrack, plays a significant role in enhancing the cinematic experience. It adds depth and emotion to a scene, sets the tone and mood of the film, and creates a seamless flow between different scenes. A well-crafted film score can evoke various emotions in the audience, from excitement and suspense to romance and nostalgia. The use of different instruments, rhythms, and melodies can also signify specific themes or characters in the film. Overall, background music is an essential component of filmmaking, and its impact on the audience’s perception of the story cannot be overstated.

Let’s get you some royalty free music for films. Happy Exploring!

  1. FIlmstro [Adpative Music/Create Custom Music] – https://filmstro.com

Filmstro is our uncontested go-to for all music requirements. Be it the background music for our Monthly Short Film Review Recap or any other videos; it is Filmstro that we turn to. They are, by far, the most hassle-free, diverse, and user-friendly platform, offering royalty-free music. With Filmstro, we don’t have to worry about any music licensing process and only focus on finding the best music tracks for our videos. Filmstro has unlimited downloads and a vast library of original score. You can learn more about Filmstro and how they operate or how they are best suited for your short films and documentaries by clicking on the link above. The article, in fact, also highlights copyright issues and how best to circumvent them.

Use Filmstro’s search option for free tracks from their website and built-in music library.

  1. Free Music Archive – freemusicarchive.org

Free Music Archive, or FMA, is a free-to-use, royalty-free music provider. All songs on FMA are free to access and download. They also provide a paid service that offers safe-to-use, royalty-free, original musical compositions.

  1. Partners in Rhyme – www.partnersinrhyme.com

Since 1996, Partners In Rhyme has been offering royalty-free music. The royalty-free license you receive from them is for a one-time fee. So no matter how big the project is, you do not have to submit cue sheets or report to any performing rights organizations. This allows you to use Partners in Rhyme’s audio library for your film score, corporate videos, music for videos, advertising, short-form video, etc. They also allow you to ship the DVD in case you need it.

  1. Beat Pick – beatpick.com

Beat Pick has one of the most extensive royalty-free music search functions. You can search through Beat Pick’s stock music by using filters like genre, mood, vocals, language, tempo, the main instrument used, artist name, track name, etc.

If you are a music composer, you can submit and sell your music compositions to Beats Pick.

  1. Musopen – musopen.org

Musopen is a non-profit that was founded in San Francisco, CA. They offer free music recordings, sheet music, apps, and educational materials to increase access to music education. Their mission is to set music free.

  1. Clip Dealer – en.clipdealer.com

Clip dealer has royalty-free music audio files and more than 200 million royalty-free stock photos and video clips (yes, you can use them in your music video).

  1. Story Blocks – storyblocks.com

Like Clip Dealer, Story Blocks also provides images, video clips & audio clips. While browsing Story Blocks, I found some popular music I had heard on YouTube (videos). Of course, you can get more content for less with their subscription model. Frankly, they offer a plan that works with every budget. For both commercial purposes and personal projects, their royalty-free audio content comes with unlimited usage. With an active subscription, you can download content more than once and keep it forever.

  1. Audio Micro – audiomicro.com

Audio Micro claims its contributors are GRAMMY composers, Oscar-winning sound effects artists, filmmakers, and production houses. I previewed a couple of music tracks, and the quality is incredible!

  1. Dano songs – danosongs.com

Unlike the others in this list, a single individual creates and owns Dano songs. As a result, you can use Dano’s music for film, videos, apps, games, presentations, podcasts, and other media. In addition, you can stream Dano’s music on Apple, Spotify, YouTube Music & Amazon.

  1. Vlog No Copyright Music – www.youtube.com/channel/UCEickjZj99-JJIU8_IJ7J-Q

Vlog No Copyright Music is probably the first source I used when I needed non-copyrighted music. I was tired of the copyright claim I used to get, and Vlog No Copyright Music was my go-to place when I didn’t have the budget to purchase. I also use Vlog No Copyright Music to listen to some music while working; they have a great collection of uplifting background music. Nothing beats listening to some uplifting music while working, right?

If you are a music composer with some original scores, send your tracks to Vlog No Copyright Music and reach their 2.1M subscribers.

These websites offer a wide variety of music genres and have free and paid options for downloading music tracks. Some of these websites also allow you to submit your original compositions for others to use. It is important to note that even though these websites offer royalty-free music, some may require attribution or have specific usage terms, so make sure to read the terms of use carefully.

I am sure this list isn’t exhaustive, but it serves as a dependable reference for the numerous choices available to you, and please feel free to inform me in the comments section if any of your preferred options have been overlooked.

Tags: Background MusicFilmmaking ResourcesPost-ProductionSound Design
Previous Post

‘Skin’ Is A Sensitive Telling Of Body Image Issue Dealt With Humour By A Delightful Gay Couple!

Next Post

‘Le Linceul’ Horrifyingly Reminds You To Never Play With The Dead!

Indie Shorts Mag Team

Indie Shorts Mag Team

Related Posts

Inside the Editing Suite - Best 6 Video Editing Software That Hollywood Movies Use - Indie Shorts Mag
Post-Production

Inside the Editing Suite: Best 6 Video Editing Software That Hollywood Movies Use

27th May 2023
How To Make A Simple Poster For Your Short Film in 5 Minutes (Without Photoshop) - Indie Shorts Mag - Featured
Post-Production

How To Make A Simple Poster For Your Short Film in 5 Minutes (Without Photoshop)

12th January 2020
Next Post
Le Linceul - Horrifyingly Reminds You To Never Play With The Dead_ - Short Film Review - Indie Shorts Mag 4

‘Le Linceul’ Horrifyingly Reminds You To Never Play With The Dead!

Comments 6

  1. Stephanie says:
    5 years ago

    Hi, I hope you can check out my site.

    More Free Music Archives please click the link below!
    https://musicadvisor.com/top-10-high-quality-free-music-archivesfree-music-archive/

    I also write different instrument review and other musical information like understanding musical notes. Hope this helps you!

    Reply
  2. Ajith says:
    4 years ago

    I want some sound effects,music,loop for short filim

    Reply
    • Jijo Jose says:
      4 years ago

      Try one of the above websites.

      Reply
  3. David William says:
    3 years ago

    Thanks for sharing one of the best sites for music. Keep updated!!!

    Reply
  4. dakota shepperd says:
    1 year ago

    I wont to make my own movie

    Reply
  5. bob hoskins says:
    4 months ago

    Or, you could hire a composer that wlll ACTUALLY create music for your project, that SUITS and FITS your project better than music that was pre-made without your project in mind.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


Sponsored

Featured Post

Announcing Short Of The Year Awards 2023

Announcing Short Of The Year Awards 2023

Latest Podcast

  • Recent Reviews

About Indie Shorts Mag

Indie Shorts Mag is a publishing agency that works within the ‘short film circuit’. We review short films, documentaries, music videos and web series, amongst others. We stand out amongst the short film review sites for being multi-diverse & global in our platform and reach.
Our team works tirelessly to help promote, publicize and market your short films that deserve the shout-out! Besides reviews, we host film festival news as it’s a known fact that the film festival buzz is unmissable and we ensure you aren’t left behind!
We aspire to form a niche for ourselves as the ‘short film magazine’ that remains the hub for filmmakers & their audience.

Popular Topics

  • Announcements
  • Articles
  • Crowdfunding
  • Editorial
  • Film Festival News
  • Film Festivals
  • India Edition
  • Interviews
  • Marketing
  • Marketing
  • News
  • Online Premiere
  • Post-Production
  • Pre-Production
  • Reviews
  • Short Film
  • Short Film Competition
  • Short Film News
  • Tutorials
  • Web Series

Indie Shorts Mag on Instagram

Follow Us On Instagram

  • #ShortFilmReview: Mendo’s Carousel: Betrayals, and the affections that survive them.

Read our review. Link in bio.

#ShortFilm #Review #IndieFilmReview #FilmReview #SupportIndieFilm
  • #ShortFilmReview: Dream Girl: Some fantasies are best kept in the mind.

Read our review and watch the short film. Link in bio.

#ShortFilm #Review #IndieFilmReview #FilmReview #SupportIndieFilm
  • #ShortFilmTrailer: Likeness: Mystery, Grief and Multiple Existential Crises. 

Read our review and watch the short, link in bio.

#ShortFilm #ShortFilmReview #SupportindieFilm #Trailer #FilmTrailer #ShortFilms
  • #ShortFilmReview: I’m Not a Robot: It is not enough to be alive.

Read our review and watch the short film. Link in bio.

#ShortFilm #Review #IndieFilmReview #FilmReview #SupportIndieFilm
  • #ShortFilmReview: Holy Filament: (One of) Ms X’s day out.

Read our review. Link in bio.

#ShortFilm #Review #IndieFilmReview #FilmReview #SupportIndieFilm
  • #ShortFilmReview: Distant Memories: To no longer be loved is also the loss of the loved one.

Read our review. Link in bio.

#ShortFilm #Review #IndieFilmReview #FilmReview #SupportIndieFilm
  • #ShortFilmReview: Bajo La Tierra: Grief is love’s labour for eternity.

Read our review. Link in bio.

#ShortFilm #Review #IndieFilmReview #FilmReview #SupportIndieFilm
  • #ShortFilmReview: The Last Ranger: We learn as we see.

Read our review. Link in bio.

#ShortFilm #Review #IndieFilmReview #FilmReview #SupportIndieFilm
  • #ShortFilmReview: Hatirlama: Life and other treasures in a stranger
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Submit Article
  • Write for Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy

© 2015-2024 Indie Shorts Mag.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Interviews
  • News
    • Film Festival News
    • Short Film News
  • Reviews
    • Short Film
    • Documentary
    • Web Series
  • Hall of Fame
  • Short Film Festival – 2025
  • Tutorials
    • Pre-Production
    • Post-Production
  • Submit Short Film
    • Submit Short Film for Review
    • Submit Web Series for Review
    • Interview Submission Form

© 2015-2024 Indie Shorts Mag.