You know the feeling when a great song comes on and you can’t get it out of your head? You find yourself humming it at the most unexpected times. You can’t quite remember where you heard it, but suddenly it’s all you can think about. That’s what the right music can do for your explainer video. It can set the tone and significantly increase the chances that your message will be remembered.
Finding the right music can be tough. It’s not as simple as picking a track from your favourite Spotify playlist and calling it a day. For starters, there are usage issues to consider. Music is intellectual property; you need to have permission to use it, especially for a commercial purpose.
Music for your explainer video will generally fall into three main categories: paid, open-source, and original composition.
PAID
Paid music is any music you pay for. We can slice this a little further into rights-managed and royalty-free. In the simplest terms, royalty-free music is music where you pay a one-time fee to use it in perpetuity. In other words, there are no restrictions to the number of times you use it or for how long – once you buy it, it’s essentially yours to do with as you wish. In contrast, a rights managed track has very specific parameters around its use. The price you pay depends on how, where, and for how long the soundtrack will be used.
In general, you’ll probably want to stick to royalty-free music since it’s relatively affordable and easily available. Premiumbeat.com, Pond5.com, and Audiojungle.net are all popular databases offering literally millions of tracks. A quick Google search for “royalty-free music” will find you even more.
OPEN SOURCE
If you don’t have a budget for music you may want to consider open source material. Open source music is music that’s available for free, sometimes in exchange for simply providing track credit or a link back to the artist, website, or original source. Usage can be tricky though and is often limited to non-commercial purposes, so be sure to read all the fine print before including one of these tracks.
ORIGINAL COMPOSITION
A third option is composing an original piece. This doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive; for starters, if you happen to be somewhat of a musical prodigy, why not compose and produce something on your own? But even if you’re not the next Mozart, commissioning an original piece might be more affordable than you think. Search through sites like Fiverr and Upwork to find freelancers around the world willing to compose original music and soundtracks for as little as five bucks! This is a great option if you’re looking for something truly unique or very specific that may not already exist.
Wherever you end up sourcing your sound, and whatever type you choose, keep in mind that the music will set the tone for your entire video. It should be engaging and targeted for your specific audience. It should enhance, never detract, from your message. It should be professional and represent your brand well. And it should help elicit the desired emotional response.
Need help getting started? Raw Shorts offers quick and easy software (plus a great music library) to create your own animated videos. Get started today at rawshorts.com.
