Guides · 01
What is free royalty free music, really?
“Royalty free” is on every music site, and it rarely means free. Here’s what the labels mean, in plain words.
Royalty free is about royalties, not price
A royalty is a fee paid every time something is used: every broadcast, every stream, every copy sold. Royalty free music drops that. You get a licence once and can use the track as agreed without paying per view. Most royalty free libraries still charge for that licence, either per track or as a subscription.
Free royalty free music drops the up-front fee as well. It costs nothing to get and nothing to keep using.
Copyright free is something else
Almost all music is under copyright. “Copyright free” or “no copyright” music usually means one of two things: the music is in the public domain (CC0 or very old), or the owner has given a licence that lets you use it freely. Purrple Cat’s music is under copyright and licensed to you under CC BY 4.0, which is what makes it free to use.
The labels side by side
| Label | Costs money? | Credit needed? | Monetized videos? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royalty free (paid library) | Usually, per track or monthly | Usually not | Yes, while your licence or subscription lasts |
| Free royalty free, CC BY 4.0 (this site) | No | Yes | Yes |
| CC0 / public domain | No | No | Yes |
| CC BY-NC | No | Yes | No (non-commercial only) |
| “Free for YouTube” only | No | Depends | Only on that platform |
How to check if a track is really free to use
- Find the licence. A real licence has a name (CC BY 4.0, CC0, a written licence page). “No copyright” in a video title is not a licence.
- Check what it allows. Commercial use? Monetized videos? Livestreams? Podcasts?
- Check what it asks. Credit? A link? Nothing at all?
- Keep proof. A screenshot of the licence page and your credit line settles most disputes.
What CC BY 4.0 means here
You can use, share and edit the music for any purpose, including commercial ones, as long as you credit Purrple Cat, link the licence and say if you changed anything. Purrple Cat also asks one thing on top: please don’t upload the music, or remixes, samples or covers of it, to music streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube Music. Those uploads get fingerprinted and cause false Content ID claims for everyone.
Questions
- Is royalty free the same as free?
- No. Royalty free means no per-use fees, but most royalty free music still costs money for the licence. Free royalty free music has no fee at all.
- Is CC BY music safe for YouTube?
- Yes, as long as you credit it as the licence asks. CC BY 4.0 allows commercial use, so monetized videos are fine.
- Is CC BY the same as copyright free?
- Not quite. CC BY music is still under copyright, but the owner licenses it to everyone for free on the condition that you give credit.
Ready? Every track is free to use with credit.
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