craneman

I am new to this site and photography in general. I use a Phantom 4 drone for some of my video and also take video with a Nikon P1000. Can anyone tell me how to add music to my video clips without paying royalties. I use Cyberlink software and I am not savvy enough to be able to add music.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

There are too many parts to your question.

For editing, you add music as an audio track.

For the other part, how are you going to distribute your video?

I have a long list of links, but for starters, try this: https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/music

craneman

Thank you for your reply. I have put some of my recorded songs on the audio track, but country music doesn't work well. I want to find a royalty free music source that has more appropriate music for vacation videos or wedding videos.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

Free music and royalty free music aren't always the same thing. Good musicians don't usually give anything away.

There is music that is free. Premiere Elements, the video editor I use, has a music generation feature. It generates music to match and fit your video. It works pretty well.

Another example of free music comes from some musicians that only want credit. Some will specify how that credit is given. One musician asks for donations, but does not charge. (Eric Matyas at http://soundimage.org/)

Another common situation is a low upfront, single payment for music that can be used without later royalties per use. Epidemic Sound is one example. They have pricing levels set differently for personal vs business use. There is lots of variety at wonderful quality. (https://www.epidemicsound.com/) (Another example is https://www.audiosocket.com/)

craneman

bsprague, I thank you very much for your help.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Be sure that whatever you do, you get a documented okay to do it, usually in the form of a copyright release or license.

For years, I used OmniMusic, a production house that specializes in "production music" for corporate in-house and limited distribution projects. They have many different plans and options, and the music is great. They've been at it for decades, so their library is extensive.

That's just one of MANY production music companies you can use.

Royalty free music can come with some, or no strings. Be sure you read each site carefully to be sure you stay in compliance with their policies.

I always found popular music to be a problem, not just because of licensing (which IS a pain in the butt), but also because there is often someone in the audience who cannot STAND one or more of your choices or genres.