Things get so complicated when you're trying to become an internet superstar! There are so many options, so many moving parts, that it's easy to procrastinate in the face of all the decision-making. But you have to start somewhere, and it really is easy when you know how!
There are several ways you can get a backing track onto your YouTube video without worrying about legal ramifications such as the dreaded copyright
strike/claim:
Grab something from the public domain.
If you're looking for performances of Mozart, or old-time US radio broadcasts, you might just be be in luck. However, by the time you reach the middle of the 20th century, there'll be virtually nothing for you to use. By all means, give it a go, though! Try one of the various
portals of public domain content.
Do it right there on YouTube.
If you've made a video which is all done bar the backing track, you can choose to upload it and then head to the YouTube Studio's
audio library. Although the editor is very limited, you do have the ability to choose a royalty-free track (only one per video) from YouTube's selection of mostly instrumentals. It's not the most carefully curated selection, shall we say, and of course you have zero exclusivity – anyone else can use the track as you have done – but at least you get something up there.
Start a subscription to a music licensing service.
The problem with public domain and YouTube royalty-free music is that it just isn't that good. If you want something truly compelling then, generally speaking, money needs to change hands. Paying a monthly fee to a licensing service may allow you to choose from stock music that's slightly more interesting, although you generally won't have any exclusivity.
Buy a track outright. Or get it made just for you!
What about buying a readymade track that has never been used by anyone, and which comes with exclusive rights so you can do anything you like with it? This is the key benefit of buying from
Soundvase. You are the sole copyright holder of the track and therefore have nothing to worry about when you're uploading to YouTube.
