Did you know that according to the Facebook report, ad impressions on their platform increased by 37% in 2019?

Or that, according to the Hootsuite platform, 75% of Instagram users react to an ad target at some point?

Maybe this is data you didn’t know about until now, but it’s real data, from real studies that show the following:

Online ads work really well.

Moreover, of all the formats that exist, the ads that work best are in video format.

If we base ourselves on the study carried out by the Content Marketing Institute, 71% of marketers dedicated to the B2B sector use video as one of their main promotional tools.

With this in mind, there is no doubt: apart from Facebook and Instagram, YouTube should be an important part of your marketing strategy.

At least if you want your brand to be competitive and remembered.

Because, according to the AdEspresso platform, 90% of the ads on YouTube increase brand recall by your potential customers.

However, apart from establishing a good strategy with ads in your social networks, you should take into account something important.

There is an essential element that you need, and without it, the video will not have the same impact or generate the same results.

And that element is none other than music.

Over the years, music has become an essential factor in advertising.

In fact, you probably remember more than one song or melody associated with a TV commercial.

The truth is that the same effect that music has had on advertising spots has not only been maintained over time but has been reinforced even more by online ads.

Nowadays, practically every person has a device connected to the Internet 24 hours a day.

This is why each person is exposed to advertisements all day long, not just watching TV or listening to the radio, as before.

Now they also see ads every time they open smartphone apps such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn, among others.

And the vast majority of all those video ads have music in the background.

Why is that?

Because music helps to consolidate the identity of a brand and improves the reception of the message to be transmitted.

Throughout the article you will see:

The importance of music in online advertising. - The best platform to find it. - The keys to using it successfully and getting the most out of it.

But first, you need to know something basic before using background music in your online ads.

What You Should Know About Copyright

When choosing the best music for your advertising content, it is very common to think that any music track can be used, whether it is famous or not.

Many people are unaware that the vast majority of the music they listen to on the radio, television, or Spotify is protected by law under what is known as copyright.

In short, copyright is one of the forms of intellectual property that gives the author of a song the exclusive right to his or her work.

Therefore, if you use a famous song protected by copyright without the author’s consent, you are breaking the law.

In that case, not only your advertising accounts within each online platform will be banned, but you will also be exposed to severe financial and legal penalties.

Can I Legally Use Copyrighted Music in My Online Ads?

In order to legally use copyrighted songs in online ads, it is necessary to ask permission from the copyright societies.

These entities are in charge of protecting the rights of the authors, and depending on the case of use, you will have to pay a certain amount of money to be allowed to use the song you want.

Depending on the country you are in, you will have to contact a certain copyright society, the most important of which are the following:

ASCAP, BMI and SESAC in the United States - SOCAN in Canada - PRS and PPL in the United Kingdom - SACEM in France - SUISA in Switzerland - GEMA in Germany - APRA and PPCA in Australia - ACEMLA in Latin América - SGAE in Spain

You have the full list here .

Normally the amounts that these entities usually request in exchange for releasing the rights of a certain song are very high.

In addition, the vast majority of songs they have licensed are vocal songs by well-known artists.

This type of song is not the most recommended, and later we will explain why. However, now the most important thing is that you have clear the following:

In the same way that there is music with copyright, there is music free of copyright.

What Is Copyright-Free Music?

This is music with licenses that you can buy once and use whenever you want.

In our article about what is music without copyright , we explain in detail what these types of songs are.

Luckily, this type of music is much cheaper than copyrighted music, and its use in online advertising is much more effective.

Where Can I Download Non-Copyrighted Music?

The truth is that on the Internet there are many platforms where you can download music copyright-free for online ads.

At Legis Music we have tried the vast majority of them first hand.

And all of them have features that make them different from the others.

But if we have to choose the best ones, that are our licenses and Epidemic Sound´s ones.

Legis Music

At Legis Music we have decided to launch three exclusive plans this 2023 so that our customers can access royalty free music easily and cheaply.

What these plans have in common is that you only have to pay once to get them, allowing you to enjoy the songs unlimited for life and have the peace of mind of not having to worry about copyright claims in the future.

This way, you can choose the plan that best suits your needs:

Starter Plan. This licence is recommended for those who are looking for music to use in personal projects. It also allows you to use the music in all social networks and on any website.
Personal Plan. If you are looking to get numerous songs to use in your personal projects, this is the license for you. The Personal Plan offers unlimited music downloads and can be used on social media and streaming platforms, YouTube, apps, video games and audiobooks, as well as podcasts, virtual classes and online advertisements. The price is $99 in a single payment and for life -if you use it for 3 years, it will be like paying $2/month-.
Business Plan. This plan is specially designed for freelancers, companies and those who work for clients. It is the most open licence of all, as any use case is covered and it also offers unlimited music (the only thing that is not allowed is to resell the songs). It is priced as a one-off payment of $199 for life – if you use it for 2 years, it will be like paying $8/month.

As you can see, if there is one thing that makes our licences stand out, it is the opportunity to enjoy them forever for a one-time fee.

Epidemic Sound.

Epidemic Sound is the online royalty-free music service with the greatest impact on the Internet.

And not only because of more than 11 years of experience in the industry, but because it has provided thousands and thousands of customers with an exceptional music service.

All the music you can find on the platform has been created by the best independent musicians and artists in the world, who offer their most select pieces exclusively for Epidemic Sound.

This Swedish company has positioned itself as the maximum reference in the music industry copyright-free based on work and good work.

In fact, its music library is one of the largest you can find in this type of service.

They have more than 32,000 music tracks and more than 64,000 sound effects, numbers that are increasing every month.

But not only can they be proud of their music library, but also of a renewed interface and great features that will make your search much easier.

Regarding the user experience, as soon as you enter you will discover how easy and intuitive it is to navigate through their menus, use their search engine or apply their filters.

And then you will discover those features that you will love.

Special Features of Epidemic Sound

We could mention many of them, but we will focus on the three that best define Epidemic Sound’s service.

Find Similar

If you are going to create online ads on a recurring basis, it will be very positive that you establish the same musical tone.

In this way, you will create a consistency of sound, not only between your message and the music but between all your videos.

With Find Similar you can find a large list of music tracks similar to the one you liked.

And you won’t have any trouble finding that option, because it will be available on every music track.

Stems

Many of the songs you will find in Epidemic Sound have multiple sound elements (guitar, piano, vocals, drums, etc.).

However, it is very possible that you will find soundtracks that call your attention, but to which you would like to remove your voice, for example.

And that’s what the ‘Stems’ feature is for.

What this option does is to be able to separate each sound element of a song so that, if you want to remove any element, you can do it with guarantees and easily.

Clear Videos

When you use music in your ads for Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, or other online platforms, you may automatically have your ad muted, rejected, or receive a notice of copyright infringement.

By using Epidemic Sound music you are not infringing on copyright.

In addition, the platform provides a ‘Clear Video’ tool to avoid any possible penalties or complaints about your videos.

The only thing you need is to copy the URL of your ads (or of the site where your commercial video is located) and Epidemic Sound will take care of the rest. However, this feature is not available in all plans of the platform.

It will only be available in two of them (Commercial and Enterprise).

Subscription Plans

Epidemic Sound has three subscription plans, each for specific use:

The Personal Plan for content creators or podcasters who create pieces for their own use. - The Commercial Plan for agencies and freelancers who make productions for commercial purposes. - The ‘Enterprise’ Plan for large companies looking for a custom solution.

If you are looking to create online ads but you are not a great media, the perfect solution for you is the commercial plan.

And then you will discover all its advantages.

Commercial Plan. What You Need to Get More and Better Conversions

Epidemic Sound, through its ‘Commercial Plan’, offers you its entire music catalog for your own business as well as for the business of your clients.

This means that the licenses associated with any music track you download will keep your ad legally protected and the ads you may make for other businesses.

You will be 100% covered against any copyright issues or social media penalties.

In addition, with this plan, you will be able to download unlimited songs and sound effects that you can use on any social platform.

All this regardless of the number of followers you have in your channels or visualizations that have your ads.

Therefore, the Epidemic Sound Commercial Plan is the perfect service to get the best:

Music for Facebook Ads. - Music for Instagram ads. - Music for Google Ads. - Music for LinkedIn ads. - Music for YouTube Ads.

What Is the Price of the Business Plan?

Epidemic Sound has two subscription modes for your commercial plan.

Each mode is priced according to whether you make a single annual payment or monthly payments.

Monthly subscription: $49 per month. Annual subscription: $299 per year ($25 per month).

As you can see, if you make an annual payment the proportional price per month will be considerably lower than if you opt for monthly payments.

In fact, the annual subscription is almost 50% cheaper than the monthly one.

Therefore, if you like everything that the Epidemic Sound business plan has to offer, and you want to add the best background music for your online ads, we recommend you to get your annual subscription.

However, you may want to test the platform before going for the annual subscription.

The good news is that Epidemic Sound has a limited promotion for new customers like you, where they are giving away 30 days completely free.

In this way, you can use the platform for a whole month at no cost so you can check if Epidemic Sound is the tool you need.

Get 30 days for free on Epidemic Sound

Differences Between Commercial and Non-Commercial Music

At this point in the article, you probably already know why using royalty-free music is better than using copyrighted or free music in your online ads.

However, you may not fully understand why.

The key is the word commercial.

If you think about it, online ads have a commercial purpose.

In other words, they are about getting monetization or a sale.

And this commercial aspect changes everything with respect to the music you can use.

If your project was a non-commercial video, you could use almost any song you wanted. - But since it is an online ad for commercial purposes, the music you can use cannot be known or free music under the Creative Commons licenses.

In the case of famous music, you know that in order to use it for commercial purposes, you need to obtain licenses from the author societies (and pay a large amount of money for it).

Regarding Creative Commons music, you can use it in your commercial projects as long as you mention the artist in your commercial.

But understanding that you are looking for a 100% professional result and this practice is not very competent, we will not consider it a valid option.

That’s why the most recommendable option of all for your online ads is music without copyrights since it solves both problems:

It is very affordable, so you can save a lot of money. - You don’t need to mention any author, which improves your brand image.

The 5 Keys to Successfully Using Music in Online Advertising

We know first-hand that advertising online is not an easy task.

That’s why we’ve decided to simplify your work and compile the 5 essential keys that will allow you to use music in your ads effectively.

#1. Short and Easy to Identify

Studies have shown that people often hold their attention for up to 90 seconds.

After that time, we lose focus.

However, in online advertising, every second costs a lot of money, and you need to be fast and accurate.

In fact, according to CNBC, 65% of viewers skip online video ads as fast as they can.

So it’s not just the ad that needs to be short and accurate.

Music must also be.

It is recommended that the music track should not last more than 20 seconds and that it should be easily identifiable with the brand or product.

In addition, a good trick you can use is to capture the viewer’s attention from the beginning with the music to the opening of the ad as well as at the end of it.

In this way, you will keep the message together, create a sense of continuity and improve your potential customers’ perception of your brand.

#2. Must Not Be a Vocal Song

Previously, we mentioned that it was not advisable to use vocal songs from famous artists, and we told you that later we would tell you why.

Well, now you will understand everything.

The truth is that, when it comes to an online ad, the message is the main thing, and the music is the secondary thing.

If you choose vocal music, you are indirectly allowing the viewer to get distracted, losing their attention on your message and putting it in the lyrics of the music.

The music must be the vehicle that accompanies the message and favors its understanding.

Therefore, it is best to use instrumental music in your online ads.

Or use Epidemic Sound’s ‘Stems’ feature to remove the voice from any song you want to use.

#3. Coherent with the Brand and the Sector

As you will surely understand, depending on the sector in which your business or your clients’ business is based, you will have to use one type of music and another.

In other words, a marketing agency cannot sound the same as a food service business, or a trading website the same as a tourism company.

The type of client is not the same in all the previous cases, therefore, the music that will better transmit the message will not be the same in every situation.

Because of this, it is necessary to know very well the sector of the company for which you are going to create online ads, as well as its buyer persona.

This way you can efficiently adjust the background music and get the message well received.

#4. Soft Volume

Just as vocal songs can take the attention away from the viewer, so can high volume music.

In this regard, you must remember very well that the music must serve as an accompaniment, never as the main factor in your online ad (unless your message is not transmitted verbally).

For this reason, background music should always be kept in there: in the background.

A good practice that is often used in online ads is to slightly increase the volume of the music at the beginning and end of the video.

This way we capture the viewer’s attention, and then turn the music down and present our message to them, all in a subtle way so that they continue to see the content of the ad.

#5. Must Be Royalty-Free Music

This key may not directly refer to how to use music in an online ad, but it is one of the most important.

As you know, you can’t just use any song you want in your online ads:

If you use famous music, you will have to pay large amounts of money to do so legally. Otherwise, they can close your advertising account in every social network, apart from asking you for legal and criminal responsibilities, and also for huge economic penalties.
If you use free music under Creative Commons licenses, you will be obliged to mention the author of the music, something that will have a very negative impact on your authority, your credibility, and your professionalism.

To avoid copyright issues, and not to tarnish your company’s image with unskilled practices, the best recommendation is to use royalty-free music services such as Epidemic Sound.

Conclusion

According to the eMarketer portal, the forecast for digital advertising expenditure for 2021 will be more than 375,000 million dollars, continuing with the constant increase that has been taking place year after year.

As you can see, these enormous amounts of money invested in online advertising can only highlight the following: All companies give vital importance to promoting themselves through the Internet, more so than even television or radio ads.

In fact, the study conducted by the Think With Google platform shows that people spend more time on YouTube than watching television.

In 2015 alone, people aged 18-49 spent 4% less time watching TV and 74% more time watching content on YouTube. A

nd YouTube is the second most visited site on the Internet, as well as the leading platform for online video advertising.

Therefore, at this point, the question is not whether to make digital ads or not, but rather how to carry them out in the best way to achieve better results than your competition.

Music is the perfect tool to increase the effectiveness of your ads and to make your message really reach your potential customers.

But you know you can’t use just any kind of music.

At the same time, you now know the best platforms to get the ideal music for your online ads: Legis Music and Epidemic Sound.

Its commercial plan puts in your hands everything you need musically:

One of the largest online music libraries. - Unlimited downloads for commercial use. - Total peace of mind about future copyright claims. - Special features: ‘Find Similar’, ‘Stems’, and ‘Clear Videos. - Possibility of cancellation at any time.

If you want to go deeper into the platform you can take a look at our Epidemic Sound review .

However, if you are sure that this is the music service you were looking for to add music to your online ads, click on the following button and enjoy it for 30 days totally free.

Try Epidemic Sound

FAQ

Below you will find a list of the most frequently asked questions by our users.

In what kind of online ads can I use royalty-free music?

In fact, you can use it in any type of online ad that has video or audio format. For example, if you need music for a YouTube Music ad, you can use it just like a Facebook video ad. The only thing that will vary is the format, but the background music can be used anyway.

Where can I download non-copyrighted music for digital ads?

At Epidemic Sound you will find the best music selection for any type of online ad. Its commercial plan will allow you to add non-copyrighted music for YouTube Ads, as well as background music for LinkedIn Ads, Instagram Ads, Google Ads or Bing Ads, among others.

Who is the commercial license for Epidemic Sound?

Epidemic Sound’s commercial license is designed to provide the best music for advertising agencies and freelancer s. If, on the other hand, you are an independent content creator or podcaster and you need music without copyright, then you must choose the personal plan of Epidemic Sound.

How does this type of service work?

By subscribing to the Epidemic Sound commercial plan, you will be able to download all music tracks from the platform and use them in your online ads. You can subscribe on a monthly or annual basis and, depending on which you choose, you will have to pay monthly or annually.

The annual subscription has a discount of almost 50% over the monthly subscription. However, both have 30 days free trial period, and also you would be able to cancel the subscription any time before the new renewal period starts.

So, can I easily use Epidemic Sound’s commercial subscription for advertising campaigns?

Yes, you can use the service for any online campaign as long as you are not a large publisher or a company with a market capitalization of +1 billion dollars. In that case, you should opt for Epidemic Sound’s Enterprise plan.

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