Simon Songhurst / Music for videos
Good music changes the way a film feels. Find the sound for your next edit, understand the licence, and save through my SoundMarket partnership.
Affiliate disclosure: I may earn a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you.
For photographers, filmmakers and YouTube creators.
Plan and licence information checked
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Choose the sound for the story, then check the permissions for where it will be seen.
As a photographer and filmmaker, I care about what happens between the shots as much as the shots themselves. A sequence can be beautifully photographed and still feel unfinished. Sometimes the missing piece is space. Sometimes it is rhythm. Very often, it is the music.
A quiet portrait sequence needs a different approach from a fast-moving gear film. A travel edit might need a sense of anticipation rather than a huge crescendo. Under a spoken explanation, I want the soundtrack to give the film some life while leaving room for the words.
That is the perspective I bring to this SoundMarket partnership. I want this page to help you make two decisions: whether the music fits your work, and whether the subscription covers the way you intend to publish it. The discount matters, but those decisions come first.
This is a partner guide, rather than a hands-on review of particular tracks or a report from testing its claims system. Listen to the catalogue against your own footage before deciding. A track that sounds impressive on its own is not always the track that serves the edit.
02 / Royalty-free music for videos
SoundMarket presents its catalogue as human-made music, with Grammy- and Emmy-winning contributors. Its playlists include Modern Cinematic, Inspiring Orchestral, Trailer Tracks and Chillhop/Lofi. Explore the source ↗ (opens in a new tab)
I would start with the feeling of the scene. A slow landscape sequence may benefit from restraint: a little texture, a gentle pulse, a gradual lift. Save the bigger musical moment for the shot that earns it. Cinematic music does not have to mean making every scene sound like a trailer.
For tutorials, reviews and pieces to camera, I would audition the track with the voice playing. Listen for a melody that competes with the speaker, or percussion that makes a calm explanation feel rushed. The best background music often makes the video feel more complete without demanding attention.
A product sequence needs its own pace. I would look for musical changes that give the edit somewhere to go, then leave enough breathing room for details, titles and sound design. Before sending anything to a client, check the intended distribution against the licence guidance below.
03 / Professional · YouTube clearance
SoundMarket Professional clears up to five registered YouTube channels. It is an individual account, not a five-person team subscription.
If your videos span tutorials, gear, travel and a separate creative project, count the channels you need before comparing subscriptions. One channel limit can make a difference to the buying decision long before you get to file formats or editing options.
I would make a simple list: where each video will appear, who owns that channel and whether the project is personal or for a client. Keep those details together when you register your channels. Five slots alone do not establish permission for every project.
Read the licence notes below before choosing coverage for client or advertising work.
04 / SoundMarket plans compared
My starting point is the destination of the finished video. Choose the rights you need, then compare the cost. A cheaper subscription is only useful if it covers the job.
| Plan | At a glance | Check before buying |
|---|---|---|
| Creator | Free · five downloads per month listed | Personal, non-commercial projects. See credit and Content ID conditions below. |
| Creator Plus | One YouTube channel · full catalogue | Individual use. Unlimited downloads subject to fair use, 24-bit WAV, no credit requirement. |
| Professional | Up to five registered YouTube channels | Individual account. Adds stems, alternative mixes and 15/30/60-second cuts; availability varies by track. Check commercial-use limits below. |
| Enterprise | Custom permissions and multi-user access | Discuss your exact project and distribution needs directly with SoundMarket. |
Plan features checked 5 November 2026 against SoundMarket pricing. Live prices, billing terms and availability are set by SoundMarket.
Start with the number of channels, then look at the kinds of projects you make. If you regularly edit speech, audition versions that leave space around a voice. If you need short social edits, consider whether a shorter arrangement will actually help you finish the piece. These are practical decisions, rather than reasons to buy a more expensive plan by default.
I have deliberately left fixed subscription prices out of this guide. Compare the amount due today, the billing period, taxes and the renewal amount on SoundMarket itself. An annual plan’s equivalent monthly price should not be confused with a monthly payment.
05 / Music licensing for YouTube & client work
I want the finished film to reach its audience with the right permissions in place. These are the details I would read before buying.
Royalty-free means use within your plan; copyright remains with the rightsholders. Creator is non-commercial, cannot be monetised, requires credit for projects first published from 3 November 2026 and receives Content ID claims by design. Creator Plus allows monetisation on approved registered channels.
Professional covers eligible online client work. Projects for end clients with over US $1 million annual gross revenue require Enterprise. Advertising placements, film, broadcast, games and apps need written approval or suitable Enterprise terms.
Register distribution accounts accurately. Claims can still occur; report properly licensed claims to SoundMarket. Compliant projects first published during an active subscription remain covered for that project after cancellation; new projects and uses beyond the original scope are not included.
Read the full SoundMarket licence ↗ (opens in a new tab)SoundMarket’s pricing page advertises paid online ads and indie-film use on Professional, while its current licence excludes advertising placements and film unless expressly approved in writing. For those uses, get written confirmation of the permission and plan required before purchasing.
Keep the project brief, the intended places of publication and your licensing records together. If a client later wants to turn an organic video into an advertisement, revisit the permissions at that point. A change in distribution can be a change in the job you are licensing.
When searching for “copyright-free music for YouTube”, the useful question is whether you have permission for your exact video. Do not rely on that phrase as a promise about rights or platform behaviour. Use the current agreement and your account’s permissions as your reference.
06 / The SoundMarket discount
I have partnered with SoundMarket to offer my audience 20% off through the link on this page. If the catalogue and licence suit your work, use that link before subscribing.
Use a SoundMarket offer button here. The link carries my referral reference; there is no separate discount code supplied on this page.
Take a real edit with you when you listen. Compare the options against your channels, project brief and distribution needs.
Confirm that the 20% discount appears before paying. Check the eligible plan, offer period, taxes and renewal terms. Do not assume it stacks with other promotions.
SoundMarket controls checkout and offer eligibility. No expiry date or renewal discount has been independently confirmed.
07 / Choosing music for your edit
If you are comparing royalty-free music subscriptions, give each library a brief. “Music for videos” is a starting point. “A restrained track for a two-minute travel sequence with natural sound” is something you can actually judge.
Choose a section that represents the project, rather than the most spectacular shot. Listen for whether the music supports the pace you want. Does it lift the sequence too early? Does it tell the audience to feel something the pictures have not earned yet?
Footsteps, a camera shutter, traffic or a moment of conversation can make a film feel more immediate. I would avoid filling every second simply because a track is available. Sometimes the strongest musical choice is to hold it back until the scene changes.
A good opening is easy to notice. A useful ending can be just as valuable. Think about how the sequence resolves, how the final spoken line lands and whether the music gives you a clean way out. That matters in a short YouTube intro as much as a longer film.
Once you have heard music that feels right, check the plan and the permissions. That is when the SoundMarket 20% offer becomes useful: a saving on something that already makes sense for your work.
08 / SoundMarket discount FAQ
Direct answers to the questions I would ask when choosing music for my videos.
Open my partner link from this page, choose your subscription and confirm the 20% saving at checkout. SoundMarket sets the eligible plans and offer terms.
No separate coupon code has been supplied for this offer. Use the linked buttons rather than typing the referral reference into a coupon field.
That has not been independently confirmed. Check the offer shown for your account, including the discounted period and renewal amount, before paying.
Professional is the plan to compare. See the five-channel section above for the account and registration qualification, and the licensing notes for project restrictions.
Read the free and paid-plan distinction in the licence essentials above. Choose coverage for your own account and publication needs before uploading.
SoundMarket markets royalty-free music. See the licensing section for what that means; avoid treating “copyright-free” as a substitute for reading the actual permission.
Check the commercial-use notes above. In particular, resolve the difference between the pricing page and the licence before buying for advertising or film work.
Check your account and registration details, keep the affected video URL and licensing records, and follow the reporting guidance in SoundMarket’s current agreement. Do not assume a claim means the same thing as a copyright strike.
The licence essentials above explain the distinction between an existing compliant published project and a new project. Check the agreement before reusing a downloaded track in another edit.
I would judge it on the music you can actually use, the time it takes to find it and the rights your projects need. Compare it against a real brief before deciding; the discount is useful once those things fit.
This page does not report first-hand testing of specific tracks, checkout or claim resolution. It combines my filmmaking perspective with publicly available product information and the audience offer supplied through my partnership.
I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases through the affiliate links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Using them helps support my photography and filmmaking content.
Sources + disclosure
Affiliate disclosure. SoundMarket is a brand partner. This page contains affiliate links. If you make a qualifying purchase through them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. SoundMarket controls pricing, promotions, eligibility, products and licence terms. This independent partner guide is written from my perspective and is not operated by SoundMarket.
Product information checked: . Sources: SoundMarket catalogue, plans and music licence. Audience offer supplied by Simon’s partnership; checkout redemption has not been independently tested.
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