We’ve all heard that video is the way to grab attention these days & there are many tools available where you can create motion graphics easily. No video is complete without audio though. If you’re not using a voice-over then a background audio track is the way to go.

We’ve complied some of our favorite audio sites, both free (refer to our attribution chart to the right) & paid by download or membership.

  • No matter where you get your audio, remember to check the copyright license before using them …CC0 is the most flexible license but if you’re unsure of the license, my advice is just don’t use it.
  • All information on this list is correct at the time of writing,  please let us know if your find an error . We cannot be held liable if the information we have gathered is changed on the linked site or no longer correct. Please do your own due diligence.

little side note: this list of 50+ free stock libraries is a permanent work in progress, if you have a favorite free image site please let us know in the comments at the bottom of the post so we can add it.


free stock images, free stock images, free stock images

attribution key:

⭐ no | ⭐⭐ sometimes (be sure to check) | ⭐⭐⭐ always (see our article on copyright licensing

Also use reverse image lookup to find how many other people are using the image you want to use because who wants to use an image that has been done to death?)


free audio download sites

amazon


⭐ Visit the Amazon website and see its wide range of free mp3 music which includes big name artists like Carole King, Boyz II Men and Lisa Loeb, etc. You can download the free Amazon Music app for iOS or Android mobile devices to listen to your free downloaded music on your mobile devices.

Of course, one would need to register in the Amazon website to download the music for free. This is a great strategy to invite users to explore the website.


audionautix


⭐⭐⭐ All the music in the Audionautix.com is composed and produced by Jason Shaw. You can download the music for free and use it for personal or commercial use provided you give attribution to the composer.


cctrax


⭐⭐ CCTrax is a curated Creative Commons music site. You can download the music without registration or logging in. It is one of the most organized music sites where you can see the most recent additions at its Home page. You can also easily browse the site as the thumbnail cover art, the artist, name of the song and the year it was released are details that are readily available for the users.

CCTrax makes it easy to find all this license info. Each release is tagged with it’s according license, so make sure to read and understand the various licenses.


free music archive


⭐⭐ Free Music Archive presents a wide range of genres – Pop, Novelty, Instrumental – and different categories – Gospel, Rap, Kid-friendly – you can take your pick. 

The Free Music Archive offers free downloads under Creative Commons and other licenses for those who do not have any budget for their projects.

terms of use


freeplay music


⭐ In Freeplay Music, users can choose from a library with a variety of high-quality music which can be used for free with the condition that it will be for personal use only.

terms of use


hooksounds


⭐⭐⭐ Hooksounds is a highly-curated collection of exclusive royalty free music. The site offers a wide range of music.

There are 4 types of licensing: Use and mention free download but the music needs to be attributed and they cannot be sold; the other three are Pro, Business and Broadcast Licenses where users can download for a fee.

licensing


jamendo music


Jamendo is all about connecting musicians and music lovers from all over the world. Its goal is to bring together a worldwide community of independent music, creating experience and value around it.

Jamendo has been operating since 2004, a pioneer platform in legally sharing music for free from any creator under Creative Commons licenses.

terms of use


jayman


⭐⭐⭐ Jayman is a YouTube account that offers his work to be downloaded for free. Download and use all you want of Jayman’s music for your videos, games and apps; you can even monetize using his music, just credit him for his music. Good deal!


motion array


Motion Array is a membership based resource for downloading premium After Effects templates, stock music, stock motion graphics, and stock video elements. Digital Media Files such as Royalty Free music and sound effects are available for free download to be used for your projects.

terms of service


pacdv free sound effects


⭐ Get your sound effects and audio clips from PacDV Free Sound Effects. Choose from different categories such as Ambience, Transportation and Domestic, and use it for your video or film project for free. Music tracks are available, too.


pixabay music


⭐ Aside from free images and videos, the ever-reliable Pixabay also has a wide array of royalty-free music MP3 download categorised via Genre, Mood, and Movement.


soundcloud


⭐⭐⭐ Soundcloud is a European online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio.  It is actually one of the biggest music streaming sites. 

You can register in Soundcloud for free; however, not all music are free to download. It is upon the discretion of the artists if they will make their music available for free.


pay-per-download & membership audio sites

enovomusic


Enovomusic is a library of royalty-free high-quality background music which can be used for online videos, presentations, YouTube, Podcasts, etc. The site offers three types of licenses that include unlimited multiple online uses in perpetuity.


free music archive


Free Music Archive also offers paid music for those who are looking for verified safe music for their projects within their budget. This is powered by Tribe of Noise, a true musician-centric community and ‘music for business’ service company founded in Netherlands.


hooksounds


Hooksounds is a highly-curated collection of exclusive royalty free music. The site offers a wide range of music.

There are 4 types of licensing: Use and mention free download but the music needs to be attributed and they cannot be sold; the other three are Pro, Business and Broadcast Licenses where users can download for a fee.

licensing


icons8


Icons8 is not only for icons, it contains stock photos and music for your videos as well.

  • You can download for free but not for commercial use
  • Paid plan is at $29/month, 15 audio downloads per month, you’ll get 320 kbps MP3 and 44 kHz loseless WAV

jamendo licensing


Jamendo Licensing is Jamendo’s royalty-free site. This is Jamendo’s way of helping artists make money by licensing their songs for commercial use – for film, TV program, commercial, online video or as background music for commercial space; all at a fair price.

terms of sale


mixdown music

Mixdown Music was launched in 2019, but has been in business since 2002, formerly operating as Stockmusic.net. This platform licenses music for film, television, advertising, video games, and commercial retail. Subscription starts at $19.99 per month.

terms of use


motion array


Motion Array is the ultimate video maker’s platform.  This unlimited subscription-based membership platform has a wide range of After Effects templates, stock music, stock motion graphics, and stock video elements of different genres.

terms of service


music vine


Music Vine is a music licensing platform that offers expressive, quality tracks for their audience – filmmakers, hobbyists, as well as marketing agencies, etc.

Pricing is subscription based at $19.99 per month (Pro Lite: For small-scale productions including corporate videos, wedding films, content marketing and indie films) and $35.99 per month (Pro Standard: Full clearance for marketing, advertising, entertainment and informative content).

terms of use


natenine

natenine free audio files
natenine: Marwan Nimra has been producing music for 10 years now. Over the years, he has seen many talented creators having to deal with major copyright issues for using music. Traditional copyright systems are complicated and, a lot of times unfair. This shouldn’t have to be the case, and he wanted to help, so Ihe created Natentine as a platform to share his music.
terms


tunepocket


TunePocket is a royalty free stock music library where you can get unlimited download access to thousands of music tracks, loops, and sound effects for a fee.  You can choose the best pricing plan for your use – for personal use, business use or for your small projects. All music and sound effects are provided with all-in-one commercial royalty free license.

All of TunePocket’s professional music and sound effects are created by independent music producers.