How to Choose Royalty Free Music to Take Your Action Videos to the Next Level
Soundstripe Team
Dec 17, 2018
You have a spectacular talent.
Whether that talent entails bending your legs over your head, tossing a giant ping pong ball into an equally massive Pringles can, or something else, you want to show your gift to the world. It wouldn’t hurt if you could make a little money for all your hard work and training while you’re at it.
As you wait to hear back from your America’s Got Talent application, it maybe time to consider building up your YouTube presence. YouTube can increase your visibility and possibly lead to sponsorships, ad revenue, and more… but only if you can stand out from the crowd.
Making great videos and adding excellent royalty free music to those videos can be the key to turning your video from a flop into a perfect ten.
Let’s look at how YouTube can help contortionists, daredevils, trick shotters, and other performers get the recognition their talent deserves. Then we’ll dive into the type of royalty free music you need to put that perfect polish on your video.
You’ve spent years of your life perfecting your skill, sport, or talent. That translates into hours each week grinding through thankless practice. So why are you earning your paychecks as a waitress or sitting in a cubicle?
Like never before, YouTube allows you to showcase your talent to the masses and possibly even earn some money doing it. Impressive performers from all over the world build up their audiences by making gorgeous videos documenting their skills and their life.
Keep in mind that almost two billion users come to YouTube each month to satisfy their need for cute cat videos, learn how to bake the perfect Christmas cookies, and to be entertained. Even grabbing a tiny sliver of that viewership pie can help you:
Of course, this is easier said than done. You’re competing with over 300 hours of video uploaded to YouTube ever single minute. That means you have to figure out a way to stand out. Sure, your talent may be amusing to watch, but if you post a lame, poor-quality video, even your mom will tune out after a few seconds.
Besides being an excellent performer, you must also perfect the skills of producing a polished YouTube video, (a valuable talent in its own right). A big part of that equation is adding compelling and well-matched YouTube background music.
Why is YouTube background music so important? It’s what separates the neophytes from the true artists.
Even the most fascinating skill can seem a little… boring if it isn’t presented in the right way. Before the invention of “talkies,” movie producers recognized the power of music to draw in audiences. That’s why early movie theaters included live orchestras to accompany the silent movies!
Music can enhance the emotional impact of your video, which is ideal if you want to rev up the excitement your audience feels during an amazing trick. It also adds an additional layer to the video, making the experience of watching your video even more immersive for viewers.
Finally, music adds an immeasurable quality of professionalism to your video, which can show potential sponsors or collaborators that you are serious about raising your star.
Now that we recognize how important music can be to the overall quality of your video, what type of royalty free music should you choose?
The world of music is vast. There are just so many different types of songs. If you don’t know how to pare down your choices, it can be almost overwhelming. That’s why a good first step is to select a music genre to focus a search.
Choose a genre that fits your personal brand. Chances are, if you love this genre, then the fans you attract will enjoy it too.
Excellent genres for stunt and performance videos include:
Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box and to choose the genre that best embodies your art form. For example, while a rock tune might be ideal for a skateboarding stunt video, perhaps an ambient or even classical song would be best for a silks or trapeze demonstration.
Stunt woman and American Ninja Warrior contestant, Jesse Graff uses heart-pounding cinematic music in this impressive (and sometimes wince-worthy) stunt reel.
If you want your viewers to be excited, happy, or carefree, the best way to move them to that state is to choose music with this type of emotional resonance. Once you’ve chosen your genre, think about what emotional state you want to invoke in your viewers and then search out specific songs with that feel.
Many royalty free music libraries, including Soundstripe’s allow you to filter music based on mood.
Popular moods for songs in performance videos, include:
Dude Perfect is a group of five former college roommates who have translated their passion for devising creative stunts and trick shots into one of the most popular YouTube channels in the world.
In this video, “Ping Pong Trick Shots 2,” Dude Perfect layers an upbeat and energetic song over a long reel of glorious trick shots, all involving ping pongs. Note the generous Walmart and Pringles product placement in this video. Not a bad way to make a living!
Music can subconsciously affect the emotions and expectations of listeners through its pace. That’s why most car chase scenes in movies include fast paced music, while day spas play music with a slow, even pace.
Many stunt performers want to jack up the adrenaline of their viewers so that their performance feels even more thrilling. As you begin to pinpoint the perfect song for your video, consider how the music’s pace will affect your listeners and how it matches the tempo of the action on the screen.
Contortionist Sofie Dossi picks a mid-paced hip-hop song that keeps the beat moving but doesn’t rush during her jaw-dropping performance on the daytime show, Ellen in 2017. Sofie is a great example of a performer who has been able to parlay her appearance on America’s GotTalent into a widely followed YouTube channel focused on her cheerful personality and quirky adventures.
You’ve got the skills, but have you got the music? You can’t drop your favorite Metallica song into your video and call it a day. YouTube’sContent ID system is very good at identifying copyrighted materials.If they discover copyright music on your video, they could pull your video or send all your ad revenue to the copyright holder!
Instead, you need to use royalty free music. YouTube offers a library of useable music and sound effects, but you’ll have to share with every otherYouTube personality who isn’t willing to spend a little money to stand out.
If you are willing to make an investment in your YouTube channel, consider Soundstripe. We offer unlimited usage of our growing music library with one convenient subscription. We work with excellent artists and focus on collecting royalty free music in a wide variety of genres. Filter songs by genre, mood, pace, and more and then put them into playlists so you’ll be ready to go when it’s time to edit.
At Soundstripe, we help you wow the world with your talent!
Interested in reading more top resources and getting our best filmmaking tips and tricks? Here are a couple of our most popular articles from across the Soundstripe blog:
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