Fall is wrapping up which means holiday prep begins now! And as the weather gets colder and presents are on everyone’s mind, you can’t seem to go anywhere without hearing holiday music. Whether you are out shopping, driving with the radio on, or watching TV at home you will undoubtedly hear those familiar jingles.
BY JESS KELLER
So how do you get the music you need in for your projects and places? And is there a limitation of what you are allowed to use? We’ll guide you along so you can pick the perfect holiday music for all your needs this season.
What Holiday Music Can I Use?
Luckily for us media producers, editors, and small business owners, many holiday tracks are public domain songs. A piece of work becomes a part of public usage when the intellectual property rights have expired. Which means you can use that work without copyright issues. A song or musical work is part of the U.S. public domain if it was published before 1922, has been voluntarily put into the public domain, or never had copyrights to begin with. Popular public domain songs include “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” and “Rockin’ Robin”. And just this year, the “Happy Birthday” song became a part of the public domain after a $14 million lawsuit with Warner Brothers. This long overdue copyright issue is what has lead many chain restaurants to make up their own quirky birthday tunes to sing while delivering a free dessert. Luckily, many Christmas carols were published in the 19th century, giving way to public usage.
Having so many holiday songs in the public domain is why you hear certain songs everywhere around the Winter season. It has also lead to the formulation of Christmas carolers, the ability to record your own versions of these songs, and your own personal usage. Many of these tracks include “Deck The Halls”, “First Noel”, and “Jingle Bells”. So you know those Christmas classics are good to go for usage!
Where Do I Purchase Holiday Music?
Now you may be in a position where you don’t want to (or have the ability to) record your own versions of these songs. Or maybe, you want a track that’s a little more modern, something outside of the public domain. Luckily, royalty free music makes it easy to get the exact holiday music you want without sacrificing time and money.
There is a great selection of holiday tracks at stockmusic.net that have all the classics in all genres. From rock or jazz to classical and piano, you name it you can find it. Composers know that you need all the variety in the world to make your project or business stand out, so there’s no shortage of variations. But you can also find original pieces, holiday music you’ve never heard before. This can be great for a new ad campaign or marketing strategy. Sometimes you want something new that catches your audience’s attention. Because hearing the same Christmas carols over and over again can be exhausting.
Of course, you can always purchase the hits from iTunes and other stores. But this strictly reduces your options for usage because of all the copyrights attached to it. Private purchase only allows for personal listening. Royalty free music, on the other hand, is music that you don’t have to pay royalties for. When you purchase music without royalties through a store like stockmusic.net, you make a one time purchase for a low price (only $39.95 at stockmusic!) that you can use again for a lifetime. So you can buy some holiday music this year, and use it again next season! By purchasing royalty free music, you open up a world of possibilities of how you can use holiday music.
How Can I Use Royalty Free Holiday Music?
When you decide to go the royalty free music route, your usage options open up a lot. Royalty free music can be used in almost any situation from commercials, to on hold systems, to podcasts, and retail stores. And with it being easy on the wallet, it’s pretty much a no-brainer to use royalty free music for holiday music.
The most important thing to keep an eye on it how exactly you will be using royalty free holiday music. This is because when you buy music without royalties you have a license that goes along with it. The license outlines how you can use the music. The cheapest and most widely used license usage is for simple media projects. These include making a YouTube video, promotional videos, podcasts and more. But it can be a little more expensive when you get into public performance and feature length films. You can search here to find out what the best license is for your usage.
If you have a vision and are on a tight budget, royalty free holiday music is the easiest solution. It’s easy to find, affordable, and hassle-free. You can effortlessly score your project or put your customers in a cheery, holiday mood without the headache of dealing with copyrights. And we all need a little bit of peace of mind during the craziness that can be the holiday season.