Make money online by selling background music! This guide will show you how to sell background music in six steps. We provide examples, stats, and stock music pricing tips.
If you make music or beats, you have the skills to make background music to sell. If you only focus on making beats for music artists, you are missing out on tons of opportunities. That same music can be used for movies, YouTube, podcasts, video games, and more.
Here are six basic steps you should follow to start selling background music.
- How to Sell Background Music Online
- Background Music Pricing Tips
- Types of Background Music Licenses
- Background Music Broadcasting Royalties
- 15 Tips For Selling Background Music
- Background Music Frequently Asked Questions
- 5 Videos on Selling & Creating Background Music
- Start Selling Background Music Online
Related: Music Maker Theme – Sell Beats, Background Music, & Products online.
How to Sell Background Music Online
Step 1: Build a Large Catalog of Background Music
You want to create a wide selection of professional background music for people to choose from.
Create a variety of different music genres, moods, and tempos.
You want to have a large selection to choose from to meet all your visitors’ needs.
Your music also needs to be at a professional quality.
Because no matter how many tracks you have, if your tracks aren’t good, no one will buy them.
Create Music That is In Demand!
We searched AudioJungle.net which has over 700,000 music tracks.
Here are some helpful statistics and data.
Most Popular Music Categories
These are the most popular categories by the number of songs in each category.
| Category | # in Category |
|---|---|
| Corporate | 154,000+ |
| Cinematic | 154,000+ |
| Ambient | 73,000+ |
| Rock | 48,000+ |
| Electronica | 48,000+ |
| Folk Acoustic | 33,000+ |
| Hip-Hop | 28,000+ |
| Pop | 27,000+ |
| Children’s | 19,000+ |
| Holiday Seasonal | 16,000+ |
Most Popular Price
We looked at the top 30 best-selling background tracks on AudioJungle.
Here is the price range of the top 30 best sellers:
- Lowest: $12.00 – Best Seller with 18,400 Sales
- Highest: $49.00 – 10,800 Sales
The Average Price for Background Music Is $27
Most Popular Song Names
After looking at the top 30 best-selling background tracks, we noticed some similarities in the song names.
17 of the 30 song names included the term “Inspiring”.
Example: Uplifting and Inspiring Corporate
Here are some other popular keywords we found in the top 30 tracks: Upbeat ( 13 ), Uplifting ( 12 ), Corporate ( 9 ), Energetic ( 7 )
Here is a visual word cloud of popular key terms:
Most Popular Tempos
| Tempo | # of Tracks in Category |
|---|---|
| Upbeat (110 – 140 BPM) | 320,000+ |
| Medium (90 – 110 BPM) | 140,000+ |
| Slow (60 – 90 BPM) | 70,000+ |
| Fast (140 – 160 BPM) | 55,000+ |
| Very fast (160+ BPM) | 42,000+ |
| Very slow (0 – 60 BPM) | 6,000+ |
Hopefully, this information gave you some inspiration on what type of music to create.
Step 2: Build an Online Music Store
We strongly suggest you create a website with a personal music store.
Online marketplaces like AudioJungle.net take 40% to 70% of each sale.
That is way too much.
Building a professional website is the first step in creating a music business.
Creating a website gives you more control over the user experience, site appearance, and pricing.
You don’t want to rely on online marketplaces alone that promote competitors.
You should have a website that will be your central location to be found.
This is where customers will be able to buy background music, pay for services, and learn about you.
You can get website hosting for as low as $3 to $8 per month.
If you sell 1 background track per month, it will pay for the hosting fees.
It can be hard to sell background music on a website like Audio Jungle.
There is tons of competition, and there are already 700,000 tracks to compete with.
You don’t want to send customers to a site like Audio Jungle, where they will click around and buy from competitors.
We advise you to create a website.
With a website, you look more professional, and the focus is on you and your music.
One of the most important things to look for when selling background music is the music player.
What to Look for In a Music Player
You need an audio player that makes it easy to search and find background music.
- Music Playlist – It should be easy to listen to all your music on one page.
- Easy Sorting – Sort by music genres, price, mood, and more.
- Search – Allow people to search through your music for key terms.
- Instant Downloads – Customers want to download music instantly.
- Easy Buying Process – Make it simple to accept credit cards and PayPal.
- Preview Download – Allow customers to download a tagged MP3 preview.
- Make an Offer – Allow visitors to make offers to negotiate prices.
- License Options – You want to be able to offer different license options.
All the features above are built into the Music Maker WordPress Theme.
This template lets you build a complete website for background music. You can also sell products and offer services online.
This is an example of the Homepage Template with the built-in audio player.
Helpful Resources & Tools
- Music Maker Theme – WordPress theme for music creators.
- Get $15 Off MM Theme – We offer a discount if you need a website host.
- Hosting Starts at $2.95 Per Month – Free Domain Address. 30 Day Money-back.
- Music Maker Pre-sale Frequently Asked Questions – Read common questions and answers.
How to Set up a Website to Sell Background Music
- Get Website Hosting – This is where your website is stored.
- Get Music Theme – This theme is created for selling beats online.
- Getting Started Guide – Install the theme, demo, and set up the homepage.
- Upload Your 1st Track – Add your first background track to your website.
So we recommend creating a professional music website.
By doing so, you are investing in your business, and making yourself look more professional to your customers.
I have five websites myself because they cover various aspects of my business.
My business wouldn’t be possible without these websites.
Related: 5 Website Pages Every Music Website Needs
Step 3: Promote Your Background Music
To sell your music online, you need to start getting traffic to your website.
Take advantage of all the social media websites to promote your background music website.
#1 YouTube – Create YouTube Videos
Create YouTube videos showcasing your background music.
Promote your website in the video description.
Example Video: Chill Vibes | Chill & Aesthetic Music Playlist
This beat video has over 61,000,000 views, 150,000 subscribers, and only has 10 YouTube videos.
Example: Energetic and Fun Background Music for Videos
The YouTube channel MorningLightMusic has over 500.000 subscribers.
Repurpose Video Content
Next, take your YouTube background music video and upload it to other social media platforms like:
- Snapchat
- SoundCloud – Upload the audio version.
You want to find different ways to get traffic to your website.
Also adding content to these different social platforms will help to create backlinks to your website to help be found by search engines.
It is important to get traffic to your website, without it, you will not get sales.
Read: 13 Ways to Increase Website Traffic
Use Stock Video Footage
You can use free stock video footage to create videos with your music.
Here are some websites to find free stock videos:
Step 4: Build an Email List
Start building an email list to market to your potential customers.
You need to assume once a person visits your website, they may never return.
You want to capture email addresses to notify users of new background music and sales in the future.
Related: Beginners Guide to Email Marketing
How to Capture Email Addresses
- Have Multiple Email Capture Forms – Include many email capture forms on your website. On the sidebar or at the end of blog articles.
- Offer Free Gifts – Offering a free download will get the most email submissions to join your email list.
- Exit Pop-Up Windows – They have pop-up windows that appear when users are about to leave your site. You can have a pop-up window appear offering a free gift in exchange for their email address. These convert well.
Start building an email list.
If you don’t, you will miss out on having a large email list of people to promote your background music to in the future.
Step 5: Put Your Music on Music Selling Marketplaces
Even though having a website is best, you can still use these other websites to help promote your website.
These websites are great because they have customers looking to buy background music and stock music.
So it doesn’t hurt to put some of your best background music on these sites to see if they lead to any sales and traffic.
Some things to keep in mind:
- Commission Fees – Sites like Audio Jungle may take 40% to 70% of each sale.
- Strict Approval Process – To get your music on some of these sites, your music will need to get approved. This process can take weeks.
- Prepare for Rejection — Online marketplaces have strict guidelines. Many people are rejected several times before an item is approved.
We encourage you to try out these different music marketplaces to see if they provide any success.
The goal is to get people to your music website to promote your background music, brand, and get them on your email list.
Step 6: Find Target Audience
Define your target audience. Is it business? is it YouTubers? or everyone?
You want to figure this out to determine how to market yourself.
Message People Directly
Message people who you think would be interested in your background music. It could be influencers, brands, businesses, videomakers, etc.
Offer them a first-time discount so they’re more likely to use your services.
Look for Custom Work on Freelance Websites
There are tons of people looking for music producers to make exclusive background music for their projects.
This could be a great opportunity to show your work and add content to your portfolio.
Some websites to find freelance work: Fiverr, Upwork, Freelancer.
It’s important to take a proactive approach to your music business.
Don’t just wait for customers to find you.
Background Music Pricing Tips
It is important to think about your pricing for a moment as it can make or break your stock music business. Here are some tips to set your price.
1. Research Competitor’s Pricing
This one speaks for itself. If you look at websites like AudioJungle and Pond5, you will see a great variety of prices. Take them into account.
2. Don’t Price Music Too Low
It is tempting to price your tracks $5 under the fear that nobody will buy it otherwise.
The problem is that your product will be seen as being of low quality from the start and it will be hard to change that perception on your customers later.
3. Take Into Account your Investments and Work Hours
Producing and selling stock music is not 100% free. After all, you paid for your computer, software, and equipment, so you should count that as an investment.
Take that information into account when pricing your products.
Consider how much you spent on equipment and website hosting and how many hours it takes for you to create a finished track.
4. Test Prices Constantly
For a beginner, a great starter price for a basic license is $20. From there, you can test new prices and raise them once you get more recognition and trust from your website visitors.
Types of Background Music Licenses
AudioJungle offers different types of licenses for different uses.
If a customer is going to use your music on a TV broadcast, that would be different from using it only on Youtube.
As an example, here are the Audio Jungle license types:
| Music Standard | Broadcast 1 Mil. | Music Mass Reproduction | Broadcast 10 Mil. | Broadcast & Film | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # of End Products | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Most Web Uses | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| TV & Radio | No | 1 mil. | 1 mil. | 10 mil. | Unlimited |
| # of Copies | 10,000 | 10,000 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Film | Indie & Festivals | Indie & Festivals | Indie & Festivals | Indie & Festivals | Theater Release |
As you can see, there are five different types of licenses on the website.
The price rises according to the license.
The Music Standard is the most affordable.
The Music Broadcast & Film is the most expensive.
Offering different license options ensures the customer knows what they are getting and what they can legally use your music for.
Also, don’t forget to create contracts stating these uses.
These practices will make your business much more professional.
Background Music Broadcasting Royalties
Some types of uses demand the payment of royalties to the artist. One of the most common is TV or radio broadcasts.
Every day, a TV/radio company must fill out and send a document called a cue sheet to royalty-collection societies such as ASCAP and BMI.
They will control the repass of payments to the artist.
Keep in mind that this is only true if the customer is broadcasting your music. The song is royalty-free for other uses, such as on YouTube and social media.
Make sure you associate yourself with a PRO (Performing Rights Organization) and upload your music information to the platform.
The most famous and widely used PROs are Ascap and BMI.
15 Tips For Selling Background Music
Here are tips for selling background music online.
- Put Your Best Tracks First – If people don’t like what they hear, they will not continue to listen to your music.
- Test Different Prices – Experiment with different pricing to see what gets the most sales.
- Provide a Free Audio Preview to Download – Customers may want to test your music with their project before buying your background track. Add audio tags to all audio previews.
- Keep Music Names Simple – Make them easy to remember.
- Research Popular Key Terms to add to song names to get people to listen.
- Focus on Quality Over Quantity
- Follow Music Trends – Find out what is currently popular, and create background music for the genre. Don’t ignore trends.
- Give Out Free Background Music – Giving out a couple of free background tracks can help to generate traffic to your website.
- Offer Discounts – Offering limited-time discounts can encourage people to buy.
- Create Interesting Artwork – Create cool artwork to get people interested in a track. You can use free Stock Photo websites for images.
- Offering Bundle Deals – Offer discounts if users want to buy more than one background track at a time. This can encourage people to spend more.
- Offer Multiple Types of Licenses – Offer different license types for different types of projects. Charge more for commercial projects.
- Show Real-Life Examples – Use free stock videos and sync them with your songs to show your customers how they could be used.
- Give First-Time Discounts.
- Offer a Custom Song Service.
Background Music Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions and answers on background music.
What is Background Music?
Background music or Stock Music is a music instrumental without vocals. It can be used for movies, video games, Twitch streaming, events, and more.
Where is Background Music Used?
Background music can be used everywhere because music is everywhere. It can be used for commercials, TV shows, Youtube videos, movies, tutorials, infomercials, video games, and so many other places.
Can You Make Money Selling Background Music?
Yes! If you visit websites like Audio Jungle, you can find background tracks with over 20,000 sales which adds up to over $300,000 in revenue.
There are tons of video creators and businesses looking for background music to use with their projects.
As video continues to grow in popularity, the demand for background music to use continues to grow as well.
Should I Offer Different Licenses for My Background Music?
Yes. This will make your business much more professional, and your customers will know what they’re getting.
What is the Difference Between Broadcast and Non-Broadcast Usage of Background Music?
If your customer intends to broadcast your background music on TV, radio, or even on the internet, you will be entitled to receive royalties. Make sure you affiliate yourself with Ascap or BMI to collect your royalties.
What Type of Background Music is in Demand?
All types of music genres are in demand, but here are the top 10 categories we found on AudioJungle:
- Corporate
- Cinematic
- Ambient
- Rock
- Electronica
- Folk Acoustic
- Hip-Hop
- Pop
- Children’s
- Holiday Seasonal
What is the Best Selling Background Music?
The best-selling category on Audio Jungle is Inspiration & Motivational audio tracks. These types of background music are popular because they are commonly used by businesses and for YouTube videos.
How Do I Sell Background Music?
You need to build a large collection of background music for visitors to choose from. Create a website to host all your background music. Your music needs to be easy to search, sort, and buy. Promote your music and website on social media to get traffic to your music store.
5 Videos on Selling & Creating Background Music
3 Reasons Why Royalty-Free Music Libraries is The Best Way to Get Started
How Many Tracks Should You Have Before You Join a Stock Library?
My Sales After 2 Months of Uploading Music on Audiojungle & Pond5
5 Tips for Composing Stock Music
Music Composition Tips
Start Selling Background Music!
The Music Maker WordPress Theme has everything you need to start selling background music today. View Features
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- Unlimited Beats & Pages
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In conclusion, one of the best ways to navigate the music industry and generate income as a producer, musician, or composer is to sell your music directly, especially instrumental background music.
Many composers are discovering that creating videos for their own YouTube channel can be a good way to connect with potential buyers around the world. This also allows them to showcase their talent in creating corporate music for corporate videos, a market that is steadily growing.
Digitally distributing custom music through your own website is another effective method of reaching potential clients. Not only does it give you greater control, but it’s also a great source of income.
Through a non-exclusive agreement with a performance rights organization, you can license your music and make money from its use without limiting yourself to one buyer or platform.
Selling music through online platforms offers different ways to make money, as content creators constantly look for stock music to use in their projects. Licensing agreements with these music libraries ensure you continue earning money every time your music is used.
In essence, if you want to sell your music and start making money in the ever-evolving music industry, consider these tips for success.
It’s a journey that could take your music from your studio to screens and speakers all around the world. Remember, the key to success in this business is persistence, innovation, and, of course, making great music!
So those are our tips for selling background music online.
You may only be focusing on music that is for music artists. But you may be able to make a good side income by selling background music and stock music online as well.
So maybe it’s something you should consider.
Do you currently sell background music? Are you thinking about selling background music?
