Royalty-free music for promo videos: licence types and original scores
MaestroCut Editorial Team 3 min readPublished:
Music in a promo video needs a licence that allows both commercial use and syncing to picture. CC0, and CC BY with attribution, are fine; NC (non-commercial), ND (no derivatives) and SA (share-alike) licences are not suitable for advertising, because syncing music to video counts as an adaptation under the licence. The most trouble-free route is original music made for the video.
Licence types: which can you use in ads?
| Licence | What it means | In a promo video |
|---|---|---|
| CC0 | Public domain; no conditions | Fine |
| CC BY | Free to use with credit to the author | Fine (credit in the caption) |
| CC BY-NC | Non-commercial use only | Not suitable (a promo is commercial) |
| CC BY-ND | No derivative works | Not suitable (sync is an adaptation) |
| CC BY-SA | Derivatives must use the same licence | Not suitable in practice |
| Unknown source | The licence can't be proven | Don't use it |
This table is general information, not legal advice; check the licence text of every track.
Music from platform libraries
The in-app music libraries on Instagram and TikTok are meant for personal posts; tracks that business accounts and ads may use are usually limited to a separate commercial library. Using a popular song in an ad needs a separate licence from the rights holders. Otherwise the video can be muted, removed or the ad rejected.
Why an original score is the safest route
- No licence questions: the music is made with the video; no third party holds rights.
- It fits the length exactly: the music is composed to the video's duration, never cut mid-phrase, with a real ending.
- Energy follows the scenes: it rises in the hook and call-to-action scenes and calms down in detail scenes.
- No repeats: no two videos share the same music — a distinctive sound for the brand.
MaestroCut composes an original bed of chords, bass, drums and effects for every video; the music mood (uplifting, corporate, techno, cinematic, playful, lo-fi, ambient, luxury) and the tempo are suggested for your industry, and you can change them.
Prefer a real track? The MaestroCut studio also has a free music library: CC0 and CC BY instrumentals by independent artists (found through Openverse). Pick one and the studio measures its tempo and downbeat, re-times every cut to it, and adds the CC BY credit line to your post caption.
Music checklist
- Does the licence allow commercial use?
- Does it allow syncing (putting it in a video)?
- If credit is required, did you add it to the caption?
- Did you keep proof of the licence (download page, date)?
- Is the loudness around −14 LUFS?
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a popular song in a Reels ad?
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No — not without a separate licence from the song's rights holders. The ad can be rejected or the video muted.
Can CC BY music be used in a promo video?
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Yes; it allows commercial use and adaptation as long as you credit the author and the licence. Put the credit in the video caption.
Does royalty-free mean free?
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No. "Royalty-free" usually means you don't pay per use; the licence itself may still cost money and come with conditions.
Is AI-composed music safe to use?
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It depends on the tool's licence terms. The music in MaestroCut videos is generated fresh for every video by a rule-based synthesiser, without sampling recorded tracks.
Sources and notes
- Creative Commons 4.0 legal code, Section 1(a): synchronisation and adapted material
- MaestroCut music bed: original synthesis, arranged to scene energy
This page was last reviewed on . Numbers come from the MaestroCut platform and industry data set and are updated as platforms change their limits.