Apr 28, 2021
Let’s say, as a travel videographer, you want to capture an aerial shot of a specific location.
Not only do you need access to a drone, you need a piloting license. Not only do you need a license, you need to abide by drone laws and be able to physically transport the drone with you from one location to the next.
Even if you have the right gear to capture the right shot, you could still face legal repercussions if you film at night or in a prohibited location.
To safeguard a project from issues like this, you make decisions based on what is creatively, logistically, and legally possible — whether producing content for yourself or a client.
When it comes to music licensing, your clients need to know that the travel videos you create for them — once finished and distributed — won’t be flagged for copyright infringement.
To earn a client’s trust and put your own mind at ease, you have to be confident that your process for licensing music is airtight.
This peace of mind is just as important for client work as it is for the content you publish on your own YouTube channel or platform. But, as you know firsthand, music licensing is rarely as simple as one signature on a dotted line.
In this article, we detail why travel videographers turn to stock media companies like Soundstripe to license music for their videos.
And to help get you started in your search for royalty-free music, we’re also sharing three adventure-driven playlists that are blissfully easy to license from.
The Logistics of Music Licensing for Travel Videos
It’s possible that you, like many creators, have been burned by the music licensing process in the past.
Maybe you went through the necessary legal steps to get the right licenses only to come up against more red tape and fees. Or maybe an important licensing deal fell through at the last minute.
From the outside looking in, it’s easy to underestimate how complex the process actually is. But for someone navigating the process firsthand, the process is anything but simple.
Licensing a single song might involve negotiating with multiple copyright holders — those that own the rights to the song and those that own the rights to the sound recording. On top of that, there are also added licensing fees and rules for how the song can be used.
Though this process is needed to protect creative work, it’s not always feasible from a cost and time perspective for filmmakers on a budget.
When different time zones and travel-related complications enter into the mix, the process only gets more difficult.
Time Zones, Travel Delays & Copyright Negotiations
Travel videographers plan, produce, and share new content on schedule all while moving from one location to the next.
More often than not, the stress that comes with meeting deadlines is compounded by the pressure to adapt quickly to new time zones.
If you’re working internationally but negotiating with a copyright holder based in the U.S., the window of time for communication is narrow.
And if this time difference is extreme, you may find yourself going over the details of a licensing agreement at odd hours of the morning or night.
Since it’s rare to negotiate with only one copyright holder, it’s not a far stretch of the imagination to expect several negotiation calls like this.
Even with the best camera gear in tow and meticulous planning, unexpected issues are unavoidable. Flight delays and other last-minute changes have a way of uprooting your plans and leaving you scrambling to make a new plan.
If you’re looking for an alternative (and consistent) way to license music as a travel videographer, the section below details how you can do just that.
Where to Find Royalty-Free Music for Travel Videos
After laboring over a travel video for days, if not weeks, the last thing you want is to receive a Content ID claim because you added music to a video without licensing it properly.
If your content is flagged by a copyright owner in this way, the owner can stop your video from being seen, earn revenue from your video, and/or access your video’s viewership statistics.
While many creators choose to license music from YouTube’s Audio Library, this doesn’t have to be your only option.
With a service like Soundstripe, you have access to thousands of songs, sound effects, and videos.
Our team handles all of the licensing negotiations so you can spend a few minutes rather than several weeks getting permission to use a song in any project.
For travel videographers, especially, this gives you the freedom to work anywhere and license music at times that are most convenient for you.
3 Adventure-Fueled Playlists for Your Next Videos
The Transformative Playlist
Artists like Patrick Rydman, Cody Martin, and Caleb Etheridge contribute acoustic, folk, and other styles of music to Soundstripe’s Transformative playlist.
The music ranges from atmospheric to upbeat and low to high energy. So if you’re looking for low energy atmospheric music, you can filter down to this selection. Or, if you want to find a song that is high energy and hopeful, you can peruse these options.
The Big Epic Beauty Playlist
Soundstripe’s Big Epic Beauty playlist offers music in a wide range of moods (from calm to suspenseful) and genres (from acoustic to world).
“Luminescene” is a calm and hopeful low energy track whereas a track like “Cloud Nine Peak” brings more of a high energy to travel videos, especially in hopeful and inspiring moments.
The Adventure Film Playlist
As you might guess from this playlist’s name, Soundstripe’s Adventure Film playlist features music that complements and enhances any cinematic moment.
If you need a song that is energetic and empowering, we recommend a track like “Fire.” If you need a more serene and inspiring song, we recommend a track like “Across The Beipan”
Interested in licensing any of the songs from these playlists? With a monthly or annual plan, you can build your project’s soundtrack with royalty-free music that is easy to license and radio-quality.
