How to Make the Most of Your College Basketball Watch Party with Royalty Free Music

March is here, which means it’s time for that famous NCAA tournament!

Whether you got dragged into the office bracket pool again, or you’ve loaded up on your “Duke Navy Blue” body paint to cheer on your alma matter, it’s time to jump aboard the basketball train!

One of the best parts of the college hoops season — besides watching Zion Williamson drive down the court like an unstoppable behemoth — is throwing a watch party with your best buddies.

When it’s your turn to play host, make sure you’ve got your playlist of royalty free music set and ready to rock everyone’s world.

You may not be on the court with Williamson, R.J. Barrett, and Cam Reddish, but you can support your team through your choice of epic music! Sports and music go hand in hand, and everyone can use some good tunes to pump them up in the final quarter.

Let’s look at how music plays a part in the sports tradition, and then we’ll show you how to use Soundstripe’s unbeatable music library to create the perfect playlist to accompany your team’s inevitable victory!

You Can’t Stop The Beat

There’s nothing like the steady beat of a basketball dribbling down the court, the squeal of shoes during a mad dash, and that sweet, sweet whoosh of the ball sinking home.

But those are only the sounds of a great college ball game. When it comes to college basketball’s biggest tournament of the year, music is on the menu.

First and foremost, the NCAA’s famous 8-note orchestral jingle is so ingrained in our psyche, that it’s practically synonymous with college ball. Hear those notes and it’s time to get the ball bouncing.

But not before the National Anthem. The Star-Spangled Banner has an august place in every sports arena, and the NCAA tournament is no different. As the singer belts out the famous lines, it’s important to remember that win or lose, we are all bound together by a higher connection and a deeper sense of purpose and unity.

No NCAA tournament would be complete without a nostalgic and powerful montage at the end of the last game, accompanied by “One Shining Moment” sung by Luther Vandross.

If your team rode to victory, this song is a sweet cap on a spectacular and joyous ride to that coveted final bracket line.

Finally, the media companies that broadcast the tournament have developed the habit of adopting a secondary theme song each year. In 2018, it was “American Soul,” by U2.

If you watched the tournament religiously, you heard this guitar-heavy tune at the top of every tournament broadcast and even between commercial breaks. This secondary theme is a great way to add a unique musical element to each year’s tournament.

We aren’t sure what song will be the sound of this year’s tournament, but all these traditions prove that music has a strong place in the world of sports.

Music is powerful. It unites fans and gets the blood flowing. It can inspire teams when they are down in the points or help players push toward victory. If you are lucky enough to snag tickets to a game, you’ll hear music blaring from the rafters before the game, during breaks, and after the final whistle.

Of course, even if you don’t get to sit courtside with the rich and famous, you can still enjoy the game by throwing your own watch party with the coolest guys and girls in your life.

You’ll need some great music to keep the good mood going. If you’re worried about copyright complications or simply want to offer unique music for your friends to enjoy, consider creating a playlist using Soundstripe’s royalty free music.

Why Soundstripe Is Your Destination For The Best Royalty Free Music

At Soundstripe, royalty free music is what we do. We scour the world looking for the best established or up-and-coming artists. Then we work with them to put their music into our ever-growing library.

With a single subscription, our customers get unlimited access to our entire music library. That means you can use our royalty free background music in YouTube videos, the movie you’re making, or even your awesome game-day playlists.

Speaking of playlists, you can create unlimited playlists using our music. We even make it easy to find the very best music for your purpose. Filter our existing songs by genre, pace, instrumentation, artist, beats per minute, and more.

As you start to put together your basketball watch party playlist, we suggest filtering our music library by mood so you can build a list that follows the anticipation, buildup, and joy as your team dunks to victory.

It’s Time To Put Together Your College B-Ball Playlist

Group-of-men-watching-basketball-game-on-television

‍You’ve bought the beer, the chips, and made your eagerly anticipated guacamole. You’ve got your team jersey hanging in the closet. Now it’s time to search out some royalty free background music for your party.

Jump onto Soundstripe, filter our music library for mood, and start picking your favorite tunes!

Pre-Party Listening

You’ll want to make sure you’ve got some nice, mellow music at the top of your playlist that can soothe you as you prep for the party and your friends arrive. Before the game starts, keep things easygoing as you chat about whether the Cavaliers can finally go all the way.

Recommended Music Moods: Mellow, Chill

Recommended Song: Outside by AlterEgo

It’s Almost Game Time

It’s a half-hour until the jump ball, so start revving up the energy. Most of your guests have arrived — your guac is amazing, by the way — and the tension is starting to mount. Maybe a few last-minute bets are placed and a little trash talk starts to bubble up. It’s time to lay down a fun, good-natured beat.

Recommended Music Moods: Playful, Upbeat

Recommended Song: There Comes A Time by Adrian Walther

Halftime – Your Team Is Ahead

Your guys are doing great, just like you knew they would! They just have keep the momentum going and their spot in the next round is as good as sealed.

While you pull your famous pigs in a blanket out of the oven, it’s time to play some happy beats to express your confidence that your boys are going all the way.

Recommended Music Moods: Energetic, Cruising

Recommended Song: Game On by BRASKO

Halftime – Your Team Is Behind

Don’t panic! Who’s panicking? Not you! Sure, your boys had a slow start, but that’s only going to make their inevitable victory all the sweeter.

Your hands definitely aren’t shaking as you pull the pigs in a blanket out of the oven. You have all the confidence in the world in your team. They just need to redouble their efforts and turn this thing around. Go big or go home!

It’s time for some serious beats to fire up the crowd!

Recommended Music Moods: Intense, Rebellious

Recommended Song: Southbound by Nu Alkemi$t

End Of The Game — Loss

Your team lost. It happens to the best of us. Your heart is breaking just an itty bit, but you’ve got to show an outwardly stoic face — especially if you have friends at the party who were on the other side of your bracket pick. Don’t give them the pleasure of seeing you ugly cry.

Instead, put on some soothing music to help start the healing process.

Recommended Music Moods: Melancholic, Soulful

Recommended Song: Pine by Be Still the Earth

End Of The Game — Win!

You won! Sure, the players did some of the work, but you were sending them good vibes the entire game, and that surely made the difference! The universe definitely appreciated that beseeching dance you performed when your team fell behind.

Anyway, it’s time to revel in your glorious victory! Break out the champagne and hit play on your celebratory playlist.

Recommended Music Moods: Joyful, Soaring

Recommended Song: HEY! By South by North

All Your Royalty Free Music In One Place

All too soon, the 68 teams who start the NCAA tournament will be whittled down to 16, then four, and then only two teams will remain to face off against each other on the court.

Even that epic final game won’t last forever. As the last song on your list plays and your guests trickle out the door, don’t feel sad. There will be plenty of other occasions to cheer on your favorite teams.

At Soundstripe, we are home to all your royalty free music. Whether you want to get that YouTube channel up and running, create a video marketing campaign for your company, or create a playlist for every sports party hangout you host, we have the music you want.

Check back with us each week to take a listen to our newest tracks. Make sure you also follow your favorite artists, so you’ll be among the first to know when they release new music.

If your college basketball team doesn’t take home the glory this year, there’s always next year. Until that time, baseball season is here. Batter up!