Music for Social Media: Where to Find It and How to License It for Brands

You find licensed music for social media at a production music library like us - not a platform's free built-in library or a downloaded trending sound. Our catalogue holds over 308,000 human-made tracks, searchable by keyword, mood or reference track, with short edits and stems built for TikTok, Reels and Shorts. Every track is cleared for social use under one licence, so your content stays clear of copyright strikes and takedowns.

Where Do I Find Music for Social Media?

You find licensed music for social media at a production music library like us - not a platform's free built-in library or a trending sound.

In-app “free” audio and trending sounds aren't licensed for brand or commercial use, and platforms can remove tracks or change terms without warning - leaving your content vulnerable to a takedown.

We're a production music library built for exactly this: our catalogue holds over 308,000 tracks and versions, cleared for social platforms under one licence.

Because we own or control the rights to what we license, you don't need separate permissions for each platform your content runs on.

What’s the Best Music for Social Media Videos?

The best music for social media grabs attention in the first few seconds, matches your content's pace, and is built to loop or cut cleanly.

Short-form and vertical formats reward tracks that establish energy immediately rather than building gradually - so look for a track with a strong opening beat, hook or motif rather than a slow intro.

Editing in from a track's hook rather than its first note, and choosing tracks that loop cleanly, both help hold attention on fast-scrolling platforms like TikTok, Reels and Shorts.

Our AI-powered search lets you filter by tempo, mood and duration, so you can find tracks built for that pace rather than editing a longer track down to fit.

Can I Use Trending TikTok Sounds Instead of Licensed Music?

Trending sounds work for individual creators, but they're rarely commercially cleared for brand use across paid media or multiple platforms - which is why we recommend licensed music instead.

Trends move quickly, sound availability can change without warning, and not every trending track is cleared for the kind of paid, multi-platform use a brand needs.

You don't have to lose the on-trend feel, though: our reference-track search lets you find similar-sounding, fully licensed tracks by matching a track you've heard on TikTok, Spotify or YouTube.

That gives you a consistent, recognisable sound across your content instead of chasing a trend that might disappear next week.

How Long Can My Video Be, and Does That Affect the Music?

Short-form platforms reward brevity - often under a minute - so the right track needs to deliver its hook fast and be cut or looped to fit any length.

TikTok, Reels and Shorts content is typically well under 60 seconds, and every second of that counts for retention - so a track that takes too long to build rarely works.

Our tracks come with alternate versions, edits and cutdowns, so you can drop in at the strongest section of a track rather than starting from the first note.

Stems let you rebalance a track further still, so a single piece of music can be cut to fit a 15-second teaser, a 30-second cutdown or a longer edit.

Is Audio Network’s Music Safe and Commercially Licensed for Social Media?

Yes - our licence covers social media explicitly, including organic posts, boosted content and paid ads, across every platform.

Because our catalogue is original and rights-controlled, it can be used across social platforms without copyright-strike or takedown risk.

Every licence is fully indemnified, so you're protected using the music as licensed, and it's granted in perpetuity - no expiry, renewal or recurring fee.

We're trusted by leading global brands and agencies, including Spotify, Dentsu, Nike, Google, the V&A, Amnesty International, Saatchi & Saatchi and Disney.

Should I License One Track at a Time, or Subscribe?

It depends on your volume - a per-use licence suits the occasional video, while an unlimited subscription suits teams publishing social content regularly.

A per-use licence clears a single video, priced per track - the quickest route if you've already found what you need. An unlimited annual subscription covers a full year of content for your whole team under one licence, with the option to add sound effects - better value if you're publishing social content every week. For campaigns in between, a per-project licence covers multiple videos and tracks at a price tailored to the project.

Ways to License Music for Social Content

We offer three main ways to license music for social content:

What Kind of Music Works Best for Short-Form and Vertical Video?

Short-form and vertical video need music engineered for fast pacing - tracks with an immediate hook, a strong beat and an ending that loops cleanly.

Vertical formats like TikTok, Reels and Shorts move faster than a widescreen ad: cuts are tighter, and music needs to establish energy in the first few seconds rather than building slowly.

TikTok and Shorts tend to be sound-on environments where the track is part of the content itself; Instagram Reels is more mixed, so music needs to work whether or not sound is on.

Our catalogue spans 16 core genres and 142 sub-genres and is searchable across 80 moods, with the deepest ranges in the upbeat, energetic styles - electronic, hip hop and pop - that suit fast-paced social content.

Can My Team Find and Edit Tracks Quickly?

Yes - our AI-powered search and included music-research support are built to keep a fast-moving content team moving.

Search by keyword, mood, scene description or reference track, and filter by tempo and duration to find a track built for your format rather than editing one down to fit.

Accounts have no seat restrictions, so your whole social and marketing team can share one login and one set of projects.

If a brief is tricky or you're short on time, complimentary music research is included as standard - send us a brief and we'll return a curated shortlist at no extra cost.