THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO LICENSING HIP HOP MUSIC FOR YOUR CONTENT

If you were to name the most influential music genres in the world, you’d be hard-pressed to beat hip hop. From its humble beginnings at block parties in the Bronx to Kendrick Lamar making headlines at the 2025 Superbowl and Dave and Jim Legxacy dominating this year’s BRITS nominations, hip hop has triumphed worldwide, influencing everything from fashion and media culture to politics. And with a plethora of subgenres on offer – from boom bap to conscious rap, drill to old school – its versatility means it’s brilliant for soundtracking a huge range of content.

Hip hop has been used in advertising ever since its emergence in the late 70s, from Run DMC for Adidas and Doja Cat for Pepsi to Snoop Dogg’s legendary turn in the Just Eat campaign. In the history of cinema, there have been an abundance of iconic hip hop soundtracks, including Public Enemy’s efforts for Spike Jonze’s He Got Game, Eminem’s Academy Award-winning theme to 8 Mile, ‘Lose Yourself’, and Black Panther’s Kendrick-curated album. And in the worlds of branded and social content, hip hop beats remain king, utilised to bring energy, authenticity and credibility to diverse stories.

But how do you license hip hop music? And which style is suited to your content? In this blog, you’ll find a step-by-step guide to licensing hip hop beats and music rights for content creators, as well as a breakdown of all the different sub-genres.

Hip Hop Subgenres and How to Use Them

It helps to think of hip hop not as a singular sound but as an entire universe. A constantly evolving artform, hip hop is shaped by culture, geography, technology and the plethora of artists pushing it forward, and is centred around five key elements. Here’s a breakdown of some of the key subgenres and some pointers on how they fit content.

• Boom Bap
• Trap
• Lo-fi Hip Hop
• Drill
• Hip Hop Instrumentals/Beats

Boom Bap

Made famous by DJ Premier and Pete Rock in the 90s, boom bap originates from the East Coast of America, with its name derived from the sounds of the kick drum and snare. As KRS-One told Red Bull Music Academy, “The drums are highly emphasized, even exaggerated and distorted. However, this style of music isn’t just about distorted drums – there’s an aggressive marching, driving, dramatic rhythm to the production itself.” Offering a raw, classic and lyrical vibe, boom bap is ideal for documentaries, storytelling and contemporary culture pieces.

Trap

Trap originates from the southern states of the USA, specifically Georgia’s capital, Atlanta. Pioneered by rappers like Future, Young Thug and Gucci Mane, its distinctive style is characterised by minimalist beats, triplet flows and booming 808 kick drums. Its dark, bass-heavy sound works well in fashion, sports, gaming and high-energy content. For more inspiration, check out our trap playlist.

Lo-fi Hip Hop

More chilled and atmospheric than its grittier siblings, lo-fi hip hop is one of the most versatile subgenres for content creators. So whether you’re looking for hip hop tracks for YouTube or for social channels, lo-fi hip hop makes an ideal soundtrack for vlogs, podcasts, explainer videos and study-focused content.

Drill

Born in Chicago in the early 2010s, drill music is now a dominant force in UK hip hop, spawning superstars like Central Cee and Digga D. Less stylistically rigorous than many hip hop subgenres, drill is largely defined by its dark, menacing tone, minimalist production, booming 808 bass lines and aggressive, street-smart lyrics tackling everything from narcotics to gang culture. Thanks to this intensity, it’s ideally suited to gritty visuals, trailers and youth-driven campaigns.

Hip Hop Instrumentals/Beats

Offering creative flexibility, hip hop instrumentals bring momentum in an unobtrusive manner. At Audio Network we offer a huge range of beats, ideal for branded content and voiceover-led projects.

How to Legally Use Hip Hop Music

Whether you’re wondering how to license hip hop music for videos or how to secure commercial use hip hop music for podcasts and social media, when it comes to licensing hip hop music for content, all the same laws apply as per any other musical style. The only legal way to use hip hop music in content is to obtain the sync rights and master rights of the track you’re using and in some cases the performance rights too, depending on your planned usage.

A further complication with hip hop music copyright is the widespread use of sampling, resulting in there often being multiple rights holders on each track. Attempting to clear each of these samples individually is often a long, drawn-out process. To have hip hop music copyright rules explained in more detail, head to our Music Licensing Glossary.

To save time clearing samples, it might seem that one work-around is to rely on royalty-free music, but that comes with substantial risks, including legal challenges, takedowns and reputational damage to your brand. Instead, we’d recommend using a reputable music library like Audio Network, which offers a huge range of authentic hip hop styles, all pre-cleared for commercial use across platforms.

The Best Hip Hop Music Licensing Platforms

There’s no need to wrestle with where to buy hip hop music licences – simply head to a music library with hip hop beats licensing already covered. At Audio Network we’re proud to offer one of the biggest selections in the industry of hip hop subgenres, offering everything from from gritty beats to polished, cinematic tracks. So whether you’re looking for tracks for sport or drama, documentaries or ads, our Beats series has you covered.

Our clients are using hip hop and trap instrumental cues to soundtrack everything from funny, awkward situations to sad, emotive moments, and from serious topics to mystery. From cloud rap to old school instrumentals, tension trap to comedic cuts, we’ve got the perfect hip hop beat for your brief. Dive into our Hip Hop collection, which rounds up all the best hip hop artists, albums and playlists, offering authentic sounds spanning every subgenre imaginable.

So, whether you’re after trap or 90s, lo-fi, EDM, Jazz or Gangsta, start browsing Audio Network and you’ll find the perfect hip hop for TV, digital content or corporate videos, featuring artists including Skripture, viral superstar Youngr, Jonathan Clark and Matt Goodman.

Discover More

So now you know all about hip hop music licensing for TikTok, Instagram and beyond, why not check out more of our specialist hip hop guides covering everything from best hip hop soundtracks and movies to the best-selling hip hop albums. Elsewhere you can read guides on how to create a hip hop music video, how to select the right music for your brand and how to find music for YouTube videos,  TikTok or Instagram.