Sound is one of the ideal ways to upgrade your web page. Read here the best guide on how to legally use copyrighted music your web page.

Adding music to your website can set it apart from other competing or familiar sites. Music has the ability to increase the user experience on your website.

The right choice of music on your website can also give a more professional feel to the site.

Here’s the best musical guide on how to legally use copyrighted music on your web page.

Reasons To Put Music On Your Site

Music on your webpage can boost the creativity of the site. It’s also a great way to update your site with a new flare.

You’ll need to keep in mind the main purpose of your website and the content that you have on there. Next, you will need to find a piece of music that mirrors and compliments your content.

Another consideration is how busy the music is. You want the music to be able to compliment the site instead of distracting the user and take away from the content. Find music without many lyrics and that sounds good in playing softly in the background.

Copyright Implications

If you’re interested in using music recordings on your website from before 1922, the odds are that they’re a part of the public domain. This means that there isn’t a need to worry about copyright infringement.

If your website is for educational or informational purposes, you might be able to add the music to the site without a problem. This is because you wouldn’t be making any money off of other’s work. If you have a website where you’re making a profit, it will affect if you can or can’t use the material.

The owners of the song don’t want people to avoid purchasing the song elsewhere if they could listen to it for free on your website. If this is the case, you might be pulled into a legal case with the artist and or recording company over the rights to use the song as it’s their intellectual property.

You may be able to compromise by only using a portion of the song instead of playing the whole thing. Every case is different and you should consider all of these factors before making the decision whether or not to include the song on your website.

If you want to use the music without contacting the artist or recording company to get permission first, you might find yourself in trouble. The typical next step is for you to receive a cease-and-desist instructing you to remove the song from your site. After you take the song down, there shouldn’t be any more problems.

Royalty Free Background Music

One easy way to add music to your website without having to worry about copyright infringement is to use royalty free background music.

Royalty free music is music that you don’t have to pay any royalty fees when you use it for a project. This will eliminate any trouble you would go through trying to get the rights to a particular popular song. Royalty free music will also save you money as they only have limited or no fees attached to them.

Different royalty free music providers have different rules attached to using their music. It’s common for providers to ask for an acknowledgment of the artist and site provider somewhere on the page or beneath the video containing the music you download from there.

Consider using this royalty free background music site for your upcoming project.

How To Make Music Play When People Open Your Site

Having music play automatically when a user opens your site works through embedding music as a background on your site.

Start by creating a folder on your desktop that will serve as a storing place for any music that you intend to use. You will need to copy then paste the music files you want on your website. The most common audio files end in .mp3, .wav, or .wma.

Remember that when you write the code, make sure that the file name is exactly the same in the coding as in the folder. If the file name is incorrect, the music will not play. Also, make sure to replace the .mp3 with the appropriate audio file extension for your music.

You can follow the rest of the instructions here.

How To Legally Use Copyrighted Music When Clicking on a Link

You have to think about your target audience for the site and whether or not they would appreciate music immediately. It’s possible that it might turn away potential viewers instead of having them appreciate your work more. If you don’t want music playing as soon as the visitor opens your website, the alternative is to have it start after clicking on a link.

The steps to do this are very similar to if you were to have it play automatically on your homepage. Within the code of your website, you’ll have to include the file name of the downloaded piece of music you intend on using.

Again, make sure that both the file name on your desktop and the file name in your code should be the same. This will make sure the music plays without any problems.

Find the Best Fit For You

It’s important to know how to legally use copyrighted music before placing it on your website. It can be tricky trying to navigate the legality of what music you can and can’t use. Royalty free music can often be a good solution to this problem. Find what works best for you and your website.

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