Background Music For Presentations

Background Music For Presentations

Earlier today, as I was searching for videos on Google using the search query presentation, Google’s autocomplete search predictor displayed presentation music as one of the top search predictions. For those of you who are not familiar with how this function works, here’s a brief explanation from Google: The search queries that you see as part of Autocomplete reflect what other people are searching for and the content of web pages. 

Initially I was surprised to learn that presentation music is such a popular search query – at least according to Google’s autocomplete feature. However there are indeed many ways to use to music to enhance various types of presentations.

For example, if your audience is viewing your presentation online, without any accompanying verbal explanation, you might want to embed music to make the presentation experience more enjoyable for viewers.

In addition, if you are delivering your presentation for an audience and your presentation has a slideshow segment in which you share a stream of photos that do not require a verbal explanation, you might want to embed music to keep the audience attentive during the slideshow.

The bottom line: If you have any reason to add music to your presentation, go for it. Playing music during your presentation can help your audience stay engaged, and also help the audience remember the message of your presentation. Music embedded throughout a PowerPoint® presentation can sustain attention, while slipping the content into long-term memory, according to Ronald A. Berk’s study Research on PowerPoint: From Basic Features to Multimedia.

If you decide to utilize music during your presentation, here are some resources for great music:

1. YouTube Audio Library

youtube audio library

The fine print:

You can download and use the high-quality 320kbps audio tracks and sound effects royalty-free.

–     Go to Creator Studio > Create > Audio Library.

–     Use the tabs at the top of the page to choose “Free music” or “Sound effects.”

–     The bars next to the songs show how popular a track is.

–     When you’ve found a track you like, click the arrow to download it.

–     For easy access in the future, select the star to add the track to your Favorites.

–     Attributing your video: If you see an attribution-required icon next to a track, make sure to credit the original artist in your video description. Learn more about attribution on the Creative Commons website.

Learn more about the YouTube Audio Library here.

2. Bensound

download music

The fine print:

You can use for free Bensound music licensed under the Creative Commons License in your multimedia project (online videos, websites, animations, etc.) as long as you credit Bensound with a link to the Website. Examples of proper way to credit Bensound: “Music: http://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music or “Music: Song title – Bensound.com” You can read the full legal agreement here: Creative commons – Attribution – No Derivative Works

You can learn about premium plan options here.

3. Orange Free Sounds

orange free sounds

The fine print:

Orange Free Sounds offers free Sound Effects, Music Loops and Background Music for both Commercial & Non – Commercial use. There are no hidden costs or need to sign-up. Download is completely free.

4. Free Music Archives

free music archives

The fine print:

The Free Music Archive is an interactive library of high-quality, legal audio downloads directed by WFMU, the most renowned freeform radio station in America.

To see what license is being used for a specific song, click on the track title. Then, on the song page, look at the far right column. There you should see what license the artist has selected for their work. This indicates what type of use the artist has pre-approved. For more information about the specific license associated with a work, click on the name of the license for a fuller description at the Creative Commons website.

5. Noise Trade

download music for free

The fine print:

NoiseTrade is a platform designed to help artists build their audiences by distributing free music in exchange for fan data (email & postal code). Fans can download the music for free and leave a tip for any amount, as well as tell friends on Facebook, Twitter or email. Fans can also copy the widget’s code and add it to their own website or blog. You can read NoiseTrade’s legal statements here or by clicking ‘Legal’ at the bottom of any page.

6. Amazon

amazon free music

The fine print:

To access Amazon’s free music downloads, go to Movies, Music & Games > Digital Music > Deals > Free. Sort options by song title, album title, artist name, length of track, and more.

7. Jamendo

download music tracks

The fine print:

Jamendo has a stock music library with more than 200,000 royalty free tracks for any project, all rights included. You can search by genre, mood, instrument, project type, keyword, and more.

8. PureVolume

purevolume

The fine print: 

PureVolume is a website for the discovery and promotion of new music and emerging artists. Each artist has a profile that typically contains basic info, updates, photos, shows and music for streaming. Artists have the option of making each of their songs available for free download.

9. Free Stock Music

free stock music

The fine print:

Free Stock Music offers a wide variety of 100% free production music in ten genres: cinematic scores, classical, corporate, country, easy listening, electronic, hip-hop, international, pop and rock. They’re committed to helping you find the perfect song for your video, movie, film, video game, or media project. Free Stock Music downloads come with a royalty-free license allowing you to use the music in all types of productions for worldwide distribution, forever. There are never any fees.

10. Creative Commons

creative commons music

The fine print:

Many musicians choose to release their songs under Creative Commons licenses, which give you the legal right to do things like use their music in your projects.  CC-licensed music isn’t free for all uses, only some — so make sure to check out the terms (you can find these by clicking on each song’s license icon).

Conclusion

If Google’s autocomplete is even remotely correct, there are a lot of presenters out there using music in their presentations and I think this is fantastic as there are many creative ways to enhance a presentation with a dash of music. If you have the opportunity to improve a presentation with music, I hope the resources above are helpful.

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