As a Twitch streamer it’s important to use music that is royalty-free in order to avoid DMCA claims and Twitch strikes, which could result in your channel being terminated.
With that in mind, I’ve created this list of the best royalty free music options used by pro Twitch streamers.
1. Epidemic Sound
Pros
- Over 35k royalty-free songs and over 90k royalty-free sound effects (SFX)
- Allows for playlist creation
- Has a mobile app
- Easy to use
- Free 30-day trial
Cons
- Only has music and sound effects (SFX), no videos or other resources
Epidemic Sound is the absolute best option for content creators looking for royalty-free music. They have the largest library of royalty-free songs and SFX (over 125k) on this list and their quality is amazing.
Their UI is simple to use and you will be able to download songs and SFX to use on stream with ease. Even better, they own the economic rights to their music and so they are able to offer direct licenses to their subscribers.
I personally use Epidemic Sound for my content (mainly Twitch and Youtube), and I have been nothing but impressed. I am always able to easily find a song or a sound that captures perfectly what I am trying to convey with my content.
With affordable pricing, a 30-day free trial, and unlimited downloads, you really can’t go wrong. They are easily my top pick for royalty-free music on Twitch.
2. Envato Elements
Pros
- Over 116k royalty-free songs and over 500k royalty-free sound effects (SFX)
- Tons of resources for creators besides music
- 7-day free trial
- Lots of filters allow you to easily sort through the library
Cons
- No music-only subscription option
- No playlist option
With such a large selection of songs and sound, Envato Elements easily comes in at number two. They have tons of genres to choose from, created by all kinds of talented artists.
Their filtering system is incredible too as they allow you to filter music you’re looking for according to genre, mood, temp, instruments, and more. It’s easy to find what you’re looking for with Envato.
Besides having a vast music and SFX library, they also offer other resources to creators such as royalty-free b-roll, graphics, images, and much more.
This means that with Envato Elements you can have everything you need as a content creator from great music to play on stream, to awesome b-roll you can run for your Youtube videos. What more could you ask for as a content creator?
3. Artlist
Pros
- Over 18k songs and sound effects (SFX) combined
- Tons of resources for creators besides music
- 2 bonus months when you sign up for an annual plan
- Multiple plans to choose from
Cons
- Small song and sound effects (SFX) selection compared to others
- No playlists
Artlist is a lot like Envato, only with less music and less video content. With that being said, Artlist still has a lot to offer content creators.
Artlist has been used by many top companies such as Microsoft, Google, and Facebook so you know it’s a brand you can trust.
Furthermore, they offer flexible plans regardless of what type of content. They have a plan for those looking strictly for music, a plan for those looking only for video, and a plan for whose who want both.
Their music plan is competitively priced with others on this list, but their video/music plan is much more expensive than Envatos. Almost double.
Regardless, I still like them and you can still trust them to provide you with awesome royalty-free music. And their 2 months free for an annual plan is tough to beat.
4. SoundStripe
Pros
- Over 8k songs and 60k sound effects (SFX)
- Playlist creation available
- Have a mobile app
- New music uploaded weekly
- Offer more than just music
Cons
- Few genres
- Sound Effects (SFX) are not great
- Smaller selection compared to others on the list
Although SoundStripe does not have one of the biggest libraries on this list, the songs that they do offer are extremely high quality. You can tell they are selective with the music they upload, which is good.
Similar to Envato Elements and Artlist they also have an awesome filter which helps you to pin point exactly what you are looking for.
Besides music, SoundStripe also offers video that can be used as b-roll on Youtube videos, Youtube shorts, TikTok, or anywhere else really. I would even say that the quality of their videos is better than that of Envato Elements.
The only downside is that although SoundStripe’s royalty-free music is competitively priced with others on this list, you will end up paying about twice as much money monthly if you choose to go with their royalty-free music / video package compared to Envato.
You also will not be getting nearly as many songs and SFX to use as you would be getting with someone like Envato or Epidemic Sound. On top of that, they only offer video and not the other cool things Envato does like graphics and images.
Although I do think that SoundStripe has incredible quality, I would like to see them build their library a bit more before ranking them higher on my list.
5. TunePocket
Pros
- Allows you to purchase groups of songs with no commitment required
- Most affordable option
Cons
- No monthly subscription option
- Small selection of songs and sound effects (SFX)
- Very basic service
- No playlist creation available
Tune Pocket is the cheapest option on this list (besides the free options) when it comes to royalty-free music.
They don’t offer a large library (just over 10k songs and sounds), or tons of features (no playlists), but they have enough to fit the needs of most creators.
I used Tune Pocket for about a year and I never felt like I was missing out. They have good songs, good sound effects, and allow you to “favorite” content you like.
For those just starting out they are a good option, but for just a few dollars more you can sign-up for a platform with more songs and more features, like Epidemic Sound, which is what I recommend doing.
6. Streamlabs Ultra
Pros
- Access to over 100k songs across several apps
- Easy to add to your stream as an audio source
Cons
- Can be pricey if you don’t need the other features of Ultra
- Doesn’t work well with other streaming software like OBS
Streamlabs Ultra is one of the most popular streaming softwares available today. But did you know they also have some awesome royalty-free music?
When you upgrade to Streamlabs Ultra you get access to over 100k songs between Streamlabs Music, Pretzel Rock, and Slip.stream.
The catch is that it it will cost you about $20 a month, or $140 if you pay annually. But with that you get the music, overlays, the ability to multi-stream, and much more.
I personally use Streamlabs Ultra and I think it is totally worth it, but if you already have a streaming software and are just looking for music, then I would go with something else given the price.
7. Pretzel Rocks
Pros
- Over 500k songs for Twitch and YouTube
- Very affordable ($4.99 a month for basic tier)
Cons
- No sound effects (SFX)
- Costs more if you want to download the music
- Poor layout
Pretzel Rocks comes in right after Streamlabs Ultra because if you already have Streamlabs Ultra, you don’t get a ton more benefits from getting Pretzel Rocks.
Granted, subscribing to Pretzel Rocks will get you access to a lot more music as well as the ability to download the music, but I don’t see it as that much of an upgrade compared to what you will get with Ultra.
They also don’t have SFX so if you wanted to use some SFX for things like YouTube you would have to look elsewhere.
With that being said, they still have a solid selection of songs and for around $5 a month you really can’t go wrong. But personally I would rather pay a little more to get a lot more features.
8. OWN3D.TV
Pros
- Songs are free
- Other resources besides music for streamers
- Music available across multiple platforms
Cons
- Very small library
- Must pay to have access to alerts
- New music doesn’t come out often
OWN3D.TV is known primarily for their overlays and alerts, but they also offer royalty-free music for streamers and content creators to use. And even better, their music is 100% free!
Now I do love OWN3D.TV’s overlays, I use them myself, but their music selection is lacking quite a bit. They only have a few hundred songs to choose from and no SFX.
They are good for streamers looking to save some money since their music is free, but they would not be my primary choice since their selection is so limited. But given the fact that the music is free and they offer other resources besides just music I had to rank them here.
9. FoxiMusic
Pros
- All music is created in-house
- High quality music
- They are the exclusive copyright holders of their songs
- New songs are added constantly
Cons
- No monthly subscription option
- On the pricey side
- Need to pay extra to use their music on Twitch
- No sound effects (SFX)
FoxiMusic is a team of music producers that helps create music for content creators at all levels. They are passionate about what they do and are updating their music catalogue everyday.
I really like the music on FoxiMusic and you can tell the musicians put a lot into their songs. My main issue though is the price.
They don’t have a monthly subscription option and so you will end up paying around $40 per track (less if you buy in bulks). That to me is a lot of money to pay for music on a Twitch stream.
On top of that you will have to pay for their commercial option since their personal license tier only covers YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. If you want top quality they are great, but for most streamers there are quality options that are just much more affordable.
10. The Music Case
Pros
- Over 125k songs and sound effects (SFX)
Cons
- No monthly subscription option
- Expensive
- Limited sound effects
The Music Case is similar to FoxiMusic, only I feel like Foximusic is just a bit better because of their personal touch.
They have quality music, and a great search engine but again you will be paying a lot if you want to use this music. There is no monthly subscription and each track costs around $20 or more depending on how you plan on using it.
Although I like them, I just think there are more affordable options on this list that make a lot more sense for streamers.
11. Streambeats
Pros
- Awesome collabs with popular streamers and gaming orgs
- High quality music selection
Cons
- Without Spotify Premium, you have little customization and will receive ads
- Smaller playlist compared to others on the list
- Unable to download songs unless you have Spotify Premium
- No sound effects (SFX)
Streambeats was created by Harris Heller of Senpai Gaming with streamers in mind. All the music on Streambeats is 100% royalty-free and can be used on Twitch, Youtube, Instagram, etc.
Not only is the music incredible, he has also collaborated with popular streamers such as Fuslie and 100 Thieves so you will be listening to music these major gamers / streamers have helped create.
The only downside is that most of the music is only Spotify. And unless you have Spotify Premium, you will get hit with ads and be limited as to how many times you can skip songs.
If you already have Spotify, and are just looking for a couple songs to jam to on your stream, then this is a great option. If you are looking for more songs and sound effects, then go with something like Epidemic Sound.
12. Incompetech
Pros
- Lots of free songs available with attribution
- Very niche feel
Cons
- Music player looks is outdated
- Requires song attribution
- Small library
- No sound effects (SFX)
Incompetech is pretty cool and pretty niche. It has around 2,000 royalty-free songs available for free as long as you give credit to the artist. You can pay about $30 if you want to use a song without attribution though.
It doesn’t have a large variety of songs, or any sound effects, but it does offer quality music for free which is nice. I would recommend Incompetech for new streamers or streamers who are on a tight budget.
13. Monstercat
Pros
- Awesome community
Cons
- Small library (only a few thousand songs)
- No sound effects (SFX)
- Limited genres
Monstercat is a well-known, independent record label who focuses mainly on electronic music. They started in Canada in 2011, but now have offices around the globe.
Monstercat places a heavy emphasis on ensuring that their artists are treated fairly and that the contracts they create are beneficial for all parties involved.
Although I do like their mission, they don’t have a ton to offer when it comes to royalty-free music. They cost just about as much as others on this list while only offering a fraction of the songs and sounds.
If you are familiar with Monstercat and their mission they are a cool company to support, but if you are just looking for the best music and SFX for your streams then choose another platform higher up on this list.
14. NoCopyrightSounds
Pros
- Free
- New songs every week
Cons
- Attribution is required
- Downloading songs from YouTube can be complicated
- Will have to find a way to create your own playlist (unless you have YouTube music)
- No sound effects (SFX)
Epidemic Sound is the absolute best option for content creators looking for royalty-free music. They have the largest library of royalty-free songs and SFX (over 125k) on this list and their quality is amazing.
Their UI is simple to use and you will be able to download songs and SFX to use on stream with ease. Even better, they own the economic rights to their music and so they are able to offer direct licenses to their subscribers.
I personally use Epidemic Sound for my content (mainly Twitch and Youtube), and I have been nothing but impressed. I am always able to easily find a song or a sound that captures perfectly what I am trying to convey with my content.
With affordable pricing, a 30-day free trial, and unlimited downloads, you really can’t go wrong. They are easily my top pick for royalty-free music on Twitch.
15. Soundtrack by Twitch
Pros
- Free with Twitch account
- Easy to use
Cons
- Music can only be used on Twitch
- No customizable playlist
- Basically just a radio with different genres
- No sound effetcs (SFX)
- Music can’t be used on VODs
This is the simplest, most basic option for royalty-free music on Twitch. However, I would only recommend it for brand new streamers or those with no other options.
Soundtrack by Twitch is full of limitations. You can’t choose specific songs or create your own playlists. You basically just find a genre you like and then play whichever song is currently playing for that genre.
Worst of all, this music can’t be used on your VODs so you will have to disable VODs for your channel if you want to use this. I like Twitch, by I suggest using another platform for your royalty-free music.
Royalty Free YouTube Channels For Streamers
Here are some YouTube channels we love that specialize in copyright-free music.
NoCopyrightSounds
NoCopyrightSounds has tons of copyright free playlists with a heavy focus on Dubstep. The music is perfect for any stream trying to get hype!
Infraction - No Copyright Music
This channel has everything from house to gaming electro and executes every song perfectly and with high energy!
RFM - Royalty Free Music
The vibe of this channel changes throughout and every song has its own unique feel and tempo.
Chill - No Copyright Music
This channel has a nice variety of ambient lofi and lofi hip hop, but is mostly hip hop (and is royalty free).
Breaking Copyright - Royalty Free Music
This lofi channel has a mix of hip hop and beat driven lofi along with a ton of ambient lofi music and even a splash of funk.
Music Lover - Copyright Free Music
This channel has tons of playlists and is full of alternative, punk, hard rock, and many other rock subgenres (mostly instrumentals). They have other genres too, but rock is the heavy focus.
FreeMusic109 - No Copyright Music
This channel has hundreds of songs and tons of playlists from all different genres.
Freesound Music
This channel is unique in that all the music is produced 100% by the owners of the channel. They mainly stick to jazz, country, and soft rock.
Vee Motsi
Vee Motsi is a very talented artist and entrepreneur. This channel focuses mainly on providing copyright free music, but it also has some vlog style content for you to get to connect with Vee more.
GameChops
Gamechops is full of awesome video game music remixes and is sure to induce nostalgia. If you are a gamer, then you need to check them out.
For even more royalty-free playlists and channels on Youtube, check out my page here.
Royalty Free Spotify Playlists
Here are some awesome Spotify playlists with royalty free music for streaming.
1. StreamBeats by Harris Heller
No surprise here. StreamBeats is the best place on Spotify for royalty-free music for streamers. He has collaborated with some super talented artists to create music for all types of generes: EDM, lo-fi, and much more.
2. StreemTunes
StreemTunes has over 1,000 royalty-free songs to choose from in a variety of genres. With so many options you’re bound to find something you like.
3. Ninety9Lives
Ninety9Lives sticks to electric type music and so they only have a few playlists. However, those playlists are jammed packed with awesome songs. But if you want something like rock or jazz, you will have to look elsewhere.
4. NIGHTMODE
NIGHTMODE has one playlist of over 100 royalty-free songs you can use on Youtube or Twitch. The music on the playlist is a mix of different genres so you will have to listen to it and see which songs stand out.
1. HyperPotions
Hyper Potions has a small playlist dedicated specifically to royalty-free music. Although it is not the biggest playlist, some of the songs are incredible!
For even more royalty-free music on Spotify, check out my page here.
Is Royalty-Free Music Allowed On Twitch?
Royalty-free music is the only type of music you are legally allowed to play on Twitch. Playing any music besides royalty-free music could result in your Twitch account being suspended or banned.
Can You Play Spotify On Twitch?
You can play Spotify on Twitch as long as the music is royalty-free meaning it has no copyright. Luckily, Spotify has tons of royalty-free playlists for streamers to use on their streams without having to worry about DMCA claims.
How To Play Background Music On Twitch
The easiest way to play background music on Twitch is by running your music player (Spotify, Soundcloud, etc.) while you stream. Another option for getting music on your Twitch stream is downloading your desired music and then adding it as a media file on your streaming software.
If you choose to download your music and play it that way, check out my page here if you use OBS, and here if you use Streamlabs as I go over how to add music to these two softwares.
Does Twitch Have Free Music?
Twitch does have free music through soundtrack.twitch.tv, but the music provided is very limited and does not allow you to choose the exact song that you want, only the genre. It is basically just a radio that you can play in the background of your stream.
Can You Play Copyrighted Music On Twitch?
You are not allowed to play copyrighted music on Twitch without permission from the copyright holder. If you do play copyrighted music on Twitch, you run the risk of receiving a DMCA claim from the copyright holder and a strike from Twitch. After three Twitch strikes, your account is banned permanently.
What Is Considered Copyrighted Music On Twitch?
Copyrighted music would be considered any music that an individual, or group of individuals has the rights to use and distribute as they see fit. Almost every popular song has a copyright attached to it in order to protect the artist’s creative work from being stolen.
How To Get Permission To Play Copyrighted Music On Twitch
To get permission to play copyrighted music on Twitch it is best to reach out to the copyright holder and ask for permission to use their music. If they are a bigger artist then your best option would be to use a company like Lickd who sells licenses to copyrighted music for creators to use.
You can learn more about Lickd, as well as playing copyrighted music on Twitch, on my page here.
How Much Of A Copyrighted Song You Can Play Without DMCA?
There is no set amount of time you are allowed to play a copyrighted song and avoid DMCA. There is a myth that if you play a copyrighted song for under 9 seconds you will avoid DMCA, but this is not true. Ultimately, the person who owns the copyright decides whether or not they will file a DMCA claim.