Think about the very best online videos out there. For the most part, they will have something in common. Outside of great content, they have a really solid soundtrack.
When creating videos, particularly for marketing, they should be as compelling as possible. Even when just adding a lead in and a closer, using music can help convey a message or a mood beyond any dialog. But finding the right music, that’s free and legal, can be tough. No one wants to spend time and money recording a new video just to have it removed, or worse, for copyright violations.
So, how can a property management company create high quality videos without risking copyright infringement as well? Well, they could just leave the music out…yikes. For live videos, that can definitely be an option; however, for pre-recorded videos, adding in music is (or should be) a rather high priority.
That’s where royalty free music comes into play. With royalty free music, video creators can have a solid soundtrack without the risk. However, there seems to be some misconceptions on what exactly royalty free music is and why it matters. Here are a few answers to help you navigate just that – and a little extra about a great source for your royalty free music needs.
What is royalty free music?
First things first. What IS royalty free music? What does it mean and how can it be used? Royalty free is the term given to music that someone can purchase a license to once, then use the music track for as long as they wish.
For example, if a leasing agent purchases a royalty free music license for a track to use for one of the community videos, they only pay one single price one time. It doesn’t matter how many views the video gets or if the community uses the video to attract buyers and renters for years to come or uses it across other videos as well. Pay once but use forever. Sounds great, right? Well…slow down just a second.
One of the most important things to note is that royalty free doesn’t mean COST free. It just means the license holder doesn’t have to continue to pay royalties beyond the first use. Royalty free music can cost $60 or it can cost $600. It’s not a pricing structure as much as it is a licensing model of not charging royalties each time a song is used. And, unless it is the rare case where the musical artist or composer is a friend willing to let the music be used for free, it will likely cost something. However, even with the cost attached, the royalty free model of licensing is inexpensive and affordable for most.
Why does it matter and why should I care?
Sure, it can can be tempting to simply use the latest Jay-Z track in a new video without considering licensing or royalty. Just download the song and add it. Done and done. No one really checks that stuff, right?
Well, that’s a big gamble. First of all, it technically is stealing. Secondly, if the video is seen by the wrong person, or by your property’s legal team, it can become a much bigger headache down the road than just paying for and using royalty free music. Copyright infringement is a costly game – and definitely one to avoid. Not to mention, social media sites like Facebook and Youtube are constantly reviewing videos for copyright infringement of all kinds and have gotten very good at catching violators.
Now for some good news…
Finding a high quality library of royalty free music is pretty simple, particularly if your multifamily team is already using Realync to connect with your prospective residents. Not only is Realync the only Fair Housing compliant video leasing platform, but it can also help you with your copyright compliance as well.
To create fully compliant videos on Realync, you simply need to capture the desired clips of your space and select the desired royalty free tune of your choice from Realync’s royalty free music library. From there Realync will stitch it all together, add some polish, and save it to the cloud for your sharing and use. As if the ease of creating videos wasn’t enough, Realync has an ever-changing library of royalty free music for your choosing. The selection includes everything from laid back and chill vibes to upbeat and high energy. Take a look at a quick sample of our song selection. And, to help with ushering in some holiday spirit, we’ve even recently added Christmas & New Years tracks.
Keeping track of and hunting down royalty free music just isn’t something most real estate professionals have time for. However, it’s something that needs to be considered and given extreme focus. Luckily Realync provides a one stop shop for live video sharing, pre-recorded videos and a way to add great music.
If you have any questions or want to learn more about creating videos on Realync, please do let us know.
Until next time…keep it real!
