PostEaseThe short answer
The Audio Library is YouTube’s collection of royalty-free production music and sound effects, inside YouTube Studio. YouTube’s Help Center says its tracks “are copyright-safe” and that, downloaded from the Audio Library, they “won’t be claimed by a rights holder through the Content ID system.”
Channels in the YouTube Partner Program can monetize videos that use them. Some tracks carry a Creative Commons license, and those require crediting the artist in the video’s description; others carry a standard Audio Library license with no attribution needed. New music is added twice a month.
Finding and using a track
Open YouTube Studio and choose Audio library from the left menu, or go to youtube.com/audiolibrary. The Music tab searches by title, artist or keyword and filters by genre, mood, artist, attribution and duration; the Sound effects tab filters by category and duration. Click Play to sample and Download to get an MP3, and star tracks to keep them in a Starred tab.
| License | What you must do | How to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Creative Commons | Credit the artist in the video description; Studio gives you attribution text to copy | Filter: Attribution required |
| Standard Audio Library license | No attribution required | Filter: Attribution not required |
Audio Library, Creator Music or other music
YouTube offers creators three different situations with music. From its Help Center:
| Option | Who can use it | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Audio Library | Any creator, from YouTube Studio | Copyright-safe; not claimed through Content ID; monetizable in the Partner Program |
| Creator Music | US creators in the YouTube Partner Program, or notified as eligible | Licensed or revenue-sharing tracks with rules: no remixing, no new lyrics, no lyric videos, and not in videos mainly promoting a paid sponsor |
| Other copyrighted music | Anyone, at their own risk | The rights holder’s Content ID policy applies: monetize, block worldwide, or block in some countries |
What YouTube does not cover
YouTube draws a firm line around its guarantee. It says only music and sound effects from the Audio Library are known to YouTube to be copyright-safe, and that it is not responsible for problems with “royalty-free” music from other YouTube channels or music libraries. It also does not give legal advice about using music off YouTube. When a video uses Audio Library music, a Music in this Video section appears on its watch page, but a Creative Commons track still needs its credit in the description.
Using it well
A few habits avoid the common problems:
- Filter for Attribution not required if you do not want to manage credits.
- Copy the attribution text for Creative Commons tracks into the description before publishing.
- Download from the Audio Library itself, since YouTube’s guarantee covers its downloads.
- For any other music, get permission or a license first; YouTube says it cannot grant those rights.
Questions
Is YouTube Audio Library music free to use?
Yes. YouTube describes it as royalty-free production music and sound effects that are copyright-safe, and says tracks downloaded from it won’t be claimed through Content ID.
Can I monetize videos with Audio Library music?
Yes. Channels in the YouTube Partner Program can monetize videos that use music and sound effects from the Audio Library.
Do I need to credit Audio Library music?
Only for tracks with a Creative Commons license, which require crediting the artist in the video description. Tracks with the standard Audio Library license do not.
Can I use Audio Library music outside YouTube?
YouTube’s help page does not cover use off YouTube, and says it cannot give legal guidance on music issues that occur off the platform.
Sources
- YouTube, Use music and sound effects from the Audio Library, checked October 2026.
- YouTube, Restrictions on claimed music, checked October 2026.
- YouTube, Creator Music eligibility and restrictions, checked October 2026.