Copyright-Free Music for Twitch and YouTube: The Best Free Stream-Safe Sources (2026)

Music makes a stream feel finished, but it’s also one of the fastest ways to end up with a copyright claim. Lately I’ve been watching a lot of VTubers get hit with claims and muted VODs over tracks that were supposed to be free, so I went looking for sources that are actually safe to use.

The short version: pick tracks with clear license terms, ideally from real artists rather than AI-generated libraries, and keep proof of your license. No source is bulletproof, and false claims happen even with free music. One note on the term: most of these tracks are still copyrighted. They’re just licensed for creators to use, so “copyright-free” really means “free to use under specific terms.”

Each entry below says what the license covers and what to watch for. Check the license on each individual track, especially if you monetize or save your VODs.

Best Free Music Sources for Streamers

StreamBeats by Harris Heller

More than 1,500 tracks made specifically for streamers, including lo-fi, ambient, EDM, synthwave and more. It’s free, no credit is required, and the license allows monetization. The team works to keep it safe with Twitch’s and YouTube’s detection systems, but it isn’t infallible: if you get a false claim or a muted VOD, there’s an official form to report it. Available on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube Music, with free downloads on Bandcamp (just enter $0). Games, movies and TV need a separate commercial license. One of the safest options out there.

YouTube Audio Library

YouTube’s official library. It’s free and filterable by genre, mood, duration and attribution requirement. Some tracks require attribution. It’s designed for YouTube, so if you use a track on Twitch, check that track’s license first.

OpenTracks

A Japanese library. It offers more than 19,000 free background music (BGM) tracks in a wide range of styles. The license allows personal and commercial use without credit, and it lists Twitch and live streams as valid uses of background music. One catch: it doesn’t cover content where the music itself is the main attraction (for example, “study music” channels or 24/7 music radios), and some composers add their own conditions, so read each track’s page. Direct downloads are available, plus an official YouTube channel.

Incompetech (Kevin MacLeod)

A classic royalty-free library with a huge catalog of instrumental tracks. It’s free under Creative Commons BY 4.0, which means attribution is required in the format the site specifies (see the Incompetech licensing FAQ). A paid license is available if you want to skip the credit.

NoCopyrightSounds (NCS)

Strong in electronic music and gaming. Free for independent creators on YouTube and Twitch, but credit is always required (artist and song). For streams, a single line in your stream panel/description is enough: “Music provided by” followed by the NCS link.

Bass Rebels

An independent UK label whose music is offered as copyright-free for creators on YouTube, Twitch, Instagram and Facebook. Check their terms before using it. Add a link to their website in your stream description, or use their credit line: “Music Provided By Bass Rebels” plus the link. Check their music license page for the full terms.

More Artists and Platforms

Pepper Mind (n.): Free BGM on VGen, YouTube and Spotify. Credit the artist according to their terms.
GameChops: Gaming-oriented music. Confirm their stream policy before using it.
Pixabay Music: A large royalty-free library. The Pixabay license allows commercial use without attribution. Content ID claims can still happen, so keep your license certificate on hand to dispute them.
Mixkit Music: Free tracks with no attribution required for online video, podcasts and online ads. Not allowed in CDs, DVDs, video games or TV and radio broadcasts.
Bensound: A free selection that requires attribution. The site generates a credit text with a license code for each download (a new one for every video), which you paste into your description. Automatic claim protection is only available on paid plans, and the free tier doesn’t cover paid advertising, client work or sponsored content.

Practical Tips to Avoid Claims and Muted VODs

Split your audio tracks in OBS. Put your music on its own track and turn it off for the Twitch VOD (OBS has a dedicated “Twitch VOD Track”). It plays live but doesn’t appear in the recording. This lowers your VOD risk, but it doesn’t replace a license: music you have no permission to use is still a problem even if it never lands in the VOD. It only works for Twitch (not for YouTube streams).
Keep music services out of your capture. If you listen to Spotify or a similar service, set up OBS so it doesn’t capture that audio. Paying for the service doesn’t give you permission to broadcast that music or include it in VODs.
Save proof of your license. Take screenshots of license or download pages (with the date, track link and attribution text) in case you need to dispute a claim.
Test before you commit. Always try a track in a test video before using it in a long stream.

Paid Options

Epidemic Sound and Pretzel Rocks are two popular paid options. Epidemic is a paid library that offers licenses for Twitch, YouTube, and Instagram. Pretzel is geared specifically toward streamers and has a “YouTube Safe” filter for when you upload highlights. Both are worth checking out if you post content frequently.

Where to Start

If you just want something that works today, start with StreamBeats or OpenTracks. Both are made for background music in streams and videos. If you need a bigger catalog or a specific genre, add Pixabay or the YouTube Audio Library, and check each track’s license before it goes into your playlist.

Whatever you pick, the routine is the same: save a screenshot of the license page (with the date, track link and credit text), keep your music on its own audio track in OBS, and upload a test video as unlisted before a long stream.

You’ll also find background music from independent artists in the free resources section of this site.