One of the biggest obstacles for independent filmmakers who want great music in their films is the issue of royalties. If you are lucky enough to know someone who can knock up a good score for you, no problem, but for most a large amount of music is out of reach because you need to keep paying the composer and/or artists every time your film is shown.
There are a few organisations that have realised that there is a niche market for reasonably-priced, royalty-free music. A few places to start include:
Luke Hits - offers a range of tracks from new and independent musicians for use in film and television programs. Fees are involved but no royalties.
Opuzz Royalty Free Buyout Production Music Library - Downloadable royalty-free background music tracks and loops for TV, Radio, Film, Video, Animation, Multimedia, Flash, Games and Web productions.
A service set up by Pivotal Inc,
ScoringMusic.com is a very comprehensive collection of royalty-free music. The service has been designed from the point of view of people who need specific types of music for specific types of projects. Tracks are categorised according to mood and tone, as well as by more standard means such as artist, genre etc.
You might also want to check out the service provided by
VersusMedia. They work with independent filmmakers on a commission-free basis to help find music for films, television programs, DVDs etc.
