Stock Music is a less expensive alternative to the use of popular or well known music in a production, since it is not necessary to obtain specific permission or pay additional clearance fees for the use of a song that has instant recognition. Such a use can imply an identification of brand or endorsement with the song, and obtaining permission for this can be costly.

Stock Music has been written especially for use in audio and audio visual productions, like radio and television broadcasts, commercials and jingles, motion picture and video scores and soundtracks, corporate & training presentations, Web sites, computer games, software applications and multimedia.

It is generally placed in the background, behind the dialog or voiceover, where it can set the mood, provide a suitable backdrop for a message, promote the product, activity or event being featured, identify the location of the scene or highlight the plot’s action.

Stock Music is usually made available in digital CD Red Book Audio format in order to facilitate easy cueing, dubbing and synchronization into the production.

It is sometimes produced as a subscription-based library product with updates added to the collection on a regular basis, and each CD is generally based around a subjective theme or type of music - romantic, sports, emergency, Latin music, etc.

Stock Music is offered in a wide variety of both period and modern genres, styles, moods and tempos - everything from classical orchestrations to animated cartoon compositions.

A Stock Music CD typically contains 8 to 15 compositions, and each composition is offered in several different versions or lengths: a full length version, an underscore or rhythm track version (for more subtle use under voiceovers), and a number of different broadcast lengths (60 seconds, 30 seconds and 5 to 15 second stingers). The broadcast versions are produced to eliminate the need for the user to create his own edits for specific kinds of production applications (like commercial spots).

Stock Music can also be licensed by the publisher for synchronization use in a production, but the license terms and costs are varied - they can depend on the type of use (broadcast, non-broadcast, commercial, film, theater, educational, etc.), audience size, number of compositions used, total time used, and type of market exposed to the music.

If the Stock Music is used in a broadcast or public performance production, its composers and publishers are also entitled to receive performing royalties from performing rights societies like ASCAP, BMI, SOCAN, PRS and APRA.

Sound Ideas Stock Music products can be reviewed at our Royalty Free Music Menu page.