Having a large library like ours is great, but getting the most out of it comes down to using the search tools effectively. They help you narrow down the catalogue so you can quickly find exactly what you need. While the search features on RouteNote Licensing are designed to be user-friendly, this guide will help point you in the right direction to find the perfect backing track.

Come up with a search brief

Before you even type a single word into the search bar, take a moment to think about the kind of music your video actually needs. The right track should support your visuals, not compete with them. Start by considering the overall style or genre that fits best. Are you aiming for something cinematic, contemporary, upbeat, relaxed, or dramatic?

Think about the message you’re trying to communicate. Is your content light and humorous, or more serious and reflective? Music plays a big role in shaping how your audience feels, so matching the tone is essential. You should also factor in how much dialogue your video contains. If speech is front and centre, you’ll want something subtle and unobtrusive; if your visuals do most of the talking, you can afford to be more expressive and bold with your music choice. Vocal tracks can be particularly effective in these instances.

It’s also worth keeping your audience in mind. Different viewers respond to different styles, and choosing something that aligns with their expectations is important for engagement and retention. A misguided music choice can be distracting or worse still, make viewers want to click away. After all, a bass bin bothering jungle track probably isn’t the best fit for a calm tutorial on flower arranging.

Taking the time to imagine how music and visuals will work together before you start searching will make the whole process quicker and lead to a much more successful final fit.

Collections

Collections are a great place to start, especially if you’re not yet sure what kind of music will complement your content. Each collection on RouteNote Licensing is carefully curated, featuring music tracks and sound effects centred around a specific theme. From the bustling sounds of New York to medieval melodies, from eerie, suspenseful effects to high-energy gym tracks, there’s a collection for virtually every type of content.

Browse our collections to find a theme that aligns with your project and see what inspiration you can uncover. And don’t worry if nothing immediately catches your ear. Next, we’ll dive into our advanced search tools, where you can get more precise and find exactly what you need.

Harness the search filter

Once you have a clear idea of the type of music you’re looking for, it’s time to start searching. Begin by selecting Music from the top toolbar. While the main search bar can help you find specific sounds or keywords, for a more precise search, we recommend using the filters located on the left-hand side of the screen. RouteNote Licensing offers filters for:

  • Mood
  • Genre
  • Vocals
  • Instrument
  • Sub Genre
  • BPM
  • Track Length

Clicking on any of these categories opens a list of options. Browse through the list and select the option that best fits your project. Once selected, the track list will automatically update to reflect your choice, and the selected tag will appear at the top of the track list.

You can refine your search further by selecting multiple tags. Each additional tag will also appear at the top, giving you a clear view of your applied filters. If you want to remove a tag, simply click the “×” next to it. For even stricter results, you can check the box labelled “Must contain all tags”, which will display only tracks that match every selected tag. Keep in mind that using multiple tags in this way may sometimes result in no tracks being found.

Reviewing and auditioning tracks

By now, your searching has hopefully yielded some promising tracks. Instead of trying to find the “perfect” track right away, we recommend downloading any tracks that feel like they have potential. It’s often hard to know if a piece truly works until you hear it in your editing software, synced with your visuals.

The good news is that RouteNote Licensing doesn’t limit the number of tracks you can download, so feel free to grab as many as you need. To stay organised, create a dedicated music folder for your current project and save your downloads there.

Here’s a pro tip: keep an additional folder, or create a custom collection, ready for tracks that you really like but don’t quite fit your current project. You could label it something like “Good Tracks for Future Projects” and add any standout tracks there. This way, you’re building a personal library of music that could be perfect for your next video.

And there you have it, everything you need to know to find the perfect music for your project on RouteNote Licensing. By using these techniques, you’ll be able to discover high-quality tracks that are perfectly suited to your content. And with our affordable royalty-free model, you can focus on creativity without worrying about your budget.

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