[ Guide · 6 min read ]
How to make background music for your videos: 3 ways
The short answer: write it yourself in a free DAW (hours, some skill), build it from loops and samples (an hour, less skill), or describe it to an AI composer (seconds, no skill). Whichever you choose, start from a brief: mood, tempo, length, and where the energy changes.
- Write a 4-line brief first: it makes every method faster
- DAW, loops or AI: time, cost and skill compared
- How to describe a vibe so the result fits your video
- Try the AI way on this page, free
[ Before you start ]
Write the brief: 4 lines
- Mood: what should the viewer feel? (calm, hyped, curious, moved)
- Tempo: slow (70–90 BPM) for talking and calm, fast (110–128 BPM) for quick cuts.
- Length: the exact length of your edit, to the second.
- Energy: where it should build and where it should drop (the reveal at 0:22, the last shot).
Example: "Hopeful, mid-tempo, 0:45, quiet under the intro, opens up when the drone shot starts at 0:20."
[ Way 1 ]
Write it in a free DAW
Tools: GarageBand (free on Mac, iPhone and iPad), BandLab (free, in the browser), or a paid DAW like FL Studio, Logic or Ableton.
- Set the tempo and key, then make a 4-chord loop with a piano or pad.
- Add drums (most DAWs have a drummer or pattern tool) and a simple bass that follows the root notes.
- Write a short melody, or skip it if the music goes under a voice.
- Arrange: intro, main part, a lift where your video peaks, an ending. Mix, export WAV.
Time: a few hours for a first track. Cost: free to start. Best for: people who want to learn music, or need something very specific.
[ Way 2 ]
Build it from loops and samples
Sample libraries like Splice sell short loops (drums, chords, melodies) made by producers. Drop a few that share the same key and tempo into a DAW, arrange them, and you have a track.
Time: about an hour once you know your DAW. Cost: a sample subscription or free packs. Watch out: popular loops show up in many songs and videos, and each pack has its own license.
[ Way 3 ]
Describe it to an AI composer
AI composers turn your brief into a finished track. With Melodify:
- Pick a mood: lo-fi, upbeat, cinematic or ambient.
- Pick the length of your edit.
- Describe the video in a few words. Concrete beats abstract: "rainy cafe, cozy, slow" works better than "nice music".
- Watch it compose: tempo and key, chord progression, drums and bass, melody, mix. About 10 seconds.
Time: seconds. Cost: free to try; a plan to download and publish. Trade-off: four moods today and no vocals; you can't edit individual notes. For more control, see how Melodify compares to Soundraw.
[ Compared ]
Which way fits you
| DAW | Loops & samples | AI composer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time per track | Hours | About an hour | Seconds |
| Skill | Music basics | Some DAW use | None |
| Unique? | Yes | Partly (shared loops) | Yes, composed per request |
| Control | Total | High | Mood, length, description |
| Fits the exact length | If you arrange it | If you arrange it | Yes, to the second (Melodify) |
Then put it in your video: how to add background music to a video.
[ Real examples ]
Press play: made by Melodify
Each of these was composed by Melodify from the one line under its title. That's the whole brief: compare the words with what you hear.
From a 1-line brief
Mountain Dawn
Cinematic · 88 BPM · F major · 1:00
From a 1-line brief
Rainy Study
Ambient · 72 BPM · D# major · 0:30
From a 1-line brief
Silent Echo
Cinematic · 88 BPM · A# minor · 0:30
From a 1-line brief
Warm Coffee
Lo-fi · 80 BPM · B major · 0:15
Examples generated 2026-11-09 with Melodify's composer. Your track will be a new one, made for you.
[ Questions ]
Short answers
What's the easiest way to make background music for a video?
An AI composer: you describe the mood and the length, and it writes and mixes the track. With Melodify that takes about 10 seconds and no music skills.
Can I make background music for free?
Yes. GarageBand (Apple devices) and BandLab (in the browser) are free DAWs with free loops. Expect a few hours for your first track. Melodify lets you make and hear tracks free, but publishing needs a paid plan.
Do I own music I make from samples or loops?
You own your arrangement, but the samples stay under their own license. Most sample packs allow use in your music and videos but forbid reselling the raw samples. Read the pack's license.
What tempo should background music be?
Match the energy of the edit: around 70 to 90 BPM for calm, talking or lo-fi videos; 110 to 128 BPM for upbeat vlogs and fast cuts. Cut on the beat and the edit feels tighter.