Can I Use Meditation Music on Insight Timer? A Licensing Breakdown
Insight Timer has become one of the most popular platforms for meditation teachers to reach students worldwide.
With over 30 million users and a library of hundreds of thousands of guided meditations, it offers unprecedented visibility for practitioners—but it also comes with technical requirements, community guidelines, and crucially, copyright policies that many teachers don't fully understand until they've already published content and received a rejection or takedown notice.
The single most common mistake new Insight Timer teachers make is uploading guided meditations with background music they don't have proper rights to use. The music might be perfectly legal for personal use, for live classes, or even for their own website—but Insight Timer has specific requirements about what music can be included in published content, and those requirements don't always align with what teachers assume is "allowed."
This gets confusing because Insight Timer isn't just a hosting platform—it's also a distribution platform with its own licensing obligations to music rights organisations, and it's legally liable if copyrighted music is uploaded without permission. That means their content review process is stricter than many teachers expect, and tracks that seem "fine" in other contexts may be flagged, rejected or removed.
This guide breaks down exactly what music you can and can't use on Insight Timer, how their copyright policies actually work, what happens if you get flagged, and how to build a compliant meditation library that won't cause headaches down the road.
What Insight Timer's Content Policy Actually Says About Music
Insight Timer's content guidelines state that all music used in guided meditations must either be original music created by you, music you have explicit commercial-use licensing for, or music that's in the public domain. "Royalty-free" alone doesn't meet their standard—you need to be able to demonstrate that the specific licence you hold covers distribution on third-party platforms like Insight Timer.
This is more restrictive than many teachers realise. Here's what it means in practice:
You cannot use music from Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube or other streaming platforms. These services are licensed for personal listening, not for extracting content and redistributing it in your own guided meditations. Even if you have a paid subscription, you don't have the right to use that music in content you're publishing on Insight Timer.
You cannot use most "free" music from YouTube or royalty-free sites unless the licence explicitly states it covers commercial distribution on third-party platforms. Many free music sites offer personal-use licences or restrict how and where the music can be used. If the licence says "YouTube only," "website embedding only," or "personal projects only," it doesn't cover Insight Timer.
You cannot assume that "no copyright" claims on YouTube mean you're legally covered. Many channels labelled "no copyright music" or "royalty-free meditation music" are either mislabelling their content or offering licences that don't actually cover your use case. Unless you can download a written licence agreement that explicitly permits commercial distribution, you're not legally protected.
You CAN use music you've properly licensed from stock libraries or meditation music providers, as long as the licence specifically covers third-party platform distribution and commercial use. This means having documentation—a licence certificate, purchase receipt, and clear terms—that you can present if Insight Timer's review team asks for proof.
You CAN use music you've composed and recorded yourself, since you own the copyright. However, if you've hired a composer or producer to create music for you, make sure you have a written work-for-hire agreement that transfers copyright ownership to you, or that you have explicit permission to use their work on Insight Timer.
You CAN use public domain music—works where the copyright has expired or that were never copyrighted. However, be careful here: a performance or recording of a public domain composition may still be copyrighted even if the underlying composition isn't. Classical music is a common trap—the Bach piece might be 300 years old, but the specific recording you're using might be copyrighted by the orchestra, label or recording engineer.
Why Insight Timer's Music Policy Is Stricter Than YouTube or Your Own Website
Many teachers are confused by the fact that music they've successfully used on YouTube, their personal website, or in live classes gets flagged or rejected when they upload it to Insight Timer. The reason comes down to platform liability and business model differences.
YouTube has Content ID. When you upload a video with copyrighted music to YouTube, the platform's automated Content ID system detects it and can apply various actions—tracking views, placing ads and claiming revenue for the rights holder, muting audio, or blocking the video. But in many cases, YouTube allows the video to stay up with restrictions. The rights holder gets compensated through ad revenue or licensing agreements YouTube has in place.
Insight Timer doesn't have the same licensing infrastructure. They're not a music platform—they're a meditation platform. They don't have blanket licences with music publishers the way YouTube or Spotify do, which means every piece of music in every meditation needs to be properly cleared by the individual teacher uploading it. If copyrighted music gets through their review process and the rights holder discovers it, Insight Timer is potentially liable for copyright infringement.
Insight Timer's business model relies on trust. The platform is free for users, with revenue coming from premium subscriptions and teacher courses. Their reputation depends on being a legitimate, legally compliant platform. Copyright violations threaten that reputation and open them up to legal action, so they're conservative about what music they approve.
Your own website is your own liability. If you publish a guided meditation with unlicensed music on your website, you're the only one who can be held legally responsible. Insight Timer, by contrast, is distributing your content to millions of users, which amplifies both the exposure and the risk.
This doesn't mean Insight Timer is being overly cautious—they're just operating under the same legal requirements any distribution platform faces.
What Happens If You Upload Music You Don't Have Rights To
If you upload a guided meditation with unlicensed music, one of several things will happen during Insight Timer's review process:
Your meditation is rejected before it goes live. Insight Timer reviews all new teacher content before publication. If the review team recognises copyrighted music or if your submission lacks proper licensing documentation, they'll reject the upload and ask you to either remove the music, replace it with licensed music, or provide proof of your rights.
Your meditation is published but later flagged. Sometimes music slips through the initial review, especially if it's lesser-known or the reviewer doesn't recognise it. But if the copyright holder (or a listener) reports it later, Insight Timer will investigate and may remove the meditation from the platform.
You're asked to provide licensing documentation. If there's any question about your right to use the music, Insight Timer may reach out and ask you to provide a licence certificate, purchase receipt, or written permission from the copyright holder. If you can't provide it, the meditation will be taken down.
Repeated violations can result in account restrictions. If you repeatedly upload content with unlicensed music despite warnings, Insight Timer may restrict your ability to publish new content or, in serious cases, remove your teacher account entirely.
You could face legal action from the copyright holder (though this is rare for individual teachers). If a music rights holder discovers their work being used without permission, they can issue DMCA takedown notices, demand financial compensation, or in extreme cases pursue legal action for copyright infringement.
The simplest way to avoid all of this: only use music you have proper commercial licensing for, and keep your documentation easily accessible.
The "But Other Teachers Are Using It" Trap
One of the most common justifications teachers use when their content is flagged is: "But I've heard this same music in dozens of other meditations on Insight Timer—if they can use it, why can't I?"
There are a few reasons why this logic doesn't work:
Those teachers may have proper licensing. Just because someone else is using a particular track doesn't mean they're doing so illegally. They may have purchased a commercial licence, they may have composed the music themselves, or they may have personal permission from the composer.
They may have slipped through the review process. Insight Timer reviews thousands of meditations, and not all copyrighted music gets caught immediately. The fact that something is currently published doesn't mean it's compliant—it just means it hasn't been flagged yet.
The consequences will eventually catch up. Even if unlicensed content is live on the platform now, it can be removed at any time once it's reported or detected. Building your teaching presence on content that could disappear without warning is a risky strategy.
You're responsible for your own compliance. "Everyone else is doing it" isn't a legal defence for copyright infringement. Your responsibility is to ensure your content is properly licensed, regardless of what other teachers may or may not be doing.
What "Royalty-Free" Actually Means (And Why It's Not Enough)
This is one of the biggest sources of confusion. Many teachers assume that if music is labelled "royalty-free," they're automatically allowed to use it on Insight Timer. Unfortunately, that's not how licensing works.
"Royalty-free" refers to the payment structure, not the scope of permissions. It means you pay once for the music and don't owe ongoing royalties per use. But it doesn't tell you what you're allowed to do with the music—that's determined by the specific licence terms.
A royalty-free track might allow:
Personal use only (not allowed on Insight Timer)
Use on your own website only (not allowed on Insight Timer)
YouTube use only (not allowed on Insight Timer)
Commercial use but not redistribution (grey area—check the terms)
Commercial use including third-party platform distribution (this is what you need)
You need to read the actual licence terms, not just the "royalty-free" label. Look for phrases like:
"Commercial use permitted"
"Distribution on third-party platforms allowed"
"Suitable for guided meditations, online courses, and meditation apps"
"No platform restrictions"
If the licence doesn't explicitly mention third-party platforms, app distribution, or meditation content, contact the licensor and ask directly whether Insight Timer is covered. Get the answer in writing.
At Melobleep, every track comes with a Commercial Use Licence that explicitly covers Insight Timer, meditation apps, podcasts, YouTube, membership sites and most common distribution platforms. The licence certificate spells this out clearly, so there's no ambiguity about what you're allowed to do.
How to Prove You Have the Right to Use Music on Insight Timer
If Insight Timer's review team questions your music use, you'll need to provide documentation. Here's what they typically ask for:
A licence certificate or terms document showing that you're permitted to use the music in guided meditations on third-party platforms. This should be a PDF or written agreement from the music provider, not just a screenshot of a website.
A purchase receipt or invoice proving that you actually paid for and obtained the licence (not just downloaded the music from a random site).
Information about the track and composer: title, artist/composer name, and where you obtained it. This allows Insight Timer to verify your claims if needed.
If you composed the music yourself, you may need to provide:
A statement affirming that you're the copyright holder
If applicable, a work-for-hire agreement if someone else recorded or produced the music for you
The key is having all of this documentation before you upload your meditation. Don't wait until you're asked—have it ready to go in a folder labelled "Music Licensing" so you can respond immediately if questions arise.
Can You Use Insight Timer's Own Music Library?
Insight Timer offers a library of music tracks and ambient sounds specifically for teachers to use in their guided meditations. This seems like the perfect solution—music that's definitely allowed on the platform—but there are a few considerations.
Pros:
Fully cleared for use on Insight Timer (obviously)
No cost beyond your teacher membership
Easy to access and integrate
Cons:
Limited selection compared to external music libraries
Heavily overused—students may hear the same tracks in dozens of different meditations, which can feel generic or create less distinctive branding for your content
You're constrained to whatever Insight Timer offers, which may not match your specific teaching style or the energy you want to create
Many teachers use Insight Timer's library when they're first starting out, then transition to properly licensed external music once they're ready to create more distinctive, professional-sounding content.
Building an Insight Timer Meditation Library With Properly Licensed Music
If you're serious about teaching on Insight Timer, investing in a small library of properly licensed music is one of the smartest moves you can make. It removes the constant worry about copyright compliance, allows you to create more consistent sonic branding across your meditations, and positions you as a professional who takes both the platform's rules and intellectual property rights seriously.
Here's how to build that library:
Start with 3–5 core tracks that cover your most common meditation types. If you primarily teach sleep meditations, get a couple of long-form delta-range tracks. If you do body scans and mindfulness, get some neutral ambient pieces. If you work with breathwork or somatic practices, get tracks designed for those modalities.
Use the same tracks across multiple meditations. This creates sonic consistency for your students (they'll start to associate those sounds with your teaching) and maximises the value of your licence investment. You don't need new music for every single meditation.
Keep your licence certificates organised in a cloud folder (Google Drive, Dropbox) with clear file names like "Theta-Calm-License-Certificate.pdf" so you can find them instantly if Insight Timer asks for documentation.
As your teaching grows, expand your library. Once you have a consistent publishing schedule and a growing student base, invest in a broader palette of sounds so your content stays fresh and you can match music more precisely to different meditation styles, lengths and intentions.
Link to your music source in meditation descriptions. This isn't required, but it signals transparency and professionalism. It shows students (and Insight Timer's review team) that you're using legitimate, licensed content.
Alternative: Creating Meditations Without Music
Not every meditation needs music. Some of the most popular meditations on Insight Timer use silence, gentle guided voice only, or very minimal ambient sound.
When music-free works well:
Sleep meditations where you want minimal stimulation
Mindfulness and body scans where you want students to focus purely on internal sensation
Breath-focused practices where external sound might be distracting
Trauma-informed work where you want maximum simplicity and predictability
Benefits of music-free meditations:
Zero licensing concerns
Lower production barrier (just record your voice)
Can feel more intimate and personal
Works better for students who are sound-sensitive or find music distracting
Drawbacks:
Harder to mask environmental sounds in your recording (room tone, background noise)
May feel less "produced" or polished to students who expect music
Less sonic variety if you're building a large meditation library
Many successful Insight Timer teachers offer both—music-backed meditations for students who want atmospheric support, and voice-only options for those who prefer simplicity.
FAQ: Music Licensing for Insight Timer Teachers
Can I use music from Spotify or Apple Music in my Insight Timer meditations?
No. Streaming platforms are licensed for personal listening, not for extracting content and redistributing it in your own recordings. This applies even if you have a paid subscription.
What does "royalty-free" actually mean?
Royalty-free means you pay once and don't owe ongoing royalties per use. It doesn't automatically mean you can use the music on Insight Timer—you need to check the specific licence terms to see if third-party platform distribution is covered.
Can I use "free" music I found on YouTube?
Only if you have a written licence agreement that explicitly permits commercial use on third-party platforms like Insight Timer. Most YouTube "free music" doesn't meet this standard.
What happens if I upload music I don't have rights to?
Your meditation may be rejected during review, taken down after publication, or you may be asked to provide licensing documentation. Repeated violations can result in account restrictions.
Do I need to provide proof of licensing when I upload to Insight Timer?
Not always upfront, but Insight Timer reserves the right to ask for documentation at any time. Have your licence certificate and purchase receipt ready in case they do.
Can I use Insight Timer's built-in music library?
Yes, it's fully cleared for use on the platform. However, the selection is limited and heavily overused, so many teachers prefer to invest in external licensed music for more distinctive content.
Where can I find music that's properly licensed for Insight Timer?
Look for meditation music libraries that explicitly state their licences cover third-party platforms and commercial distribution. At Melobleep, every track includes a Commercial Use Licence that explicitly covers Insight Timer, meditation apps and most distribution platforms.
