Buying Meditation Music for Commercial Use: A 10-Point Licence Checklist

Before you buy meditation music for commercial use, check ten things in the licence. Who it covers. Where you can use it. Whether the music is registered with a PRO or Content ID. What you can't do. And whether the licence lasts for good. If the wording answers all ten clearly, you're safe to buy.

"Royalty-free" only tells you how you pay. It says nothing about what you're allowed to do with the music. That's all in the licence wording, and it varies a lot from one seller to the next.

This is the checklist we'd use ourselves. Keep it open while you shop and work through it before every purchase. For an overview of what royalty-free means and how our own licence works, see our page on royalty-free meditation music.

Before you start: list your own uses

Write down every way you might use the music over the next few years. You can only judge a licence against what you actually plan to do.

Most practitioners end up with some mix of these:

• Live classes, 1:1 sessions, workshops or retreats
• Online sessions on Zoom or similar
• Recorded guided meditations, free or paid
• YouTube, podcasts or social video
• Insight Timer or another meditation app
• A course or membership
• Personal recordings for clients
• Your own app, now or later

Think ahead. Music bought for live classes often ends up in a course a couple of years later. It's far easier if the licence covers that from day one.

If you're using a streaming app in classes right now, read can I use Spotify in my yoga or meditation class? first. It explains why that needs sorting.

The 10-point checklist

1. Does it allow commercial use?

Look for clear words that allow paid work. A "personal" or "non-commercial" licence won't cover a paid class or a product you sell.

Some sellers offer a cheap personal licence and a dearer commercial one. Make sure you're buying the right one.

2. Who does it cover?

Check whether the licence covers only you or your whole business. This matters if you have staff, associates or more than one location.

A licence for one named person may not cover the colleague who leads your Thursday class. Ours covers everyone who works in your business, at any of your locations.

3. Does it cover live sessions?

The licence should name live use: classes, sessions, workshops and retreats. Check that online sessions are included too.

Some stock music licences are written for video makers. They cover putting music in a film, but say nothing about playing it to a room. If live use isn't mentioned, ask.

4. Does it cover recordings you sell?

If you record your voice over the music, the licence must let you publish and sell the result. Look for words like "recordings", "products" or "sell".

Check for limits as well. Some licences cap sales, downloads or views, then ask you to upgrade.

5. Does it name your platforms?

Look for each platform you plan to use. YouTube, course platforms and meditation apps are often treated separately.

Apps need extra care. Publishing a meditation on someone else's app is one thing. Building your own app is another, and it may need wider rights. We cover that in licensing music for a meditation app. For Insight Timer, see our Insight Timer licensing breakdown.

6. Is the music registered with a PRO?

Ask whether the track is registered with a performing rights organisation, such as PRS, ASCAP or BMI. If it is, playing it in paid sessions may still need a separate licence.

This is the gap most buyers miss. "Royalty-free" can describe what you pay the seller, while a PRO still collects money when the music is played in public. Melobleep music has never been registered with a PRO, so there's no second licence sitting behind it.

7. Is it registered with Content ID?

Ask whether the track is registered with YouTube's Content ID system. If it is, your videos may get claims even when you hold a valid licence.

Claims can usually be cleared, but it's a chore every time. Our guide to YouTube without copyright headaches explains how claims work.

8. What can't you do?

Every licence has limits. Read them as closely as the permissions.

Common limits include sharing or reselling the files, releasing the music on its own and playing it as all-day background music in a venue. Many newer licences also ban using the music to train AI. None of this is unusual. You just need to know where the lines are.

9. Does it last for good?

Look for the word "perpetual". It means the licence doesn't expire.

Subscription libraries often work differently. When you stop paying, you may lose the right to use the music in new work, and sometimes in old work too. Check what happens to recordings you've already published.

10. Do you get proof?

You should get something in writing that shows you bought a licence. A certificate or licence document with your name on it is best.

Keep it with your order email. If a platform, venue or client ever asks, you can show it in seconds.

Red flags to watch for

Walk away, or ask more questions, if you spot any of these:

• No written licence. "Free to use" with no terms gives you nothing to point to later.
• Vague wording. Phrases like "suitable for most uses" don't tell you what's covered.
• Tracks uploaded by someone else. Free sites sometimes host music the uploader doesn't own.
• A credit you can't give. If you must credit the artist, check how and where. That's awkward in a live class.
• No way to reach the seller. If something goes wrong, you'll want a real person who can help.

Our post on music licensing for wellness practitioners explains the jargon behind these checks in more depth.

How the Melobleep licence answers the checklist

Here's how our own licence measures up, so you have something to compare against.

1. Commercial use: yes. Paid sessions, courses and recordings you sell are all covered.
2. Who: you and everyone who works in your business, at any of your locations.
3. Live use: sessions, classes, treatments and workshops, in person or online.
4. Recordings: yes, with your voice on top, and you keep what you earn.
5. Platforms: YouTube and social video, meditation apps such as Insight Timer, and course platforms.
6. PRO: never registered.
7. Content ID: not registered. If a claim ever appears, email us and we'll help clear it.
8. Limits: no sharing or reselling the files, no music-only releases, no all-day venue background and no AI training.
9. Term: perpetual.
10. Proof: a licence certificate made out to you with every order.

You can read the full wording on the licence page. When you're ready, the sound beds are the simplest place to start, or you can browse every toolkit in the store.

FAQs

What does royalty-free mean for meditation music?

It means you pay once and owe nothing more each time you use the music. It doesn't tell you which uses are allowed. That's set out in the licence, so always read it.

Is royalty-free music free?

Usually not. You normally pay a one-off fee. Music offered for free is a different thing, and it often comes with tighter limits or no written licence at all.

Do I need a PRO licence as well?

Only if the music is registered with a PRO and you play it in public or in paid sessions. Ask the seller before you buy. Melobleep music has never been registered, so there's no PRO licence to arrange for it.

Can I use royalty-free meditation music on YouTube?

Usually, yes, if the licence names YouTube or online video. Also check whether the track is registered with Content ID, as that can cause claims on your videos.

What proof of licence should I keep?

Keep the licence certificate or document and your order email together. Between them, they show what you bought, when and on what terms.