License Terms

The background music (hereinafter referred to as the “BGM”) distributed on rightsfreesound.com (the “Site”) is composed and produced by the composer “RightsFreeSound” and distributed by them. Users may use the BGM based on the following license terms (hereinafter referred to as the “License Terms”). By downloading, purchasing a license, subscribing, or otherwise using the BGM, users are deemed to have agreed to these License Terms.

1. Ownership of Rights and Management

All rights arising from the BGM, including copyrights, neighboring rights, and any other rights under intellectual property laws, including the Copyright Act, belong to RightsFreeSound. These License Terms permit users to use the BGM under the conditions set forth herein and do not permit the transfer or assignment of any rights in or to the BGM. The BGM is managed directly by RightsFreeSound and is not entrusted to any copyright management organization such as JASRAC.

2. Free Use

Subject to Sections 3 to 5 below, the BGM may be downloaded and used by anyone, without payment and without any credit or attribution notation, for personal, non-commercial projects (such as home videos, school assignments and hobby projects). Credit notation is never required, but is always appreciated.

Any use that constitutes Commercial Use, as defined in Section 3, requires a Commercial Use License.

3. Commercial Use License

"Commercial Use" means any of the following, whether or not the use generates revenue:

(a) monetizing a production in any way, including platform advertising revenue, sponsorships, paid memberships or sales;

(b) use by or for a company, organization or brand, including videos published on a company- or organization-owned channel, corporate, recruitment, promotional or product videos, sponsored content, and client work;

Commercial Use of the BGM requires a valid Commercial Use License covering the track in question. A Commercial Use License is also always required for use of the BGM in games, applications or software, and podcasts, regardless of whether the use is monetized, because these platforms do not support the automated, per-use revenue collection described in Section 5. A Commercial Use License authorizes the licensed use and allows the licensee to keep the advertising revenue as described in Section 5. A Commercial Use License may be obtained in either of the following ways, as described on the Site’s pricing page:

Single-Track License — a one-time purchase granting a perpetual Commercial Use License for one specified BGM track.
Subscription — a recurring monthly payment granting a set number of license credits each billing cycle, which may be redeemed for Commercial Use Licenses on tracks in the RightsFreeSound catalog, primarily intended for use on YouTube and social media. Tracks licensed using a credit while the subscription is active may continue to be used indefinitely in the productions they were licensed for, even after the subscription ends. Redeeming additional credits, or licensing further tracks, requires an active subscription.

A Commercial Use License includes: the master-quality WAV file, any additional bundled assets for that track where available (such as loop or alternate-instrumentation versions), and a License PDF confirming the grant of the Commercial Use License. Current prices and credit allowances are published on the Site’s pricing page and may be revised from time to time, including for tracks or use cases not yet published at the time of a given revision; the terms in effect at the time of purchase or credit redemption apply to that license.

4. Large-Scale and Broadcast Use

Use of the BGM in national or international advertising campaigns, film productions, or television or radio broadcast is not covered by the Single-Track License or Subscription described in Section 3. Users seeking to use the BGM for these purposes must contact RightsFreeSound directly through the Site to obtain a custom license.

5. Content Identification and Revenue Collection

RightsFreeSound uses a third-party content identification service to detect use of the BGM on video platforms such as YouTube. Detection is automated and matches audio only. It cannot tell whether a use is monetized, commercial or licensed, so a claim may be placed on any video that uses the BGM, including a video that is not monetized.

Personal, non-commercial use needs no license. A claim in this case is not a strike or a penalty, and no action is required.

Commercial Use without a valid Commercial Use License is not authorized. On video platforms with content identification, RightsFreeSound’s response is limited to collecting the advertising revenue from the video, whether or not the uploader intended to monetize it. The video itself stays online. Credit notation does not change this.

In both cases, the advertising revenue from a claimed video, including ads shown on a video the uploader did not monetize, goes to RightsFreeSound or its content identification partner. To keep the revenue, or to have it associated with your own channel, obtain a valid Commercial Use License for the track (see Section 3).

6. Processing

Editing and processing of the BGM (such as fade-in/out, looping, cutting, and volume/quality adjustments) are permitted under these License Terms, whether or not a Commercial Use License applies to the use in question.

7. Prohibited Matters

Users shall not engage in any of the following acts with respect to the BGM without the prior written permission of RightsFreeSound. If a user engages in any of the following acts without permission, RightsFreeSound may revoke any applicable license retroactively and may take measures such as requesting suspension of distribution or monetization of the user’s works, or any other measures available on the relevant platform.

Distributing or using videos or still images whose primary purpose is to allow the BGM to be heard or viewed, or other similar uses (e.g. using the BGM in loop animations or visual works where the BGM itself constitutes the main content).
Registering the BGM, or any musical work containing the BGM, with content identification systems such as YouTube Content ID, or similar services.
Registering the BGM, or any musical work containing the BGM, with copyright management organizations such as JASRAC.
Misrepresenting or falsely claiming to be the rights holder of the BGM.
Distributing the BGM for the purpose of defamation.
Using the BGM in videos containing religious or political content.
Using the BGM, or any additional bundled assets, as training data for AI or machine learning.
Re-licensing, redistributing, transferring, lending, or reselling the audio source, additional bundled assets, or sheet music of the BGM to any third party, or sharing account credentials, license entitlements, or subscription credit access with a third party.
Continuing to redeem subscription credits, or licensing further tracks under a Subscription, after that subscription has been cancelled or has lapsed.
Using the BGM in games, applications or software, or podcasts without a Commercial Use License (see Section 3).
Using the BGM in national or international advertising campaigns, film productions, or television or radio broadcast without a custom license obtained directly from RightsFreeSound (see Section 4).
Engaging in acts that violate or may violate laws or regulations.
Engaging in acts that are offensive to public order and morals, or that may promote criminal activities.
Engaging in acts that may damage the honor or credibility of RightsFreeSound.

8. Disclaimer

RightsFreeSound shall not be liable for any damages incurred by users in connection with the use of the BGM.

9. Suspension of Distribution

RightsFreeSound reserves the right to suspend the distribution of the BGM, or the operation of the Site, at any time without prior notice. Users may continue to use any BGM properly licensed, or used under Section 2 (Free Use), prior to such suspension, in accordance with the terms applicable at the time.

10. Changes to License Terms

RightsFreeSound may revise these License Terms at any time without prior consent from users, if deemed necessary. The revised Terms shall apply to any license purchased, credit redeemed, or BGM downloaded, after the change; the details of such revisions will be posted on the Site.