The Best Royalty-Free Music for Twitch Streams

Short answer: the best royalty-free music for Twitch comes from five places. StreamBeats is free. Pretzel is a paid player built for streamers and the safest setup. BeatsBackground (that's us) is human-made lofi we never claim. Epidemic Sound and Soundstripe are paid libraries for streamers who also edit videos. Below is what each one is good for, what "royalty-free" actually means, and what Twitch's rules say.

What Twitch allows

Twitch's music rule comes down to one line: only play music you own or have the rights to stream. Chart hits from a personal Spotify account, the radio, DJ sets of other people's tracks and music leaking in from another app all fall outside it.

If you break it, rights holders can send DMCA notices, Twitch removes the VOD or clip, and repeated notices can lead to strikes on your channel. Twitch also mutes sections of VODs where it detects copyrighted audio. Most of the risk sits in VODs and clips, because they stay up long after the stream ends.

What royalty-free actually means

Royalty-free does not mean free, and it does not mean nobody owns the music. It means you pay once (or nothing) for a license and then owe no royalty each time the track plays. The music is still copyrighted, and the license decides what you can do with it. The thing to check is whether it covers live streams, VODs, clips and YouTube uploads.

• Royalty-free: licensed with no per-play fee. Can be free or paid.
• Copyright-free: usually means the owner lets you use it without asking. Only public domain music is truly free of copyright, and even then the recording can belong to someone else.
• DMCA-free or stream-safe: informal. It means the owner says they will not send takedowns for streams. Check who is making that promise.

The best royalty-free music sources for Twitch

StreamBeats by Harris Heller

StreamBeats is a free catalog made by streamer Harris Heller for other streamers. You play it from Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube or wherever you already listen, and it is cleared for streams and VODs. It is the easiest free place to start, with a lot of lofi and chill music in the mix. More in our piece on Harris Heller and StreamBeats.

Pretzel

Pretzel is a paid music player built only for streamers. Its catalog is licensed for Twitch and YouTube streaming, it shuffles for you, and it writes a now-playing file so song credits show on screen. That makes it the safest way to play music on stream: licensing, rotation and credits live in one place. Our full catalog is in Pretzel at no extra cost. Our Pretzel setup guide takes four steps.

BeatsBackground (that's us)

We are two brothers who write and record lofi. We do not file copyright claims against streamers or creators. Ever. That covers live, VODs, clips and re-uploads on any platform. Credit is appreciated, never required.

Play us from Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music or YouTube, which is fine and always has been, or run us through Pretzel for the safest setup with credits on screen. Because every track comes from the same two people, the sound stays consistent from stream to stream. Good starting points are Liquid Vision, Champions, Driftwood and Sandbox, and our playlists include a 10-hour Beats for Streaming playlist you can put on and forget.

One plain note: like all distributed music, our releases exist in Content ID. We do not act on matches.

Epidemic Sound

Epidemic Sound is a large paid library aimed at creators. A subscription covers music for your streams and your edited videos, and you can connect your YouTube channel so their tracks do not trigger claims there. It suits streamers who also cut YouTube videos, Shorts or TikToks from their streams. Check what the license covers for videos you published while subscribed if you ever cancel.

Soundstripe

Soundstripe is another paid library, with music and sound effects and a strong focus on video creators. It fits if you edit a lot of content outside your streams and want one library for everything.

How to choose

• Starting out and want free: StreamBeats, or our music from Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube.
• Streaming most days and want it handled: Pretzel. Licensing, shuffle and on-screen credits in one place, with our catalog included.
• Also making YouTube videos, Shorts or TikToks: Epidemic Sound or Soundstripe, or stick to artists like us who do not claim creators.
• Want one consistent lofi sound: us, from any of the above.

Before you press play

• Does the license or promise cover VODs and clips, not just live?
• Does it cover YouTube if you upload highlights?
• Is credit required? If so, put it in your panels or an overlay.
• If it is a subscription, what happens to old VODs and videos when you cancel?
• Is the source real? Skip random "free music" download sites. Many rehost tracks they do not own, and some bundle malware.

FAQ

Can I play Spotify on Twitch?

Spotify is licensed for personal listening, and most music on it belongs to labels who can send takedowns. The exception is music whose owners allow it, like StreamBeats and us. Playing BeatsBackground from Spotify on stream is fine and always has been.

Is lofi music royalty-free?

Not automatically. Lofi is a genre, and most of it is owned by labels or artists like any other music. Check who made it and what they allow. We looked at one of the biggest channels in Who Is Lofi Girl?

Do I have to credit BeatsBackground?

No. Credit is appreciated, never required. If you use Pretzel, it shows track credits on screen for you.

What if I get a DMCA notice anyway?

Our guide on what to do about a DMCA claim on your livestream walks through what it means and how to respond.