- Free Christmas music sources and the credit each one asks for
- YouTube Audio Library: filter by attribution first
- Incompetech: Kevin MacLeod's credit line
- Free Music Archive and the Creative Commons letters
- Mixkit, the Internet Archive and Commons
- How to credit a Christmas track in a video description
- My advice on free Christmas music
- Frequently asked questions
For a video, the YouTube Audio Library is the safest free Christmas music: it's built into YouTube Studio, its tracks are copyright-safe, they won't be claimed through Content ID, and you can monetise videos that use them. Mixkit, Incompetech, the Free Music Archive, the Internet Archive and Wikimedia Commons offer more, but each one has its own credit rule, so free to listen isn't the same as free to use.
At Christmas everyone reaches for festive tracks at once, and the licence is the bit people skip. The fix isn't to avoid music. It's to pick a source that tells you exactly what it allows, then credit it the way it asks.
Free Christmas music sources and the credit each one asks for
| Source | What's there | Licence as of October 2026 | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube Audio Library | Production music and sound effects inside YouTube Studio | Standard library licence or Creative Commons | Only for Creative Commons tracks |
| Mixkit | 31 free Christmas tracks | Mixkit's free licence for stock music | Check the licence for the item type |
| Incompetech | Kevin MacLeod's library | Creative Commons By Attribution 4.0 | Always, unless you buy a licence |
| Free Music Archive | 1067 tracks for a christmas search | Various Creative Commons licences | Required for any BY licence |
| Internet Archive | A Christmas Music collection | Varies by item | Check each item |
| Wikimedia Commons | Christmas music and Christmas carols categories | Set file by file | Depends on the file |
YouTube Audio Library: filter by attribution first
The Audio Library sits in YouTube Studio under Audio library in the left menu. You can search by title, artist or keyword and filter by genre, mood, duration and attribution. New releases are added twice a month, so it's worth a fresh look in December.
The filter that matters is attribution. Click Attribution not required and every track you see uses the standard Audio Library licence, so there's nothing to paste. Click Attribution required and you'll see the Creative Commons tracks, which need a credit in your video description. YouTube adds a Music in this Video section to the watch page, but it says that doesn't replace the credit.
One line from YouTube's help page is worth remembering: only music from the Audio Library is known to YouTube to be copyright-safe, and it isn't responsible for royalty free music from other channels or libraries. The other sources here spell out their own licences, but YouTube won't vouch for them.
Incompetech: Kevin MacLeod's credit line
Incompetech's FAQ answers the big question plainly: yes, you can use the music in YouTube videos, and yes, you can monetise them, as long as you credit him. The credit format is the track title, then Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), then Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0, followed by the licence address. Swap the word Title for the real title of the piece. People forget that bit.
Here's the catch you wouldn't guess. Some of the baroque and classical compositions are in the public domain, but Incompetech's recordings aren't. All of the music is copyrighted. If you can't show a credit, in a broadcast advert say, you'll need its Standard License instead.
Free Music Archive and the Creative Commons letters
The Free Music Archive's FAQ is blunt: free doesn't mean you can use, alter or build on every song without conditions. Most tracks use a Creative Commons licence, and the letters tell you the rules. BY means credit the artist, NC means no commercial use, ND means no changes, and SA means share your version under the same licence. NonCommercial rules out uses primarily intended for commercial advantage, so a product promo is out.
Its suggested short credit looks like this: Tra-la-la by Podington Bear, From the Free Music Archive, CC BY-NC. There's also a filter for licence type on the search page. And if a Creative Commons track gets flagged by Content ID, the FMA says to contact the artist, because some of them register their music there.
Mixkit, the Internet Archive and Commons
Mixkit lists 31 free Christmas stock music tracks, with titles such as Let's All Dance This Christmas, plus related tags for Traditional Christmas and Modern Christmas. Its licence page says each item type has its own licence. Stock music has a free licence, while stock video has both a free and a restricted licence, so don't assume a Christmas clip and a Christmas track follow the same rules.
The Internet Archive has a Christmas Music collection labelled free download, borrow and streaming. That's about listening, not reuse, so check the rights on each individual item before it goes in a video.
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Commons is the dark horse. When I checked, its Christmas music category held 28 files and 18 subcategories, and Christmas carols 55 files and 131 subcategories. Most files in the main category are photos and scans of programmes and sheet music. The audio sits in the Audio files of Christmas music subcategory, which held 50 files. Each one carries its own licence.
How to credit a Christmas track in a video description
- Write down the track title, the artist, the source and the licence as you download, not afterwards.
- On YouTube Audio Library tracks with a Creative Commons licence, click the Creative Commons icon in the License type column, then Copy, and paste it straight into your description.
- For Incompetech, use its exact format with the real track title in place of the word Title.
- For Free Music Archive tracks, list title, artist, Free Music Archive and the licence, such as CC BY.
- Put the credit where a viewer can find it without hunting. Incompetech says video credits can go in the description or in the video itself.
- Keep a screenshot of the track page showing the licence, in case a claim lands later.
Need a wider list for the rest of the year? My royalty free music sites guide compares the options, and for jingles, sleigh bells and whooshes see free sound effects for videos. Making short videos? Here's where to find background music for Reels.
My advice on free Christmas music
I'd use the YouTube Audio Library if the video lives on YouTube, filtered to Attribution not required, because that's the least admin you'll ever do. I'd use Incompetech if you're happy to paste a credit and want more choice. Skip any NC track if the video sells something, and skip the Internet Archive unless you're willing to check each item's rights. And please, write the credit down the moment you download. It's the step everyone means to do later.
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Frequently asked questions
Where can I get free Christmas music for YouTube videos?
The YouTube Audio Library in YouTube Studio is the safest option, because its tracks are copyright-safe and won't be claimed through Content ID. Filter to Attribution not required if you don't want to add a credit.
Can I monetise a video with Kevin MacLeod's Christmas music?
Yes. Incompetech says you can use the music in YouTube videos and monetise them, as long as you credit Kevin MacLeod with the format given in its FAQ.
Is royalty free Christmas music copyright free?
Not usually. Incompetech says all of its music is copyrighted, and the Free Music Archive says most tracks are under Creative Commons licences with conditions such as credit or no commercial use.
How many free Christmas tracks does Mixkit have?
Mixkit listed 31 free Christmas stock music tracks when checked, under its free licence for stock music. Its licence differs by item type, so check the one that applies to what you downloaded.
Where do I put the music credit on a video?
In the video description or in the video itself, somewhere a viewer can find it easily. YouTube says Creative Commons tracks still need the credit even with the Music in this Video section.
