You won't find famous 80s hits like Michael Jackson or Madonna as "copyright free," but you can find many royalty-free, public domain, or Creative Commons licensed music tracks inspired by the 80s on stock music sites like Epidemic Sound, Viralnoise, Uppbeat, and YouTube's Creator Studio. These platforms offer new music in 80s styles (synthwave, pop, rock) that are free for content creators, often requiring attribution or a subscription.
Top 10 Royalty-Free 80s Music Tracks on AudioJungle
“Take Me Out to the Ball Game” was written by of New York City music publishers and songwriters known as Tin Pan Alley. As more than 95 years have passed, the original song is now in the public domain in the United States.
How to check to see if a song is copyrighted
Any Song or Musical Work Published in 1930 or Earlier is in the Public Domain in the USA. No Sound Recordings are Presently PD in the USA. Sound Recordings Released in 1922 or Earlier will Enter the Public Domain in the USA on January 1, 2022.
Copyright law requires authorization; credit alone provides no legal protection whatsoever. Under 17 USC §106, copyright owners hold exclusive rights to authorize or deny use of their works. These rights don't disappear simply because you acknowledge ownership.
The "15 Second" or "8 Bar" Rule
The reality is that there is no legal protection in copyright law for these types of use. If you use a piece of a composition or sound recording that is copyrighted, you will need a license.
Find Copyright-Free Background Music for Your Videos
No, Spotify is not royalty-free music. It doesn't hold the rights to any of the songs in its library. Instead, it pays artists a royalty fee for their songs each time the song is streamed on Spotify. So, since Spotify does pay royalties, it is not considered “royalty-free.”
The only instrumental ever banned from U.S. radio. “Rumble” — Link Wray. Winterland, '74.
50 popular songs in the public domain
Copyright law prevents unauthorized use or reproduction without permission from the rights holders. For The Beatles, their songs are among their most valuable intellectual property. Their compositions, lyrics and some album covers are protected by copyright law.
Ultimate 80s Hit Songs: The Best 80s Playlist
These are the genre-less tracks you didn't know you needed. Effortlessly cool, unexpected beat drops, diverse instruments, and subtle vocal samples ensure your ads and promos stand out from the crowd.
Any Sheet Music publication with a copyright date of 1930 or earlier will prove that a song is in the public domain in the USA. You can find some 1930 or earlier sheet music in libraries and online . . . or you can order most any PD Reprint from us. Sound Records now have 100 years copyright protection in the USA.
Tracks
Some ways to avoid a copyright violation here include:
If you plan to include copyright-protected material in your video, you'll generally need to seek permission to do so first. YouTube cannot grant you these rights. We can't assist creators in finding and contacting the parties who may grant them to you.
The "3-minute rule" in music refers to the traditional length of popular songs, rooted in the technical limitations of early 78 rpm records that could only hold about three minutes per side. This convention persisted due to radio's preference for shorter songs to fit more ads and programming, though modern streaming has also seen shorter tracks for repeat plays, while some artists break the mold with longer epics.
The "30-second rule" on YouTube refers to the critical first moments of a video, where creators must hook viewers within about 30 seconds to get them to keep watching, as YouTube registers meaningful engagement after this mark, impacting visibility and watch time. It's a key focus for audience retention, with strategies involving dynamic editing (B-roll, angles), emotional hooks, and clear value propositions, but it's distinct from copyright myths about using 30-second music clips.
Remember: There's no hard and fast minimum amount of music you can use without getting permission when you need it.
Here's how to give credit for copyrighted materials used in videos:
A royalty-free license is a fee you pay in order to have permission to use a song. The license fees can be a one-time fee (meaning that you pay only for a certain track), a subscription or, in the case of some free services, the obligation of including credits when using the song.