Music for Nonprofit Videos: A Quick Guide
Music isn't just decoration for charity videos—it's rocket fuel. The right track transforms your nonprofit animation from "meh" to memorable, creating that emotional punch that drives people to action. But finding perfect music isn't about grabbing something catchy; it's about supporting your mission and hitting emotional notes that resonate.
Choosing Music for Your Charity Animation
Match Your Mission: Your soundtrack should reflect your nonprofit's core purpose. Conservation charity? Go for calming, earthy melodies.
Flow with the Pace: Quick visuals need energetic beats; thoughtful explainers need softer rhythms.
Explore Genres: Classical, pop, jazz—each sets a distinct tone. Find one that reinforces your message.
Nonprofit Videos from our Animation Studio
Need inspiration? Here's how we paired music with message:
Music for Voiceover-Driven Animated Videos
For the NHS MyChart series, our consistent African instrumental track became the heartbeat of every animation, much like the timeless Pink Panther theme or Seinfeld’s signature bass solo. By slowing the tempo to perfectly sync with the voiceover, we turned a simple tune into a smart brand signal that drove over 300,000 sign-ups in just six months.
Inspiring Music for Animated Promo Videos
iDiaspora helps diaspora leaders connect and collaborate worldwide. We paired these hopeful animations with Josh Leake’s uplifting "Possibilities" (Artlist), subtly building from piano to vibrant beats.
Haunting Music for Emotive Animated Narratives
Our IOM mental health animation needed subtlety to match Josef-Israel's emotional narration (later nominated for a UK One Voice Award). The haunting track "Flashback" from AudioJungle (no longer available) gently underscores migrants' intense emotions without overpowering the message.
Similarly, our "Saving Migrants' Lives" video uses the track "Intense" from Envato Elements, vividly highlighting the urgency of the humanitarian crisis and reinforcing the UN's call to action.
Music for Kinetic Typography Animated Videos
At Newcastle NE1, our no-voiceover video needed music that told the whole story. We chose the energetic “This is Drums” track to fill the silence with a bold, stomping beat that drives kinetic typography. Each drum hit maps to key stats—from securing £41 million to attracting 640,000 website visitors. Drum tracks perfectly fill no-voiceover videos, adding rhythmic cues for animation.
Similarly, our kinetic video for Guy’s and St Thomas’ uses drumbeats to clearly bring the London hospital’s 2030 vision to life, spotlighting strategic goals and milestones.
Music for Bold, Symbolic Explainer Videos
For Lord Saatchi’s #ThePolicy, our kinetic typography video had to make a bold statement. We paired Louis Armstrong’s iconic "Go Down Moses"—with its rousing "Let My People Go!" refrain—with visuals that playfully compared small businesses breaking free from stifling tax and regulation to the Israelites escaping Egyptian bondage.
How to Choose the Right Track for Your Nonprofit Video?
With millions of options, how do you pick? Start here:
Define your purpose - What's your charity video trying to achieve?
Know your audience - Who's watching your video?
Set the tone - Should viewers feel inspired? Concerned? Hopeful?
Match your visuals - Music should complement your nonprofit video style
The Rise and Fall of the Ukulele in Explainer Videos
Remember when every startup video had that chirpy ukulele track? Yeah, it's dead now.
The Early Charm:
In the mid-2000s, whistling ukulele tracks were everywhere in explainer videos. They offered a light, playful vibe that made even complex topics feel simple and friendly.
Their low cost and ready availability made them a go-to choice for startups and charities needing budget-friendly animation.
Why It Worked Back Then:
The sound evoked nostalgia and innocence—a quick, fun shortcut to get a message across.
It aligned perfectly with the early days of internet video, where simplicity was key and “cute” was the norm.
Now a Tired Trope:
After over a decade of overuse, this once-charming sound has become predictable. Clients now often say, “No ukulele, please,” because it’s been done to death.
Animator/influencer Kevin Rapp even joked it should be banned —like Comic Sans in the world of graphics. Many forums now dismiss it as sounding “toy-like”.
Music Licensing Simplified
Finding the perfect track is only half the battle—you also need proper licensing to avoid legal headaches.
Nightmare scenario: You've just finished a beautiful charity explainer video, then discover you can't share it because of copyright issues. Ouch!
Different websites offer various licenses, and platforms like YouTube can spot protected music instantly. You can't simply download any song unless you're okay with your nonprofit video being blocked or facing legal action.
Three music license types explained:
1. Public Domain
Free to use for any purpose without restrictions. Remix, share, and use repeatedly without worrying about lawsuits.
2. Royalty-Free
Pay once, use forever. Both personal and commercial use usually allowed.
How to Handle YouTube Copyright Claims?
If YouTube flags your nonprofit video despite your legal right to use the music:
Log into YouTube Studio
Find your video under 'Content'
Click the title or pencil icon
Scroll to 'Copyright Claim' section
Select 'Dispute Claim'
Select a reason.
Provide required information such as uploading your license PDF (all reputable music sites provide these)
Submit and wait for processing
This removes those annoying ads that have nothing to do with your charity's mission.
3. Creative Commons
Standardised free copyright licenses where creators get credit for work that can be used without cost.
What About Famous Songs for your Nonprofit Video?
"Could we use a Beatles song for our charity video?"
We hear this often from nonprofit clients. The honest answer? Probably not. Getting rights to famous songs is both extremely expensive and a bureaucratic nightmare. We've tried! Even reaching the right person takes weeks.
Yes, you could use a popular track on YouTube anyway, and they'll just put ads on your video. But for professional charity animation, this isn't ideal.
Where to find great nonprofit video music?
Envato Elements
What It Offers:
A subscription-based archive featuring millions of creative assets with unlimited downloads.Pricing:
USD $198 (£156) per year—approx. $16.50/month. Without a yearly plan, it’s $33/month.
AudioJungle
What It Offers:
Part of Envato Market, AudioJungle is a pay-per-item marketplace offering high-quality, royalty-free tracks in various styles.Pricing:
Prices vary by track and license, but you can generally expect to pay roughly £8–£16 (USD $10–$20) per track.
Free Music Archive
What It Offers:
A free resource that allows you to search more than 1,500 recordings in various genres, organized by license type.
Pricing:
Free
Artlist
What it Offers:
Subscription platform with high-quality, royalty-free music and straightforward pricing. (Remember when you couldn't watch a YouTube video without seeing an Artlist ad?)
Pricing:
Approximately £160 (USD $199) per year.
Keep it simple
If this feels overwhelming, remember:
For explainer charity videos: You need subtle instrumental background music that supports without distracting. Most animated explainer videos work best with no lyrics competing with your voiceover.
For narrative-driven charity videos: Music takes centre stage. Finding the perfect track—whether a gentle piano piece for emotional depth, a sad epic soundtrack for powerful storytelling, or a joyful melody to inspire hope—is critical. Here, music isn’t background noise; it’s the emotional core.
Trust your intuition. If the music feels right, it probably is.
Don’t Forget Professional Sound Mixing
Simply placing your voiceover and music on a timeline isn’t enough. A professional sound mixer can:
Optimize Levels: Balance the volume between narration and background music.
Buffer Transitions: Ensure smooth changes in tempo or mood.
Enhance Clarity: Remove unwanted noise from the voiceover recording and create a seamless audio experience.
Perfect Timing: Adjust music length precisely—speed up or slow down tracks (without pitch distortion) to end exactly with your video.
Leon! Animations' Music Selection Process
Here’s how we do it! Finding the perfect track isn’t guesswork—it’s collaborative:
Shortlisting Tracks: We carefully select 10–15 tracks suited to the message and tone.
2. Easy Reviewing: We then share an easily accessible list of track links (usually via Envato Elements) for clients to review.
3. Visual Testing: We provide draft animations using simple image slideshows combined with AI voiceovers, allowing clients to clearly hear how each track complements the visuals in real-time.
4. Fine-Tuning: Using client feedback, we refine the selection until the ideal track emerges naturally.
Ready for the Perfect Explainer Audio?
Need help finding the perfect soundtrack for your nonprofit video? Our 2D animation studio specialises in charity videos. Let's create something that sounds as good as it looks.
