Royalty-free music is the fast food of the creative world. Quick, easy, and passable in a pinch — but eat too much of it and your project starts to feel like everyone else’s reheated leftovers. It’s tempting to grab a track off a stock site and call it a day, but here’s the thing: if your story is truly unique, shouldn’t your music be too?

Music is the emotional undercurrent of your story. It whispers before a word is spoken and lingers long after the visuals fade. A forgettable score, however legal and royalty-free, can quietly sabotage everything you’re trying to say. Ever seen a powerful documentary paired with generic elevator music? It feels like an Oscar-worthy speech delivered while someone plays a kazoo in the background.

Original music, on the other hand, is tailor-made to elevate your message. It syncs with your pacing, your narrative arc, your emotional highs and lows. It can become as iconic as your visuals. Think of Jaws without the duh-dum. Rocky without the trumpet fanfare. Even that weird but perfect synth swell in every Stranger Things episode. Would we remember those scenes the same way with royalty-free filler? Doubtful.

And let’s be honest — "royalty-free" isn’t always free in the long run. That catchy stock tune might come with restrictions, fine print, or future licensing headaches if your project gets bigger than expected. What seemed like a smart budget move can morph into an expensive backpedal later.

You don’t have to hire a 90-piece orchestra in Vienna. But you can partner with a skilled composer who gets your vision. Someone who can craft a theme that feels like your story. That kind of collaboration doesn’t just fill silence — it adds meaning.

So, next time you’re tempted to grab that “inspirational corporate background track #47,” pause. Ask yourself: Does this music actually say something about my story? Or is it just there because I didn’t want to think too hard?