With all the work that goes into shooting and editing a video, constructing the perfect soundtrack may be the last thing on your mind. However, when the time comes to add that depth, flavoring and ambience to your scenes through music, you may find yourself without many options. Not to worry! The right song is out there just waiting for you to snatch it up and match it to your sequence. With the help of this article, you'll learn what's available, where to find it and what's likely the best fit for your video - without breaking the bank.

Understand the Lingo

So your rough cut is finished and you're ready to lay down some music. You have a vague sense of what you want that soundtrack to feel like, but no resources to actually put it together. The music you hear on the radio is off-limits thanks to sky-high royalties, and the songs you recorded with your high school buddies on the boombox don't quite hold up. The answer? Music libraries! These days, they're easy to access online, adaptable to your needs and relatively inexpensive.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of where to find the libraries, it's worth reviewing some of the terms and descriptions you'll likely encounter in your search. Navigating the usage terms and rights restrictions can be confusing, so the more you understand the industry lingo, the better situated you'll be when it's time to decide what to download. Remember:

• Always read the fine print when purchasing your music.
• Make sure the terms of usage are crystal clear to you before ordering.
• There are plenty of nuances to the music and sound effects licensing business; don't take anything for granted.

Bear in mind that some of the language you'll encounter may have slightly different meanings from vendor to vendor. Take a look at the user agreements to make sure you're getting what you want. Here are some of the standard terms and definitions:
Royalties: The payment an artist receives when someone uses their music legally. When you pay a royalty fee, a portion of that transaction should find its way back to person who created the original work.
Royalty-Free: After an initial payment to use a selected piece of music, no further royalty payments are required for additional uses by the purchaser.
Blanket Licensing: Allows you to use all the music in a defined collection without having to pay a fee each time one of those songs is used.
Needledrop Licensing: You pay only for the music you use, on an instance-by-instance basis.
Production Blanket: You pay one fee based on your production, allowing for multiple "needledrops."
In Perpetuity: If you buy the rights to use a piece of music "in perpetuity," it means you own those rights for good. So, if you bought the rights to use two minutes of a specific song in your opening credits in perpetuity, it just means that you won't have to re-up the agreement after a certain amount of time to continue using that music.

Start Your Search Close To Home

A good source of music may already exist at your fingertips - that is, in the software of the computer you're using to edit. Editing software packages such as Final Cut Studio come with royalty-free music programs that allow you to compose your own soundtrack using "loops." Loops are simply chunks of isolated instruments such as drums, guitars, French horns, sitars - just about any instrument you can imagine - that you drop into a timeline and loop over and over again while maintaining a continuous rhythm.

These programs are great for adding color to your scenes since you can compose a fairly complex, multi-layered soundtrack with a few simple clicks and drags. You can mix and match instruments, blend musical styles and change the beats per minute to adjust the pacing of the song.

In the case of Soundtrack Pro, you can also import your video clip directly into the musical timeline from Final Cut Pro, allowing you to edit in tandem with the visuals.

If you run through all the options or can't seem to find exactly what you're looking for, plenty of music vendors on the Web are happy to help you fill out your loop collection - usually for a fee.

Create Your Own?

Many of the same programs used to compose 'looped' soundtracks can also assist you in composing music of your own. If you're musically inclined and have a musical instrument handy, plug into your computer, add a new track for your instrument and compose your original music over a drum line you've created using loops.

Making Noise In a Library

If you don't have the time or desire to build your own soundtrack, then purchasing pre-recorded music may be the way to go. Before you start poking around, some things to decide are:

• How many different pieces of music are you looking to purchase?
• Will this music appear in more than one place in your video?
• Where will your video be seen? Film festivals? YouTube? Your birthday party?
• What duration of time do you plan to make your video accessible to a viewing audience?
• Is this video for private, non-commercial or educational purposes?
• Will you try to make money from it?
• The answer to all of these questions can play a big part in how much and how often you pay for the rights to use a piece of music.