Is royalty-free ukulele music dead? There seems to be a strong trend against the sweet ukulele music you hear in TV adverts and YouTube videos — whether it’s a cat video, prank video, beauty tutorial or even a Minecraft tips and tricks video. A growing number of viewers feel it’s clichéd, overused and are tired of hearing the same music everywhere:

The backlash against this miniature guitar, made famous by legends like Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, is strong enough to warrant a closer look at why people feel this way and where musical trends are heading. If you’re tired of hearing what one user called that “damn free royalty ukulele” and want alternative background music for your YouTube videos, we’ve highlighted some non-clichéd music that’s gaining popularity here at Instrumental Background Music. It’s a great way to keep your content sounding fresh rather than dated.

Why do people use clichéd ukulele music when it seems so unpopular?

Although royalty-free ukulele music has been used extensively over the years, YouTube beauty gurus and fashion vloggers creating makeup tutorials aren’t the only ones responsible for its ubiquity. Upbeat music like this remains popular with businesses, YouTubers, filmmakers and podcasters for several good reasons. Despite the criticism it receives online, we believe it will continue to have a place in video production. Why? Because ukulele background music ticks a number of boxes for content creators:

1. It’s light-hearted and unobtrusive, making it suitable for videos with lots of voice-over or dialogue. This is particularly useful for business explainer videos, where the focus is on key messages rather than synchronising visuals or showcasing cinematic imagery.
2. Whatever we might think of its overuse, ukulele music is generally popular because it sounds upbeat and uplifting and often makes people feel happier, as psychologists have explored.
3. It’s often easy to edit this type of music to video. Many ukulele tracks, including The Happy Life, have versatile verse-chorus structures that make them quick and easy to cut to picture.
4. It simply works with a wide variety of videos. While repetitive strumming, bells and whistling might occasionally make us want to pull our hair out, this style offers a quick and simple way to give videos a motivating, positive tone. That’s a big part of its appeal.

What background music is popular on YouTube these days?

If we look at major YouTube creators like PewDiePie and Casey Neistat, we’ll find everything from comedy music, dance and playful, childlike music to chill hop and electronic breakbeats. One style that has attracted considerable interest is chill hop and jazzy breakbeat. We can see it across popular YouTube channels, and Google Trends has also been used to track interest in the genre:

Tracks like Glitched Out, Smashup and Hot Stuff are examples of this sound in our catalogue:

Buy this track

Buy this track

Buy this track

We’re also seeing continued interest in epic orchestral trailer music, which works in a variety of contexts, from creating suspense and excitement to adding a sense of scale or even making comedy scenes and epic fails more dramatic. Powerful tracks like Epic Warfare incorporate a heavier, metal-inspired edge that can work well in contemporary video content without relying on the usual upbeat ukulele formula.

A few pointers on how to avoid sounding clichéd

The first step is to identify what’s current and learn from it without simply copying it. This helps your content sound relevant rather than clichéd or dated. We recommend looking at the leaders in your niche or sector and paying attention to the music they use. Remember, the same principle applies to video content itself, not just the soundtrack.

By studying influential creators who set trends and help define what’s considered fresh, we can move away from simply copying what everyone else is doing. Look for the mavericks who challenge the status quo. Better still, consider becoming a trendsetter in your own niche by choosing unusual music or using familiar music in unexpected ways. That’s how new styles emerge. Although we’re currently focusing on expanding our catalogue in other areas, our Exp3rim3ntal collection includes tracks suited to this kind of creative approach.

Some musical genres are timeless: they remain in demand even when they’re not at the centre of popular culture. Think jazz, rock and world music. These styles may not always dominate the mainstream in the same way as current genres like EDM, reggaeton and R&B, but they can be excellent choices when we want to move away from clichéd background music and give our content a distinctive character.

Finally, sounding original isn’t always about the music we choose. It’s also about the content we’re creating. If we’re simply repeating what everyone else says or does without getting the results we want, it may be time to experiment with a different approach. Finding your sound in music works in much the same way. To stand out from the millions of other musicians out there, we need to experiment with instruments, playing styles, genres and production techniques until we discover something distinctive. Keep at it, and that individuality will gradually become part of our identity.

What do you think?

We’ve explored alternatives to the ubiquitous ukulele sound and shared a few ways to keep your content from sounding clichéd. What do you think will be the next big trend in background music?

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