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Platforms

Pixabay Music for music producers

Pixabay is a free stock site. Anyone can upload music, and anyone can download it without paying. Here is what that means for your tracks, as of October 2026.

By , a composer with 300+ tracks on audio stock and 12 years in production. Checked on Pixabay's own pages on 26 October 2026.

Type
Stock music site
How to join
Open to everyoneFree account, each upload checked, 60 files to start
Exclusive
NoNon-exclusive, but the license can't be taken back
AI-made music
Allowed, if you say soAllowed if you tick the AI-generated label

From my catalog. 233 tracks are live on Pixabay.

In short. Pixabay is a free stock site for images, video and music. Anyone can upload. Nobody pays for a license: people download for free and do not have to credit you. When you upload, you give Pixabay a non-exclusive license that is irrevocable and perpetual. AI-made music is allowed if you tick the AI-generated label. If a track is in YouTube Content ID, turn on the Content ID label. Otherwise the track triggers claims on other people's videos.

How to join

You open a free account and upload. Pixabay's FAQ says new contributors start with an upload limit of 60 files. Consistent good-quality uploads raise it by 10 files at a time.

Every upload is checked. Pixabay's blog says, as of July 2026: "Every upload is reviewed for technical quality, usability, suitability, and AI labelling." Uploads that do not meet the quality guidelines can be declined. There are two results. A "Published" upload shows only on your profile. An "Approved" upload shows on your profile and in Pixabay search.

Exclusive or not

Non-exclusive. The terms say you give Pixabay a license that is "irrevocable, perpetual (or as long as allowed by law), worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free", with the right to sub-license. You can still release the track anywhere else.

Two things follow from those terms:

  • People can use your track for commercial and personal work "without providing you attribution or compensation".
  • The license can't be taken back. You can delete a track (My Media, the pencil icon, Settings, "Delete media"). But the license that downloaders got is irrevocable too.

Buyers may not sell or share your track on its own. The license summary says they "cannot sell or distribute Content" on a "Standalone basis", that is, with no creative effort applied.

AI-generated music

Allowed if you say so. The terms ask you to tick the "AI-generated" checkbox. The AI tool's own terms must allow the license you give Pixabay. Do not tag AI music with the names of known people, artists or brands. Do not upload music that mimics another artist's style.

The terms also say Pixabay and its partners may use your uploads to improve their services, including through machine learning. You can opt out of future AI training in your account settings.

Files and metadata

  • Formats. MP3, WAV, AAC, FLAC, AIF or M4A.
  • Limits. Up to 100 MB and under 15 minutes a track.
  • Category. Music or Sound Effect.
  • Tags. Pixabay's tagging guide asks for "3–10 focused keywords" in U.S. English. Leave out gear and software names, file types, license terms and your own name or brand.

Codes, Content ID and royalties

Some contributors register their Pixabay tracks in YouTube Content ID. Pixabay allows it, with a label. Its tagging guide says to switch on "Add YouTube Content ID label" only for tracks that are registered. Labeled tracks "trigger Content ID claims on YouTube", so users are warned before they download. On the site, these tracks show a shield icon. Pixabay gives license certificates for them, so users can clear a claim. More on how claims work: YouTube Content ID for music producers.

How you are paid

There are no sales. Pixabay is free, and donations are the only payment it offers. People can donate to you through PayPal. You add your PayPal email or 13-digit Merchant ID in your settings.

What to keep in your catalog

  • The Pixabay page of each track. The address ends with the track's number.
  • The Content ID label: on or off. It must match what is registered.
  • The AI-generated label, if you ticked it.
  • The upload date. The license from that day can't be taken back, so a track that went to Pixabay should never go into an exclusive deal later. See Exclusive or non-exclusive.

Sources