BGM for YouTube videos, a theme song for your service, an opening cue for an event, an original wedding song—the situations where you want "music made just for this" keep multiplying. But the moment you start thinking about commissioning a piece, many people hit the same wall: "I have no idea what this should cost," or "I can't explain the difference between hiring a pro and an amateur."
This article covers the full picture: typical rates for commissioning original music, the routes you can take, recommended services for pros vs. amateurs, and tips specific to BGM projects. Understanding the market from the buyer's side is also useful if you want to take on composition work as a side hustle or freelancer.
Use cases for commissioned music vary widely, and the right provider and price range change significantly based on what you need it for. Common scenarios include:
"Commercial vs. non-commercial use," "length," and "deliverables (stem files, drumless version, loop version, etc.)" change based on your use case. Getting clear on "what the song is for and what quality/scale you need" is the starting point for choosing the right provider and assessing fair pricing.
Composition pricing is primarily set by the combination of who you hire and what the song is for. Commissioning a pro vs. an amateur on crowdsourcing can easily differ by 5–10x for the same use case. The numbers below are ballpark ranges and shift based on whether arrangement is included and on the length of the track.
Top-tier composers and music production companies can command $7,000–tens of thousands of dollars per project for things like anime or drama theme songs or game OSTs.
When you request quotes, always confirm what the "composition fee" actually covers. Two "$200 per song" proposals can include vastly different scopes.
Copyright handling is the single biggest driver of add-on cost. Keeping copyright with the composer and receiving only a usage license is much cheaper than transferring copyright outright (a buyout)—for the same piece, the price can swing by 2–5x.
Four main routes exist, and mixing-and-matching based on budget, quality needs, and deadline is standard.
On skill marketplaces composers list their services, so you can review profiles, sample tracks, and prices before buying. It's intuitive to compare and is ideal for first-time commissioners. Fixed per-song pricing makes budgeting simple, and reviews give you a sense of past delivery quality.
Post your brief on a general freelance marketplace and collect proposals from composers. You can easily gather multiple quotes and get coverage for specialized conditions (genre, length, ethnic instruments, etc.). The trade-off is uneven applicant quality, so portfolio and past-work review is essential.
Find a composer whose style you love on X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, SoundCloud, or their personal site, and contact them directly. No middleman means more room to negotiate price and easier repeat work—but contracts and copyright handling are fully between the two of you.
For corporate videos, commercials, anime, drama, games—anywhere a baseline of quality and reliability is required—commissioning a music production company or a composer agency is the norm. A director oversees the project end-to-end, covering composition, arrangement, and recording as a single workflow. Quality is guaranteed, but it's the highest price bracket.
A good fit for cases like "I need one original BGM track on a modest budget"—video BGM, personal streaming, wedding slideshow music.
For sound logos, corporate site BGM, and product promotion BGM—projects where quality and reliability matter—consider:
If you need original material for your own artist project, want a song provided for your release, or plan to submit to music competitions, platforms connecting you with agency-affiliated composers—or dedicated competition services—are the right fit. For debut-caliber songs, choose established pro composers or publisher-aligned services to reduce risk.
The fastest way to waste time and money on a commission is to hand off a vague brief. Pull these five items together before reaching out—accurate quotes come back faster, and the gap between your imagination and the delivered track shrinks dramatically.
Reference tracks in particular are the most powerful tool for aligning on vision. "Bright" or "stylish" mean very different things to different people—pointing to a concrete track (or four) communicates far more accurately than words alone.
Gut-picking is how you end up with "the track doesn't match my brief but revisions are paid" or "after delivery I realized I can't use it on social media." Always collect quotes from multiple composers and compare scope and terms before deciding.
BGM is one of the most common commissioning scenarios, and the key mindset is "music that doesn't hijack attention." Unlike an artist's own song, BGM's top priority is to elevate the visuals, narration, or service, not to stand out.
Also ask yourself whether you really need a fully original track, or whether a royalty-free library piece will do. Subscription libraries like Audiostock, Artlist, and Epidemic Sound let you access quality original tracks for a fraction of the cost of a custom commission—compare both options before deciding.
Copyright handling is the most common source of trouble in composition work. A song has "copyright" (belonging to the composer) and "usage rights" (the scope of use licensed to an individual or company), and how you settle these at commissioning time has big downstream impact.
If there's any chance you'll use the track in social ads or TV broadcast down the line, secure "commercial use OK" and "any-medium use" rights from the start. For corporate projects especially, a written service agreement is strongly recommended.
Typical lead times: 1–2 weeks for short BGM, 2–4 weeks for an original song, 3+ months for artist releases and competition work. Rush projects carry a surcharge of 20–50%, so giving the composer runway is the best way to control cost.
Understanding the buyer side is a big advantage if you want to take composition work as a side hustle or freelance career. Many people finding composition jobs through search engines land on crowdsourcing—here are a few ways to stand out early.
Composition work is one of the classic at-home creative side hustles, and a track record can open doors to going full-time or joining a music production company. Start with low-risk, small-scale projects, and let the quality of your deliveries do the long-term marketing.
Composition rates range from roughly $20–$70 for a short BGM from an amateur all the way to $350–$1,400+ for an original song from a pro composer. The right provider depends heavily on "who you hire for what." Understanding the spectrum first, then choosing based on use case and quality needs, is how you stay on budget while getting a result you love.
Start by clarifying your purpose, reference tracks, and budget, then collect quotes from multiple composers on skill marketplaces or crowdsourcing. Compare not just price but portfolio and responsiveness. Commissioning music is an investment in your content and brand, not just a cost. Use this guide to find the one piece that fits your project perfectly.
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