Quiz shows have been one of the best TV entertainment options for several decades.
This type of programming is very attractive to all kinds of audiences. 
They are very dynamic programs in which the contestant tries to guess the right answers to the questions asked from the quiz show.
Something that the viewer also feels from his or her own home, where he or she also ‘competes' to find out those answers.
A couple of the most famous ones around the world are ‘Wheel of Fortune’ and ‘Who wants to be a Millionaire’, which was even made into a film (Slumdog Millionaire).
Both of them, along with other programs of the same type, have several things in common: they are television programs, they have a ‘Q&A' style, they have charismatic presenters… but there is one thing that differentiates them all, and that often happens subconsciously: music.
The melody of a television program is one of the differentiating elements that makes each contest unique.
Maybe you didn't stop to think about it, but it is very possible that, if they cover your eyes and reproduce the entrance of a famous ‘Quiz show‘ you can identify it instantly:
I'm sure you were right. This is the music of ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire'.
It is a tune that, when the program started, nobody knew it would become so famous, but nevertheless it is a tune known all over the world.
Can I play royalty-free music on my Quiz Show for free?
Of course, this option to sound your Q&A program is an option that is practically never used.
There are certain drawbacks that, in most cases, cannot be easily solved.
For example, when you use free songs without copyright, you must always mention the artist of the song.
Do you think it would be nice and professional if, every time the contest entry comes out, you put the artist of the title in a corner? Personally, I don't think so.
Another inconvenience that is usually unsolvable is that free songs often do not allow for editing, so they cannot be cut and a shorter version cannot be created.
Can you imagine a 3-minute soundtrack for a TV quiz show?
It would leave a very bad image to the audience from its first broadcast and it would certainly be a program destined to fail.
In addition to these two problems, free music has other problems associated with it.
In the event that there is a misinterpretation of the song's license, it could give rise to a copyright claim by the song's owner.
As you can see, a lot of problems to save a few euros in sounding your program correctly.
So, do I need to pay to use music on my TV show?
In most cases, the answer is yes, especially if the music is copyrighted.
All tracks that have this type of protection are managed by the PROs.
PRO are acronym of ‘Performance Rights Organizations' and is responsible for defending and managing the intellectual property rights in each country, (BMI, ASCAP or SESAC in USA, PPL–PRS in the UK…).
The cost of the licenses to exploit each music track usually varies depending on the use.
However, we warn you in advance that they are usually quite high.
Because of this, most people who are looking for music for television programs opt for other options that are just as legal but much cheaper and easier to use.
What happens if I use music from Spotify or YouTube?
You will most likely have two types of problems:
- The same ones we explained earlier about free music
- Or, copyright infringement of the songs used.
What happens if I break the copyright?
The PROs usually have a large number of staff hired for the sole purpose of inspecting any audiovisual media that may use copyrighted material.
In other words, if you use copyrighted music illegally, either consciously or unconsciously, you risk being penalized in a PROs inspection. In that case, you may be asked for large amounts of money, both to pay for the use of the music tracks you have used and to compensate for their illegal use. In fact, in some cases, you may be held legally and criminally liable.
As you can see, it is not worth taking any chances with copyrighted music or platforms like YouTube or Spotify.
How to add background music to my Quiz Competition
Since the budget is usually not an issue in the audiovisual environment, it is best to spend a little money on acquiring quality music where you don't have a copyright problem.
Fortunately, there are platforms on the Internet where you can have thousands of songs at your disposal in a few clicks.
We have tried several of them and there is only one that we can recommend with guarantees: Legis Music.
Legis Music
At Legis Music we have decided to launch three exclusive plans this 2023 so that our customers can access royalty free music easily and cheaply.
What these plans have in common is that you only have to pay once to get them, allowing you to enjoy the songs unlimited for life and have the peace of mind of not having to worry about copyright claims in the future.
This way, you can choose the plan that best suits your needs:
- Starter Plan. This licence is completely free and is recommended for those who are looking for music to use in personal projects. It also allows you to use the music in all social networks and on any website. The only condition is to credit legismusic.com in every publication.
- Personal Plan. If you are looking to get numerous songs to use in your personal projects, this is the license for you. The Personal Plan offers unlimited music downloads and can be used on social media and streaming platforms, YouTube, apps, video games and audiobooks, as well as podcasts, virtual classes and online advertisements. The price is $49 in a single payment and for life -if you use it for 3 years, it will be like paying 1€/month-.
- Business Plan. This plan is specially designed for freelancers, companies and those who work for clients. It is the most open licence of all, as any use case is covered and it also offers unlimited music (the only thing that is not allowed is to resell the songs). It is priced as a one-off payment of $99 for life – if you use it for 2 years, it will be like paying $4/month.
In case you want to use our music for contests, we recommend the Business Plan.
As you can see, if there is one thing that makes our licences stand out, it is the opportunity to enjoy them forever for a one-time fee.
Alternative option: Personalized Music
In addition to the PROs' licenses and other better options like the ones just presented, there is also a third option in case you do not find what you are looking for: Create custom melodies and sound effects for your contest.
This alternative is a custom-made sound system whose advantage is that you will have a unique, unrepeatable and registered sound so that it can only be played in your program.
On the other hand, you will have to hire specialized music design staff to create, from scratch, that background sound.
This usually has much higher costs than the Audiojungle and licenses, besides the fact that its creation time will also be much longer.
Therefore, our recommendation would be that you first take a look at these online platforms we just mentioned and, in case you don't find the sound you are looking for, then start considering this alternative. 
However, before that, you should keep in mind the kind of melody you want.
Otherwise, you may make the mistake of using any style of music that minimally meets the objective.
What is the best style of music for a Q&A program?
TV quiz show music is usually quite dynamic and in a style that shows energy and is catchy.
Your goal should be to keep the viewers' attention, while at the same time entertaining and encouraging them.
In short, one of those tunes that stays in your head and is easily associated with your contest. For example, electronic, funk and groove sounds are ideal for this type of entertainment program.
Conclusion
A question and answer contest is a project with many possibilities of success since it is dynamic, entertaining and fun content for all kinds of audiences, from the youngest in the family to our parents, uncles, and grandparents.
To be successful, it will not only depend on the format of the program, the advertising it is given, the presenter chosen, or the schedule at which it will be broadcasted.
It will also depend on the visual aspect and, of course, the most subliminal factor: the music.
Music is that cheerful, catchy element that keeps viewers hooked on the TV quiz shows.
Luckily, at this point, you will know that royalty-free music is not the best option for this type of show.
It is worth investing a small amount of your entire show budget to provide a quality soundtrack that your viewers will love.
And to achieve this you have already seen that this investment is not exactly a millionaire one, but quite the opposite. For a reasonable amount, you can get the best music licenses you can find on the Internet, thanks to Legis Music.
Each one of them in their own style, but both provide you with a wide and varied music library that will make the search for the perfect tune as easy as possible. 
Plus, you can pre-listen to each of the music tracks and sound effects to make sure that they are exactly what you are looking for.
So what are you waiting for to find that background music for your contest?
