It’s funny how some music genres and pop culture trends can be so popular for certain demographics, yet completely unknown to others. One of the latest examples of this comes with the rise of K-pop across the globe, which has a huge appeal to younger generations.
While it may have started as a regional music genre, K-pop has become a global phenomenon, spreading into film, television, and the music of other pop musicians and artists. But what is K-pop music? And, more importantly, how can you use elements of this popular genre in your own videos and projects?
Let’s look at the rise of K-pop music and how its fast growth in popularity (particularly in the United States) is making it a trend that brands and creators need to follow and stay in touch with.
What is K-pop music?
As far as simple definitions go, K-pop is an abbreviation of the phrase “Korean Popular Music,” which is, itself, an offshoot of J-pop, the Japanese equivalent. The term K-pop was first used in Billboard magazine in the fall of 1999 and quickly became the dominant genre in the region over the 2000s.
Characterized by a heavy influence from Western pop, K-pop music incorporates elements of dance, R&B, hip-hop, and rock. K-pop stars are often teen idol acts, namely boy bands and girl groups, who emphasize both music and live dance-heavy performances.
K-pop music has spread across the globe over the past decades, with songs and groups topping charts in diverse markets, cementing itself as a new music genre that can appeal to audiences everywhere.
An introduction to K-pop music
If you’re diving into K-pop music for the first time, you might want to buckle up as the music, while quite catchy and melodic, can also be overwhelming. Some of the biggest K-pop groups today are BLACKPINK and BTS. The top performers are among the biggest stars in the world, with international fan clubs and die-hard followers.
Alongside the music itself, K-pop fan culture extends far beyond the concerts and album sales and into fashion and industries. The social media channels for many K-pop artists (and even fan accounts) have millions of followers and are major economic players and brands, themselves.
KPop Demon Hunters
A recent example of K-pop’s world takeover is the breakout success of the American animated musical film KPop Demon Hunters, which has introduced K-pop music to a whole new audience and generation.
Directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans from a screenplay they co-wrote with Danya Jimenez and Hannah McMechan, KPop Demon Hunters premiered on Netflix earlier this summer and has gone on to become the most-watched original title in Netflix history with 325 million views.
The film had a limited theatrical sing-along release, and its soundtrack featured four songs on the Billboard Hot 100, a first for a film soundtrack. And HUNTR/X, the group leading the film, was the first all-women group of three or more members to top the Hot 100 in 24 years, when Destiny's Child topped the charts in 2001.
Best K-pop-sounding royalty free music
Now, if you’re looking to learn from and possibly use elements of K-pop music in your films, videos, and other commercial projects, it might be kind of tricky. As you’d expect, the biggest K-pop artists are massive stars, so using their music in your projects is going to require significant licensing fees.
However, luckily for you, much of K-pop music shares elements with other contemporary pop styles. If you’d like the next best thing, we have some top options for K-pop-sounding royalty-free music that could bring many of the same vibes to your projects.
1. K-Whut? by Anthony Catacoli
- Description: A high-energy, electronic song that is best described as happy. Synth and bass are the primary instruments in this track.
- BPM: 120
- Key: Db/C# Minor
- Listen and license here
- Description: A low-energy, pop song that is best described as happy and fun. Synth and horns are the primary instruments in this track.
- BPM: 150
- Key: C Minor
- Listen and license here
- Description: A medium-energy, electronic song that is best described as hopeful and happy. Synth and bass are the primary instruments in this track.
- BPM: 108
- Key: D Major
- Listen and license here
4. Someone Like You by Matt Wigton
- Description: A high-energy, electronic song that is best described as happy and fun. Synth and bass are the primary instruments in this track.
- BPM: 134
- Key: Eb/D# Minor
- Listen and license here
- Description: A medium-energy electronic song that is best described as chill and happy. Bass and synth bass are the primary instruments in this track.
- BPM: 126
- Key: B Minor
- Listen and license here
6. Will You Dance With Me? by Neon Beach
- Description: A medium-energy, electronic song that is best described as happy and fun. Synth and bass are the primary instruments in this track.
- BPM: 116
- Key: A Minor
- Listen and license here
7. Get On My Level by Scarlett Solo
- Description: A medium-energy, pop song that is best described as inspiring and happy. Bass and bass guitar are the primary instruments in this track.
- BPM: 129
- Key: Eb/D# Minor
- Listen and license here
8. Heart On Replay by Strength To Last
- Description: A medium-energy, electronic song that is best described as happy and fun. Synth and bass are the primary instruments in this track.
- BPM: 145
- Key: C Major
- Listen and license here
9. Good Tonight by Cira Grandi
- Description: A medium-energy, electronic song that is best described as happy and fun. Synth and bass are the primary instruments in this track.
- BPM: 120
- Key: C Major
- Listen and license here
- Description: A high energy, electronic song that is best described as hopeful and happy. Synth and bass are the primary instruments in this track.
- BPM: 122
- Key: G Minor
- Listen and license here
The other best way to find royalty free music that sounds like K-pop is to let Soundstripe’s AI search assistant, Supe, help you out.
Supe is a brand-new AI search assistant that reimagines music search as a dynamic, back-and-forth interaction. So, instead of entering a single search prompt and scrolling through static results, users can collaborate with an intelligent assistant that understands natural language and cultural references, reacts to feedback, and guides them toward the perfect track. So, you can start your search by telling Supe, "I'm looking for KPop Demon Hunter vibes for my social ad," and get real-time results.
You can learn more about Supe and get started with its AI-assisted search for your K-pop-sounding royalty-free music tracks now.
What is royalty free music?
We should also briefly go over a few of the terms that we’ve discussed so far, which might be a bit confusing if you aren’t familiar with them. Let’s specifically look at what the term “royalty free” means regarding music licensing for your projects. Here’s a great read on what royalty free music means.
To understand how music rights and royalties work, you must know that all music has basic copyrights. These copyrights extend to both the composer of the music and the musicians who recorded it. And if you want to use any music in any videos, you’ll need to obtain permission from the copyright owners.
Royalty free music can be an excellent option for all your projects simply because it’s easy to find and use. Soundstripe’s music is composed and recorded by Grammy-winning artists who know how to make great music for all types of films and video content.
Tips for using K-pop-sounding music in your videos
As mentioned above, using actual songs from the most prominent K-pop artists is a tall task. However, if you’re simply looking to harness elements of similar-sounding pop music, here are some helpful tricks to keep in mind when working with these royalty free music tracks.
- Consider downloading preview tracks to use as placeholders in your edits before deciding if a track is right for your project.
- Discover our extensive library of royalty free sound effects to enhance your videos with added emphasis.
- Try out Soundstripe’s AI Song Editor to instantly edit your audio track to match the length of your videos.
At the end of the day, K-pop is becoming a major global phenomenon because it’s great music that resonates with audiences across the globe. If you can find inspiration and perhaps some new artists to follow, it can be a great genre to explore both for your projects and simply for yourself.
