Using Free Japanese BGM Safely: An OpenTracks Guide for Streamers and VTubers

October 28, 2026 4 Min Read

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Last reviewed: October 28, 2026

Free background music sites are a staple of Japanese streaming, and the best known of them, formerly DOVA-SYNDROME, was renamed OpenTracks in September 2026 (see our report on the rename). “Free” does not mean “no rules,” however. This guide summarizes what OpenTracks’ own help pages say about using its tracks in streams and videos, so that new creators, including those outside Japan, know which questions to check before pressing play. It is a summary of the site’s published terms, not legal advice, and the terms can change, so always read the current license page.

A track from the OpenTracks official YouTube channel, shown as an example of the catalog’s style.

Step 1: Open the track page and read the composer’s conditions

Each track has its own detail page with a preview player and download button, as described in the site’s basic-usage guide. Composers can set their own conditions, and according to the license-usage page those conditions take precedence over the general rules. Adult content is also handled at the composer’s discretion. In practice, that means the track page, not only the site-wide terms, is part of your license.

Step 2: Check that your use is allowed

According to the site’s license-usage page, individuals and companies can use the tracks for commercial or non-commercial purposes, overseas users follow the same rules as users in Japan, and no usage fee applies. Credit is not required, although the site encourages it where possible. Allowed uses include apps and games, TV and commercial production, corporate settings and events, and livestreams on platforms such as Twitch, IRIAM and NicoNico where the music is background. Monetized videos are fine when the track is background to a larger work.

Step 3: Keep the music in the background

The rules draw a line between background and main content. Using a track as the main subject of a work, for example a video titled as music to work to or a web radio show that mainly introduces songs, is prohibited. The same logic applies to apps or products whose main purpose is just to play the music. A normal game stream or talk stream with music under it is the case the license is built for; a video whose only purpose is to play the track is the kind of use the rules aim to exclude.

Step 4: Do not register the tracks yourself

The prohibited-uses list includes registering the tracks or related works with copyright management organizations such as JASRAC, or in platform fingerprint databases such as YouTube’s Content ID. The YouTube usage page says that applying for rights to these tracks or to productions containing them is an infringement of the composer’s and users’ rights. This matters for creators who use automatic distribution or fingerprinting services for their own videos: make sure the music you downloaded is not included in anything you register. The site says it manages its own Content ID and does not claim videos that follow its license terms.

Step 5: Do not redistribute or alter the files

Music files cannot be redistributed or provided to others as materials, and distributing or selling the audio is prohibited whether or not it is for profit.
Edits cannot substantially change the original track.
The tracks cannot be used to train AI.
Embedding tracks in tools or platforms where end users create and distribute content requires prior approval.

Step 6: Be careful with covers, singing and performances

OpenTracks changed its terms on June 22, 2026 to end its earlier ban on instrumental performances and singing on social platforms such as YouTube and TikTok. The license-usage page says covers and remixes must add creative musical input, must be posted on user-upload services, and cannot be distributed to music streaming services. The prohibited-uses list still includes live or public performances of the tracks and publishing recordings of them, so if you plan a performance, read the current wording of both pages and ask the operator if it is unclear.

If you receive a claim on YouTube

The YouTube usage page tells creators to check the alerts in YouTube’s management screen and match the claim to one of six causes: a license or composer-terms violation; a claim by TRACKS Inc. for the site (repeated or serious violations may lead to a blacklist); a temporary claim by TRACKS Inc. (Publishing) during a rights-reclaiming process, which you may dispute; claims by overseas organizations that claim publishing rights without authorization, which you answer by filing an objection with YouTube; claims based on licensed sampling material, where you can contact the composer; and anything else, for which you use the site’s inquiry form with the video URL, the complainant and the rights owner. Requests that lack this information are not answered.

A short checklist

Is the track used as background, not as the main attraction?
Have I read the track page for the composer’s own conditions?
Have I avoided registering the music in Content ID, JASRAC or similar systems?
Am I keeping a note of the track name and the page I downloaded it from, in case of a dispute? (This last point is our suggestion, not a site requirement.)

FAQ

Do I have to credit the composer? Credit is not required according to the license-usage page, but it is encouraged.

Can I use the music on Twitch? The license-usage page lists livestreaming as background music on platforms such as Twitch, IRIAM and NicoNico as allowed.

Do overseas creators have different rules? No. The page says overseas users follow the same rules as users in Japan.

Related guides

Sources

Reviewed by WVR Inoue on October 28, 2026. See our editorial standards.

Thumbnail: たぬきちの冒険｜フリーBGM OpenTracks（旧DOVA-SYNDROME） OFFICIAL YouTube CHANNEL by OpenTracks (formerly DOVA-SYNDROME) on YouTube. Shown via YouTube; all rights belong to their owners.