Real recordings · Lifetime license · Music you can own
Waltz Music for Videos: Viennese, Classical and Wedding Waltzes
A waltz says elegance in three beats: a ball, a first dance, a perfume advert, a period drama. Most famous waltzes are classical and long out of copyright as compositions, but the recordings carry their own rights, and some of the best-known "classical" waltzes were written in the 20th century and are not free at all. Here you find waltz recordings for videos and adverts, from Strauss and Tchaikovsky to Alpine Ländler and wedding waltzes, licensed once for €29.90 per track, worldwide and with no expiry.
Curated by Paul Lorenz — composer, arranger & conductor · his Violin Concerto No. 2 recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios · Vienna State Opera
500M+ streams · Gold & Double Platinum · Instant download · Lifetime worldwide license
Waltz Music for Videos: Viennese, Classical and Wedding Waltzes: hand-picked & sync-ready
Listen, then license: €29.90 per track, one-time · worldwide, for life · instant WAV download
Strauss: Blue Danube, Donauwalzer Intro
Artyfile Orchestra
Tchaikovsky: Waltz Serenade for Strings
Artyfile Orchestra
Which waltz for which video?
- Ball, gala and New Year's greetings: Strauss: The Blue Danube (intro), Tchaikovsky: Waltz from the Serenade for Strings, Berlioz: Un bal.
- Luxury, perfume and fashion adverts: Chopin: Minute Waltz for lightness, Brahms: Waltz in A-flat for intimacy.
- Wedding videos and the first dance: Mein Hochzeits Walzer, the softer acoustic version, Zeit für einen Walzer.
- Alpine and rustic scenes: the Ländler, the country waltz: Kirchtag Landler, Waldviertler Landler, Schlofate Landler.
- Nostalgic and vintage edits: Zeit für einen Walzer (acoustic), Staade Landler.
More for weddings on music for wedding videos, more classical repertoire on classical music for videos, more Alpine dance music on German folk music.
Which famous waltzes are still protected?
The Strauss waltzes are public domain as compositions; some famous "classical" waltzes are not. Johann Strauss II died in 1899, so *The Blue Danube* or *Tales from the Vienna Woods* are free as compositions. But two of the most-used waltzes in film and advertising are 20th-century works: Shostakovich's "Waltz No. 2" (Shostakovich died in 1975) and Khachaturian's *Masquerade* waltz (Khachaturian died in 1978). Both are protected as compositions in the EU until 70 years after their composers' death, so they need a licence from the publisher as well as from the label.
And for every waltz, old or new, the recording has its own rights: the orchestra's and the label's rights in a New Year's Concert or a famous album recording are not public domain. That is what you license when you use a recording in a video.
How fast is a waltz?
Dance teachers count bars per minute. A Viennese waltz runs at about 58–60 bars a minute (around 175–180 beats), a slow (English) waltz at about 28–30 bars (around 85–90 beats). For a video, match the cut to the bar, not the beat: one cut every bar or every two bars gives the swaying feel; cutting on every beat looks hectic in 3/4.
What does the licence cover?
Your own videos and adverts with the music: YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, websites, wedding films for clients, cinema and TV spots, worldwide and forever, €29.90 once per track with a licence certificate. Playing a waltz at a ball or dancing to it at an event is a public performance the organiser settles with the collecting society (GEMA, AKM, PRS, ASCAP), separate from the video licence.
Artyfile registers its catalogue with YouTube Content ID, so a claim may appear on a YouTube video; it is not a copyright strike and the video stays online.
Why Artyfile
Real Musicians, Not AI
Played by professional musicians and recorded in real studios — real recordings, never AI-generated stock.
Fully Cleared
Sync & master rights managed directly by Artyfile, for life & worldwide. No extra GEMA fees, YouTube Content ID rules apply.
Beyond Licensing
With Limited Edition you own a share of the master and earn streaming & sync royalties.
Instant Download
Studio-grade 44.1 kHz WAV, the moment you buy. No subscription.
Frequently asked questions
Is The Blue Danube public domain?
The composition is: Johann Strauss II died in 1899. Recordings released since 1963 are protected in the EU, including the famous New Year's Concert recordings, so you need a licensed recording for a video, for example Artyfile's for €29.90 once.
Is Shostakovich's Waltz No. 2 public domain?
No. Shostakovich died in 1975, so the composition is protected in the EU until the end of 2045. Using it in a video needs a licence from the publisher and from the label of the recording.
What tempo is a Viennese waltz?
About 58–60 bars per minute, roughly 175–180 beats per minute. A slow (English) waltz runs at about 28–30 bars per minute.
Which waltz is good for a wedding video?
An elegant orchestral waltz such as Tchaikovsky's Waltz from the Serenade for Strings for the ceremony, or a warm accordion waltz such as Mein Hochzeits Walzer for the first dance and the party. Both are licensed once for €29.90 per track.
Can I use waltz music in an advert?
Yes. One Artyfile licence covers advertising on social media, websites, TV and cinema, worldwide and with no expiry, for €29.90 once per track.
Can I play the music at a ball?
Not under the video licence. Music played at a ball or event is a public performance, which the organiser settles with the collecting society (GEMA, AKM, PRS, ASCAP or BMI).