Best GTA Music – That you can also legally use on YouTube

GTA has been a mainstay in gaming for a long time and continues to be popular thanks to GTA 5 and its online mode, with many creators focusing on multiplayer mode. Now it’s about to get even bigger. After it was leaked online, the official GTA 6 trailer 2 release date is expected to be in the coming weeks or even days. Fans speculate (or should we say hope…) that the game itself is set to be released in 2025. With that, we’re sure to see lots of new videos about GTA from fans and gaming creators in the next few years. Did you know you can use popular music from the GTA game soundtracks in YouTube videos without getting copyright claims? I’ll explain how in this article and share a list of the top tracks you can legally use!

Is GTA music copyrighted?

Yes, yes it is! As a general rule, all music is copyrighted (although you can learn more about the ins and outs of that here). HOWEVER, that doesn’t mean you can’t use it. As long as you obtain a license then you have legal permission to use it. Up until now it’s been difficult for anyone making video content to get a license, but that’s where Lickd comes in! We’ve made deals with record labels and music publishers to bring you music that you can license within just a few clicks and for as little as $22.99 per month! Because you deserve easier access to better music.

Why should you use music from GTA in your videos?

That’s simple. Videos with recognizable, mainstream music perform much better than those with just royalty-free music.

Using mainstream (copyrighted) music has shown an average increase of 14% more views, 12% more likes, and 6% more comments – with gaming videos in particular increasing views by 100% – that’s doubling the number of views just by using more recognizable music!! This helps drive your video higher in the algorithm, and in turn helps your videos reach newer audiences.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Now imagine how much more your audience might enjoy your video and engage with it if you use a recognizable track from GTA in video content about the game itself.

It would even be great for any other gaming or vehicle content. Naturally, the music from GTA is listened to by many while driving around from mission to mission via the in-game radio, but they’re also great driving songs in real life.

It doesn’t even have to be the most recent GTA V music, you could take inspo from GTA IV or GTA San Adreas’ music selection as instead. Picking songs from older games can help increase the nostalgia value for your viewers, which may also increase engagement.

Music has a magical way of helping us connect with others, so by using songs your viewers already love, you’re way more likely to get a positive reaction from them. You’ve probably already experienced this effect on TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts, so you should have the freedom to do the same in long-form YouTube videos too.

Best GTA Music for YouTube

Without further ado, here’s a rundown of some of the best music from GTA that you can also legally use on YouTube (with a license from Lickd). You can also skip straight to the full playlist here to see everything that’s available and play each track.

 

1. West End Girls – Pet Shop Boys

Released in 1984, West End Girls is a synth-pop song by the Pet Shop Boys. The song has won best single at the Brit Awards, song of the decade at the Ivor Novello Awards, and continues to get acclaim years after its initial release. It was even used in the closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics. This is arguably one of the biggest songs from GTA V and was featured in the radio station: Stop Pop FM.

 

2. Blue Monday by New Order

Originally released in 1983, the single made the top 10 in multiple countries and has sold over a million copies in all formats including the releases. The song is primarily instrumental with Techno and Synthpop influences within the song. Within GTA: Vice City Stories, you could find the song get featured in the radio station: Wave 103.

 

 

3. Run to the Hills by Iron Maiden

Released in 1982, a year before Blue Monday, was their first song with Bruce Dickinson as vocalist and has been re-released multiple times since. It is one of Iron Maidens most popular songs of all time, and is considered by Rolling Stone as one of the greatest heavy metal songs of all time.  The song itself has also been featured in multiple games including SSX on Tour, Rock Band but also GTA IV: The Lost and Damned.

 

4. A Horse with No Name by America

An American folk rock song originally released in 1971 in Europe and early 1972 in the US making it the oldest song of the list. It reached number 3 in the UK singles chart and topped the charts in the US, Canada and Finland. The song was banned by some radio stations due to drug references, the song still managed to ascend the charts.
The song could be found within GTA: San Andreas and was featured in the radio station: K-DST.

 

5. Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood

The New Wave Band Frankie Goes to Hollywood, released Relax in 1983 and had what could be considered a slow start, taking several months to crack the top 40 in the charts. At this point, momentum was truly in its favor, reaching number one near the end of January 1984. The song eventually went on to win Best British Single of 1984 and is considered the biggest-selling debut single of all time. The song could be found in GTA: Vice City Stories and was also featured in the radio station: Wave 103 (alongside Blue Monday).

If you want to use music from GTA in your video content, be sure to sign up for Lickd and check out the full Sounds of GTA playlist. 

 

There’s also some GTA-inspired stock music if you want to create the same feeling for less! (All stock music is included unlimited with any Lickd subscription!)