How to license Green Day’s music for YouTube Videos (With No Copyright Claim Stress)

Call us one of those melodramatic fools but despite their glittering career stretching back over four decades, Green Day’s politically-charged Californian punk rock has never felt more vital and relevant. 

With 75 million albums shifted, a shelf full of Grammys, and a greatest hits collection that’s been ever-present in the UK album charts for over 300 weeks (300 weeks!), Green Day is clearly one of the biggest rock bands on the planet. 

Obviously, then, the chance of creators like you being able to license Green Day’s music for your YouTube videos is about 2000 light years away, yeah? Nah. 

Sign up to Lickd and you’ll have access to dozens of Green Day tracks, including songs from their albums Dookie, American Idiot and Nimrod, all with complete protection from copyright claims as standard.

How much it costs depends on the average view count for vids on your channel, making it affordable even if you’re just beginning your creator journey. Calculate your pricing here.

Why license punk rock music like Green Day? Because better music matters. Creators who use Lickd to feature popular songs in their videos have higher engagement metrics, including longer watch time, more likes, and more shares.

 

Is Green Day’s music royalty-free when you license it from Lickd?

Here’s the thing: royalty-free usage of music by popular bands like Green Day just, well, it just isn’t a thing. Everybody’s gotta get paid.

But hold on a sec. When you use Lickd to buy a license for a track to feature in one of your videos, it IS effectively royalty free for you. Pay once and you’ve paid Green Day all you ever need to for using it. 

As to those dreaded copyright claims, Lickd totally has your back. Our licences mean that you’re protected from copyright claims forever, even if you leave Lickd. We’ve built a piece of smart software called VOUCH, which is your copyright guardian angel, and there’s always someone from our Support team here to help you if you need it.

How popular is Green Day with creators?

Stat attack: Green Day is Lickd’s sixth most licensed artist, with 292 YouTube channels featuring their songs in 273 videos (and counting), collectively amassing around 20 million views with over 700k engagements. 

Some creator videos featuring Green Day are these from Manuel Boza, Joe Fazer, Laugh Over Life and Brandon, while other channels using Green Day tracks licensed through Lickd include Kieran Brown, Sailing Doodles, The Tren Twins, Tom Pemberton Farm Life and Sickos.

We particularly like the use of Basket Case in the below video from petrol-head creators The Backspeed Boys (509K subscribers). The channel is absolutely obsessed with buying very cheap and very worn out – but still high-powered – BMWs and Mercedes and fixing them up in a limited time period. This vid is no different. Basket cases? You betcha.  

Have a watch and listen to see how the music really enhances this section of the video…

Our top 5 Green Day tracks for content creators

With their energetic punk-rock sound and timeless hits, Green Day offers tracks that inspire action and evoke powerful emotions. Here are five of their iconic songs that you can license for your videos and make your content unforgettable.

Basket Case

Packed with raw emotion and infectious energy, Basket Case captures the angst of self-reflection with its dynamic guitar riffs and bold lyrics. Perfect for introspective or rebellious content that demands an edge.

American Idiot

This politically charged anthem delivers a punchy, defiant sound with its driving rhythm and sharp critique. Ideal for videos with a bold message or high-energy sequences.

 

Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)

A timeless acoustic ballad, Time of Your Life is reflective and heartfelt, making it a versatile choice for meaningful moments, from farewell montages to personal storytelling.

 

Holiday / Boulevard of Broken Dreams

With its somber tone and reflective lyrics, this track encapsulates loneliness and hope. Great for dramatic or inspiring content that explores the journey of self-discovery.

 

The American Dream Is Killing Me

Gritty and impactful, this newer track blends a classic Green Day edge with fresh social commentary. Perfect for content that calls attention to modern challenges or delivers a call to action

 

Green Day bio

Green Day started life under the name Blood Rage in 1987 in Rodeo, California (pop. not very many). Initially a four-piece, 15 year old guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, fellow guitarist Mike Dirnt, bassist Sean Hughes and drummer Raj Punjabi quickly changed the band’s name to Sweet Children, playing gigs locally. In 1988, following the departure of Hughes and Punjabi and arrival of John Kiffmeyer, they signed to a record label and became Green Day. 

The name refers to the slang for spending the day doing zip but smoking reefers, and that perhaps puts you in mind of 90s slacker rock propagated by the likes of Pavement. But as we know, Green Day is all about the punk rock riffs and agitated vocals. 

Into the 1990s and with a new drummer, Tré Cool, holding the sticks, the band began enjoying underground success with their second studio album, Kerplunk. But it was to be their next album, 1994’s Dookie and its anthemic song Basket Case, that propelled them into the rock stratosphere. 

The following 10 years after Dookie’s release saw a further five studio albums, world tours aplenty, and more gongs than a Buddhist yoga retreat, including Grammys for Dookie and American Idiot. Indeed, it’s difficult to argue that, with age-proof hits like American Idiot, Boulevard of Broken Dreams and Time of Your Life, this was the pinnacle of the band’s popularity. 

Nonetheless, they’re still here, still making bold, relevant music like that on 2024’s Saviours, and still retaining a legion of die-hard fans. Speaking of which, here’s a fun Green Day / Lickd Fact: Mark, Lickd’s Marketing and Partnerships Director, has been to see GreenDay in concert more than 15 times. The first gig was at Barrowlands in Glasgow on October 20th 1994 (yes, he is very old).

Finding Green Day a little off-color? You may also like…

1. The Offspring

Emerging from California’s punk scene in 1984, The Offspring delivers energetic skate punk rock anthems. Their breakthrough album, Smash, became a defining record of the 90s punk revival. While sharing Green Day’s punk roots, The Offspring often incorporates a more hard-edged sound.

Top The Offspring Tracks on Lickd: The Kids Aren’t Alright, You’re Gonna Go Far Kid, Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)

2. Linkin Park

Fusing nu-metal and alternative rock, Linkin Park gained massive success with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which earned them multiple awards. Their music blends heavy guitar riffs with electronic elements and rap vocals, offering a more modern and experimental take compared to Green Day’s traditional punk rock.

Top Linkin Park tracks on Lickd: Numb, In The End, The Emptiness Machine

3. Twenty One Pilots

Known for their eclectic mix of alternative hip-hop, pop, and rock, Twenty One Pilots achieved widespread acclaim with Blurryface, featuring hits like “Stressed Out.” Their genre-blending style and introspective lyrics provide a fresh contrast to Green Day’s straightforward punk approach.

Top Twenty One Pilots tracks on Lickd: Stressed Out, Ride, Heathens