Artlist vs. Epidemic Sound - 5 Things You NEED To Know
In the fast-paced world of YouTube and social media content creation, captivating visuals often take center stage—but without the right soundtrack, even the most stunning footage can fall flat. This is where the royalty-free music platforms Artlist.io and Epidemic Sound come into play.
Discount Link - Get 2 extra free months when you subscribe to any annual plan on Artlist.
What is Royalty-free Music?
Royalty-free music allows creators to use high-quality tracks without worrying about licensing fees or copyright strikes. For platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok—where audio plays a crucial role in engagement—avoiding copyright claims is critical. Not only can claims result in muted videos or blocked uploads, but they can also prevent creators from monetizing their content altogether.
This is why royalty-free music has become a non-negotiable investment for serious content creators. It provides peace of mind, elevates production value, and ensures compliance with platform guidelines. Among the top players in the royalty-free music world are Artlist.io and Epidemic Sound. Both platforms offer extensive libraries of professional-grade music and sound effects, but which one truly deserves your investment?
Artlist.io vs. Epidemic Sound Overview
In this post, we’ll dive deep into the key differences between Artlist.io and Epidemic Sound, exploring their features, pricing, and value for content creators. Whether you’re a YouTuber building your personal brand or a filmmaker crafting your next short masterpiece, we’ve got the insights to help you make an informed choice.
1. Artlist.io and Epidemic Sound Base Pricing
Price is always a primary concern for everyone, and it’s understandable why. You may already be aware that, at the time of creating this blog post, both Artlist and Epidemic Sound have personal plan subscriptions starting at $9.99 per month if billed annually. Considering the cost of licensing a single popular chart-topping song can sometimes cost well over $1,000, spending $120 a year for unlimited downloads is a pretty good deal.
On both platforms, you can pay monthly for a slightly higher monthly rate. On Artlist.io, you can pay $14.99 per month, and on Epidemic Sound, you can pay $17.99 per month. If price is your biggest concern, and you don't like yearly contracts, Artlist.io might have the upper hand.
At first glance, it might seem like there’s no major distinction between the two platforms regarding pricing. However, that all changes when we look at how the value provided by each platform varies significantly at that same price point.
Discount Link - Get 2 extra free months when you subscribe to any annual plan on Artlist.
2. Base Plan Value
Let's Start by exploring the similarities between the two platforms. With both, you can
• Monetize one channel per platform. So, one YouTube account, one Instagram account, on Facebook account, etc.
• Unlimited downloads - While they say unlimited downloads, both come with caveats - Artlist allows 40 songs or 100 SFX per day, while Epidemic Sound allows 300 downloads a week. Even if you create dozens of videos a week, these limits should be more than enough.
• Both are adding a wide range of new songs every day.
• Stems – Epidemic Sound includes stems for every song, whereas Artlist only includes stems for some songs) (Music stems are individual audio files that break down a song into its component parts)
What Are Music Stems and Why Are They Important?
Music stems are individual audio tracks that make up a song, separated by specific components such as vocals, drums, bass, guitar, or other instruments. Instead of accessing the full, mixed version of a song, stems allow you to work with its isolated elements. For example, you might download a track's vocal stem separately from its instrumental or drum stem.
This level of control is especially useful for content creators, video editors, and sound designers who need to tailor a track to fit the mood, pacing, or dynamics of their project. Here’s a closer look at how music stems are used and why they’re a game-changer:
How Music Stems Are Used
Customizing Audio for Video
Stems give creators the flexibility to adjust the music to complement their video. For instance, you can lower the volume of the drums to make a track feel softer or remove vocals entirely for a clean instrumental background.
Seamless Transitions
When editing, music transitions can be tricky, especially if a full track doesn’t match the length of your scene. With stems, you can easily loop or rearrange specific elements to create smooth transitions that feel intentional and polished.
Creative Storytelling
Using stems, creators can add or remove layers of music to evoke different emotions. For example, starting with a simple piano layer and gradually building to a full orchestral sound creates a dramatic storytelling arc.
Sound Effects Integration
If a video has complex sound effects, like explosions or voiceovers, stems let you mix and balance music with other audio elements without overwhelming the overall sound design.
3. Key Differences
Now that we've looked at the similarities in overall value, let’s explore the key differences. We'll start by looking at Artlist first.
According to Artlist's website -
Artlist.io
• Over 28,000 songs in their library of music
• Over 72,000 SFX
• Mobile Friendly Website (which is great if you want to download songs on the go).
According to Epidemic Sounds website -
Epidemic Sound
• Over 50,000 Music Tracks in their library of music
• Over 200,000 Sound Effects
• Mobile App (which is good if you’re a mobile-only creator)
• Extensions for Adobe and DaVinci Resolve
So, if you are a seasoned content creator, a professional video editor, or you're just starting out, you can’t go wrong with either of these platforms. Artlist has fewer songs and sounds but provides more flexibility as your creator career grows.
4. Upgraded Commercial Plans
The next tier for both Artlist and Epidemic Sound graduates from a personal plan to a commercial plan, and is just under $17 a month. Both allow you to monetize 3 channels per platform and add your songs to digital ads. But Artlist allows you also to use your songs for Broadcast and TV whereas Epidemic Sound doesn’t allow that until you pay for an Enterprise plan. If you are a small creator, that may not sound like a very big deal, but if you are planning to do any freelance work for clients, it could be very important.
We've been producing commercials and video projects for clients for over 10 years now, and some of those have been on TV. Using Artlist made it very easy for us to deliver those projects quickly and without legal issues for the client.
If you create a video for a client and they post it to their social media accounts, both Artlist and Epidemic Sound have mechanisms to clear the video and avoid copyright claims. On Artlist, this is referred to as their Clearlist, and on Epidemic Sound, it is called their Safelist. On both platforms, it is very easy to register the video. You simply upload the link, and their system does the rest.
In both cases, you need an active subscription to clear the videos, but once they are clear,d they are cleared for life. So, even if you cancel your membership, your video won't get a copyright claim. However, if you end your subscription before posting the video, even if you downloaded the song while your membership was active, you will get a copyright claim.
5. Extra Add Ons
Beyond the $17-a-month plan, Artlist has several more options, while Epidemic Sound only has one – the Enterprise Plan. There is no listed price for this plan, but it includes:
Epidemic Sound Enterprise Plan
• TV Broadcasting
• Offline Events
• Commercial Streaming and VOD
• Customized Deal Terms
Artlist, however, has several additional Add Ons or Upgrades, including:
Artlist.io Add Ons
• (AI text-to-speech) Over 30 voices in 15+ languages and accents
• Over 1M stock footage clips
• Over 5,000 Video Templates/LUTs
• 50+ plugins
• Extensions for Adobe, DaVinci Resolve, and Final Cut Pro
With Artlist Max, you get access to all of these tools for $40 a month. Which I think is a pretty fair price for what you get. If you wanted to add on stock footage, templates, and AI text-to-speech outside of Artlist, you could go to Storyblocks, starting at $15 a month, or Envato Elements for $16.50 a month. Bringing you to just over $30 a month. While Storyblocks and Envato Elements come with AI text-to-speech, I think there is a quality difference between them and Artlist.
Concluding Thoughts
When it comes to Artlist.io and Epidemic Sound, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Both platforms excel in providing high-quality, royalty-free music and sound effects, making them invaluable resources for content creators. The choice ultimately depends on your specific needs, budget, and creative goals.
If you’re looking for a straightforward, user-friendly platform with a vast selection of tracks and a focus on stems for greater customization, Epidemic Sound might be your go-to. Its extensive library, mobile app, and integrations with tools like Adobe and DaVinci Resolve make it ideal for creators who prioritize flexibility and seamless workflow integration.
On the other hand, Artlist.io shines with its versatility for creators who also work on commercial projects or require a broader range of creative assets. The inclusion of options like broadcast licensing, stock footage, and AI text-to-speech under the Artlist Max plan makes it a comprehensive solution for freelance professionals and agencies. The flexibility of Artlist’s Clearlist system also ensures that your work remains protected long after your subscription ends, a crucial feature for long-term project viability.
In the end, both platforms offer incredible value for their price points, particularly when compared to the cost of licensing individual tracks. Whether you’re a beginner content creator, a seasoned filmmaker, or a freelance professional, investing in royalty-free music from Artlist.io or Epidemic Sound can significantly enhance the quality of your projects while safeguarding you from copyright challenges. The key is to evaluate your workflow, content goals, and budget to decide which platform best supports your creative vision.
Are you looking to learn about other Royalty-free Music Sites? Check out this blog we wrote on the 5 Best Royalty-free Music Sites For Content Creators.
Discount Link - Get 2 extra free months when you subscribe to any annual plan on Artlist.
