Audio Network is a global production music company founded in 2001 in London, offering a catalog of 308,000+ pre-cleared tracks for television, film, advertising, and digital media. The company owns 100% of its music rights and operates from 16 offices worldwide including London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Munich, and Sydney.
How Audio Network Works
Audio Network creates, curates, and licenses original production music. Because they own their entire catalog outright, they can offer simplified licensing that includes both sync and master rights in a single agreement.
Their licensing options include:
- Per-use: Clears a single video or episode, priced per track. Advertising licenses include cutdowns.
- Per-project: Covers multiple videos and tracks at a price tailored to the project. Ideal for ad campaigns or a full TV series.
- Unlimited subscription: One annual license covering a full year of content for an entire team, with optional sound effects add-on. This is their most popular option.
Every track is cleared for worldwide use in perpetuity. Licenses include full copyright indemnification, protecting clients against any rights claims. Audio Network also provides complimentary music searches and listening sessions through their team of music consultants.
Their composer roster includes award-winning names like Lorne Balfe, Debbie Wiseman, and Mark Petrie. Recording sessions take place at world-class studios including Abbey Road Studios, Air Studios, and School Farm Studios, with session musicians contracted through Isobel Griffiths Ltd.
As the official music partner of the Edinburgh TV Festival 2025, Audio Network maintains deep ties to the UK television production community.
Real-World Example
A UK production company producing a 6-episode documentary series for BBC needs background music for each episode. They license an Audio Network unlimited subscription at approximately $3,500 to $5,000 per year (rates vary by region and team size). This covers all 6 episodes plus any other projects they produce during the year. Each episode uses 8 to 12 tracks. Without a subscription, per-use licensing at $200 to $500 per track would cost $9,600 to $36,000 for the series alone. The subscription saves the production company between $6,100 and $31,000.
For composers, Audio Network offers a different model than royalty-free platforms. They invest in recording sessions at premium studios and pay composers upfront for their work. Composers also earn performance royalties when their music airs on television, collected through their PRO. The company retains ownership of the recordings but composers maintain their writer's share of performance royalties.
Why It Matters for Independent Artists
Audio Network is selective about which composers they work with, but getting accepted means access to professional recording budgets and global broadcast placements. Here is what independent composers should know:
- Submit demos through their website for A&R review
- Your tracks need broadcast-ready production quality
- Versatility across genres and moods increases your chances
- They prefer composers who can deliver full albums, not just individual tracks
- Stems, alternate mixes, and cutdowns are expected for every delivery
The upfront payment model means you get paid immediately for your work, rather than waiting for per-stream royalties to accumulate. When your music airs on BBC, ITV, or other broadcasters, you also earn performance royalties through your PRO. Read our guide on how to get your first sync license to learn how to position your catalog for companies like Audio Network.
Company Overview
Audio Network is a production music library, not a royalty-free platform or sync placement agency. The company creates, owns, and licenses its own music catalog. It owns 100% of the rights to every track in its library. This ownership model lets Audio Network offer simplified licensing that bundles sync and master rights in a single agreement.
The company was founded in 2001 in London. It operates from 16 offices worldwide including London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Munich, and Sydney. Audio Network employs approximately 175 people and reported annual revenue of approximately GBP 29 million. The company is a subsidiary of Entertainment One Ltd.
Audio Network does not use generative AI to produce music. All tracks are human-crafted. The company has stated this position publicly as a deliberate business strategy.
Licensing Model
Audio Network offers three licensing structures:
- Per-use: Clears a single video or episode. Priced per track. Advertising licenses include cutdowns.
- Per-project: Covers multiple videos and tracks at a price tailored to the project. Suited for ad campaigns or full TV series.
- Unlimited subscription: One annual license covering a full year of content for an entire team. Optional sound effects add-on. This is their most popular option.
Every track is cleared for worldwide use in perpetuity. Licenses include full copyright indemnification. Audio Network also provides complimentary music searches and listening sessions through their team of music consultants.
Catalog Size and Genre Coverage
Audio Network's catalog contains over 308,000 pre-cleared tracks. Genres include orchestral, classical, electronic, rock, pop, hip-hop, ambient, and world music. The company records at studios including Abbey Road Studios, Air Studios, and School Farm Studios. Session musicians are contracted through Isobel Griffiths Ltd.
Their composer roster includes award-winning names like Lorne Balfe, Debbie Wiseman, and Mark Petrie. In 2024, Audio Network partnered with Audiomachine to add Hollywood trailer music to its catalog for branded content use.
Clients
Audio Network's clients include:
- TV networks: BBC, ITV, Channel 4, UK TV networks, European broadcasters
- Production companies: Endemol, NBC, MTV
- Brands and agencies: Global brands and advertising agencies across 16 regions
- YouTube creators: Individual creators and channels including Vice, Buzzfeed, and Zoella
- Gaming: Game studios licensing music for game soundtracks
Audio Network serves as the official music partner of the Edinburgh TV Festival 2025.
How Audio Network Pays Artists
Audio Network uses two payment models for composers:
- Buyout deals: Audio Network pays a one-off fee per track (typically GBP 200 to GBP 1,500 depending on genre, complexity, and composer standing). The company acquires the rights. The composer retains PRS broadcast royalties through standard PRO membership.
- Royalty deals: Audio Network acquires rights but pays the composer a percentage of license fee income (typically 40 to 60 percent of net licensing revenue from the track). The composer also retains PRO broadcast royalties.
In both models, Audio Network pays the production costs including studio time, session musicians, and engineering. Composers earn performance royalties separately when their music airs on television. These royalties are collected through the composer's PRO (such as PRS for Music in the UK or ASCAP in the US).
Audio Network also provides publishing administration services. Their Royalty Tracking team checks cue sheets, analyzes distribution data, and uses Music Recognition Technology to identify usage and maximize royalty collections for composers.
Videos
The video below features Audio Network co-founder and chairman Andrew Sunnucks discussing the company's approach to building recording studios, including School Farm Studios, and their philosophy around music production quality.
Below is an example of Audio Network's trailer music. Composer Mark Petrie's track "Torsion" from the album "Maximum Impact: Big Sky" demonstrates the cinematic, hybrid orchestral style Audio Network produces for film and TV trailers.
Comparison: Audio Network vs Other Sync Licensing Companies
| Feature | Audio Network | PremiumBeat | Musicbed | Epidemic Sound |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company type | Production music library | Royalty-free platform | Curated licensing platform | Royalty-free platform |
| Catalog size | 308,000+ tracks | 40,000+ tracks | 70,000+ tracks | 55,000+ tracks |
| Ownership model | Owns 100% of catalog | Exclusive publisher for accepted tracks | Rights-managed, artists retain ownership | Buyout, acquires all rights |
| Licensing model | Per-use, per-project, subscription | Per-track and subscription | Subscription and single-song | Subscription only |
| Artist payment | Upfront fee (GBP 200 to GBP 1,500) or 40 to 60% royalty share + PRO royalties | Upfront fee (~$600 per track) + PRO royalties | ~50/50 split on sync fees + PRO royalties | Upfront fee ($2,000 to $8,000) + 50/50 streaming split |
| PRO affiliation | Yes, composers retain writer's share | Yes, composers retain PRO rights | Yes, artists retain PRO rights | No, direct license |
| Starting price | Per-use from ~$200/track | $49.99 per track | $29.99/month | $17.99/month |
| Broadcast coverage | Included in per-use and subscription | Premium and Business licenses | Enterprise plan only | Not included in standard plans |
| Free trial | No | No | 14-day free trial | 30-day free trial |
| AI music policy | No generative AI | Not stated | Not stated | Uses AI for search and recommendations |
Similar Sync Licensing Companies
- PremiumBeat - Royalty-free platform owned by Shutterstock, 40,000+ tracks
- Musicbed - Curated rights-managed platform, 70,000+ tracks
- Epidemic Sound - Subscription-based royalty-free platform with buyout model
- Audiomachine - Hollywood trailer music library, Audio Network's 2024 partner
- BMG Production Music - Major production music publisher
- Extreme Music - Production music library owned by Sony Music Publishing
Related Resources
- Sync Licensing Companies vs Music Libraries - Understand where Audio Network fits in the licensing ecosystem
- Creating Music for Sync Licensing - Production techniques for broadcast-ready tracks
- Sync Licensing Fee Calculator - Estimate licensing fees for your projects
- Sync License Glossary Definition - Learn the legal framework behind sync licensing
- Official Website - Browse their catalog and licensing options
