Audiomachine

Audiomachine is a production music library founded in 2005 in Los Angeles by composers Paul Dinletir and Kevin Rix. The company specializes in epic orchestral, cinematic, and trailer music. Its catalog has appeared in trailers for Avatar, Dune, Avengers: Endgame, The Hunger Games, Frozen, The Lion King (2019), Black Panther, and hundreds of other major film and gaming campaigns. Audiomachine is best suited for music supervisors and trailer editors who need high-impact, emotionally driven orchestral and hybrid music for premium campaigns.

How Audiomachine Works

Audiomachine operates as a specialized boutique library focused on the premium end of trailer and cinematic music. Unlike institutional production libraries that maintain catalogs of 100,000+ tracks across every genre, Audiomachine maintains a focused catalog of high-end orchestral and hybrid cues written specifically for trailer, advertising, and promotional use.

The company serves two markets:

1. Sync and trailer licensing: Music supervisors, trailer editors, and ad agencies license tracks for film trailers, TV promos, advertising campaigns, and video game trailers. Licensing is handled through their website or direct contact. Fees scale based on usage scope, territory, campaign budget, and media type.
2. Commercial releases: Audiomachine releases public albums on streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. Albums include "Chronicles" (2010), "Monolith" (2013), "Treehouse" (2016), "Origin" (2018), "Parallax" (2020), and "Eon" (2023). These releases have generated significant streaming numbers, building a public audience for their music beyond the sync industry.

The catalog is written primarily by founders Paul Dinletir and Kevin Rix, with contributions from a small group of additional composers. This keeps quality control tight and ensures a consistent sound across the catalog. The music is produced with live orchestral recordings and high-end sample libraries, giving it the scale and polish needed for major campaign use.

Real-World Example

A trailer house is cutting a teaser for a major studio sci-fi film. They need a 2-minute cue that starts with atmospheric tension, builds through a mid-section with driving percussion, and culminates in a full orchestral and choir climax with a massive final hit. The editor searches the Audiomachine catalog, finds a track from the "Parallax" album that matches the emotional arc, and licenses it for the teaser and TV spot campaign.

The sync fee for a major studio trailer placement typically ranges from $5,000 to $20,000 depending on the film's budget, the number of media channels (theatrical trailer, TV spots, online), and the length of the campaign. For a global advertising campaign using Audiomachine music, fees can reach $50,000 or more.

Compare this to licensing from a general production library, where the same placement might cost $500 to $2,000. The premium reflects Audiomachine's production quality, brand recognition among trailer editors, and the fact that their music is purpose-built for trailer structure (with clear build sections, hit points, and edit-friendly arrangement).

Use our sync licensing fee calculator to estimate potential sync fees for different media types.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

Audiomachine is not an open platform for independent composers. The company does not accept submissions or sign outside writers. However, understanding how the company operates provides several lessons for independent artists targeting the trailer music space:

• Specialization wins: Audiomachine built its reputation by focusing exclusively on epic cinematic and trailer music. They did not try to cover every genre. Independent composers should consider specializing in a niche (trailer music, sports tension cues, reality TV underscore) rather than trying to write everything.
• Live orchestration elevates production quality: Audiomachine uses live orchestral recordings alongside sample libraries. If you are targeting premium trailer placements, investing in live recordings (even small string or brass sections) can differentiate your music from purely sample-based productions.
• Commercial albums build brand value: Like Two Steps from Hell, Audiomachine releases public albums that generate streaming revenue and build fan recognition. This dual model (sync licensing plus commercial releases) creates multiple revenue streams and increases brand visibility.
• Trailer structure is a specific skill: Trailer music follows a different structural logic than regular songs or production cues. Study Audiomachine's track structures to understand the three-act build (setup, escalation, climax) that trailer editors need. Read our guide on creating music for sync licensing for production techniques.

If you are an independent composer targeting trailer placements, start with libraries that accept open submissions. Read our guide on how to get your first sync license and our comparison of sync licensing companies vs music libraries.

Platform Features

• Composer-owned and operated: Music written primarily by founders Paul Dinletir and Kevin Rix
• Focused catalog: Specialized in epic orchestral, cinematic, and trailer music
• Live orchestral recordings: Combines live players with high-end sample libraries
• Dual market model: B2B sync licensing alongside public commercial album releases
• Streaming presence: Albums available on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music
• Trailer-specialized structure: Tracks designed with three-act build, hit points, and edit-friendly arrangement

Potential Drawbacks / Things to Consider

• No open submissions: Audiomachine does not accept outside demos or sign new writers. The catalog is written by its founders and a small internal team.
• Premium pricing: Licensing fees for major campaigns are higher than mid-tier or royalty-free libraries. For lower-budget productions, their music may be cost-prohibitive.
• Narrow genre focus: The catalog is heavily focused on epic orchestral and cinematic music. If your project needs pop, hip-hop, ambient, or electronic music, this is not the right library.
• Public availability may reduce exclusivity appeal: Because their music is available on streaming platforms, audiences may recognize tracks. Some supervisors prefer less recognizable music for productions where the music should not draw attention to itself.
• Small composer roster: The limited number of writers means less stylistic variety within the catalog compared to larger libraries with dozens of contributing composers.

Company Type

Audiomachine is a specialized production music library focused on epic orchestral, cinematic, and trailer music. It is not a royalty-free marketplace, a general production library, or a sync placement agency. The company is composer-owned and operated. Music is written primarily by founders Paul Dinletir and Kevin Rix, along with a small team of contributing composers including Harry Lightfoot, Mark Petrie, and Ivan Torrent. The company does not accept outside submissions or sign new writers.

Audiomachine serves two distinct markets: B2B sync licensing for film trailers, TV promos, advertising campaigns, and video game trailers, and commercial album releases on streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music).

Licensing Model

Audiomachine uses direct per-use licensing. There is no subscription tier, no self-serve checkout, and no blanket license option for individual creators. All licensing is handled through direct contact or their website inquiry form.

• Trailer and sync licensing: Fees are negotiated per placement based on media type (theatrical trailer, TV spots, online, advertising), territory, campaign length, and the film or product's budget. A major studio trailer placement typically ranges from $5,000 to $20,000. Global advertising campaigns can reach $50,000 or more.
• Custom scoring: Audiomachine produces custom tracks for specific campaigns. The company created a custom rendition of Pearl Jam's "Future Days" for The Last of Us Season 2 teaser, and a customized version of Steve Miller Band's "Take the Money and Run" for The Instigators trailer. Custom scoring budgets vary by project scope.
• Commercial album releases: Public albums are available on streaming platforms and digital retailers. These generate standard streaming royalties but do not include sync rights. Streaming the music does not grant you a license to use it in productions.

Catalog Size and Genre Coverage

Audiomachine maintains a focused catalog rather than a mass-market library. The catalog is concentrated in:

• Epic orchestral
• Trailer music (with three-act build structure: setup, escalation, climax)
• Hybrid orchestral (orchestral plus electronic elements)
• Action and tension cues
• Emotional drama
• World music

Public album releases include Chronicles (2010), Monolith (2013), Treehouse (2016), Origin (2018), Parallax (2020), Eon (2023), and Volturnus (2018). The catalog does not cover pop, hip-hop, ambient, electronic dance, or folk genres. If your project needs music outside the epic cinematic range, Audiomachine is not the right library.

Clients

Audiomachine's clients are professional media producers at the premium end of the market:

• Major film studios: Trailer placements for films including Avatar, Dune, Avengers: Endgame, The Hunger Games, Frozen, The Lion King (2019), Black Panther, and Black Widow
• TV networks: Promotional music for television series including The Last of Us Season 2 (HBO)
• Video game publishers: Trailer music for game campaigns
• Global advertising agencies: Music for premium brand campaigns including Better Man (Robbie Williams biopic) and Paddington in Peru
• Trailer houses: Specialized editing companies that cut film trailers for studios
• Streaming platforms: Disney+ series trailers including a Jedi Master series teaser

How Audiomachine Pays Artists

Audiomachine is composer-owned. The payment structure differs from open-submission libraries:

• Founders and internal composers: Paul Dinletir, Kevin Rix, and the internal team own equity in the company and earn directly from sync licensing revenue and commercial album streaming revenue.
• Contributing composers: External composers like Harry Lightfoot, Mark Petrie, and Ivan Torrent are paid through negotiated agreements. These may include upfront fees per track, revenue splits from sync placements, and shares of streaming revenue from commercial album releases.
• No open submission payouts: Audiomachine does not accept unsolicited demos. There is no pathway for independent composers to submit music and earn through the platform.
• PRO royalties: Tracks used in broadcast media generate performance royalties collected by PROs. These are paid to composers and publishers through their PRO registration, separate from sync fees.
• Streaming revenue: Commercial album releases on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music generate standard streaming royalties. These are distributed through the composer's label or distributor agreement.

Comparison: Audiomachine vs Other Trailer and Cinematic Music Libraries

Demo and Music Videos

Audiomachine's "Breath and Life" from the Chronicles album, one of their most streamed tracks with over 360,000 views on YouTube:

"We Are Gods" by composer Harry Lightfoot, featured in the final trailer for Marvel's Black Widow. The track has over 2.6 million views on YouTube:

Similar Sync Licensing Companies

• Two Steps from Hell - Comparable composer-owned epic trailer music library founded by Thomas Bergersen and Nick Phoenix
• Immediate Music - Trailer music library with similar premium cinematic focus
• APM Music - Large aggregator that includes cinematic libraries among 300+ catalogs
• Position Music - Production music and custom scoring for film and advertising
• Extreme Music - Sony-owned production music with cinematic catalog divisions

Related Resources

• Sync Licensing Companies Directory - Browse more sync licensing companies
• Sync Licensing Fee Calculator - Estimate licensing fees for your projects
• Creating Music for Sync Licensing - Production techniques for sync-ready tracks
• How to Get Your First Sync License - Step-by-step guide for independent artists
• Sync Licensing Companies vs Music Libraries - Understanding different licensing models
• Visit Audiomachine for catalog, licensing inquiries, and album store