Epidemic Sound

Epidemic Sound is a Stockholm-based music and sound effects licensing platform founded in 2009 that owns 100% of the intellectual property rights to its catalog of over 55,000 tracks and 250,000 sound effects. The platform soundtracks more than 3.5 billion daily views on YouTube and TikTok, with over 70% of the top 300 US YouTube channels using its music. Epidemic Sound operates under a direct licensing model, paying artists upfront payments and a 50/50 streaming revenue split in exchange for full rights ownership.

How Epidemic Sound Works

Epidemic Sound's business model is built on direct licensing. Unlike royalty-free libraries that license third-party music, Epidemic Sound owns all rights to every track in its catalog. This includes master rights, neighboring and performer rights, and composition rights. The company acquires music directly from artists, pays them upfront, then licenses the full catalog to creators through a subscription model.

For creators, the process works as follows:

1. Subscribe to a plan: Creators choose a subscription tier based on their needs. The Business plan starts at $30 per month (billed annually) and covers social media, marketing content, and client work. Business Plus starts at $100 per month and extends rights to apps, games, OTT, local broadcast, and live events.
2. Download and use: Subscribers access the full catalog of 55,000+ tracks and 250,000+ sound effects. They can download unlimited music and use it in their content.
3. Connect channels (safelisting): Creators link their YouTube, TikTok, and other social channels to their Epidemic Sound account. This prevents copyright claims on content published during an active subscription.
4. Lifetime clearance: Any content published during an active subscription stays cleared forever, even if the subscription is later cancelled.

For enterprise brands, Epidemic Sound offers custom plans and has launched Soundproof, a compliance solution that scans brand content for music copyright risk across social media.

Real-World Example

A YouTube creator with 500,000 subscribers needs background music for 20 videos per month. They subscribe to the Epidemic Sound Business plan at $30 per month (billed annually). They download 20 tracks, use them in their videos, and safelist their YouTube channel.

Total monthly music cost: $30. If they had licensed each track individually through traditional sync deals, the cost would be $200 to $2,000 per track, totaling $4,000 to $40,000 for 20 videos.

A mid-sized advertising agency uses the Business Plus plan at $100 per month to soundtrack client campaigns across social media, OTT platforms, and local broadcast. They produce 50 pieces of content per month using Epidemic Sound tracks. The license covers all of it with no per-track fees, no PRO claims, and no territory gaps.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

Epidemic Sound offers one of the most straightforward compensation models in the production music industry. Artists receive three forms of payment:

1. Upfront payment: A flat fee paid when the track is acquired, regardless of how well it performs.
2. Streaming revenue split: 50% of the streaming revenue generated by the track on the Epidemic Sound platform.
3. Soundtrack Bonus: Additional payments based on how popular the track is among subscribers.

The trade-off is that artists give up 100% of their rights. Epidemic Sound owns the master, the composition, and the neighboring rights. This means you cannot license the same track to anyone else, and you will not collect performance royalties from your PRO because Epidemic Sound retains those rights.

Consider these factors before signing with Epidemic Sound:

• You are selling your rights, not licensing them: This is a permanent transfer. Read our guide to music licensing agreements to understand what rights you are giving up.
• Upfront payments vary: Payment depends on track quality, genre demand, and your track record. New artists may receive smaller payments than established composers.
• The 50/50 split is on platform revenue, not on licensing fees: You earn a share of what Epidemic Sound collects from subscribers, not from individual placement fees.
• Exclusivity limits your options: Since Epidemic Sound owns all rights, you cannot place the same track with other libraries or pursue direct sync deals for those tracks.
• Volume matters: Artists who produce large catalogs (50+ tracks) tend to earn more through accumulated streaming revenue and bonus payments.

Learn more about how this model compares to other licensing options in our guide to sync licensing companies vs music libraries.

Epidemic Group's Expansion in 2025 and 2026

Epidemic Sound has evolved beyond a music licensing business into what the company calls a "creative platform." The Epidemic Group now includes:

• Epidemic Sound: The core music and SFX licensing platform
• Soundly: A sound effects platform
• Overtone Studios: A mood and functional music label
• Soundproof: An enterprise music licensing audit service that scans brand content for copyright risk
• Plenty Labs: An AI-native marketing operating system
• Blenda Labs: A next-generation video entertainment company

In 2025, the company launched several AI-powered tools including Studio (a soundtracking workflow tool), Adapt (an AI music adaptation tool), and Assistant (an AI discovery tool). In 2026, Epidemic Sound launched Soundproof after research revealed that 56% of brands experienced music copyright or takedown issues in the past 24 months, and 83% of brands were concerned their past music use would not survive a formal audit.

The company published its 2025 Annual Report in July 2026, reporting that revenue came in below expectations but the underlying business remained robust. The company is positioning itself as an AI-native creative platform, combining human-made music with AI tools and complete licensing peace of mind.

Subscription Pricing

Epidemic Sound offers several tiers for different user types:

• Personal: For individual creators publishing on personal social channels. Pricing starts at $9 per month (billed annually).
• Commercial: For creators monetizing content or publishing on client channels. Pricing starts at $15 per month (billed annually).
• Business: For small to midsize teams publishing across multiple channels. $30 per month (billed annually) or $75 monthly. Includes up to 2 users, voiceover credits, and priority support.
• Business Plus: For teams needing wider rights including apps, games, OTT, and local broadcast. From $100 per month (billed annually). Includes up to 10 channels, 10 seats, and extended rights.
• Enterprise: For large brands, publishers, and public institutions with revenue over $10 million. Custom pricing based on scope and requirements.

All plans include lifetime clearance for content published during the subscription period. No PRO claims, no territory gaps, and no per-track fees.

Use our sync licensing fee calculator to compare subscription costs against traditional per-placement licensing fees.

Catalog Size and Genre Coverage

Epidemic Sound owns 100% of the intellectual property rights to its entire catalog. The numbers as of 2026:

• 55,000+ music tracks across 390 genres
• 250,000+ sound effects and variations (expanded after the 2024 acquisition of Soundly)
• 3.5 billion average daily views on YouTube and TikTok combined
• 70% of the top 300 US YouTube channels use Epidemic Sound music
• 100+ markets served globally
• 450+ employees across offices in Stockholm, London, New York, Los Angeles, Berlin, Oslo, and Seoul

Genre coverage spans electronic, hip-hop, rock, pop, orchestral, ambient, folk, jazz, world music, and niche categories. The catalog is entirely human-made. Epidemic Sound does not sell AI-generated music. AI tools (Studio, Adapt, Assistant) help creators find and edit existing tracks, but every track was written and recorded by a human artist.

Who Uses Epidemic Sound

Epidemic Sound serves three client segments:

1. Individual creators: YouTubers, TikTok creators, podcasters, and social media influencers. The Personal and Commercial plans target this segment. Over 70% of the top 300 US YouTube channels subscribe.
2. Businesses and brands: Advertising agencies, marketing teams, and content studios. The Business and Business Plus plans cover social media, OTT, local broadcast, apps, and games. Clients include Discovery Networks, Red Bull, Levi's, and Ubisoft.
3. Enterprise clients: Large brands, publishers, and public institutions with revenue over $10 million. Custom pricing and the Soundproof compliance tool target this segment. Netflix is a reported client.

How Epidemic Sound Pays Artists

Epidemic Sound uses a buyout model with three payment components. Here are the specifics as of 2026:

Upfront Payment

Artists receive a flat fee per track at the time of acquisition. In 2024, the range was $1,500 to $8,000 per track. The bottom end has risen to $1,775. Payment depends on track quality, genre demand, and the artist's track record. New artists receive smaller payments than established composers.

Streaming Revenue Split

Artists receive 50% of the streaming revenue generated by their tracks on the Epidemic Sound platform. This is a share of subscription revenue, not individual placement fees. Epidemic Sound also distributes tracks to Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming platforms, where artists receive their 50% share of those royalties.

Soundtrack Bonus

A pool of bonus money (reported at $2.5 million in 2022) is distributed to artists based on how popular their tracks are among subscribers. Top-performing tracks earn additional payments on top of the upfront fee and streaming split.

Average Earnings

Epidemic Sound reports that artists earn an average of over $60,000 per year, with top earners taking home more than $200,000. Artists who produce large catalogs (50+ tracks) tend to earn more through accumulated streaming revenue and bonus payments.

The Trade-Off

Artists give up 100% of their rights to every track acquired by Epidemic Sound. This includes master rights, composition rights, and neighboring rights. The transfer is permanent. Artists cannot license the same track to anyone else. Artists cannot collect performance royalties from their PRO because Epidemic Sound retains those rights. Artists must be unaffiliated with collecting societies (PROs) to work with Epidemic Sound. The company works with artists from Sweden, the USA, the UK, South Korea, Japan, Puerto Rico, and Nigeria.

Financial Performance

Epidemic Sound is a publicly reported company. Here are the revenue figures:

2025 was an investment year. The company spent heavily on AI tools and product development, resulting in a negative EBITDA margin. H1 2026 showed a return to profitable growth, with revenue growth accelerating from 10% in H1 to 14% in Q2. The gross margin improved to 87% in Q2 2026.

Pros and Cons: Epidemic Sound vs Competitors

Creators shopping between music licensing services should weigh these factors. Here is a side-by-side comparison.

Epidemic Sound Pros

• 100% rights ownership: Epidemic Sound owns all rights to every track. No PRO claims, no territory gaps, no third-party clearance issues.
• Lifetime clearance: Content published during an active subscription stays cleared forever, even after cancellation.
• Catalog depth: 55,000+ tracks and 250,000+ sound effects in one platform.
• AI tools: Studio, Adapt, and Assistant tools help creators find and edit music faster. Plugins for Adobe Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve.
• Stems available: Download tracks in stems (drums, bass, melody, instruments separately) for custom mixing.
• Sound effects included: The Soundly acquisition brought 250,000+ sound effects into the same subscription.

Epidemic Sound Cons

• Buyout model for artists: Artists lose all rights to their tracks permanently. This limits the artist pool to those willing to work on a work-for-hire basis.
• No per-track licensing: You cannot buy individual tracks. A subscription is required for all use.
• Subscription required for downloads: The free account allows browsing and previewing but not downloading.
• Safelisting required: You must connect your channels to your account before publishing. If you forget, you risk copyright claims.
• Price increases at business tiers: The jump from $15/month (Commercial) to $30/month (Business) to $100/month (Business Plus) can be steep for small teams.
• No direct artist relationships: Creators cannot commission custom music from Epidemic Sound artists through the platform.

How It Compares to Alternatives

Related Resources

• How to License Your Music for YouTube Creators - Understanding the YouTube music licensing ecosystem
• Sync Licensing Companies vs Music Libraries - How Epidemic Sound compares to other licensing models
• Library Music and Production Music for Passive Income - Understanding upfront payments vs royalty models
• Music Licensing Agreements: Types, Terms, and Red Flags - What rights transfer means for artists
• Artlist - Subscription-based music licensing competitor
• Soundstripe - Subscription music licensing service
• PremiumBeat - Shutterstock-owned royalty-free music platform
• Audio Network - Production music library with global catalog
• Musicbed - Curated music licensing platform
• Pond5 - Stock media marketplace with music licensing
• Epidemic Sound Official Website - Current catalog, pricing, and artist submission info