Best Artlist Alternatives | Royalty-Free Music Sites Compared
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Best Artlist Alternatives in 2025
Artlist is one of the most popular royalty-free music platforms for YouTubers, filmmakers, and content creators. It offers high-quality music, sound effects, stock footage, and a straightforward licensing system that makes it easy to publish videos across multiple platforms.
That said, Artlist isn't necessarily the best choice for everyone. Some creators want a larger music library, others are looking for lower pricing, and some simply prefer a platform designed specifically for YouTube or social media content.
After comparing the most popular royalty-free music services, we've selected the best Artlist alternatives based on music quality, licensing, ease of use, and overall value for creators.
Quick Recommendation: For most YouTube creators, Epidemic Sound is the strongest overall alternative thanks to its excellent music library, sound effects, and creator-friendly workflow.
Why Look for an Artlist Alternative?
Every creator has different needs. Someone producing cinematic short films may prioritize orchestral music, while a YouTuber uploading three videos a week usually wants a fast search system and reliable licensing.
The best platform depends on your workflow, budget, and the type of content you create.
Different music styles
Lower subscription costs
Better search tools
Commercial licensing
Large sound-effects libraries
YouTube-friendly workflow
1. Epidemic Sound
Epidemic Sound is widely considered one of the strongest alternatives to Artlist, especially for creators who publish content regularly on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and other social media platforms.
Its music library covers everything from cinematic orchestral tracks to electronic music, lo-fi, hip-hop, acoustic, pop, ambient, corporate, and documentary music.
One of its biggest strengths is the search experience. Instead of scrolling through thousands of random tracks, creators can filter by mood, genre, energy, vocals, duration, and video style, making it much easier to find suitable music quickly.
Huge royalty-free music library
Excellent sound effects collection
Fast search system
Great for YouTube creators
Commercial licensing options
If you upload videos frequently, Epidemic Sound offers one of the smoothest workflows among all music licensing platforms.
Want to learn more? Read our complete Epidemic Sound Review.
2. Soundstripe
Soundstripe is another popular subscription-based music platform aimed at YouTubers, freelancers, agencies, and businesses.
Its catalog includes thousands of royalty-free tracks across popular genres including cinematic, electronic, acoustic, inspirational, corporate, and pop music.
Compared with Artlist, Soundstripe focuses on keeping licensing simple while providing music suitable for online video production.
Simple licensing
Music and sound effects
Suitable for creators and small businesses
Easy-to-use interface
Although the library is smaller than some competitors, many creators appreciate the clean interface and straightforward workflow.
3. Musicbed
Musicbed has become a favorite among filmmakers and commercial production companies because of its premium catalog of carefully curated artists.
Rather than offering the largest possible library, Musicbed focuses on cinematic music that works particularly well for documentaries, travel films, weddings, advertisements, and storytelling projects.
Premium cinematic music
Professional artists
Excellent for filmmakers
Commercial production friendly
If your projects focus more on filmmaking than daily YouTube uploads, Musicbed is definitely worth considering.
4. Audiio
Audiio has grown rapidly over the last few years and is now one of the better-known alternatives to Artlist. Its library includes modern pop, electronic, cinematic, acoustic, hip-hop, and ambient music suitable for YouTube videos, podcasts, online courses, and commercial content.
One feature that attracts many creators is its occasional lifetime license promotions, offering an alternative to traditional annual subscriptions.
Modern music library
Sound effects available
Occasional lifetime deals
Simple licensing options
While its catalog is smaller than some long-established competitors, Audiio continues to expand and remains a solid choice for independent creators.
5. Envato Elements
Envato Elements is slightly different from the other services on this list. Instead of focusing only on music, it provides an all-in-one subscription that includes stock videos, templates, graphics, photos, fonts, presentation assets, and royalty-free music.
For freelancers, agencies, and creators working on multiple projects, having everything under one subscription can be more convenient than paying for several different services.
Music and sound effects
Stock footage
Video templates
Graphics and fonts
Excellent value for creative professionals
If music is your only priority, dedicated platforms like Epidemic Sound or Artlist may offer a better experience. However, if you regularly need design assets alongside music, Envato Elements is difficult to beat.
Quick Comparison
PlatformBest ForMusicSound EffectsEpidemic SoundYouTube & Social Media★★★★★★★★★★SoundstripeCreators & Freelancers★★★★☆★★★★☆MusicbedFilmmakers★★★★★★★★☆☆AudiioIndependent Creators★★★★☆★★★★☆Envato ElementsAll-in-One Assets★★★★☆★★★☆☆
Which Artlist Alternative Should You Choose?
There isn't a single platform that's perfect for everyone. The best choice depends on the type of content you create and how often you publish.
Epidemic Sound — Best overall for YouTube creators and social media.
Soundstripe — Great for freelancers and small creative teams.
Musicbed — Best for cinematic filmmaking and documentaries.
Audiio — A solid choice for creators looking for flexible licensing.
Envato Elements — Perfect if you also need stock footage, graphics, and templates.
If you upload videos every week, an unlimited subscription usually offers much better value than buying music track by track. Fast search tools and clear licensing can also save hours during the editing process.
Final Verdict
Artlist remains an excellent royalty-free music platform, but it's far from your only option.
For most creators, Epidemic Sound stands out as the strongest overall alternative thanks to its high-quality music library, extensive sound effects collection, and workflow designed specifically for online creators.
Filmmakers may prefer Musicbed, while creators needing a wider range of creative assets should consider Envato Elements.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best alternative to Artlist?
For YouTubers and online creators, Epidemic Sound is one of the strongest alternatives thanks to its large music library, sound effects, and creator-friendly licensing.
Is there a free alternative to Artlist?
Some services offer free plans or free music with limitations. They can be useful for beginners, but paid subscriptions generally provide broader licensing and larger music libraries.
Which platform is better for YouTube?
Both Artlist and Epidemic Sound are popular choices. If your focus is regular YouTube uploads and social media content, many creators prefer Epidemic Sound because of its search tools and workflow.
Can I use royalty-free music for commercial projects?
Yes, but licensing varies by platform and subscription plan. Always review the latest licensing terms before using music in client work, advertising campaigns, or other commercial projects.