In this review, we test out Artlist by looking at music quality, pricing, and website features.
Artlist is a royalty-free music site for content creators of all kinds from filmmakers to YouTubers.
We all know finding music to use can be a real challenge. It can be difficult to find quality stock music that you can license at a decent price. That’s where Artlist comes in.
Review Summary
| Website | artlist.io |
| Music | 18,000 |
| Sound Effects | 60,000 |
| Price | $9.99/month |
| Licensing | Royalty-free |
| Free Trial | No |
| Alternatives | Epidemic Sound & Soundstripe |
What is Artlist?
Artlist is a stock music website offering a huge library of royalty-free tracks and SFX that can be licensed for all types of video projects.
It was created to provide high-quality audio for creators of all levels. Their plan was to bridge the gap between cheap low-quality music sites and expensive high-tier licensing companies.
Who is Artlist for?
Artlist can be used for a wide range of purposes. The platform is ideal for people who need to use music for videos on a regular basis as it has a flat-rate subscription. Artlist is mainly aimed at the following:
- Filmmakers
- YouTubers
- Small agencies
- Podcasters
How Does it Work?
Artlist offers two main libraries: music and sound effects. When you sign up to any plan you get unlimited access to both of those libraries which is awesome.
To sign up follow these 6 simple steps:
- Click on the link above and go to the Artlist homepage.
- Scroll down and click on the “Subscribe & Get 2 Extra Months” button
- Select a subscription
- Create an account
- As payment details and check out as normal (you won’t be charged for the first 2 months)
- That’s it!
All music that you download during your time as a member comes with a universal license and lifetime usage rights that never expire. This covers commercial use, including paid and branded advertising, as well as monetization.
As a member, you can download and use as much music as you want, though the max daily number of downloads is capped at 40 tracks.
Artlist Features
Artlist’s user interface has three main ways to search for and discover music: Browse, Spotlight, and For You.
- Browse – search Artlist’s entire library of music using various search filters
- Spotlight – curated collections of music inspired by film or TV, or based on various themes.
- For You – displays personal music recommendations based on your preferences.
Let’s take a deeper dive into each section to get a better sense of how to find certain music.
Browse Music
The main way to search for and download music on Artlist is in the Browse section. This is essentially the full library of music available to you.
Tracks are categorized by four main filters:
- Mood
- Video Theme
- Genre
- Instrument
Selecting one of those filters toggles more specific filter options that you can use to narrow your results even more.
Mood
The Mood filter presents users with tracks that evoke certain feelings and emotions.
Video Theme
If your video has a specific purpose – such as corporate use or for a travel video – the Video Theme filter can narrow down your search with various themed options.
Genre
The Genre category offers the more common music genre based search filters.
Instrument
Have a particular instrument in mind? No problem. The Instrument category provides the ability to filter tracks based on the type of instrument.
Spotlight
Artlist’s Spotlight section is another way to discover music on the platform. Spotlight offers music collections that are curated by Artlist staff. This section proves useful for those who use the platform frequently, as it has playlists featuring new additions to the library.
Examples of music collections in Spotlight:
- Inspired by collections
- Holiday themed playlists
- Collections curated by YouTubers, filmmakers, etc
- Best of collections featuring the top tracks from a given month or year.
- Newly released music
- Music hand-picked for use on specific platforms like TikTok and YouTube.
For You
Artlist recently added a For You section to its platform that’s pretty similar to Spotify. This section shows music based on your behavior and activity.
There are four sections on the For You page:
- Top Genres – Artlist recommends music for you categorized by genre.
- Picks of the week – weekly selections, trending now, and music that was just released.
- Top Artists – collection of artists that are similar to ones you have picked in the past.
- Top Albums – Albums that fit your music preferences.
So basically the more you use Artlist, the better (and more personalized) the recommendations.👌
How Much Does Artlist Cost?
Artlist has a nice and simple pricing structure. Their flat-rate subscriptions mean that you only pay one fee for access to the whole platform and all of its music.
Here are their three main Music & SFX plans and a breakdown of what’s included:
| Personal $9.99/month | Unlimited $16.60/month | Team $28.20/month | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited music | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Unlimited SFX | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Universal downloads | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Lifetime use | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Cleared for YouTube | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Social media | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Podcasts | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Paid ads | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Client work | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Commercial work | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Websites & all online platforms | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Broadcast & TV | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Customized terms | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ |
| Customized licenses | ✘ | ✘ | ✔ |
Artlist now offers a new subscription called Artlist Max which provides creators with music, sound effects, stock footage, templates, plugins, and editing software.
Here is a breakdown of what’s included.
| Max Social $29.99 | Max Pro $39.99 | Max Teams $68.00 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Music | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| SFX | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Footage | HD | 8K | 8K |
| Video Templates | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Video Editing App | Creator | Pro | Pro |
| Image Editing App | Creator | Pro | Pro |
| Plugins | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Option to upgrade and get RAW/LOG footage | ✘ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Members | 1 | 1 | 2–7 |
Artlist Review: Is it Worth it?
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✔ Unlimited music and SFX downloads | ✘ You can’t buy Music and SFX separately |
| ✔ Affordable subscription plans | ✘ No free trial |
| ✔ Great search features | ✘ Library is not as big as other platforms |
| ✔ High-quality music | |
| ✔ One worldwide license |
In short, yes! Artlist is a great option for filmmakers who need constant access to music for editing. If you go through a lot of music in a year, its flat-rate plan can be a huge value, especially compared to individually licensed tracks.
So if you are looking for a platform with great search filters and an excellent user experience, all with the simplicity of buying a single annual license, then Artlist is a great option.
FAQ
No. You are limited to 40 songs and 100 SFX each day. After you reach a daily limit, you will see a message asking you to come back the next day.
Yes, the music available on Artlist is royalty-free as long as it used is within the terms of the usage license.
Yes, Artlist’s license is valid worldwide, so you can use the assets in your films anywhere on the planet.
With the Pro license, you can publish your projects to as many channels as you’d like. These options also cover commercial and branded projects as well as client work. There is no need to register your channels, you and your clients are always covered!
Artlist Max is a new all-in-one plan that gives you everything you need to stay creative. With the Max plans you get access to music, SFX, footage, and templates.
Yes, it’s completely safe. All communication, data, and payments are encrypted.
