Artlist vs. Epidemic Sound: Which is right for you? [2024]

With very similar pricing points, the choice between Artlist and Epidemic Sound depends on one question: Do you need footage?

If you need videos, you should pick Artlist because Epidemic Sound doesn’t license footage. If you don’t, pick Epidemic Sound because it has a larger collection of SFX and a mobile app.

Artlist vs. Epidemic Sound at a glance

Epidemic Sound has only music and SFX, while Artlist also licenses videos and video templates. Epidemic Sound does have a bigger selection of audio files but is also more expensive.

	Artlist	Epidemic Sound
Cost	$9.99–$39.99/mo	$9.99–$59.99/mo
Monthly downloads	Unlimited	Unlimited
Videos	180,000	0
Music	60,000	40,000
SFX	50,000	200,000
Video templates	20,000	0
Moneziteable channels	1–3 per platform	1–3 per platform
Integrations	Yes	No
Video editor	Yes	No
Best deal	+2 free months with every plan	7-day free trial

The starting costs are the same, but Artlist is ultimately cheaper

If you want audio for personal projects, Epidemic Sound and Artlist cost the same: Epidemic’s Personal plan costs $9.99 (billed annually) or $17.99 per month (billed monthly), while Artlist’s Music & SFX Social costs $9.99 (billed annually) or $14.99 per month (billed monthly). Both plans give you unlimited downloads of their music and SFX collections with a royalty-free license that allows the monetization of 1 person channel per platform.

If you do client work, then you need Epidemic’s Commercial plan for $24.99 (billed annually) or $59.99 per month (billed monthly) or Artlist’s Music & SFX Pro for $24.42 per month (billed annually). Both will allow monetization of up to 3 channels per platform.

That’s where it ends for Epidemic Sound, but Artlist has video subscriptions too. The Footage & Templates plan costs $29.99 per month, while Max Pro gives you access to everything Artlist has, including plugins, video editor, and AI text-to-speech, for $39.99 per month. For an extra $18 per month, you can get RAW/LOG footage.

Epidemic Sound has more SFX files but doesn’t have footage

The choice between Epidemic Sound and Artlist shouldn’t be based on the cost but on the content you need. If audio is all you need, Epidemic Sound is better than Artlist because they have a much larger collection of SFX and a comparable collection of music files.

On the other hand, if you need video clips, you need to choose Artlist because Epidemic Sound doesn’t license footage. Artlist is one of the few sites that has up to 8K footage, with a collection of a total of 180,000 video clips. While that’s not a lot, Artlist makes up for it with exceptional quality achieved through high curation standards.

You can also get RAW/LOG footage and video templates compatible with the most popular video editing software, such as Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, etc.

Artlist has more integrations and tools

The only extra feature Epidemic Sound has is the iOS and Android app that allows you to download audio to your phone or email it. I found the app easy enough to use, but not that useful since I do most of my editing on my PC. However, it could be very useful for those creating TikToks or Instagram reels.

On the other hand, Artlist is booming with features that improve the user experience. For me, the 40+ plugins you can use to integrate the Artlist library or otherwise improve your workflow are an amazing feature. You can integrate Artlist into Premiere Pro, After Effect, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, Avid Media Composer, and Vegas Pro.

Then there is HitFilm, the video editing software, and Imerge, the image editing software. None of these hold a candle to industry standards like Premiere Pro or Photoshop, but they are a good and affordable place for beginners to start.

Recently, Artlist added an AI Voiceover, a tool that lets you create human-like speech. It’s actually one of the best on the market I’ve tested so far. The plan for it costs $11.99 per month or you can get it included in the Max plan.

Artlist vs. Epidemic Sound: Which should you choose?

Artlist is a bit cheaper than Epidemic Sound and offers videos and video templates, as well as video editor and plugins, which Epidemic Sound doesn’t. If you’re a video editor, choose Artlist.

However, Epidemic Sound arguably offers better music quality and variety, according to some users, while I haven’t noticed that. Epidemic Sound is a better choice if you need audio only for your social media videos.

If you need an even more comprehensive solution with 20 times as many videos and a lower monthly fee, choose Envato Elements.