PremiumBeat vs. Epidemic Sound

TL;DR: 

• PremiumBeat, which is owned by ShutterStock, provides royalty-free music and sound effects. However, the company works with Performing Rights Organizations. This could lead to extra payments, meaning the music isn’t truly “royalty-free.”
• Epidemic Sound owns the rights to its entire catalog. This means world-class music from real artists, AI soundtracking tools, voiceovers, and more are all contained in a legally watertight package.

We’ll cover:

• Music, SFX, and voiceovers
• Artist remuneration
• Ethical AI
• Tools and features
• Licensing and pricing
• Platform coverage
• Support and education
• Legal safety

PremiumBeat vs. Epidemic Sound: At a glance

Want a quick overview? Here’s a table outlining the core facts, figures, and features we’ll cover during this guide.

PremiumBeat vs. Epidemic Sound: Music, SFX, and voiceovers

PremiumBeat has over 45,000 tracks, plus around 16,000 sound effects.

Epidemic Sound’s catalog contains more than 50,000 world-class tracks, which you can then adapt with AI. An Epidemic Sound subscription also unlocks more than 200,000 Hollywood-grade sound effects, plus AI-powered voiceovers created with professional voice artists.

PremiumBeat

PremiumBeat’s catalog has more than 45,000 tracks, which can be broken down into stems, loops, instrumental versions, and shorter clips. The company describes its roster as a selection of “award-winning artists from around the world,” and covers nearly 300 genres. PremiumBeat’s catalog of sound effects comprises roughly 16,000 tracks.

Single-track licenses are also available, and can be added to existing subscriptions. PremiumBeat doesn’t support any voiceover capabilities.

Epidemic Sound

Epidemic Sound’s catalog is filled with tracks created by hand-picked artists, each signed on a non-exclusive basis. Covering nearly 400 genres and featuring everyone from up-and-coming stars to Grammy nominees and winners like Jordin Sparks and Ebo Krdum, you’ll find a sound for every moment.

Each of the 50,000+ tracks is available to download as a full mix or split into individual stems. Never run out of sounds with Adapt: an AI-powered tool that instantly tailors the instruments, mood, and length to fit your story. This extends the catalog’s reach far beyond the 50,000 tracks listed in the Epidemic Sound Player.

Groundbreaking musicians like The Smiths co-founder Johnny Marr have mentored Epidemic Sound’s artists, while Grammy winners like Honey Dijon have remixed the catalog.

Epidemic Sound’s artists receive expert guidance from an elite-tier team, including Grammy-nominated producers, songwriters, audio engineers, and musicians. From demos to the final mix, they’re on hand to unlock each artist’s full potential.

Epidemic Sound’s catalog is built for modern-day users and platforms, soundtracking more than 3 billion views on TikTok and YouTube every single day. This state-of-the-art insight is reflected in the catalog — Epidemic Sound’s music curation experts help each artist feel relevant and fresh.

Single-track licenses are available to those who just want one track. As well as music, the catalog contains more than 200,000 Hollywood-grade sound effects.

Epidemic Sound also offers AI-powered voiceovers and voice replication, in collaboration with professional voice artists. This supports text-to-speech and speech-to-speech voiceover generation, letting users control language, accent, speed, inflection, and more.

PremiumBeat vs. Epidemic Sound: Artist remuneration

PremiumBeat doesn’t specify how much it pays its artists. Epidemic Sound’s remuneration model covers four different pillars, splitting royalties directly with artists.

PremiumBeat

PremiumBeat doesn’t publicly disclose how much it pays artists. Given that the company isn’t “truly” royalty-free, it does allow artists to collect performance royalties through collection management organizations.

The company is owned by ShutterStock, which pays artists a one-off, undisclosed fee per track.

Epidemic Sound

Epidemic Sound works directly with artists, pays them upfront, splits streaming revenue 50/50, and offers a bonus pool for tracks’ use in the Epidemic Sound Player and AI tools.

On average, Epidemic Sound artists earn over $60,000 per year, with top earners taking home more than $200,000.

Here’s how it works.

Payment for each track commissioned

As of Q1 2025, Epidemic Sound paid a fixed fee of $1,775–$8,000 per track. The fee depends on the complexity of the track, customer demand, the role of the artist, and their skill set. The fixed fee is always paid directly to artists before the track is even made available to content creators, and is not recouped against future royalties.

50/50 split on all music streaming royalties

Epidemic Sound splits all royalties collected from music streaming platforms 50/50 with artists, even if they no longer work with Epidemic Sound.

A Soundtrack Bonus for all artists

Epidemic Sound pays artists a share of a yearly Soundtrack Bonus, proportional to the popularity of their tracks on the Epidemic Sound platform. In 2026, this bonus will be approximately $4.2 million, and will continue to grow alongside the business.

Remuneration for AI features

In 2025, Epidemic Sound expanded its remuneration model to include dedicated payments for artists contributing to AI-powered tools.

• Voices: A text-to-speech and speech-to-speech feature, which provides professional voice actors with both upfront payments and ongoing usage bonuses.
• Adapt: A music customization tool, which has its own Adaptive Soundtrack Bonus of more than $1 million. This rewards ‌artists whose adapted tracks are downloaded.

PremiumBeat vs. Epidemic Sound: Ethical AI

PremiumBeat doesn’t provide much information on its AI approach. Epidemic Sound takes a human-first approach to AI, working with artists and creators to develop new tools responsibly.

PremiumBeat

PremiumBeat’s advertised AI features are limited to in-product search functions. As such, it doesn’t take a stance on AI one way or the other.

There’s no public information suggesting how PremiumBeat balances the adoption of AI tools against the creativity of musicians and artists.

Epidemic Sound

Epidemic Sound has made its belief clear that human creativity will always come first. Artists have the power to move people, to change the world — AI can help them do that.

When developing AI-powered tools like Adapt, Epidemic Sound informs and consults artists and users. Together, they help shape features that are cutting-edge, useful, and responsible.

As touched on before, Epidemic Sound approached AI with artists in mind, and has developed its remuneration model accordingly. This led to the creation of the $1 million Adaptive Soundtrack Bonus, which pays Epidemic Sound’s artists when their adapted tracks are downloaded.

AI is a new technology, and it’s understandable that some users and artists may be apprehensive. AI is a tool used to superpower, not replace, the Epidemic Sound catalog, but it’s not a requirement for those who want to use the platform old-school. Artists can also opt out of tools like Adapt if they wish.

PremiumBeat vs. Epidemic Sound: Tools and features

PremiumBeat is more of a traditional catalog, whereas Epidemic Sound supports the user’s full editing workflow. Let’s look at both of their features and see how they differ.

PremiumBeat

PremiumBeat’s tools and features are fairly modest, instead focusing on the catalog. Users can find music and tracks with an AI-powered search bar, and can also search by reference track.

Epidemic Sound

Epidemic Sound’s tools and features include plugins, integrations, and AI-powered tech, making it easier to find the right sound for your project.

• Epidemic Sound app: Discover, download, and sync tracks and sound effects, wherever you are. Use tools like Search by Shazam, export directly to mobile editing apps, listen offline, and more.
• Adapt: An AI-powered tool that helps you instantly tailor the instruments, mood, and length to fit your story.
• Assistant: An AI-powered chatbot that helps you find next-level tracks and sound effects for your project, directly in the chat.
• Studio: An AI-powered soundtracking tool built to match your video content with sound effects and music from Epidemic Sound’s catalog. Studio creates cohesive soundtracks complete with music, sound effects, and transitions.
• Voices: Create your own AI voice replica, or create AI voiceovers based on a catalog of professional, diverse voice artists.
• Find similar: Heard an irresistible hook, beat, or riff, and want more options that sound like it? Use Epidemic Sound’s find similar feature to explore further.
• Search by video: Whether you’ve got a rough cut or the final edit, Epidemic Sound’s video soundmatching tool generates music and sound effect recommendations in seconds.
• Search by reference track: Type in any track or artist name, or paste a Spotify link, to get instant matches from Epidemic Sound’s catalog.
• Search by Shazam: Identify any song and get suggestions from Epidemic Sound’s catalog. Powered by Shazam, only in the Epidemic Sound app.
• Plugins: Discover and edit music and sound effects directly in Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Audition, plus DaVinci Resolve Studio.
• Create versions: Create different versions of a track by adjusting the length, looping it, and selecting parts to include or exclude. You can create versions on the web and in the plugins for Adobe and DaVinci Resolve Studio.
• Segments: Split tracks into distinct sections based on their musical structure. Whether you need a powerful chorus or a subtle bridge, find and use a specific part of any song in seconds.
• MCP Server: A proprietary gateway built for developers and partners to pioneer the next generation of context-aware creative applications.
• Partner API: Give your users full access to the Epidemic Sound catalog, including industry-leading soundtracking tools, through the Epidemic Sound Partner API.

PremiumBeat vs. Epidemic Sound: Licensing and pricing

Both PremiumBeat and Epidemic Sound have multiple tiers to serve different customers and budgets. PremiumBeat’s solo tiers start from $9.99 to $24.99 per month billed yearly, plus a custom Enterprise solution.

Epidemic Sound’s plans range from $9.99 to $29.99 per month billed yearly, or $19.99 to $74.99 billed monthly. These plans all include a 30-day free trial. There’s also a custom Enterprise solution.

All prices are listed in USD, and may vary depending on your location.

PremiumBeat

PremiumBeat’s plans cater to a range of creators and businesses, including a bespoke Enterprise plan. There is no free trial.

Here’s what the PremiumBeat plans are called, what they include, and how much they cost.

Creator: $9.99 per month, billed yearly. For creatives, hobbyists, bloggers, and social media enthusiasts.

• Unlimited access and downloads of music and sound effects
• Monetize one social media platform
• Cleared for corporate videos and personal use

Standard: $24.99 per month, billed yearly. For freelancers, small businesses, and content creators who need to work on client projects.

• Everything in the Creator plan, plus:
• Monetize up to five social media channels
• Sublicensing for clients

Enterprise: Bespoke pricing, for large businesses, agencies, or production companies.

• Everything in the Standard plan, plus:
• Monetize an unlimited amount of social media channels 
• Unwatermarked previews
• Localized currencies
• Team collaboration tools
• Music curation support
• Custom invoicing and billing
• Dedicated support rep
• Role-based controls
• Indemnification
• Enterprises seeking single-track usage can purchase a Premium or Business license, priced at $199 and $999 respectively

Epidemic Sound

Epidemic Sound’s plans cover amateur creators to established household brands. You can choose from four comprehensive, cost-conscious plans: Creator, Pro, Business, and Enterprise. There’s also a free Education Program, which gives access to students.

Creator: $9.99 per month billed yearly, or $17.99 billed monthly. For individual creators who want premium audio for their personal video content. Includes 30-day free trial.

• Unlimited access and downloads of music and sound effects, available as 320kbps-quality MP3 and 48khz 24-bit WAV files
• Unlimited access to Epidemic Sound’s AI-powered tools
• Licensing for social, podcasts, and web
• Monetize one channel per platform
• Instant voiceovers, with 250,000 credits per month and one voice replica

Pro: $16.99 per month billed yearly, or $39.99 billed monthly. For professionals and freelancers creating video content for commercial use online. Includes 30-day free trial.

• Everything in the Creator plan, plus:
• Licensing for digital ads
• Sublicensing for clients
• Monetize three channels per platform
• Instant voiceovers, with 250,000 credits per month and three voice replicas

Business: $29.99 per month billed monthly, or $74.99 billed monthly. For small to midsize businesses and agencies creating content at scale. Includes 30-day free trial.

• Everything in the Pro plan, plus:
• Clearance for business use, including marketing, social, and internal & external events
• Agency client work licensing
• Instant voiceovers, with 250,000 credits per month and five voice replicas
• Up to three user seats

Enterprise: Bespoke pricing, for businesses and agencies that want supercharged solutions, insights, and support.

• A plan tailored to your needs, including options such as:
• Unlimited licensing for any media
• Instant voiceovers, with custom credits and number of voice replicas
• World-class indemnification coverage
• Dedicated Customer Success Manager
• Music consultation
• Optimized workflows with plugins and API integrations
• Multiple user seats and SSO
• Access to Epidemic Sound’s AI-powered tools upon request

PremiumBeat vs. Epidemic Sound: Platform coverage

PremiumBeat and Epidemic Sound’s platform coverage depends on which plan you subscribe to.

PremiumBeat

PremiumBeat’s coverage varies by plan, but both Creator and Standard offer the same level of platform coverage. Here’s what it looks like.

• Creator and Standard: Websites, “any social media platform,” and podcasts.
• Enterprise: Websites, “any social media platform,” podcasts, TV, radio, VOD/OTT, industrial, apps, films, film trailers, video games, video game trailers, and OOH.

Epidemic Sound

Epidemic Sound’s platform coverage depends on which plan you subscribe to. Here’s the lowdown.

• Creator: Cleared for YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok*, Twitch, and one podcast RSS feed.
• Pro: Cleared for YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok*, Twitch, podcasting platforms, websites, digital ads, business & client work, and boosted social media posts.
• Business: Cleared for YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok*, Twitch, podcasting platforms, websites, digital ads, business & client work, internal company use, non-arena events, apps & games, and influencer marketing.
• Enterprise: Cleared for whatever you need. Includes everything in the Business plan, plus scope for TV, offline events, commercial streaming and VOD, and any other platforms outlined in your customized deal.

*Epidemic Sound tracks can be used for more than 60 seconds in TikTok content, if you add the music to your video in an external, off-app editing software before uploading it to TikTok. Learn more here.

PremiumBeat vs. Epidemic Sound: Support and education

Both PremiumBeat and Epidemic Sound offer resources to help you understand their platforms, including customer support, help centers, and educational articles.

PremiumBeat

PremiumBeat’s website has a Help Center, which is split into different sections. There’s also chat and email support.

The PremiumBeat blog covers a range of topics, including information on the product, interviews, and content creation tips.

Epidemic Sound

Epidemic Sound’s multilingual Help Center is split into sections, which users can browse depending on their query. There’s also a free text field for more specific questions, a request submission form, and chat support. Enterprise customers have access to a dedicated Customer Success Manager.

The Epidemic Sound blog is filled with guides, how-to articles, and other relevant material. The website also hosts a dedicated How it Works section, which details core topics and use cases related to the product and experience. Customers can also share their queries and feedback with other users by joining the Epidemic Sound Discord server. 

PremiumBeat vs. Epidemic Sound: Legal safety

PremiumBeat and Epidemic Sound’s legal frameworks both emphasize the need to secure the relevant rights, but do so in different ways. PremiumBeat requires users to submit cue sheets for broadcast content.

Epidemic Sound owns all of the rights to the tracks in its catalog, directly licensing music to subscribers. This helps resolve unfair takedowns and copyright strikes, as long as the product’s used correctly. Epidemic Sound doesn’t require cue sheets.

Content published with an active Epidemic Sound or PremiumBeat license is cleared for use forever, even if you cancel your subscription.

PremiumBeat

Any content published under an active PremiumBeat plan will be covered in perpetuity, even if you cancel your subscription. Because PremiumBeat works with artists affiliated with PROs (Performing Rights Organizations), users need to complete and submit cue sheets for broadcast content.

PremiumBeat users may need to pay PROs, or negotiate payment via the broadcaster, when content containing its music is broadcast. The company does have a smaller, PRO-free music catalog, which contains around 1,000 tracks.

Epidemic Sound

Epidemic Sound owns all of the rights to its catalog. This means that all of the 50,000+ world-class tracks are safe for subscribers to use in their content.

You can edit Epidemic Sound’s tracks with the Adapt AI tool, customize based on stems, and more — it’s all covered within the license. For Adapt specifically, any input must follow Epidemic Sound’s terms, and shouldn’t contain any unauthorized material.

The Digital Rights Management team, comprising more than 30 experts, is on hand to ensure your compliant content isn’t unfairly muted, taken down, or hit with copyright strikes.

Epidemic Sound provides indemnities for infringement claims against Enterprise customers, whether they use original music or tracks modified with Adapt.

Epidemic Sound’s catalog is high-quality, affordable, and safe, removing the headache of licensing. Even if your subscription has ended, content created and published within your active period will remain cleared forever.

It’s better than royalty-free. It’s worry-free.

Start soundtracking the world today. Join Epidemic Sound.

*All information published in this article is accurate as of December 19, 2025. You can get in touch here for any feedback or corrections.