Acoustic music

Acoustic music is a genre defined by instruments that produce sound without electronic amplification or processing, most commonly guitar, piano, and strings. It spans multiple styles, from singer-songwriter and folk-leaning tracks to acoustic covers of pop or classical pieces, united by that natural, unplugged sound rather than a single tempo or mood.

Not exactly, though the two overlap closely. Acoustic describes the instrumentation, unplugged guitars, pianos, and strings, rather than a specific style, so it spans genres from singer-songwriter to classical. Folk is a specific genre built on storytelling lyrics and traditional melodic structures, and it's typically, though not always, performed acoustically, which is why the two get used interchangeably.

If you're after that storytelling, traditional-melody character specifically, browse our Indie Folk or Contemporary Folk tracks.

Acoustic music centers on unplugged, non-electronic instruments, most commonly acoustic guitar, piano, and upright bass, often joined by strings, brass, or light percussion for added texture. Because the instruments aren't electronically processed, production typically favors close miking and natural room sound over heavy effects, keeping the warm, organic character that defines the genre.

Royalty-free acoustic music gives videos a warm, organic, and natural feel: the simple, unprocessed sound of guitars, pianos, and strings adds a human touch that helps build an emotional connection with viewers. Beyond mood, using a royalty-free acoustic catalog also saves time and money on individual clearances, since a single subscription covers unlimited use of any track across as many projects as needed.

You can find and download royalty-free acoustic music through Epidemic Sound, a subscription-based music licensing platform with more than 55,000 tracks. Getting started takes four steps:

1. Start a free trial
2. Choose a subscription plan
3. Connect (safelist) your social media channels
4. Download and use any acoustic track in the catalog

Tracks you publish while your subscription is active stay cleared for use, even after you cancel later.

Yes. Royalty-free means a track is licensed for reuse without paying an additional fee each time it's used, rather than being automatically cleared for every use case. An Epidemic Sound subscription goes further: it clears every acoustic track in the catalog for commercial use, including monetized platforms like YouTube and paid advertising, with content published while your subscription is active staying cleared even after you cancel.