Epidemic Sound clarifies licensing differences with competitor Soundstripe

Music licensing company Epidemic Sound has detailed the differences between its service and competitor Soundstripe, focusing on music ownership and artist compensation models.

Epidemic Sound states that its entire music catalog is wholly owned by the company. This contrasts with Soundstripe, which collaborates with Performing Rights Organizations (PROs). Epidemic Sound's model provides customers with a direct license, thereby removing potential additional costs from PROs and clarifying usage rights. The company offers a library exceeding 55,000 tracks across nearly 400 genres, complemented by 250,000 sound effects and AI-powered tools for music adaptation and soundtrack creation.

Soundstripe provides over 58,000 tracks along with a substantial collection of sound effects and stock video. However, the company has indicated work with PROs, which Epidemic Sound suggests means Soundstripe's music is not entirely royalty-free. Soundstripe also offers a separate, independently priced service called Soundstripe Market and partners with the Warner Chappell Production Music Collection, potentially increasing costs.

Regarding artist compensation, Epidemic Sound utilizes upfront payments combined with a 50/50 streaming split, a bonus pool, and remuneration for AI usage. Soundstripe, conversely, offers upfront payments and potentially usage-based royalties. Both services present competitive starting prices, around $9.99 per month for annual commitments.

Epidemic Sound also highlights its ethical approach to AI and tools like Adapt, which allow for automatic tailoring of tracks to user specifications. The company's music is reported to soundtrack content generating over three billion daily views on platforms such as TikTok and YouTube.