Artlist vs Epidemic Sound: Licence and Cancel Rules

Side-by-side licence matrix

Sources: Epidemic's pricing and licensing page, its safelisting explainer and its help article on what happens after you cancel; Artlist's licence explainer, Music and SFX plans article and pricing and plans explainer.

Sponsored posts: where Artlist's own pages disagree

This is the question that matters most to a creator with brand deals, and Artlist answers it two ways. Its licence explainer says the Social licence is for individual creators on personal channels “regardless of whether the use is purely personal or also includes commercial elements like monetization or sponsorships”, and that self-employed users with a VAT number can use it. Its Music and SFX plans article says, in a note under the Social licence, that the Social licence does not cover commercial or client work.

Both pages were live on the same day. Until Artlist reconciles them, the conservative reading is that a sponsored video on your own channel may be covered by Social, but anything a brand pays you to produce, approve or reuse should be on Pro. If you rely on Social for sponsored posts, ask Artlist support to confirm your use case in writing and keep that reply with your licence records. Epidemic's pricing table is clearer: sponsored and boosted content on your own channels is listed under Creator, while business and client work and digital ads are listed from Pro.

One trap applies to both: if a brand runs your post as an ad from its own account, that is advertising, not a post on your channel. Our guide to influencer whitelisting explains that arrangement, and for both libraries it is where the entry tier stops covering you, since each lists ads with its professional tier.

Prices on 2 October 2026

The two companies showed prices in different currencies, so convert before comparing.

• Epidemic Sound, as displayed to an Australian visitor with the page's data marking the prices as Australian dollars: Creator A$16.99 a month billed yearly (A$203.88), Pro A$26.99 a month billed yearly (A$323.88) and Pro Plus A$62.99 a month billed yearly (A$755.88). The page says yearly plans are discounted compared with monthly ones.
• Artlist, from its own pricing and plans explainer (updated 11 June 2026, prices excluding VAT): Music & SFX Social at $14.99 a month, or $9.99 a month billed annually; Music & SFX Pro at $24.92 a month billed annually, or $16.58 for music only; Footage and Templates at $31.99 a month billed annually. Artlist's live pricing page led with its AI plans when we checked and blocked automated access to the stock plans, so confirm these at checkout.

What stays cleared after you cancel

Both companies tie clearance to the publish date, not the download date. Epidemic's help centre says videos, podcast episodes and other content published during an active subscription stay cleared to monetise forever, but if you use its music in videos published after the subscription ends, Epidemic will monetise them. Its safelisting page adds that this applies even if you downloaded the track while subscribed.

Artlist's licence explainer says a project completed and published while you are subscribed keeps its licence after you cancel, but once the subscription expires, the assets cannot be used in new projects, even edited versions. Its example: a video published while subscribed and later shown at a film festival stays licensed; a video held back until the festival date with no active subscription does not. Artlist also says the Clearlist must be updated while the subscription is active, and AI outputs you generated remain yours to use after it ends.

The practical consequence is the same for both: scheduled posts, re-uploads and new clips cut from old videos after your end date are new publications. If a claim does appear on a video that was covered, our guide to a YouTube copyright claim versus a strike covers the dispute options.

Cancel-safely checklist

Work through this before you press cancel on either service, ideally a week before the renewal date.

1. List every draft, edit and scheduled post that uses tracks from the library, including Shorts and clips planned from existing videos.
2. Publish anything you want covered before the subscription ends, or replace its music; scheduling for later is not enough.
3. Confirm every channel you have posted to is safelisted or on the Clearlist, and add any missing ones while you still can.
4. On Artlist, add any individual YouTube videos or website pages that need clearance to the Clearlist before expiry.
5. Download licence records, certificates or account history for the tracks you used, and store them with each project.
6. Check client deliverables are delivered and published under your active plan, and tell clients the music was licensed through your subscription.
7. Note your exact end date, not the cancellation date, since access usually runs to the end of the paid period.
8. Search your channels for any videos published after a previous lapse, and replace music where needed.
9. Write down which tracks you would need again, in case you resubscribe for a future project.

If you manage several brand deals, record the music licence for each in your brand deal tracker so renewal decisions show which campaigns still depend on it.

Editors, team members and extras

If someone else edits for you, check who is allowed to download. Artlist's licence explainer says plans are for individual use, that you cannot share a plan or login with a friend or colleague, and that each user needs their own licence; it offers team plans for up to seven users, where members can use assets downloaded by other members for team projects. Epidemic lists two team members on its Pro Plus plan, so an editor on a Creator or Pro account should not simply borrow your login either.

The extras differ as well. Epidemic's pricing page lists track adaptations for creating different versions of a song, AI voiceovers and voice replicas, a mobile app and Adobe plugins, with the AI features drawing on a monthly credit allowance. Artlist's plan explainer lists music stems with its Music and SFX plans and an extension for Premiere Pro on some of them, and its help centre says stock plans can add AI credits as an upgrade. Treat these as tie-breakers after the licence fits, not reasons to pick a plan that does not cover how you earn.

Which one fits which creator

If your income comes from monetised videos and sponsored posts on your own channels and you only need music and sound effects, Epidemic's Creator plan spells out that use most plainly. If you also need stock footage, templates or colour LUTs for the same projects, Artlist bundles those in plans that come with its Pro licence. If you make videos for clients or run ads, both companies want you on their professional tier, so compare Epidemic Pro with Artlist's Pro plans on price, channel allowance and billing terms. Neither choice is a ranking; it is a match between a licence and how your content earns.

Limitations of this Artlist and Epidemic comparison

This comparison reflects published pages on 2 October 2026 and is general information, not legal advice. Both companies change plans and prices, prices appeared in different currencies and tax treatments, and the licence terms you accept at checkout override any summary, including this one. We have not tested how either company handles claims, so nothing here describes how quickly or reliably disputes are resolved.

For uses outside both standard licences, such as broadcast television, theatrical release or apps and games, both companies point you to custom or business licences. Read that contract carefully, and have a lawyer who works on media licensing review it if a campaign is large or long-running.