Artlist Review 2023: Is There A Better Deal? Is It Worth It?

From this review, you will learn what is Artlist and why it is different from other royalty-free music platforms. I will talk about pricing, key features, and pros and cons, so that by the time you finish reading this article, you will have all the information to decide whether Artlist is worth it or not.

Whether you are a filmmaker, a YouTuber, or a podcaster in search of background music for your latest project, you know that having access to royalty-free music is crucial for your video production. Royalty-free music is usually not free. However, once you pay for the music license, you can use the music for as long as you want.

There are several excellent music licensing companies out there. I create a lot of content every month and prefer services that offer an unlimited subscription. It is much cheaper than having to license every single track, plus it saves me a lot of time. In this post, I will explore one of the most popular music licensing platforms called Artlist.

What is Artlist?

Artlist is a subscription-based platform that offers high-quality music licensing. Founded in 2015, it became one of the first companies to offer unlimited downloads and unlimited use for a fixed monthly or yearly price. All the music is original and can be used worldwide for any of your projects.

Artlist Overview: Pros And Cons

Pros:

- Unlimited and royalty-free music and SFX

- Affordable annual plans starting at just $9,99/month for music and SFX

- Fast and efficient search (and awesome search filters)

- Many genres available

- High-quality music

- A universal license covers everything

- All songs and SFX are yours to keep even if you end the subscription

- Fast-growing library

- User-friendly interface

- 14 days money-back guarantee

- 2-month free with an annual subscription

Cons:

- Songs and SFX cannot be purchased separately; subscription only

- The library is rapidly growing, but still not as big as on some other platforms

- Some tracks are not categorized well

- A daily download limit of 40 songs and 100 SFX

Is Artlist Worth It?

Artlist's single license, lifetime use, low annual price, and unlimited downloads make it the best value for your money. The quality of songs and SFX is excellent, everything is royalty-free, and the search is fast and friendly. Artlist is a good company and a must-have for content creators and filmmakers.

Artlist Review

Artlist is a good royalty-free music site. For $9.99-16 a month you get unlimited downloads from a library of thousands of high-quality songs and SFX. A simple license covers commercial and personal projects. New tracks are being added every day. The songs are available in wave 16-44.1 and MP3 320kbps formats.

Artlist Music Library Overview

Artlist library has 18,000+ songs, and once you purchase a subscription, you get access to the entire catalog and can download as many songs as you want. Artlist hand-picks all the songs from independent artists and features music from all around the globe - from small villages in Asia to nightclubs in L.A. and London. The audio quality is always superb.

Artlist Music Library Review

New music is being added daily so you always have something fresh for your next project. The Artlist team goes through every single file that is being submitted to them from musicians and adds the best ones to the catalog.  

The songs in the library vary in length and can be anything from under 1 minute to up to 15 minutes long. Some songs have lyrics, but usually, there is an instrumental version available as well. I like that many songs also have alternate versions as it makes video editing much easier for me. The files are downloaded in Wave 16-44.1 and MP3 320kbps formats.

Pricing and Subscription Options

As of 2023, Artlist offers three different subscription plans.

Personal - $9,99/month if billed annually or $14,99/month if billed monthly 

This plan is perfect for those who create projects for their social media channels (you can use it on one channel per platform). The license covers:

Unlimited - $16,60/month or $199/year (billed annually)

This is the best plan for those who create both personal and commercial projects. The license covers:

Enterprise - for prices contact Artlist

This plan is tailored specifically for companies. The license covers:

There used to be no monthly Artlist plans, but in 2021 the company added a Personal plan that offers a monthly or annual subscription. If you decide to sign up for an Artlist Unlimited plan, you will be billed annually. All plans include a universal license, unlimited downloads and projects, lifetime use, and come with a 14-day money-back guarantee (unless you already used any music or/and SFX).

Artlist Pricing Review

Artlist Universal License

Artlist Unlimited subscription allows you to use any song from the library in any commercial or personal project worldwide. The Unlimited subscription doesn't expire. Once you download a song, you are licensed to use it forever in any future projects even if you decide to cancel your subscription.

There are no extra fees; Artlist license even covers branded and paid ads, monetized YouTube videos, and TV broadcasts. And in case you were hired for a video project, Artlist license covers your client, as well.

You are allowed to edit or mix any song you like. Also, you don't need to credit the artists (of course, you can do that if you want).

And, just to be clear,  you won't receive exclusive rights of use to the songs you download. This is pretty obvious, though.

Artlist Personal subscription allows you to use any song from the library in your social media projects. Every project you create while your subscription is active will be covered forever. However, you won't be able to use any downloaded assets in new projects after you cancel your subscription.

Artlist FAQ

What Makes Artlist's Search Filters Awesome?

Artlist's search filters feature is really cool. Even though there are thousands of tracks in the library, it usually takes me just a couple of minutes to find the right song. Each song has a tag, and all the tags are divided into four filter categories: Mood (Groovy Serious, Love, Powerful, etc.), Genre (Classical, Reggae, Hip Hop, Country, etc.), Video Theme (Vlog, Weddings, Technology, Food, etc.), and Instrument (Piano, Mandolin & Ukulele, Acoustic Drums, Electric Guitar, etc.). The Video Theme filter that shows tracks based on the theme of your project is my favorite, and I actually haven't seen anything similar on other music platforms.

Then, there is also the Spotlight section, which has curated song collections, such as Travel Vlog, Best for Commercial, Perfect for YouTube, National Anthem, Wedding Songs, 80's Synthwave, and many others.  And if you are anything like me and you don't like to spend a lot of time looking for the most popular artists and songs, then you are going to love Spotlight.

Is There A Free Artlist Trial?

Yes, Artlist offers a free trial option. If you sign up for a free Artlist account you will be able to download watermarked song previews only. These songs are for personal use only, meaning that you can't use them publicly. It is a good way to explore the platform before purchasing a membership.

Is Artlist Royalty-Free?

Yes, all the music and SFX in the catalog are royalty-free. You can use the files on any platform: TV, mobile. video games, film, web, etc.  

Is Artlist Really Unlimited?

Even though the Artlist subscription is "unlimited", you can actually download no more than 40 songs and 100 SFX each day. After you reach a daily limit, you will see a message asking you to come back the next day.

What Is Artlist's SFX Library?

In 2020, Artlist launched a new SFX library created by the world's top studios, recordists, and sound designers. All the sound effects in the library are divided into 25 categories (City, Technology, Wildlife, Business and Office, Weather, etc.). There used to be a separate SFX plan for $149 a year, but that has changed and now the Unlimited plan includes both music and SFX, which is much more convenient.

The Artlist team daily adds new sound effects to the catalog. Most tracks are from a few seconds to a few minutes long. 

What Happens If I Cancel My Artlist Subscription?

If you decide to cancel your subscription, you won't be able to download new songs and/or SFX from the library. However, everything you downloaded before is yours to keep and you can use it in any of your future projects (for the Unlimited subscription).

Can I Cancel My Subscription And Get A Refund?

Yes! If you purchase Artlist's annual subscription and then suddenly change your mind, you will be able to ask for a refund within 14 days. Keep in mind, that in this case you are not allowed to use any songs or SFX you downloaded from the Artlist catalog.

How Do I Get 2 Extra Free Months On My Artlist Subscription? 

I would like to share a special link with you that I received directly from Artlist that will give you 2 extra months of unlimited downloads on your subscription at no extra cost. This way, if you sign up for Artlist's annual subscription, you will get 2 months' worth of subscription for free.

Is Artlist billed monthly?

With Artlist Personal subscription, you can choose a monthly or annual plan. With Artlist Unlimited subscription, members are billed annually.

What is Artlist Unlimited license?

Artlist Unlimited license allows you to use music and SFX in any of your projects forever, and that includes commercial projects, too.

Can I use music from Artlist?

Yes, as a paid member, you can use music from Artlist worldwide in your projects. There is no need to purchase any separate licenses. 

Artlist Alternatives

Artlist offers exceptional value for the money. And, as you can probably tell from this review, I really enjoy the service. However, there are other good royalty-free music sites out there, and if you are interested in finding more about them, check out the links to my other reviews below.

Artlist Max

In November 2022, Artlist announced the launch of Artlist Max, an all-in-one subscription platform for creatives. Members will gain unlimited access to stock footage, royalty-free music, sound effects, video templates, plugins for Premiere Pro, After Effects, FinalCut, Davinci Resolve, an image editing app, and video editing software. 

There will be four Artlist Max plans to choose from:

Max Social ($29.99/month) - allows you to link one channel from each social media (including YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Podcasts, and more) and publish content on these platforms.

Max Pro ($39.99/month) - allows you to use content in all types of videos and social media platforms (including worldwide commercial work, websites, film broadcasting rights, and more). There is also an option to upgrade the footage subscription to get RAW/LOG footage for an extra $19.92 per month.

Max Teams (from $68.00/month) - this is a plan designed for teams of 2-7 members. Each member receives everything that is included in the Max Pro plan.

Max Enterprise - this is a plan for big companies of 100+ employees. The license includes everything that is included in the Max Pro plan.

Is Artlist Worth It In 2023?

There are many things that make Artlist stand out among other music licensing platforms, such as Unlimited License which covers everything, and an impressive catalog of high-quality songs and SFX. Even though there are sites that have larger music libraries, I prefer Artlist's quality over quantity approach. The monthly and annual prices are very affordable, too, especially considering that you can download as many songs as you want.

. Join Artlist today - either as a free or paid member - and decide for yourself whether it is a good fit for you.