You can tell the quality and reputation of the best in the business when their name is known even by those who don’t necessarily have a great deal of knowledge of the product they so ably provide. This, in the case of Artlist, is most definitely one of those occasions.
Though the world of royalty-free music is still, to some extent, a niche one, it’s one that is growing at quite a rate. Among the dozens of operators offering this service, Artlist remains the leader in the market and its client base has expanded accordingly.
That might lead some organizations to become complacent but in Artlist’s case this hasn’t occurred, indeed they are evidently continuing to expand the product that is being offered while also adding additional unique selling points that keep them at the forefront of the industry.
A Content Revolution
Royalty-free music is more often than not used in conjunction with film or video projects that need a great quality soundtrack to help complete an overall professional product.
We have all become mini-content creators, whether that’s just keeping our personal social media accounts ticking over, or perhaps becoming a key influencer, or if you produce short or long-form video content. Making quality visual projects is easier and cheaper than ever, this is due to the relatively low costs associated with top-grade equipment.
Using existing mainstream music to back your film or video project isn’t really an option for most in the market. That’s because the cost associated with securing the relevant licenses and permissions is exorbitant. Also, in most cases, the rights holder isn’t willing to allow you to use their work anyway unless you happen to be Quentin Tarantino or PewDiePie.
Yes, some will point out that there is the option of chasing the unicorn that is ‘copyright-free music, but let us tell you now that this is kind of like attempting to find the end of the rainbow.
There are rare examples of music that is without copyright but this occurs in very specific circumstances that kind of illustrate how the search in itself is a pointless one.
Music that has seen its copyright expire can sometimes be available for commercial use, but this tends to cover music that is at least 75 years old. In other instances, there is music that is in the public domain, usually because the composer chose for this to be the case.
Again this usually covers classical music that dates back a century or more and is usually not composed by recognized composers, so again the unicorn that you are searching for is almost impossible to find and is likely to be the type of unicorn you weren’t looking for.
So where can you get great music that’s a) relevant and b) affordable?
Maybe you happen to be friends with incredibly talented musicians or happen to know a band that is willing to work for free. Failing that, we have a solution.
This is where royalty-free music comes in.
What is Royalty-Free Music?
So, if licensing music that is in the mainstream isn’t an option, you can turn to royalty-free music. This is music that is available for a one-off subscription fee and comes with the relevant licenses needed to use in commercial or indeed private productions.
The best providers of this service enlist the expertise of great DJs, singers, musicians and bands to offer you, the signed-up user, a massive amount of great content that you can sort through in order to find the perfect sample or track for your specific purposes.
Those who choose to place their music on the relevant provider do so for two main reasons. Firstly it’s a vital source of income, especially given that live performances have been severely impacted by the coronavirus restrictions we’ve lived under for 18 months or so. Secondly, they are keen to get the exposure that comes with the use of their work. For instance, a track could be used on a TikTok dance craze that goes viral, this has (in documented instances) led to some acts becoming a massive success both in terms of critical acclaim as well as in financial terms.
The content offered by the provider is sorted and organized according to many helpful metrics whether that be in relation to genre or film type as well as length and type of musical file. This makes royalty-free music very much a game-changer and the best of the bunch is Artlist.
Why Artlist?
There are many reasons Artlist sits at the top of the royalty-free music tree. Firstly their pricing model is easy to use, offering you the choice of music and/or SFX account types and the quality of the music offered blows away the competition.
The size of their library is unrivaled as is the user interface, which is super-intuitive and purpose-built. Frankly, navigating around the massive libraries that are on offer is a joy, and the mere act of looking for the best sample or track gives you a window into the minds of those who run the service.
Every aspect of the process is fit for purpose and we can tell you that isn’t the case for many of their competitors. It’s also additional aspects, idiosyncratic to Artlist, that help make the decision to use their services a near no-brainer.
For instance, if for whatever reason you choose to end your subscription with Artlist, you don’t lose access or rights to the content you’ve already downloaded. That’s yours in perpetuity. This in itself makes walking away from their service pretty much an impossibility, which is perhaps why they can make such an offer in the first place.
