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Is Artlist worth it?

This really depends on what your needs are. I personally think that if you plan to do any monetised or commercial video then you seriously need to consider using a service like Artlist. There are many different music libraries out there but Artist is just the one I know and use.
 

Using free music

If you just want some music for your Youtube channel, for example, there are quite a few different ways to source music without even paying a penny. The first is to use the Youtube Audio Library, which is a bit limited but there is certainly enough to get you started.
 
The Youtube Audio Library has over 800 music tracks and 400 sound effects. There are some good quality tracks on there but you do need to do some searching to unearth them. There is one thing to bear in mind when using free music and that is how it is licensed. Using the YouTube Audio library as an example, they have attribution and non-attribution videos.
 

Licensing free tracks

There are a lot of sites out there that will allow you to use music if you add attribution to the video. This usually comes in the form of a credit at the end of the video in some titles. This is fine, but it doesn’t look overly professional and has no relevance to the content you are trying to get across.
 
Just be aware that free or royalty-free music sometimes will require attribution to be given to the creator and may be listed to certain uses. You need to be sure to read the licensing for each track before using it.
 

Copyright claims on free music

You have to be totally sure that you are able to use audio tracks before trying to monetise them or use them commercially or it could result in a copyright claim. In the case of YouTube, this means your video is not eligible to be monetised unless you can prove you have correct permissions to use the track. But outside of that, you are personally liable and that means you could be sued for a breach of copyright. This can cost hundreds or thousands of pounds/dollars to settle the dispute.
 

Upsides of Artist

Artist has a huge library of professional tracks, some of which you will have heard in TV shows and adverts. I find there is a solid variety of genres and styles to satisfy the different types of videos I produce. They also create collections with everything from cinematic scores to retro-style tracks.
 
Artlist’s BPM filter is great for pacing your video and finding the right tracks to suit your clips. A nice addition to Artlist as of late is the SFX library. It’s not something I use all the time but it is good for adding some depth to videos and useful to have as an additional resource.
 
The big upside of Artlist is the licensing, you don’t need to be a lawyer to work it out. It’s so simple, you pay for your subscription and then any music you download within that period is licensed to you for personal and commercial use in your projects for life. It is royalty-free as well, so this means you can use it at any scale you wish, from YouTube to television. This makes it an incredibly valuable resource to me.
 

Downsides of Artist

The cost of Artlist is very reasonable when you are doing commercial projects. But if you are just starting out, you may struggle to pay the monthly fees. Don’t start a subscription if you aren’t making any money yet. Make sure you can justify the price tag because it’s not essential for making videos but it can step up the quality to warrant you charging more money.
 
I have used other stock audio libraries like Epidemic Sound and one thing I really wish Artlist would embrace is stems. They make it really easy to tailor music to video, both in terms of pacing and timing. It’s not a deal-breaker for me but I would love to see that make its way in as a feature.
 
I won’t lie, there are times when I can’t find what I need in the Artist library. But that is quite rare and I don’t mind paying for a one-off track here and there outside the subscription. With that being said, the library is growing all the time and the quality of the content being added is very high.
 

Artist Refferals on Artlist

One of the best things about Artlist is that they will give you free months for referrals. So if you use the link in this article to subscribe then both you and I will be rewarded with some free months. Then once you are a member, you can share your link and get more free months. I make the money I pay for Artlist back through the work I do but it’s still nice to get the odd freebie thrown in.
 

Additional extras with Artlist

From time to time Artlist does special giveaway packs of various things like titles, LUTs, and overlays. This is a really nice little extra to get on top of your subscription.
 

So is Artlist worth it?

Fo me, it’s the varied library of tracks combined with the super simple licensing that makes it my go-to music library. For commercial work, it more than pays for itself and if you want more choice you can always look elsewhere. The competition for quality stock audio is so high right now and that makes it a great market for the consumer, both in terms of quality and cost.
 
Sign up using the link below and you will get 2 months free when you sign up.
Artlist Motion Pack offer and 2 months free