Why this comparison matters
If you publish video for money, the music license matters as much as the music. A bad pick can mean Content ID claims on a monetized upload, a client ad you aren't cleared to run, or a monthly bill for features you never use. Epidemic Sound and Soundstripe are the two subscription libraries most often shortlisted by YouTubers, freelance editors and small in-house video teams. Both offer unlimited downloads for a flat fee. Their catalogs are close in size and their entry prices are almost the same.
The differences are in the details: how many channels each plan clears, whether client and ad work is covered, what you get beyond music, and what happens when you stop paying. This article compares both services using their own pricing and help pages, plus named third-party sources where the vendor pages don't list figures.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Epidemic Sound | Soundstripe |
|---|---|---|
| Music catalog | 55,000+ tracks, all owned by Epidemic | 58,000+ tracks, about 100 new songs added each month |
| Sound effects | 250,000+ effects and variations | 115,000+ effects, updated quarterly |
| Stock video | No | 100K clips (HD to 8K) on Pro Plus |
| Stems | Not listed on plan pages | Stems for all songs on Pro |
| Track editing | Adapt tool changes track length and arrangement | Not listed |
| Editor plugins | Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, DaVinci Resolve | Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Express |
| Search | AI Assistant finds music from a text prompt | Standard library search and Projects feature |
| Extras | AI voiceovers in 70+ languages, voice replicas | Single-use licenses from $49 |
| API | Music API with a free tier for prototyping | API access on Enterprise |
| Monetized channels | 1 per platform (Creator), 3 per platform (Pro) | 1 YouTube channel (Personal), up to 5 (Pro) |
| Free trial | Yes | None listed; refund within 30 days if no content used |
| After cancellation | Content published while subscribed stays cleared | No new projects with library content |
| scored.tools rating | 7.2 / 10 | Not yet scored |
How Epidemic Sound scores
Epidemic Sound has a 7.2 overall rating on scored.tools. Ease of use scores highest at 9, based on the free trial and the Adobe and DaVinci Resolve plugins. Output quality, API and integrations, and problem fit each score 7. Pricing value scores lowest at 6 because there is no free tier and the low prices need annual billing. The output quality score reflects a G2 rating of 4.2 out of 5 from 23 reviews, where some users report copyright claims and slow support. Soundstripe doesn't have a scored.tools rating yet, so it gets no score here.
Catalog ownership
Epidemic Sound owns every track in its library outright. That matters for claims, because one company controls the rights and runs the safelisting system that clears your channels. Soundstripe also licenses its catalog directly and adds roughly 100 songs a month, per its pricing page. On size alone the two are close. The bigger gap is in sound effects: Epidemic lists more than twice as many as Soundstripe.
Workflow
Epidemic's plugins cover Premiere Pro, After Effects and DaVinci Resolve. If you cut in Resolve, Soundstripe has no listed plugin for you. Epidemic also has the Adapt tool, which reshapes a track to fit your edit, and a text-prompt AI Assistant for search. Soundstripe's edge is stems on every song at the Pro tier, which gives editors more control in the mix than a finished stereo track.
Pricing comparison
Epidemic's own pricing page loads its plan table dynamically, so the dollar figures below come from Photutorial's Epidemic Sound pricing breakdown (updated July 30, 2026). Soundstripe's figures come from its own pricing FAQ.
| Tier | Epidemic Sound | Soundstripe |
|---|---|---|
| Entry (personal/creator) | Creator: $9.99/mo billed annually ($119.88/yr) or $17.99 month-to-month | Personal: $119/yr or $19.99/mo |
| Professional | Pro: $16.99/mo billed annually ($203.88/yr) or $39.99 month-to-month | Pro: $239/yr or $39.99/mo |
| Pro with extras | Pro Plus: custom quote | Pro Plus (adds stock video): $399/yr or $69.99/mo |
| Small business | Business: $30/mo annually ($360/yr) or $75 month-to-month, 2 seats | Business: $999/yr, 3 seats, local market |
| Larger teams | Business Plus: from $100/mo, annual only, up to 10 seats | Enterprise: custom |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom, up to $1M indemnification |
| Single track | Not offered on the pricing page | $49 Personal, $199 Digital, $399+ Expanded, $1,249+ All Media |
At the entry tier the two cost the same on annual billing, give or take 88 cents. At the Pro tier Epidemic is about $35 a year cheaper. The Business tiers are far apart: Epidemic Business costs $360 a year against Soundstripe's $999, though Soundstripe adds a third seat. Soundstripe's pricing page also advertised Pro "starting at $9.99/month" when checked, which looks like a promotional rate, so check the live page before you buy.
Licensing scope
Epidemic's plan guide says Creator covers one monetized channel per platform with no digital ads or client work. Pro raises that to three channels per platform and adds ads and client work. Photutorial reports the Pro client allowance applies to clients under $50M in revenue. Business and Business Plus are sized by your company's revenue, with Business Plus covering organizations up to $50M.
Soundstripe's pricing page lists paid social, digital ads, podcasts and an optional client license on Pro, with up to five YouTube channels. Its pricing FAQ describes the individual plans as built for work that doesn't promote a brand, product or service. Those two pages read differently, so confirm coverage with Soundstripe before you run paid campaigns on a Pro plan.
Cancellation
Epidemic's help center says content published on safelisted channels during an active subscription stays cleared for monetization permanently. Anything you publish after cancelling gets claimed, even if you downloaded the track earlier. Our own tool data previously listed this as a loss of rights on cancellation. Epidemic's current terms say otherwise for content already published. Soundstripe says you can't re-download or use its content in new projects once you cancel. Both models punish one habit: stockpiling tracks for videos you plan to publish later.
Use case scenarios
Solo YouTuber or social creator: Epidemic Sound
Entry prices are equal, so the extras decide it. Epidemic gives you more than twice the sound effects, a Resolve plugin, the Adapt tool and a free trial. If you only monetize one channel per platform, Creator covers you.
Freelance editor doing client work: depends on channels
Epidemic Pro is cheaper per year and includes client work and digital ads. Soundstripe Pro costs more but clears up to five YouTube channels instead of three and includes stems for every song. If you mix music around dialogue often, stems are a real advantage. If you don't, Epidemic is the better buy.
You need stock footage too: Soundstripe
Soundstripe Pro Plus bundles 100K video clips with the music library for $399 a year. Epidemic doesn't sell stock video, so you'd pay for a separate footage service.
One project, no subscription: Soundstripe
Soundstripe sells single-use licenses, from $49 for personal use up to $1,249 for an All Media license covering TV, radio and theatrical. For a wedding film or a single regional TV spot, that beats signing up for a year.
Small in-house marketing team: Epidemic Sound
Epidemic Business costs $360 a year against Soundstripe's $999. You get one fewer seat, but most two-person teams will take the $639 saving.
Developers building music into an app: Epidemic Sound
Epidemic offers a Music API with a free tier for prototyping against the full catalog. Soundstripe lists API access only on Enterprise.
Where Soundful fits
If you want music generated to order instead of picked from a library, Soundful is an AI music generator with a free plan and Fairly Trained certification. It scores 5.4 on scored.tools. Ease of use scores 8, but API and integrations score 2 (no API found), and reviewers report repetitive output and confusion over refunds and licensing. Standard and Content Creator tracks are non-exclusive. It isn't a direct replacement for either library.
Verdict
For most buyers Epidemic Sound is the better pick. It matches Soundstripe on entry price, costs less at the Pro and Business tiers, and has the deeper sound effects library and wider editor plugin support. Its terms keep already published content cleared after you cancel. The weak spots are the pricing value score of 6, which reflects the lack of a free tier and steep month-to-month rates, plus user reports of occasional claims and slow support.
Soundstripe wins in three situations: you need stems on every track, you want stock video in the same subscription, or you need a one-off license without a subscription. If you manage four or five YouTube channels on a single seat, Soundstripe Pro also covers more of them. Pick by the scenario above that matches your work, and read the license page for your tier before publishing paid ads with either service.
