Artlist vs Bensound: What You Need to Know Before Choosing Your Music?

You’re a videographer or content creator, your video is almost ready to be published — and one final element is missing: the music.

When searching for licensed audio tracks, creators quickly discover a wide range of services offering different catalogs, pricing models, and usage rights. Two well-known options are Artlist and Bensound.

While these solutions may appear similar at first glance, a closer look reveals important differences that can directly impact how you work and how you license tracks for your projects.

Music catalog and platform focus

Artlist positions itself as an all-in-one creative platform, offering catalog, sound effects, and stock footage.

Bensound, on the other hand, has always focused exclusively on one thing: high-quality, carefully curated royalty-free sounds. This specialization allows us to prioritize:

• consistent audio quality
• clear categorization
• an efficient audio catalog discovery experience

For creators who already know what they’re looking for – and want to find it quickly – a sound-first platform often makes all the difference.

Home Page & User Experience

When visiting Artlist, the platform places a strong emphasis on subscriptions and pricing, and its homepage showcases the full sound catalog using an infinite scroll system.

At Bensound, we recently redesigned our website with one goal in mind: help users find the right track as fast and as easily as possible. From the homepage, you are taken directly to the sound library via the Browse Music button – no unnecessary steps, no distractions.

Music filters and discovery tools

Both Artlist and Bensound provide advanced filters such as:

• genre
• mood
• instruments
• theme
• energy level / BPM
• duration

That said, Bensound’s interface was designed to remain clear and intuitive, even with advanced filtering options. We also provide:

• additional filter variations within categories
• a Free Track toggle, allowing instant access to tracks that can be used at no cost under specific conditions

Our goal is simple: help creators find the right tracks quickly and without friction.

Free Music: Which platform has more advantages?

One feature that truly sets Bensound apart is our Free Music section, accessible directly from the homepage.

These tracks can be downloaded and used free of charge in online videos that are published for free, provided that Bensound is credited. This option is ideal for:

• YouTubers and streamers
• students and educators
• creators working on passion projects
• anyone wanting to test audio tracks before licensing

Artlist does not offer a permanent free music catalog.

Licensing options and pricing models

Subscription vs Pay-Per-Track

Artlist operates exclusively on a subscription model.

Bensound offers more flexibility, with both subscription plans and pay-per-track licenses, so you can choose what best matches your needs.

Pay-Per-Track Licensing

If you don’t need unlimited downloads, Bensound’s pay-per-track option allows you to license exactly what you need, when you need it.

• Ideal for occasional or one-off projects
• Standard License starting at €34 per track
• No subscription required

Subscription Plans & Usage Rights

Artlist’s most affordable plan (Social Creator) starts at $119.88 per year and is limited to specific social platforms. Downloads are subject to what Artlist considers “reasonable use,” currently capped at 40 tracks per day.

Bensound’s Standard All Access Subscription starts at €144 per year and includes:

• unlimited downloads
• no daily caps
• usage on all social media platforms
• music on hold
• background music (online and in person)
• educational public performance rights

In addition, Bensound licenses extend beyond video production to include applications, games, and public performances, offering broader usage possibilities.

We hope to have clearly illustrated the differences between Artlist and Bensound, and above all, to have helped you see which library best suits your needs and your work methodology as a content creator.

For now, don’t hesitate to take a closer look for yourself at Bensound, perhaps sample a few of our Free Music tracks, and enjoy our newly renovated web portal and catalog.