There are many options out there when it comes to licensing music for your creative projects. It can be daunting trying to sort through all of the different providers, plans, and options. But don’t worry, we’re here to help! In this Soundstripe review, we’ll take a look at one of the most popular music licensing platforms to see if it’s the right fit for you.
What is Soundstripe?
Soundstripe is a music subscription website that offers thousands of royalty-free songs to its users for use in any number of audio/visual projects. It is a great resource for filmmakers, YouTubers, podcasters, and others who need quality music for their projects.
Soundstripe was founded in 2016 by three professional musicians, so they know a thing or two about getting the most out of music while focusing on overall music quality. The site offers a variety of membership options, all of which come with unlimited downloads and access to the entire library of songs. It even offers handpicked playlists to get your podcast or video project on the right path from the start.
The company is headquartered in Nashville, TN, but they have users all over the world. The site boasts 200+ songs added per month with new music added every week, and they’ve issued over five million licenses to creators of all kinds.
How Does Soundstripe Work?
Soundstripe works by offering two membership plans: a monthly plan and an annual plan. The basic Creator plan costs $15 per month when billed monthly, while the annual plan costs $119 per year (which breaks down to about $10 per month). When annualized, plans go up to $20 and $34/month depending on the options you want, so it’s definitely more of a value to be billed annually.
All plans (Creator, Pro, and Pro Plus) come with unlimited downloads and access to the entire library of songs. There is no commitment required, and you can cancel your membership at any time. Each plan offers 7,500+ songs and a whopping 65,000+ sound effects.
The Pro Plus plan also includes 100,000+ premium stock videos from HD to 8K shot by pro filmmakers that can be used in a variety of projects. This is a major benefit for YouTubers, podcasters, and businesses that need quality video content to supplement their audio projects.
How Copyright-Free Music Works
Soundstripe’s music is all royalty-free, which means you can use it in any number of projects without having to worry about copyright infringement. This is a major benefit for filmmakers, podcasters, YouTubers, and businesses who need quality music for their projects but don’t want to deal with the hassle or expense of licensing. Basically, the service ensures that your use of its licensed music is 100% legal—no need to worry about unwanted litigation.
Copyright-free music can be a bit of a misnomer, as it is extremely rare for anything to be completely free of copyright. Essentially what Soundstripe does is issue a license to use the music for a fee, and this fee goes to the artist(s) who created the music. This ensures that the artist is compensated for their work, and it allows you to use the music without fear of copyright infringement.
Using Soundstripe for Your Podcast Intro Music
Soundstripe seems to be perfect for podcasters. While creators should focus on the subject matter, research, audio quality, etc., it’s equally important to give special attention to the music that will serve as the intro, outro, and bumper music for your podcast.
A great soundtrack can really set the tone for a podcast episode and make it more enjoyable for listeners. It can also help to create a certain mood or atmosphere, which is essential for storytelling.
Soundstripe offers a wide variety of songs that would be perfect for the podcast intro music, outro, or bumper music. And because the service is pretty affordable, it’s easy to find the perfect song without breaking the bank.
The company also offers a handy search function that allows you to find songs by genre, mood, instrument, and more. This makes it an easy task to find the perfect song. Pay special attention to what you choose as your intro or “theme” music. You want your listeners to identify this with your show, so make sure it’s catchy, memorable, and appropriate.
Outro music is also important, as it should leave listeners with a sense of closure or finality. And bumper music is perfect for those little segues between segments. Soundstripe has a big catalog of songs to choose from, so you’re sure to find the perfect tunes for your podcast or content creation.
Pros and Cons
As for pros, there are quite a bit. Let’s go over a few:
- Compared to other music sites like Epidemic Sound and Premium Beat, Soundstripe is relatively affordable, with their basic plan starting at $9.99/month.
- All of their subscription plans offer sound effects at no extra charge.
- The curated playlists are top-quality.
- The majority of their music library is exclusive to Soundstripe, so your song options can easily be unique.
- Your subscription covers the licensing of any music in their library, and the license continues to remain valid even after your membership expires.
- Their licensing agreement is very straightforward, and there are few limitations on how their products can be used.
- The interface is very user-friendly.
As for cons? Very little:
- Possibly due to the relative newness of the company (founded just six years ago), the music library seems a little smaller in size when compared to other popular platforms of the royalty-free music industry
The Bottom Line
While Soundstripe may not (yet) have the largest library of music compared to other sites, it still appears to be a great option when it comes to using royalty-free or “copyright-free” music, largely due to its affordability, curated playlists, and sound effects options. Whether it’s for your YouTube channel, podcast, or even short film, Soundstripe certainly offers what creators desire.
Images: Soundstripe.
