Frequently Asked Questions

So, you’re interested in working with Epidemic Sound? Whether it’s submitting your music, how we’ll work together, where your music will be heard, or our artist requirements — here’s everything you need to know.

Submit music

How do I get my music on Epidemic Sound?

Submit your music to us here. We’ll ask you to send us a link to your music — this can be to any type of platform (Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube, or similar). Please make sure we can access the link(s) you’re submitting and specify your role in the track. We’ll also ask you to fill in your personal information and contacts. When you’ve submitted your music and filled in the form, your submission will end up in our inbox for review.

When will I know if my music has been reviewed?

We handle submissions in the order we review them. Due to the high volume of submissions and since there are several steps in the review process, it might take some time before you hear from us. We appreciate your patience and will get back to you as soon as your submission has been reviewed.

I accidentally sent an incomplete submission, what do I do?

If you received an email from us saying your submission was incomplete you’re welcome to resubmit. Fill out the form as you did the first time and make sure to give us access to the links you include. Music sent via email will not be reviewed, please resubmit here.

What type of music is Epidemic Sound looking for?

We’re always interested in hearing new music. No matter the genre you create, you’re welcome to submit your music to us. We aim to continuously broaden and diversify our catalog, and we’re always looking for artists and music creators who create with authenticity.

Qualification & conditions

Why does Epidemic Sound ask me to leave my PRO/NRO or collecting society?

Our ecosystem is based on our music being able to flow freely to all our customers. We have made this possible through our unique digital rights model, which is based on the premise of us being the sole owner of the financial rights to our music. This wouldn’t be possible if an artist or music creator were affiliated with a collecting society, due to their exclusive affiliation agreements. We hope that this will change in the future.

How long does it take for me to opt out of my PRO agreement?

The time it takes to leave your agreement depends on which PRO/NRO or collecting society you’re affiliated with. We recommend you contact your organization(s) and ask them directly since we can’t answer on their behalf.

Why does Epidemic Sound only collaborate with music creators based in the US, UK, South Korea and Sweden?

Every country has different copyright laws and collection societies. As some countries have restrictions on transferring copyright in the way that we do, and some countries have made PRO membership mandatory, our ecosystem of free-flowing distribution doesn’t work globally (yet). We’re currently investigating if we can work with music creators in more countries and hope to do so in the future.

Am I allowed to create music outside of Epidemic Sound during our partnership?

Yes! We want artists and music creators to thrive through music, therefore we offer non-exclusive and flexible agreements, enabling you to keep your freedom and write music outside of Epidemic Sound as long as you’re not affiliated with any PRO/NRO or collecting society.

Working with us

Why does Epidemic acquire the financial rights to my music?

We believe in a world where music can flow freely and fairly across time zones, borders, audiences, and channels. We partner with artists and music creators who value distribution over ownership — they benefit from their music flowing freely via our powerful distribution network along with the up-front payments and 50/50 split on received streaming revenue.

How much do I earn as an artist or music creator working with Epidemic Sound?

We pay our artists & music creators competitive upfront rates to acquire ownership of all the music in our catalog. The upfront payment depends on different variables and varies from track to track. All streaming revenue is split 50/50. Additionally, it’s possible to top up earnings via our Soundtrack Bonus.

Some say the beauty is in the mix of all of our payouts — enabling music creators who work with us to earn over $40,000 on average. Our top earners take home more than $200,000 per year from making music with Epidemic Sound.

What does it mean to work with an A&R?

Our team of experts collaborates with each artist and music creator from the first demo to the final mix — ensuring each track is as incredible as it can be, while never sacrificing artistic vision. Each music creator works closely with a dedicated team of music production experts, packed with songwriters, producers, and engineers who help our creators hone their craft. Our A&R team provides extensive, personalized feedback to enable music creators to achieve the best version of their music's original creative intent. Epidemic Sound also provides in-house mastering.

How long can I work with Epidemic Sound for?

We offer short and flexible agreements, enabling artists and music creators to join us without boundaries. We value long-term partnerships, but we also work with music creators for shorter periods of time too. As long as we’re enjoying working together, there are no limits to what we can achieve.

Distribution

How do I get a Youtuber to use my music?

You’ve come to the right place! We can help you get your music heard and used by storytellers all over the world while getting paid for it. Submit your music to us and we’ll get in touch!

Where will my music be heard?

We distribute to an array of services worldwide including Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Deezer, Tidal, Pandora, Napster, Tencent, NetEase, Google Play, Resso, SoundCloud, Anghami, iHeartRadio, KKBox, LINE Music, iMusica, AWA, JioSaavn, Qobuz, Simfy Africa, Boomplay, Shazam, Akazoo, Joox, Yandex Music, and TIM Music.

We also distribute your music via our In-Store offering to leading businesses such as River Island, SAS, Google, McDonald’s, PizzaHut, Subway, Coop, 7Eleven, and many more.

Does Epidemic Sound collect royalties on all of my music?

Epidemic Sound does not replace a regular PRO/collecting society. We only collect royalties for the music of which we own the financial rights.

How does the Soundtrack Bonus work?

We believe the best way to measure if a track resonates with listeners is by how many times it gets downloaded from our Epidemic player. We offer a $1,000,000 Soundtrack Bonus every year that recognizes the tracks that resonate with our customers the most and rewards the music creator accordingly. At the end of every quarter, we’ll report back on the most downloaded tracks in the player and reward our artists and music creators with a share of the bonus proportional to the performance of their tracks. This will consist of both new tracks and ‘catalog’ tracks that have consistently performed well over time.

Join us in soundtracking the world