Songfindr vs Artlist: which one fits your project?
Artlist and Songfindr both license music for video, but they are no longer the same kind of product. Artlist has grown into an all-in-one production suite, where music sits next to stock footage, templates and AI generators, all behind a subscription. Songfindr does one thing: music from independent artists, licensed by the publisher itself, for exactly the use you need, either one track at a time or with a subscription, and placed straight into your edit from Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve. Most of what you pay goes straight to the artist.
If music is the part of your project that has to be right, here is why that difference matters.
At a glance
- Focus. Artlist bundles music, footage, templates, sound effects and AI tools in one suite. Songfindr is music only.
- Buying. Artlist is subscription only. On Songfindr you can license one track for one project, or subscribe.
- Pricing. Artlist sells plans. Songfindr prices each licence by the use you actually have.
- The catalogue. Artlist is a very large stock library. Songfindr is a curated catalogue of independent artists and labels.
- The rights. Songfindr is the publisher and licenses one-stop, recording and composition together. Most of what you pay goes to the artist, directly.
- Big projects. Large or custom licences are quoted by the rights holder itself, not a reseller.
- In your editor. Artlist has a Premiere Pro plugin. Songfindr's runs in Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve Studio, with every track split into blocks and search by reference track.
A soundtrack that is not in everyone else's video
The bigger a stock library gets, the more its best tracks get used. The same few songs end up under thousands of vlogs, ads and wedding films, and viewers notice long before they could name the track.
Songfindr's catalogue is chosen one track at a time from independent artists and labels, mostly electronic (drum and bass, dubstep, techno, house) along with downtempo, chillout and cinematic music. It will not have every genre. It is built so that the track you pick still sounds like a choice, not a default.
The publisher, not a middleman
Songfindr is not a marketplace reselling someone else's rights. We are the publisher of the music in our catalogue, and we clear it one-stop: both the recording and the composition are licensed by us, in a single agreement.
That changes three things for you:
- The artist gets paid, directly. There is no chain of intermediaries between your licence and the people who made the track. The majority of every licence fee goes to the artist.
- One contact for every use. From a YouTube video to a national TV campaign, the same team grants the rights. For large or unusual projects, you talk to the people who actually hold them, and get a quote from them, not from a reseller.
- Rights that hold up. Because we represent the rights ourselves, the licence you get is the real one, for any type of use, with a PDF certificate your client's legal team can check.
Pay for the project, not a monthly bill
On Artlist, the only way in is a subscription. That works if you publish every week. It works less well when you need one great track for one brand video, a short film or a trailer, and then nothing for two months.
On Songfindr you choose:
- One track, one project. Pay once, from $49, and the licence covers that project forever. No subscription, nothing to remember to cancel.
- A subscription when you need music regularly: the whole catalogue, for as many projects as you like. Register each project while you are subscribed: it gets its own licence certificate and stays licensed forever, even after you cancel.
Pay for your use, not the widest one
Songfindr asks one question: where will this track be used? The answer sets the licence.
- Personal: your own channels and podcasts, monetisation included.
- Digital: adds client and brand work published online, including paid digital ads.
- Expanded: adds physical spaces, events and out-of-home.
- All-Media: adds broadcast.
A freelancer making a YouTube ad for a client pays for online client work, not for television rights they will never use.
Built for the edit, not just the download
Both services offer a Premiere Pro plugin. Songfindr's also runs in DaVinci Resolve Studio, and it is designed around how editors actually cut music.
- Blocks, not waveforms. Every track is split into its sections. Click the drop, it plays; insert it right on your playhead, or let the plugin fill the gap before it so the build-up lands on your cut.
- Every version under one licence. Instrumental, vocal and alternate mixes unfold under each track, on the same structure, and one licence covers all of them.
- Try it in the cut first. Place any track in your timeline before licensing it. The plugin uses a watermarked preview, then swaps in the full-quality WAV master once the track is licensed, without moving the clip.
- Find it by sound. Describe what you want in plain words, or drop in the temp track your client fell in love with, and Music Match finds what sounds like it in the catalogue.
When Artlist is the better fit
If you want one subscription for everything in your edit, music, stock footage, sound effects, templates and AI video, Artlist is built for that, and Songfindr is not trying to be. Plenty of editors keep a broad subscription for everyday content and come to Songfindr when a project deserves a track that is not already everywhere.
Frequently asked questions
Is Songfindr a good Artlist alternative for Premiere Pro?
Yes, if music is what you need. The Songfindr plugin lets you search, preview and place tracks without leaving Premiere Pro, license them when the edit is approved, and swap previews for the WAV master in place.
Do I need a subscription to use Songfindr?
No. You can license a single track for a single project and pay once. The subscription is there if you need music regularly.
Does Songfindr work with DaVinci Resolve?
Yes, with DaVinci Resolve Studio on Windows and macOS. The free edition of Resolve does not accept plugins. The Resolve plugin is currently in beta.
Can I use Songfindr and Artlist music in the same video?
Yes. Each track is covered by its own licence, so you can mix them as long as each licence covers how the video is used.
