Is Audiio worth it in 2026?
Music was the one thing I kept getting wrong
When I started putting out travel and street photography edits on YouTube, I treated background music as an afterthought — grab something free from a random channel, hope it doesn't get claimed, move on to the next cut. It caught up with me fast. Two videos I was genuinely proud of got muted by copyright bots mid-upload, and a paid client delivery got held up for two days over a track I'd assumed was cleared for commercial use. That's when I started looking seriously at royalty-free music licensing for content creators, rather than treating it as a box to tick.
"I stopped thinking about music as a line item and started treating it as part of the edit."
I moved to Audiio on a recommendation from another editor, mainly for the licensing clarity — every track ships with a straightforward commercial license, so I'm not reading fine print to work out if I'm covered for a sponsored video or just a personal upload. The Lifetime License meant I stopped budgeting for background music entirely, which matters more than it sounds when you're cutting several videos a month across a YouTube channel and freelance edits.
It isn't the biggest catalogue on the market — if you're after an enormous, constantly refreshed library, Epidemic Sound or Artlist still win on raw volume. But for the day-to-day work of scoring travel films, street photography reels, and client b-roll, Audiio has been the one music subscription I've never considered cancelling. Mostly because I paid for it once, back in 2023, and haven't thought about it since.
Who this is actually for
Royalty-free music licensing isn't one-size-fits-all. Here's how I'd honestly split it, based on the kind of creator or business asking.
Worth it if you're...
- Publishing weekly or more on YouTube, Reels, or TikTok
- Tired of copyright claims from free music sites
- Doing paid client or agency edit work
- Trying to cut recurring software costs
- Producing travel, lifestyle, or documentary-style content
Skip it if you're...
- Posting only occasionally, with no monetization plans
- Needing an enormous, constantly refreshed catalogue
- Already locked into another license you're happy with
- Working almost entirely in genres Audiio covers thinly (e.g. orchestral scoring)
Built for people who publish often
Unlimited downloads
No per-track fees or monthly caps — pull as many tracks as a project needs, for every channel you run.
One payment, no renewal
A single charge of $199 with the code below replaces the usual annual music licensing bill.
Cleared for monetized work
Covers monetized YouTube, client delivery, and paid social campaigns — not just personal use.
Curated, not crowdsourced
Founded by former Universal Music Group artist Clay Jones — the library favours quality over sheer volume.
Multiple channel use
License extends across your own channels and reasonable client project use — check current terms at checkout.
Regularly updated catalogue
New tracks and artists are added on an ongoing basis, included at no extra cost under Lifetime.
Audiio vs Epidemic Sound vs Artlist
If you're comparing royalty-free music platforms, pricing structure usually matters more than catalogue size once you factor in a few years of use. Here's the honest breakdown:
| Platform | Pricing model | Approx. 3-year cost | Commercial license |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audiio Lifetime | One-time payment | $199 (with code) | Included |
| Epidemic Sound | Monthly subscription | ~$430–$540 | Included |
| Artlist | Annual subscription | ~$540–$600 | Included |
Competitor pricing is approximate and based on standard published plans; always check current rates before deciding.
Where it actually sits in my edit
Travel films
For longer travel edits I lean on Audiio's ambient and cinematic tags to find a bed track first, then cut picture to it — scoring before editing rather than after tends to give travel footage a much stronger sense of pace.
Street photography reels
Short-form street content needs something with a clear rhythmic hook in the first two seconds. I keep a saved folder of Audiio tracks specifically for this, filtered by BPM.
Client and commercial edits
This is where the commercial license actually earns its keep — I don't need to check with clients whether a track is safe to use in a paid campaign, because it already is.
Redeeming the code takes under a minute
Open the partner link
Use the button on this page — it routes you to Audiio's official checkout page.
Select the Lifetime License
Not the monthly Pro plan — choose the one-time payment option.
Enter songhurst199 at checkout
The $300 discount is applied automatically before you pay.
Start downloading immediately
Access to the full commercial-use library is available as soon as payment clears.
Before you buy
For anyone publishing more than a couple of videos a month, yes. The Lifetime License pays for itself against most subscription competitors within 8–12 months, and after that every track is effectively free.
Yes. The Lifetime License covers monetized YouTube uploads, Instagram, TikTok, and other social platforms, so you won't run into copyright claims or demonetization from using Audiio tracks.
Epidemic Sound and Artlist are both subscription-only, so you keep paying indefinitely. Audiio's Lifetime License is a one-time payment, which makes it cheaper long-term for creators who plan to keep publishing for years, though its catalogue is smaller than either competitor.
Lifetime is a single one-off payment for permanent access to the music library. Pro is a subscription that also bundles sound effects. If you publish regularly and don't want a recurring bill, Lifetime tends to work out cheaper within about a year.
Yes — the license covers commercial projects, client delivery, and advertising, not just personal channels.
Audiio offers a limited free tier so you can test the interface and a sample of tracks before committing to the Lifetime License.
Follow the link on this page, choose the Lifetime License at checkout, and enter songhurst199 in the promo code field before paying. The $300 comes off automatically.
Yes. This is an official Audiio affiliate partnership. I earn a small commission if you use the code, at no extra cost to you — full disclosure is at the bottom of this page.