European/Non-US Alternative to Musicbed?

Last Updated: 2026-01-27

Editor's Note: Our editorial team has used Artlist and Epidemic Sound for 3+ years. This comparison is based on real hands-on experience.

Musicbed has built a reputation for premium, cinematic music licensing. But the Fort Worth, Texas-based company isn't your only option. If you're seeking royalty-free music from a provider outside the United States, several excellent alternatives exist — and some offer better value.

Why Go Non-US?

Content creators worldwide choose non-US music licensing platforms for practical reasons:

  • GDPR compliance: European providers offer robust data protection
  • Local payment processing: Pay in your currency without conversion fees
  • Time-zone aligned support: Get help during your working hours
  • Regional licensing expertise: Better understanding of local broadcast requirements

Top Non-US Alternatives to Musicbed

Epidemic Sound (Sweden)

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Stockholm-based Epidemic Sound is one of the world's largest royalty-free music platforms. Here's how it compares to Musicbed:

Feature Musicbed Epidemic Sound
Music tracks 15,000+ 40,000+
Sound effects Limited 90,000+
Starting price $9.99/month $9.99/month
Free trial No Yes (30 days)
Stems Some tracks Every track
Copyright protection Manual claims Automatic

Where Epidemic Sound wins:

Epidemic Sound offers nearly three times the music catalog at comparable pricing. The platform provides a 30-day free trial with full access — something Musicbed doesn't offer. Every song includes stems, letting you isolate drums, bass, vocals, or melody. The SoundMatch AI analyzes your video and recommends tracks suited to each scene.

Where Musicbed wins:

Musicbed is known for highly curated, cinematic music with a focus on emotional storytelling. If you're working on wedding films, documentaries, or premium brand content, Musicbed's curation style may appeal more. They also offer per-track licensing for one-off projects.

Artlist

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Artlist is the other industry leader in royalty-free music. The company has evolved into an all-in-one creative platform.

Feature Musicbed Artlist
Music tracks 15,000+ 60,000+
Sound effects Limited 50,000+
Stock footage No 180,000+ clips
Video templates No 20,000+
AI tools No Video, image, voiceover
Starting price $9.99/month $9.99/month

Where Artlist wins:

Artlist offers four times the music catalog and bundles stock footage, templates, and AI tools — making it a complete creative platform. The licensing is straightforward: projects published during your subscription stay licensed forever. Artlist also offers 2 months free on annual plans.

Where Musicbed wins:

Musicbed's library is more tightly curated with a focus on indie artists and emotional, cinematic tracks. If you specifically need that premium "indie film" aesthetic, Musicbed may have more tracks in that style.

Other Non-US Options Worth Considering

Audio Network (United Kingdom)

London-based Audio Network offers a massive catalog of 200,000+ tracks. They specialize in production music for broadcast, advertising, and film. Pricing is higher than consumer platforms but includes broadcast-ready licensing.

Premiumbeat (Canada)

Montreal-based Premiumbeat (owned by Shutterstock) offers per-track licensing starting at $49/song. Good for one-off projects, but subscription platforms offer better value for regular creators.

Envato Elements (Australia)

Melbourne-based Envato Elements bundles music with millions of other creative assets (graphics, templates, photos). At $16.50/month, it's good value if you need design assets alongside music.

Licensing Comparison

Platform License Type After Cancellation
Musicbed Per-track or subscription Purchased tracks stay licensed
Epidemic Sound Subscription Published content stays licensed; cannot use in NEW projects
Artlist Subscription Published content stays licensed; cannot use in NEW projects

Important: Both Epidemic Sound and Artlist work the same way — content you publish during your subscription stays licensed forever, but you cannot use downloaded tracks in new projects after canceling.

The Verdict

Choose Epidemic Sound if you want the largest SFX library (90,000+), a true 30-day free trial, and stems for every track. The Swedish platform excels at variety and modern sounds.

Choose Artlist if you want an all-in-one platform with music, footage, templates, and AI tools in one subscription. Great for creators who need more than just audio.

Both significantly outperform Musicbed on catalog size while matching or beating its pricing. The main trade-off: Musicbed has tighter curation with a specific indie/cinematic aesthetic that some filmmakers prefer.


Ready to Switch?


Complete List of Non-American Royalty-Free Music Providers

Here's every non-US royalty-free music provider we've identified:

Provider Country Type
Epidemic Sound Sweden Subscription
Artlist Non-US Subscription
Audio Network United Kingdom Subscription/Per-track
Envato Elements Australia Subscription
Premiumbeat Canada Per-track
Pond5 Ireland (HQ) Per-track
Jamendo Luxembourg Subscription/Per-track
Uppbeat United Kingdom Freemium/Subscription
Hooksounds Uruguay Subscription
Icons8 Fugue Cyprus Subscription
Bensound France Freemium/Per-track
Audiomachine Germany Per-track
Beatoven.ai India AI/Subscription
Evoke Music Japan AI/Freemium
Tunetank Non-US Freemium
Mixkit Australia Free
Pixabay Music Germany Free
Free Music Archive Non-US Free/CC
ccMixter Non-US Free/CC
Incompetech Canada Free/Per-track

Note: "Non-US" indicates the company operates outside the United States but specific headquarters location varies or is undisclosed.


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