For the last three months I have used Epidemic Sound* for my videos instead of free libraries like the YouTube Content Library. Here is what I use it for and what I think of it.
Music: stems and AI search
The library is huge and the tracks are good. Two features stand out:
- Stems: you can isolate instruments or change the song length, so your video does not sound like everyone else’s using the same loop.
- AI search: you can describe your video idea, or upload a raw video file, and the search suggests fitting tracks. It has saved me a lot of time.
Sound effects in the same place
Sound effects are part of the same search, and the AI tools work for them too. I don’t have to look through several platforms. If you edit in Final Cut Pro, see my guides on the macOS app and on using it inside Final Cut Pro.
Licensing for channels and clients
You can clear your accounts on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and other channels, so the music in your posts is protected from copyright strikes. For my freelance work I use the higher subscription tier, which costs roughly 20 US dollars per month at the moment of writing and allows use in client projects. Once a client video is uploaded, it can be cleared. Check the current terms and prices on their site, because plans change. My freelance video work is at hildexa.com.
The AI voiceover
Epidemic Sound recently added AI voiceovers. The voices sound decent and you get plenty of tokens each month, but the control is limited. You can change speed, choose voices and add pauses. You can’t switch between voices in one go or change the emotion of the delivery. I also tried uploading my own voice recording as a guide, and it did not work well: the AI mirrors your tone, so unless you can deliver an emotional performance yourself, it can’t fix that. I treat it as a bonus. This is a music-first subscription.
Verdict
After three months I’m happier with it than I expected. The music and sound effects libraries are excellent, and it fits my workflow for my own channel and for client projects. The AI voiceover is the weak spot. If you want to try it, there is a 30-day trial.
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