Artlist vs HookSounds Comparison 2026
Artlist licenses a wide catalogue of music, footage and plugins on one subscription, with the licence surviving cancellation on anything already published, from $19.99 a month billed annually. HookSounds writes its own catalogue in house instead of aggregating one, which keeps it smaller but makes the licensing simpler to reason about, from $9.99 a month billed yearly for personal work only. HookSounds' own comparison puts it plainly: against Artlist it is smaller and cheaper, and that trade is the whole decision. The question is whether you need Artlist's range or HookSounds' simplicity and lower price.
One licence covering music, footage and plugins
Royalty-free music written in house
At a glance
- HookSounds starts cheaper, at $9.99.
- Neither has a free tier.
Side by side
Artlist | HookSounds | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (they differ) | From $19.99 | From $9.99 |
| Pricing model | Paid subscription | Paid subscription |
| Free tier | No | No |
| Billing | Not stated | Monthly or annual |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| API | Not stated | Not stated |
| Data export |
Artlist
One licence covering music, footage and plugins
Artlist sells a subscription that licenses everything on it for everything you make, including the videos you monetise, and the licence survives the subscription ending for anything already published. That last clause is the one worth reading twice, because it is where most stock music libraries hedge. The catalogue leans cinematic. Somebody who needs one track this month will find a per-track shop cheaper, and Artlist does not sell that way.
Our note
The licence terms are the product here and the catalogue is secondary, which is the opposite of how these are usually sold. Compare against Epidemic Sound on what happens when you stop paying rather than on how many tracks each claims.
HookSounds
Royalty-free music written in house
HookSounds writes its own catalogue rather than aggregating other people's, which keeps it smaller than the big libraries and makes the licensing simpler to reason about. Music, sound effects and intros are covered by one subscription, cleared for as long as the track stays in the video. The cheapest tier is for personal work and does not cover clients. Anybody who needs a specific genre in depth will find the size a limit.
Why people weigh these two
- HookSounds instead of Artlist
- HookSounds writes its catalog in house rather than sourcing outside artists, starting at $9.99 against Artlist's $19.99.
- Artlist instead of HookSounds
- Artlist folds stock footage and editing plugins in alongside the music under one licence, from $19.99 a month, wider coverage than HookSounds' in-house catalogue for a higher price.
Which one should you pick
Pick HookSounds if the licensing question just needs settling and you do not need a catalogue in the millions: Creator is $9.99 a month billed yearly, cheaper than Artlist's $19.99 entry point, and covers music, sound effects and intros on one subscription. Read the tier carefully, though, since the cheapest plan covers personal projects only; client work needs the $19.99 Freelancer tier at minimum.
Pick Artlist if the catalogue size and range matter more than price, or footage and plugins need to come from the same subscription as the music. Artlist's licence also survives cancellation on anything already published, a clause HookSounds' listing does not describe having. HookSounds itself frames the trade honestly: smaller and cheaper than Artlist, which is exactly what you are buying either way.
Common questions
- Which is cheaper, Artlist or HookSounds?
- HookSounds, at $9.99 a month billed yearly for personal work, against Artlist's $19.99 entry price. HookSounds itself describes the trade as smaller and cheaper than Artlist, so the lower price also buys a smaller catalogue.
- Can I use HookSounds' cheapest plan for client work?
- No. The $9.99 Creator tier covers personal projects only; client and multi-channel work needs the $19.99 Freelancer tier. Artlist's pricing does not break plans out by client versus personal use in the same way.
- Does Artlist include footage, or only music like HookSounds?
- Artlist bundles footage and plugins with the music on one subscription. HookSounds' subscription covers music, sound effects and intros only, with no mention of footage.
- What happens to my licence on each if I stop paying?
- Artlist's licence stays in effect on anything you already published, even after cancellation. HookSounds instead clears a track for as long as it remains in the video it was used in, which is how its listing describes the licence working, rather than tying coverage to an active subscription.
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.