Audiio vs HookSounds Comparison 2026
Audiio charges $199 a year for unlimited music and sound effects that cover personal work and small clients, or $499 once for a licence that never expires. HookSounds writes its own catalogue in house rather than aggregating one, and bundles music, effects and intros into a single subscription from $9.99 a month billed yearly, but its cheapest tier excludes client work entirely, so a freelancer needs the $19.99 tier instead. The line to check is whether the music ever goes to a client. HookSounds' cheapest tier excludes that entirely; Audiio's does not.
At a glance
- HookSounds starts cheaper, at $9.99.
- Neither has a free tier.
- Audiio bills annually only, so there is no month to try it for.
Side by side
Audiio | HookSounds | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (they differ) | From $199 | From $9.99 |
| Pricing model | Paid subscription | Paid subscription |
| Free tier | No | No |
| Billing (they differ) | Annual only | Monthly or annual |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| API | Not stated | Not stated |
| Data export |
Audiio
Music and sound effects, or a lifetime licence
Audiio sells unlimited music and sound effects on a yearly subscription, and separately sells a licence that never expires, which almost nobody else in this category offers. The catalogue is smaller than Epidemic Sound's and the search is better than the size suggests. Read the tier before buying: the cheaper plan covers your own work and small clients, not agency work.
Our note
The lifetime option is the reason to look. At $499 once it pays back against the yearly plan in about two and a half years, and against Epidemic Sound sooner than that, which is a calculation worth doing before signing up to another subscription.
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 Audiio
- Royalty-free music written in house from $9.99, a far cheaper subscription entry than Audiio's $199 start.
- Audiio instead of HookSounds
- Audiio adds a lifetime licence option instead of only a recurring plan, from $199, for anybody who would rather pay once than keep a subscription running.
Which one should you pick
Pick Audiio if client work is part of the plan from day one. Pro at $199 a year already covers small clients, and the $499 lifetime licence removes the renewal question for good, an option not among HookSounds' three recurring tiers.
Pick HookSounds if the music never leaves your own channel and you want the licensing question settled simply, since an in-house catalogue reads easier on a claim than an aggregated one. Creator at $9.99 a month billed yearly is cheaper than Audiio's Pro, but it covers personal projects only. The moment a client enters the picture, move to the $19.99 Freelancer tier, or price Audiio's Pro instead.
Common questions
- Does HookSounds cover client work on its cheapest plan?
- No, Creator at $9.99 a month billed yearly is for personal projects only. Client and multi-channel work needs the Freelancer tier at $19.99 billed yearly. Audiio's cheapest paid tier, Pro at $199 a year, already covers small clients without an upgrade.
- Is Audiio's lifetime licence better value than HookSounds' subscription?
- It depends on how long you plan to keep paying. Audiio's $499 lifetime licence pays back against its own $199 yearly plan in about two and a half years. HookSounds has no equivalent one-time option, only Creator at $9.99 a month billed yearly, Freelancer at $19.99, or Business at $39.99.
- Does either cover sound effects and intros in one subscription?
- Both do, but the coverage differs. Audiio's Pro plan bundles unlimited music and sound effects together. HookSounds goes a step further and bundles intros into the same subscription, all written in house rather than pulled from outside catalogues.
- Does HookSounds work for a small team?
- Yes, the Business tier is $39.99 a month billed yearly, or $59.99 billed monthly, and covers teams up to fifty. Audiio's plans are not described by seat count; Pro and Pro Plus are separated by client size instead, and an Enterprise tier is quoted separately.
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