Soundstripe Review: Royalty-Free Music, Video & SFX for Creators

As a content creator in today‘s digital age, having access to high-quality, royalty-free music, video and sound effects can take your projects to the next level. But navigating licensing, copyrights and finding the right media for your needs can be a major headache. That‘s where Soundstripe comes in.

In this in-depth Soundstripe review, we‘ll cover everything this subscription-based media library has to offer – from its vast selection of songs, videos and sound effects to its intuitive platform, affordable pricing and licensing protections. Whether you‘re a YouTuber, podcaster, filmmaker or business, read on to see if Soundstripe is the right fit for your creative needs.

What is Soundstripe?

Founded in 2016 by a group of Nashville-based musicians and filmmakers, Soundstripe is an all-in-one platform providing royalty-free music, video and sound effects for content creators. Their goal is to make finding the perfect media simple and worry-free, so you can focus on producing awesome content.

Soundstripe has three main media libraries:

• Music – High-quality songs and instrumental tracks spanning a variety of genres and moods
• Video – Stock video footage and templates for intros, outros, transitions, etc.
• Sound Effects – Everything from footsteps and rain to whooshes and hits to fill out your audio

With a Soundstripe subscription, you get unlimited downloads from these libraries and a license to use them royalty-free in your projects. You‘re covered for everything from monetized YouTube videos to paid client work to TV/radio ads.

Rather than pay per song or clip, Soundstripe gives you full access for a flat monthly or yearly fee. Let‘s take a closer look at the plans and pricing.

Soundstripe Pricing & Plans

Soundstripe keeps its pricing structure simple with just three subscription options:

• Music ($11.25/mo billed annually or $15/mo billed monthly)
• Music + SFX ($16.58/mo billed annually or $21/mo billed monthly)
• Music + Video + SFX ($26.25/mo billed annually or $35/mo billed monthly)

For businesses and large teams, Soundstripe also offers custom enterprise solutions with additional benefits like branded music, multi-seat accounts, and hands-on support.

All plans come with unlimited downloads, full licensing coverage, stems (individual tracks like drums, bass, vocals) for certain songs, and access to the mobile and web apps. You can cancel anytime.

Soundstripe‘s pricing is very competitive compared to other stock media sites, many of which charge per song or have more complex licensing tiers. The ability to download as much as you want is a huge value.

Soundstripe‘s Music Library

Now let‘s dive into the real meat of Soundstripe – its music library. With over 5,000 songs and more added each month, there‘s no shortage of great tracks for any project.

The music spans a wide range of genres from pop, rock and hip hop to classical, ambient and everything in between. You can browse by genre, mood (upbeat, dramatic, relaxed, etc.), instruments, beats per minute, duration and more.

One standout feature is Soundstripe‘s Music Curation service. Their team of professional music supervisors will create a custom playlist for your video based on your genre, vibe and scene-by-scene needs. Just fill out a quick form and they‘ll send you a curated tracklist – all included with your subscription.

The music quality is top-notch thanks to Soundstripe‘s in-house artists and producers, many of whom are established Nashville musicians. The songs are radio-ready and professionally mixed and mastered.

For most songs, you can download the full track or individual stems (drums, bass, piano, strings, etc.) This allows you to create your own custom mix of the song, adjust levels, or remove parts you don‘t want.

Each song has detailed metadata to help you find exactly what you need – tags like genre, mood, energy level, instruments, vocals and lyrics. You can favorite tracks to save them for later, create your own playlists, and see what‘s popular or trending.

The search and filtering options make it easy to drill down and discover the perfect track, even with such a large library. You can also enable auto-play to hear song previews while scrolling through results.

Overall, Soundstripe‘s music library is comprehensive, diverse and easy to navigate. The quality and curation is a step above many other stock music sites.

Video Library Review

In addition to music, Soundstripe offers a vast library of stock video footage and templates. With over 44,000 clips and more added weekly, you‘ll find everything from establishing shots and drone footage to green screen backgrounds and animated transitions.

The video library covers a range of styles and themes – cinematic, lifestyle, nature, urban, technology, food and more. You can filter by category, colors, resolution (4K, HD), frame rate and clip duration.

One unique aspect is Soundstripe‘s selection of customizable video templates like logo reveals, text animations and social media graphics. These motion graphics allow you to simply input your own text/logo and instantly create professional videos.

The footage quality is very high, with everything shot on professional cinema cameras and drones. Many clips have a slick, modern aesthetic perfect for ads, social videos and YouTube content.

While not as extensive as dedicated stock video sites like Shutterstock, Soundstripe‘s video library is impressive and integrates seamlessly with the music and sound effects. It‘s a great all-in-one option for creators who frequently need visuals for their projects.

Sound Effects Library Review

Rounding out Soundstripe‘s media offerings is an extensive library of over 50,000 sound effects. These range from everyday ambience and foley sounds to whooshes, risers, and impacts to spice up your videos and podcasts.

The SFX are organized in intuitive categories:

• Ambience & Foley – Crowds, nature sounds, footsteps, household noises
• Cartoon & Comedy – Boinks, whistles, silly noises
• Cinematic – Epic risers, ominous drones, orchestral hits
• Game & GUI – Bleeps, chimes, powerups
• Impact & Crashes – Smashes, shatters, thumps
• Science Fiction – Lasers, spaceships, futuristic beeps
• Transition – Whooshes, swishes, rewinds
• Vehicles – Cars, planes, trains, motorcycles

The interface makes it easy to find the right sound with visual waveforms, duration info and quick previews. You can star your favorites and create your own categorized folders.

While not as crucial as music for most projects, sound effects really bring your videos and podcasts to life. Having them included with a Soundstripe subscription is incredibly handy and a great value. The library covers all the bases for anything from YouTube vlogs to professional films.

Integrations and Workflow

To make using its media as seamless as possible, Soundstripe integrates with popular video and audio editing software. You can browse tracks and import them without leaving your editing timeline.

Soundstripe‘s extension for Adobe Premiere streamlines the process of adding music to your videos. You can search Soundstripe‘s library, play tracks in sync with your edit, adjust durations and save your favorites all inside Premiere.

The Frame.io integration lets you share Soundstripe songs with collaborators and clients for review and approval. Your team can comment on specific parts of the track and compare versions side-by-side.

Soundstripe also has a handy mobile app for listening to music on the go and saving it for later. You can also download tracks and check your available licenses.

For podcasters, Soundstripe connects with hosting platform Simplecast to add music and audio branding with a few clicks.

The web app itself offers useful workflow tools like a media bin to save and organize downloaded tracks, a projects section to store and share your work, and a license tracker to see how you‘ve used Soundstripe media across projects.

Creator Community and Resources

Along with its media libraries, Soundstripe provides educational resources and a community for creators. Its blog and YouTube channel are packed with tutorials, gear reviews and tips for filmmaking, video editing, podcasting and more.

Topics include:

• How to Start a Successful YouTube Channel
• The Best Cameras for Music Videos
• 5 Essential Sound Effects Every Video Editor Needs
• Licensing Music: What Filmmakers Need to Know

The Soundstripe Facebook group connects over 13,000 creators to discuss projects, share work and learn new skills. The community is very active and supportive, with Soundstripe‘s founders and staff often chiming in.

As a subscriber, you also get access to downloadable project files, song stems and multitracks to practice editing and remixing. These hands-on resources really set Soundstripe apart as an educational hub, not just a media provider.

Licensing and Copyright

Perhaps the biggest selling point of Soundstripe is its simple, straightforward licensing. With a subscription, you can use any of its songs, videos or sound effects in your projects forever – even if you cancel.

Soundstripe‘s licenses cover you for:

• YouTube monetization
• Social media
• Podcasts
• Client/freelance work
• Wedding/event videos
• Films and documentaries
• TV and radio ads
• Video games and apps

Unlike other stock media sites, there are no complex tiers or per-project fees. You get one universal license that covers personal and commercial use across the board.

Soundstripe also protects you from copyright claims on YouTube, Facebook and Twitch. Since they pre-clear all their media, you don‘t have to worry about getting flagged or demonetized. If a claim ever does arise, their support team will resolve it for you.

This is a huge load off for creators who have dealt with the headache of copyright strikes. With Soundstripe, you can focus on your creative work without stressing about the legal side.

The only things not permitted are reselling the media itself (like in a music/video library) or using it in a national TV ad without negotiating a separate license. But for 99% of creators, Soundstripe‘s standard license is more than enough.

Customer Support and Refund Policy

Soundstripe prides itself on fast, helpful customer support. The team is available via live chat and email Monday-Friday, 9am-6pm CST. In my experience, they typically respond within an hour during those times.

The support reps are knowledgeable about all things music licensing, video editing and content creation. They can help you find the right track, troubleshoot technical issues, or optimize your workflow.

Before signing up, you can get a free music or sound effects playlist delivered to your inbox to test out the service. Soundstripe also offers a 30-day money back guarantee on all plans, no questions asked.

If you cancel after 30 days, you won‘t be charged again, but you‘ll keep your access and licenses until the end of your billing period. This is more generous than most creative services which cut you off immediately.

Who is Soundstripe Best For?

After thoroughly testing Soundstripe for this review, I believe it‘s an excellent fit for:

• YouTubers and vloggers who need safe, quality music/effects for their videos
• Freelance video editors and filmmakers looking for a go-to music source
• Business owners and marketers creating social media content, ads and promos
• Podcasters who need intro/outro music and transitions
• Anyone who wants to step up their video and audio production without breaking the bank

Soundstripe is less ideal if you need very specific or niche music that may not be in its library (like hardcore rap or Bollywood dance remixes). It‘s also not the right choice if you only need one or two songs total, since the pricing is geared towards ongoing access.

But for most creators making videos and audio content week after week, Soundstripe is a fantastic value. It simplifies the process of finding great royalty-free media and lets you focus on the fun, creative side of your work.

Soundstripe Alternatives

Soundstripe‘s biggest competitors are other music licensing startups like Artlist and Epidemic Sound.

Artlist has a similar model and pricing to Soundstripe, with a library of over 8,000 songs and 60,000 sound effects. Its interface and discovery features are not quite as robust as Soundstripe‘s, but it does offer single-track licenses starting at $49 each.

Epidemic Sound is pricier than both Soundstripe and Artlist, with subscriptions starting at $15/month for a fairly limited "personal" plan. It does have a larger overall music library of over 30,000 tracks, but still lacks useful features like Soundstripe‘s audio stems and video footage.

In terms of sheer music quality and variety, Soundstripe is on par with or exceeds both competitors. Its one-two punch of music and video makes it a more useful subscription for many creators. And its licensing and support are top-notch.

The Verdict: Is Soundstripe Worth It?

We‘ve covered a lot of ground in this Soundstripe review, from its robust media libraries to its intuitive platform to its industry-leading licensing. But is it truly worth the cost?

For most creators making regular video content, podcasts or social media, I believe Soundstripe is absolutely worth it. It saves you hours of time searching for music, removes the stress of copyright claims, and elevates your production value instantly.

Think of it like hiring a professional music supervisor or licensing expert, but for a fraction of the cost. Soundstripe lets you be your own media maestro, with all the tools and resources you need to find the perfect soundtrack.

Yes, you could scour SoundCloud or YouTube for free tracks and risk the copyright headaches. Or you could spend hours auditioning overpriced songs on traditional licensing sites. But neither option values your time and energy like Soundstripe.

At just $11-35/month for unlimited access to its entire media catalog, Soundstripe is a bargain for any serious content creator. It lets you focus on the work you love while providing radio-quality music, film-quality videos and a huge variety of sound effects.

So if you‘re ready to level-up your content and never worry about music licensing again, give Soundstripe a try. I think you‘ll find it‘s the missing piece in your creative toolkit.