Best Stock Music Libraries in 2026
Updated
In short: Soundstripe is ranked #1 of 59 as of 7 October 2026, ahead of Incompetech and Pond5. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Incompetech. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Sonoton at $0.13/mo.
A music library needs to fit both the sound of a project and the usage rights it requires. Compared on catalog size, licensing model, client work licenses and perpetual usage rights, these entries give you concrete details to weigh before choosing assets. AI-generated music, stem downloads and included SFX may also matter to your editing workflow; free plans and paid-from pricing add cost context. Soundstripe, Pond5 and HookSounds are among the options to compare. Check the listed rights and production features against how you plan to use the music, who the work is for and which assets you need at hand.
59 stock music libraries ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Stock Music Libraries, one module each. A lit port is something its maker publishes; 8 of the 25 on this page have a public API.
- 01 Soundstripe API yesOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 7.4$3.99/mo
- 02 Incompetech API yesOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 7.3Free
- 03 Pond5 API yesOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 7.0$10/mo
- 04 HookSounds API yesOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 6.9$3.33/mo
- 05 iStock API yesOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 6.9$14.99/mo
- 06 Epidemic Sound API yesOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 6.8
- 07 Artlist Music API yesOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 6.7$1.38/mo
- 08 Getty Images API yesOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 6.3
- 09 RouteNote API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 6.0$0.83/mo
- 10 Sonoton API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 6.0$0.13/mo
- 11 Bensound API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.9$3.33/mo
- 12 Free To Use API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.9Free
- 13 Melody Loops API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.9Free
- 14 TuneTank API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.9$7/mo
- 15 Uppbeat API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.9$6.99/mo
- 16 Soundimage API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE yesDOCS 5.7Free
- 17 Audiio API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.5$14.99/mo
- 18 inAudio API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.5$4.83/mo
- 19 Cavendish Music API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.4
- 20 Extreme Music API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.4
- 21 Filmstro API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.4$14.99/mo
- 22 Foximusic API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.4
- 23 Music for Makers API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.4$5/mo
- 24 PremiumBeat API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.4$9.99/mo
- 25 Triple Scoop Music API not on recordOSS not on recordFREE not on recordDOCS 5.4
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Licensing model | Client work license |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soundstripe | 7.4 | Free plan | $3.99/mo | No | — | hybrid | Yes |
| 2 | Incompetech | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | hybrid | Yes |
| 3 | Pond5 | 7.0 | No | $10/mo | Yes | — | hybrid | — |
| 4 | HookSounds | 6.9 | No | $3.33/mo | Yes | 9.99 /mo | hybrid | Yes |
| 5 | iStock | 6.9 | No | $14.99/mo | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | Epidemic Sound | 6.8 | No | — | No | — | subscription | Yes |
| 7 | Artlist Music | 6.7 | No | $1.38/mo | No | — | subscription | Yes |
| 8 | Getty Images | 6.3 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9 | RouteNote | 6.0 | Free plan | $0.83/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 10 | Sonoton | 6.0 | No | $0.13/mo | — | — | — | — |
| 11 | Bensound | 5.9 | Free plan | $3.33/mo | Yes | — | hybrid | Yes |
| 12 | Free To Use | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 13 | Melody Loops | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | No | — | hybrid | — |
| 14 | TuneTank | 5.9 | Free plan | $7/mo | Yes | 7 /mo | hybrid | Yes |
| 15 | Uppbeat | 5.9 | Free plan | $6.99/mo | Yes | 6.99 /mo | subscription | Yes |
| 16 | Soundimage | 5.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | per_track | — |
| 17 | Audiio | 5.5 | No | $14.99/mo | — | — | hybrid | — |
| 18 | inAudio | 5.5 | No | $4.83/mo | — | — | subscription | — |
| 19 | Cavendish Music | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | per_track | Yes |
| 20 | Extreme Music | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | per_track | — |
| 21 | Filmstro | 5.4 | No | $14.99/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 22 | Foximusic | 5.4 | No | — | Yes | — | per_track | Yes |
| 23 | Music for Makers | 5.4 | No | $5/mo | Yes | — | hybrid | Yes |
| 24 | PremiumBeat | 5.4 | No | $9.99/mo | No | — | hybrid | Yes |
| 25 | Triple Scoop Music | 5.4 | No | — | Yes | — | hybrid | Yes |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which stock music librarie is ranked first on Inferse?
Soundstripe is ranked #1 of 59 with a score of 7.4. Incompetech is second and Pond5 third.
How many of these have a free plan?
9 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Sonoton has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.13/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, open and connectable first: a public API, open-source code, the depth of its documentation and a free tier to try it on. Model lists are sorted by the figure in their title, exactly as each provider publishes it.