Artlist license: a clear guide for creators

If you’re thinking about using Artlist for music, sound effects, footage, templates, or AI tools, the most important thing to understand is what the Artlist license actually lets you do (and what it doesn’t).

Below is a simple, structured breakdown based on Artlist’s own help docs and license pages. Always remember: this is general information, not legal advice, and Artlist can update its terms at any time.


Artlist license

1. What is an Artlist license?

An Artlist license is a legal agreement that lets you:

  • Download assets from Artlist (music, SFX, footage, templates, AI outputs, plugins, etc.)

  • Sync them into your creative projects (videos, podcasts, ads, films, social posts, etc.)

  • Publish and monetize those projects under specific conditions.

Artlist offers several subscription plans (Music & SFX, Footage & Templates, AI tools, Artlist Max, etc.), and each plan comes with a license type (usually Social/Personal, Pro, Teams, or Business).

2. Key concepts in Artlist licensing

2.1 Royalty-free, not “free”

Artlist assets are royalty-free, meaning you don’t pay per use or per view. You pay for the subscription, then you can use assets in covered projects without extra royalties.

However, this doesn’t mean you own the music or footage. You’re licensing it under Artlist’s terms, not buying the copyright.

2.2 Perpetual use for published projects

Artlist’s license is project-based and perpetual for projects that are:

  1. Created and

  2. Published while your subscription is active.

If a video, ad, or film is finished and published during your active plan, you can keep that project online and monetized forever, even if you later cancel your subscription.

What you cannot do after your subscription ends is:

  • Use those same downloaded files in new projects.

  • Clearlist new channels/videos or add fresh content for monetization once your plan is expired.

2.3 Worldwide coverage

Artlist licenses are designed for global use:

  • The Pro license covers use worldwide across a wide variety of platforms and media (web, TV, podcasts, films, etc.).

  • Artlist states the license is available worldwide, except for users in sanctioned countries (they must follow US/EU/Israeli sanctions).

3. Main Artlist license types (for individuals & companies)

Artlist’s plans are built around who you are and where you publish:

3.1 Social / Personal license

This is for individual social media creators who are not doing client work.

  • Ideal for vloggers, hobby creators, streamers and small influencers.

  • You can monetize your content on your own channels (ads, sponsorships, brand deals on your personal accounts).

  • Typically covers 1 channel per platform (e.g. one YouTube, one Instagram, one TikTok, one Twitch, one Facebook, one podcast).

Important:
The Social license does not cover client work or content made for brands/companies. It’s meant for your personal channels only.

3.2 Pro license

The Pro license is for professional creators who:

  • Create projects for clients and brands

  • Need broader coverage and more channels

  • Publish on websites, TV, podcasts, films, and multiple social platforms.

Key points:

  • Covers up to 3 channels per platform (3 YouTube channels, 3 Instagram accounts, etc.).

  • Valid for commercial use and client work (ads, branded content, agency work, etc.).

  • Supports global distribution (online, festivals, and other media).

If you’re freelancing, editing for businesses, or running a production studio, this is usually the minimum license you need.

3.3 Teams & Business licenses

For companies and agencies, Artlist offers Teams and Business licenses:

  • Teams: for smaller teams (typically 2–7 users) who share assets across the team.

  • Business: for agencies, broadcasters, or companies with 50+ employees, with coverage tuned to larger organizations.

These plans allow multiple people to use the same subscription legally, unlike individual plans, which are strictly single user.

4. What you can do with an Artlist license

Depending on your plan, a typical Artlist license allows you to:

  • Use music & SFX in:

    • YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Twitch, Facebook posts and streams

    • Podcasts and live content

    • Client videos, adverts, brand campaigns, corporate videos (Pro/Business).

  • Use footage & templates in:

    • Social content, ads, explainer videos

    • Films, documentaries, app promos, etc.

  • Use AI tools (AI image, AI video, AI voiceover) to generate content and use those outputs commercially.

Special note on AI-generated content

Artlist says that when you create AI-generated content with their tools:

  • The output belongs to you (you keep the rights to your AI outputs).

  • You can use these outputs, including commercially, even after your subscription ends as long as you still respect the license and forbidden uses. 

5. What you can’t do (or must be careful with)

Artlist’s “Understanding Artlist’s license” article lists several important restrictions. Simplified:

  • You can’t resell or redistribute Artlist assets as your own stock library or in “music compilation / playlist” style videos where the main purpose is just to share the music itself. 

  • Licenses are non-transferable:

    • You can deliver a finished video to a client under a Pro/Business license.

    • But you cannot just send them the raw Artlist track and let them edit or reuse it independently.

  • You can’t share a single Individual plan with a friend or colleague; each user needs their own license unless you’re on a Teams/Business plan.

  • Some uses (very large campaigns, special uses, or more complex company structures) may require a custom Business license and direct contact with Artlist.

Always read the official license PDF and Terms of Use for the full list of restricted uses and edge cases.

6. How Artlist licensing works when you cancel

Here’s a simple, realistic example:

  1. You subscribe to an Artlist Pro plan.

  2. You download tracks and edit 10 client videos plus 20 YouTube uploads.

  3. You publish all these videos while your subscription is active.

  4. Later, you cancel your subscription.

What happens?

  • Those 30 published videos remain fully licensed and monetizable forever (as long as you respected the license at the time you posted).

  • You cannot:

    • Use your downloaded Artlist files in new videos.

    • Add new channels or videos to the Clearlist after the subscription ends.

If you restart your subscription later, you can again download new assets and Clearlist new content from that point forward.

7. Clearlist: protecting your videos from copyright claims

Because Artlist music is registered in YouTube’s Content ID and similar systems, you can sometimes get automatic copyright claims even though you’re using it legally. Clearlist is Artlist’s tool to fix this.

7.1 What Clearlist does

  • Connects your YouTube channels and videos (and some other platforms) to your Artlist account.

  • Tells YouTube and other platforms: “This music is licensed to this user,” helping prevent or remove claims.

7.2 How many channels you can Clearlist

  • Social/Personal license: 1 channel per platform (1 YouTube, 1 Instagram, etc.).

  • Pro license: up to 3 channels per platform plus websites and individual YouTube video links (including clients’ videos).

  • Teams: typically up to 5 channels per platform.

Clearlisting must be done while your subscription is active; channels and videos cleared during that time stay cleared even after you cancel.

8. How to choose the right Artlist license (quick decision guide)

Ask yourself:

  1. Do I make videos only for my own personal channels?

    • Yes → Social/Personal can be enough (YouTube, TikTok, IG, Twitch, etc., 1 channel per platform, personal monetization allowed).

  2. Do I do client work, brand campaigns, or want multiple channels per platform?

    • Yes → You probably need Pro (or Teams/Business if you’re a company).

  3. Am I part of a bigger team or company?

    • 2–7 people → consider a Teams plan.

    • 50+ employees, broadcaster, or agency → Business license.

9. Artlist royalty-free license (vs copyright free)

Artlist runs on a royalty-free subscription model:

  • You pay a fixed subscription (monthly or yearly).

  • You get unlimited access to a catalog of royalty-free music and SFX.

  • You don’t pay extra performance or mechanical royalties to Artlist for views, plays, or platforms.

This is what people mean by the Artlist royalty-free license.

However, this does not mean the tracks are ownerless:

  • The music itself is still protected by copyright.

  • Your subscription gives you a license to use that copyrighted music safely in your projects.

Artlist sometimes uses phrases like “copyright-free music” in blog content aimed at creators, but they also explain that safe use is about having a clear, universal license not that the music has no copyright.

Key idea:
Royalty-free = you don’t pay ongoing royalties per usage.
Copyright-free (in the strict legal sense) = no copyright at all (e.g., public domain), which is not the case for most Artlist tracks.

10. Artlist license types: Social vs Pro vs Business

Artlist’s licensing is built around three main levels: Social (Personal), Pro, and Business.

2.1 Social (Personal) license

The Social license (also called Personal or Social Creator in some articles) is for individual creators who only publish to their own channels.

From Artlist’s docs:

  • You can clear and monetize 1 channel per platform:

    • 1 YouTube channel

    • 1 Facebook account or page

    • 1 Instagram account

    • 1 TikTok account

    • 1 Twitch account

    • 1 podcast

  • It’s designed for personal social media content only (no client work).

You still get a royalty-free license, but it’s limited by channel and by use (personal vs commercial).

2.2 Pro license

The Pro license is for professional creators, freelancers and agencies who:

  • Need to publish on multiple channels per platform, and/or

  • Create videos for clients and brands. 

With a Pro-based plan (e.g., Music & SFX Pro, Footage & Templates, Max, Teams):

  • You can clear and monetize up to 3 channels per platform.

  • You’re covered for:

    • All major social platforms

    • Client work and paid ads

    • Websites and podcasts

    • Broadcasts and TV (under Pro/Max/Business)

This is essentially the Artlist commercial use license for most professional users.

2.3 Business license

The Business license is for larger organizations with more complex use cases.

From Artlist’s Business and broadcast help pages:

You need a Business license if, for example:

  • Your company (or group) has more than 50 employees

  • You need more than 7 seats

  • You use Artlist assets in apps, games, software

  • You’re doing OOH advertising (billboards, digital signage)

  • You’re a broadcaster or distributing via DVD/Blu-ray, audiobooks, etc.

What you get with Business:

  • A customizable universal royalty-free license with global distribution rights

  • Coverage for unlimited projects, campaigns, ads and client work

  • Multi-user access plus admin controls and indemnification for the company

11. Artlist YouTube license

Because so many creators are on YouTube, Artlist is designed to work natively with it:

  • Under the Social license, you can clear and monetize one entire YouTube channel (all videos) with Artlist music/SFX, as long as that channel is personal and linked to your account.

  • Under Pro and Business, you can clear up to 3 YouTube channels per platform (and more via Teams/Business arrangements), including client channels.

Artlist uses its own claim-management system (Clearlist) to help prevent or remove Content ID claims on YouTube for licensed users, as long as the channels and videos are properly registered. 

So when people ask about an Artlist YouTube license, what they’re really choosing is:

  • Social = 1 personal YouTube channel

  • Pro/Business = multiple channels + client work + broader commercial coverage

12. Artlist Instagram license

Instagram is covered under the same Social/Pro framework:

  • Social license → covers one Instagram account (Reels, Stories, feed posts) for your personal brand.

  • Pro license → up to 3 Instagram accounts, including client and brand accounts, plus use in ads and cross-posted campaigns.

As long as you post content on a channel covered by your license type and plan, your use of Artlist music is cleared for that account, and you can monetize organic and sponsored content according to the plan rules.

13. Artlist TikTok license

TikTok is explicitly listed in Artlist’s Social and Pro documentation:

  • Social license (Personal)

    • 1 TikTok account linked to your subscription

    • Unlimited videos on that account

    • Monetization and sponsorships allowed as long as content is posted organically on that channel

  • Pro/Business license

    • Up to 3 TikTok channels per Pro plan; more under some Teams/Business setups

    • Full commercial use: client campaigns, brand accounts, ad creatives, etc.

Third-party guides and marketing blogs often describe this as a simple universal license for TikTok: once subscribed, you can use any track in commercial projects worldwide, forever, for the projects you publish while your subscription is active.

14. Artlist client work license

For client work, the rule is straightforward:

  • The Social license does not cover client work. It’s only for your own channels.

  • The Pro license is explicitly designed for professional creators who create projects for clients and brands and need to publish on a wider range of platforms and media (websites, TV, podcasts, films, etc.).

With Pro/Business you can:

  • Deliver finished videos to clients that use Artlist music/SFX/footage

  • Use assets in sponsored content, brand channels and paid advertising

  • Cover multiple client channels per platform (subject to plan limits)

This is effectively the Artlist client work license and it’s why professional editors and agencies almost always choose a Pro or Business plan instead of Social.

15. Artlist Business license (for bigger companies)

When your needs go beyond typical Pro usage, you move into the Business tier.

From Artlist’s official pages:

  • Business is meant for:

    • Companies with 50+ employees or complex structures

    • Agencies needing more than 7 seats

    • Broadcasters and media networks

    • Apps, games, software, OOH, audiobooks, discs, etc.

  • It provides:

    • A universal royalty-free license with global distribution rights

    • Unlimited projects, campaigns, and client work under one umbrella

    • Team-ready access and enterprise support (SSO, admin tools, indemnification)

If you’re a solo creator or small studio, Pro or Teams is usually enough; if you’re a big brand, broadcaster or app/game developer, the Artlist Business license is the safer path.

16. Artlist universal music license

Artlist’s marketing and blogs often describe their approach as a universal license:

  • One subscription gives you access to a large catalog of tracks and SFX.

  • You can use any of those tracks in your projects, within the rules of your plan (Social, Pro, or Business).

  • You don’t need to buy separate sync or broadcast licences for each track.

Practically, that means:

Artlist doesn’t sell per-song licenses. Instead, your Artlist universal music license comes bundled with your subscription and applies to the entire catalog for the duration of your plan, with perpetual coverage for projects published while your subscription was active.

This is what many bloggers and comparison sites highlight as Artlist’s standout feature vs traditional licensing.

17. Artlist copyright-free music – what it really means

Artlist also publishes blog posts about copyright-free music and public domain music, and they make a few important points:

  • True public domain music has no copyright and can be used without permission or payment.

  • Most modern tracks are not in the public domain; they are copyrighted.

  • Using copyrighted music without a license can lead to claims, takedowns and strikes on platforms like YouTube and TikTok.

Artlist’s solution is not to claim that all its tracks are literally copyright-free, but to:

  • Give you a clear, reliable, universal license via subscription

  • Provide royalty-free tracks whose rights are pre-cleared for your plan’s scope

  • Help you avoid strikes and legal issues by using licensed music instead of random unlicensed tracks online

So when people search for Artlist copyright free music, the accurate explanation for your article is:

Artlist provides a large catalog of copyright-protected tracks that are safe to use as if they were “copyright-free” for you, because your subscription gives you a royalty-free universal license to use them in personal or commercial projects, depending on your plan.

18. Quick summary for your page

You can wrap up your Artlist license article with a short summary:

  • Artlist royalty-free license – Subscription-based access to a catalog of music/SFX with unlimited downloads and no per-use royalties.

  • Artlist commercial use license – Any Pro/Max/Business plan, covering client work, ads, websites, podcasts, TV and more.

  • Artlist YouTube / Instagram / TikTok license – Social license covers 1 personal channel per platform; Pro/Business covers multiple channels and client accounts.

  • Artlist client work license – Pro and Business plans, designed for professionals and agencies.

  • Artlist Business license – Custom, universal license for larger organizations, apps/games, broadcast and OOH.

  • Artlist universal music license – One subscription, one license for the whole catalog (within your plan’s scope), with perpetual coverage for projects published while subscribed.

  • Artlist copyright free music – Not literally copyright-free; instead, Artlist gives you safe, licensed access to copyrighted tracks under a clear, royalty-free license.

19. Final tips & disclaimer

  • Always read the current official documents:

    • “Understanding Artlist’s license” (help center)

    • The full Pro/Social license PDF and Terms of Use.

  • Keep copies of your invoices and subscription confirmations.

  • Use Clearlist to protect your YouTube and social content from false copyright claims.

  • When in doubt about a specific, high-stakes use (TV campaign, app distribution, etc.), contact Artlist support or a legal professional.