Head-to-head comparison
Artlist vs Incompetech
Two of the music & sfx tools podcasters reach for. Here's how they differ on pricing, features, audience, and the trade-offs that actually matter day-to-day.
Curated royalty-free music with lifetime track ownership
Best for: Podcasters who want a smaller, hand-picked catalogue and the right to keep using downloaded tracks forever.
Kevin MacLeod's free Creative Commons catalogue
Best for: Indie podcasts that need free, podcast-cleared music and don't mind giving attribution.
At a glance
The honest trade-offs
Artlist
Pros
- Lifetime license on downloaded tracks
- Music & SFX Social from $9.99/mo annual
- Curated catalogue with stronger song-quality average
Watch-outs
- Catalogue smaller than Epidemic or Storyblocks
- AI Starter and AI Professional tiers replaced AI Suite
- Stems not on every track
Incompetech
Pros
- Free under CC BY 4.0, podcasts covered
- 2,000+ tracks across every common mood
- Optional paid attribution-removal license
Watch-outs
- Many tracks overexposed and recognizable
- Site UI is dated, search is basic
- Attribution required unless paid license
Which one should you pick?
Pick Artlist if
You’re building around podcasters who want a smaller, hand-picked catalogue and the right to keep using downloaded tracks forever.. Artlist's bet is curation over volume — smaller library than Epidemic but average song quality is genuinely higher. The killer term: tracks downloaded during a subscription stay licensed for life, even if you cancel.
Pick Incompetech if
You’re building around indie podcasts that need free, podcast-cleared music and don't mind giving attribution.. Kevin MacLeod has released over 2,000 royalty-free tracks under CC BY 4.0 since the early 2000s.
Also worth comparing
Or see all Artlist alternatives.
Frequently asked
What does Artlist do better than Incompetech?
Artlist's standout is "Lifetime license on downloaded tracks". Incompetech doesn't make that promise — it leans into "Free under CC BY 4.0, podcasts covered" instead. If the first sentence describes your workflow, pick Artlist; if the second does, pick Incompetech.
What are the trade-offs?
Artlist: catalogue smaller than epidemic or storyblocks. Incompetech: many tracks overexposed and recognizable. Whether either matters depends entirely on what you actually need — neither is a deal-breaker by itself.
Can I use Artlist and Incompetech together?
Both are music & sfx tools so most teams pick one. Some workflows do combine them — for example, using Artlist for one show or episode type and Incompetech for another. Worth trying both free tiers before committing.