Artlist vs Pixabay:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Pixabay had more branded searches than Artlist among royalty-free music libraries worldwide. Pixabay had about 3.4 million branded searches, while Artlist had 556,000. Pixabay made up 74.7% of all royalty-free music library searches we track, and Artlist accounted for 12.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about royalty-free music libraries, Artlist and Pixabay each appeared in three of the five answers. Artlist was mentioned before Pixabay in three out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Pixabay, about 6 searches for every 1 for Artlist
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 3 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Artlist, named ahead of Pixabay in 3 of 5 answers
Follow Artlist vs Pixabay and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Top royalty-free music libraries in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Artlist was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Pixabay was mentioned in three out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Artlist was listed before Pixabay in three out of five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Epidemic Sound1st- Artlist2nd
- Pixabay3rd
Musicbed4th
Bensound4th
Soundstripe4th
PremiumBeat7th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Epidemic Sound4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Pixabay3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Artlist3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Musicbed3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Soundstripe3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Bensound2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- PremiumBeat1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about royalty-free music libraries
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which royalty-free music library should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best royalty-free music libraries?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best royalty-free music library for video creators?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“royalty free music”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“copyright free music”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Artlist or Pixabay more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Artlist and Pixabay by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven royalty-free music libraries we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Pixabay, Artlist. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Pixabay | Artlist | Epidemic Sound | Musicbed | Bensound | Soundstripe | PremiumBeat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 73.9% | 14.7% | 8.4% | 0.9% | 1.1% | 0.68% | 0.27% |
| Nov 2025 | 77.7% | 12.3% | 7.2% | 0.78% | 1.1% | 0.58% | 0.28% |
| Dec 2025 | 77.9% | 12.3% | 7.3% | 0.78% | 0.94% | 0.58% | 0.23% |
| Jan 2026 | 76.6% | 12.1% | 8.7% | 0.93% | 0.93% | 0.48% | 0.23% |
| Feb 2026 | 74.6% | 14.1% | 8.5% | 0.91% | 1.1% | 0.55% | 0.22% |
| Mar 2026 | 76.5% | 12.2% | 8.7% | 0.93% | 0.93% | 0.5% | 0.23% |
| Apr 2026 | 76.8% | 12% | 8.7% | 0.94% | 0.93% | 0.44% | 0.19% |
| May 2026 | 73.2% | 14% | 10.2% | 1.1% | 0.89% | 0.43% | 0.22% |
| Jun 2026 | 75.2% | 11.8% | 10.5% | 1.1% | 0.74% | 0.43% | 0.22% |
| Jul 2026 | 71.4% | 13.7% | 12.1% | 1.3% | 0.71% | 0.5% | 0.26% |
| Aug 2026 | 71.2% | 14% | 12.1% | 1.3% | 0.7% | 0.49% | 0.26% |
| Sep 2026 | 74.7% | 12.4% | 10.4% | 1.1% | 0.74% | 0.42% | 0.22% |
How has the Artlist and Pixabay comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Pixabay was ahead of Artlist in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Artlist’s share of searches among royalty-free music libraries worldwide moved from 14.7% to 12.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 815K to 556K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Pixabay’s share of searches among royalty-free music libraries worldwide moved from 73.9% to 74.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 4.1M to 3.4M.
How did search popularity change for royalty-free music libraries worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Pixabay gained share of searches among royalty-free music libraries worldwide, from 71.2% to 74.7%.
In September 2026, Artlist lost share of searches among royalty-free music libraries worldwide, from 14% to 12.4%.
How are branded searches counted?
7 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Artlist’s and Pixabay’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among royalty-free music libraries
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.