Bensound vs Pixabay:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Pixabay had more branded searches than Bensound among royalty-free music libraries worldwide. Pixabay had about 3.4 million branded searches, while Bensound had 33,100. Pixabay made up 74.7% of all royalty-free music library searches we track, and Bensound accounted for 0.74%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about royalty-free music libraries, Pixabay appeared in three of the five answers and Bensound in two. Pixabay was mentioned before Bensound in every answer that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Pixabay, about 101 searches for every 1 for Bensound
Who does AI mention more?
Pixabay, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Bensound in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
Pixabay, named ahead of Bensound in 3 of 3 answers
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Top royalty-free music libraries in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and 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. Bensound was mentioned in two out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in both Google AI Overviews. Pixabay was listed before Bensound in every answer that named either.
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 Bensound or Pixabay more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Bensound 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, Bensound. 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 Bensound and Pixabay comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Pixabay was ahead of Bensound in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Bensound’s share of searches among royalty-free music libraries worldwide moved from 1.1% to 0.74%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 60.5K to 33.1K.
- 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%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Bensound worldwide fell 45.3% over 12 measured months, from 60.5K to 33.1K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Bensound’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
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