Royalty-free music libraries in New Zealand:Which are most popular?
In September 2026, Artlist was the most searched royalty-free music library in New Zealand, accounting for 40.3% of all searches among the seven libraries we track. When we checked with ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews, Epidemic Sound showed up in every answer. Epidemic Sound was recommended most often, coming first in two out of five responses.
ArtlistShare of searches 40.3%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
Epidemic SoundShare of searches 29.2%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st- YouTube Audio LibraryShare of searches 12.9%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 6th
- Pixabay MusicShare of searches 10.6%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
MusicbedShare of searches 5.7%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
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Top royalty-free music libraries in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Epidemic Sound appeared every time. Epidemic Sound was recommended most often, coming first in two out of five answers. Artlist was second, and Pixabay Music was third.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Epidemic Sound5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Artlist4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Pixabay Music4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Musicbed3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- YouTube Audio Library2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Soundstripe2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 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 in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best royalty-free music libraries in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best royalty-free music library in New Zealand for video creators?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“royalty free music library”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best royalty free music”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.
Which royalty-free music libraries do people search for most?
This chart shows how often people search Google for each royalty-free music library by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven royalty-free music libraries we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Artlist, Epidemic Sound, YouTube Audio Library, Pixabay Music, Musicbed. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Artlist | Epidemic Sound | YouTube Audio Library | Pixabay Music | Musicbed | Soundstripe | PremiumBeat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 49.9% | 21.2% | 14% | 6.2% | 5.1% | 2.7% | 0.8% |
| Nov 2025 | 44.5% | 24.1% | 13% | 8.7% | 5.8% | 3.1% | 0.9% |
| Dec 2025 | 46.7% | 26.3% | 14% | 6.2% | 4.1% | 2.1% | 0.58% |
| Jan 2026 | 43.8% | 24.7% | 16.3% | 7.2% | 4.8% | 2.6% | 0.56% |
| Feb 2026 | 45.8% | 26.2% | 14% | 6.2% | 5% | 2.1% | 0.58% |
| Mar 2026 | 47.6% | 26.4% | 11.6% | 6.3% | 5.1% | 2.3% | 0.8% |
| Apr 2026 | 41.3% | 24.2% | 16% | 8.7% | 7.1% | 2% | 0.55% |
| May 2026 | 43.5% | 24.6% | 13.1% | 10.7% | 5.8% | 1.6% | 0.55% |
| Jun 2026 | 40.9% | 29% | 12.7% | 8.5% | 5.7% | 2.5% | 0.71% |
| Jul 2026 | 28.6% | 24% | 34.9% | 7% | 3.8% | 1.3% | 0.44% |
| Aug 2026 | 27% | 19% | 42% | 6.9% | 3.7% | 1.1% | 0.35% |
| Sep 2026 | 40.3% | 29.2% | 12.9% | 10.6% | 5.7% | 0.9% | 0.36% |
| Rank | Brand | Share of searches | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, moved from 2nd to 1st | 40.3% | 2.3K | -2.6% | +13.4 pointsmoved from 2nd to 1st | |
| 2, moved from 3rd to 2nd | 29.2% | 1.6K | 0% | +10.2 pointsmoved from 3rd to 2nd | |
| 3, moved from 1st to 3rd | 12.9% | 720 | -80% | -29.1 pointsmoved from 1st to 3rd | |
| 4, held 4th | 10.6% | 590 | 0% | +3.7 points | |
| 5, held 5th | 5.7% | 320 | 0% | +2 points | |
| 6, held 6th | 0.9% | 50 | -44.4% | -0.2 points | |
| 7, held 7th | 0.36% | 20 | -33.3% | 0 points |
1.
Artlist40.3%
Moved from 2nd to 1st. 2.3K estimated branded searches, -2.6% vs prior month. Share +13.4 points.
29.2%
Moved from 3rd to 2nd. 1.6K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +10.2 points.
12.9%
Moved from 1st to 3rd. 720 estimated branded searches, -80% vs prior month. Share -29.1 points.
10.6%
Held 4th. 590 estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +3.7 points.
5.
Musicbed5.7%
Held 5th. 320 estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +2 points.
0.9%
Held 6th. 50 estimated branded searches, -44.4% vs prior month. Share -0.2 points.
0.36%
Held 7th. 20 estimated branded searches, -33.3% vs prior month. Share 0 points.
Which brand is most popular in search among royalty-free music libraries in New Zealand?
7 brands
In September 2026, Artlist was the most searched among royalty-free music libraries in New Zealand, with an estimated 2.3K branded searches, 40.3% of all searches for the seven we track. Epidemic Sound is in 2nd place, 11.1 percentage points behind at 29.2%.
| Brand | Share of searches | Peak | Low | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artlist | 49.9% → 40.3% | 49.9%Oct 2025 | 27%Aug 2026 | 1st |
| Epidemic Sound | 21.2% → 29.2% | 29.2%Sep 2026 | 19%Aug 2026 | 2nd |
| YouTube Audio Library | 14% → 12.9% | 42%Aug 2026 | 11.6%Mar 2026 | 3rd |
| Pixabay Music | 6.2% → 10.6% | 10.7%May 2026 | 6.2%Feb 2026 | 4th |
| Musicbed | 5.1% → 5.7% | 7.1%Apr 2026 | 3.7%Aug 2026 | 5th |
| Soundstripe | 2.7% → 0.9% | 3.1%Nov 2025 | 0.9%Sep 2026 | 6th |
| PremiumBeat | 0.8% → 0.36% | 0.9%Nov 2025 | 0.35%Aug 2026 | 7th |
Each finding as a sentence
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Artlist’s share of searches among royalty-free music libraries in New Zealand decreased from 49.9% to 40.3%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Epidemic Sound’s share of searches among royalty-free music libraries in New Zealand increased from 21.2% to 29.2%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, YouTube Audio Library’s share of searches among royalty-free music libraries in New Zealand decreased from 14% to 12.9%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Pixabay Music’s share of searches among royalty-free music libraries in New Zealand increased from 6.2% to 10.6%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Musicbed’s share of searches among royalty-free music libraries in New Zealand increased from 5.1% to 5.7%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Soundstripe’s share of searches among royalty-free music libraries in New Zealand decreased from 2.7% to 0.9%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Artlist’s share of searches among royalty-free music libraries in New Zealand peaked at 49.9% in October 2025 and was lowest at 27% in August 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Epidemic Sound’s share of searches among royalty-free music libraries in New Zealand peaked at 29.2% in September 2026 and was lowest at 19% in August 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, YouTube Audio Library’s share of searches among royalty-free music libraries in New Zealand peaked at 42% in August 2026 and was lowest at 11.6% in March 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Pixabay Music’s share of searches among royalty-free music libraries in New Zealand peaked at 10.7% in May 2026 and was lowest at 6.2% in February 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Musicbed’s share of searches among royalty-free music libraries in New Zealand peaked at 7.1% in April 2026 and was lowest at 3.7% in August 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Soundstripe’s share of searches among royalty-free music libraries in New Zealand peaked at 3.1% in November 2025 and was lowest at 0.9% in September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, PremiumBeat held steady: its share of searches among royalty-free music libraries in New Zealand moved less than 0.5 percentage points.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand royalty-free music libraries in September 2026?
7 changes
In September 2026, Artlist overtook YouTube Audio Library to become the leader among royalty-free music libraries in New Zealand, with 40.3% of the searches.
In September 2026, Epidemic Sound overtook YouTube Audio Library to rank 2nd among royalty-free music libraries in New Zealand, with 29.2% of the searches.
In September 2026, Pixabay Music gained share of searches among royalty-free music libraries in New Zealand, from 6.9% to 10.6%.
In September 2026, Musicbed gained share of searches among royalty-free music libraries in New Zealand, from 3.7% to 5.7%.
In September 2026, YouTube Audio Library lost share of searches among royalty-free music libraries in New Zealand, from 42% to 12.9%.
Soundstripe’s share of searches among royalty-free music libraries in New Zealand has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 2.5% to 0.9% in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for PremiumBeat in New Zealand fell 60% over 12 measured months, from 50 to 20 in September 2026.
Compare popularity between leading brands
- Artlist vs Epidemic Sound: compare popularity
- Artlist vs YouTube Audio Library: compare popularity
- Artlist vs Pixabay Music: compare popularity
- Artlist vs Musicbed: compare popularity
- Epidemic Sound vs YouTube Audio Library: compare popularity
- Epidemic Sound vs Pixabay Music: compare popularity
- Epidemic Sound vs Musicbed: compare popularity
- YouTube Audio Library vs Pixabay Music: compare popularity
- YouTube Audio Library vs Musicbed: compare popularity
- Pixabay Music vs Musicbed: compare popularity
- Compare any of these brands
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