---
title: "Royalty-free music libraries in New Zealand: Which are searched most?"
description: "Compare services and tools used to license music for video and creative productions. Share of Search among Artlist, Epidemic Sound, YouTube Audio Library, Pixabay Music, Musicbed, Soundstripe and PremiumBeat, the royalty-free music libraries Brandwave compares in New Zealand, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-royalty-free-music-libraries"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Royalty-free music libraries in New Zealand: Which are searched most?

Compare services and tools used to license music for video and creative productions. Share of Search among Artlist, Epidemic Sound, YouTube Audio Library, Pixabay Music, Musicbed, Soundstripe and PremiumBeat, the royalty-free music libraries Brandwave compares in New Zealand, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

## Key facts

- **Competitive set**: Royalty-free music libraries
- **Market**: New Zealand
- **Brands compared**: 7
- **Month measured**: Sep 2026
- **Highest Share of Search**: Artlist, 40.3%

## Which brand is most popular in search among royalty-free music libraries in New Zealand?

- 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%.
- 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.

## 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.

Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options.

| Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Epidemic Sound | 1st | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 |
| Artlist | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 4 of 5 |
| Pixabay Music | 3rd | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 4 of 5 |
| Musicbed | 4th | 3 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 3 of 5 |
| Soundstripe | 5th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 2 of 5 |
| YouTube Audio Library | 6th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 2 of 5 |
| PremiumBeat | 7th | 1 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 1 of 5 |

## Every AI answer about royalty-free music libraries

- Asked ChatGPT "Which royalty-free music library should I use in New Zealand?": 1. Epidemic Sound, 2. Artlist, 3. YouTube Audio Library, 4. Musicbed
- Asked ChatGPT "What are the best royalty-free music libraries in New Zealand?": 1. Artlist, 2. Epidemic Sound, 3. Musicbed, 4. Soundstripe, 5. PremiumBeat, 6. Pixabay Music
- Asked ChatGPT "What's the best royalty-free music library in New Zealand for video creators?": 1. Artlist, 2. Epidemic Sound, 3. Musicbed, 4. Pixabay Music
- Searched Google, AI Overview "royalty free music library": 1. Pixabay Music, 2. Epidemic Sound
- Searched Google, AI Overview "best royalty free music": 1. Epidemic Sound, 2. Artlist, 3. Soundstripe, 4. YouTube Audio Library, 5. Pixabay Music

Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.

## Compare search popularity between leading brands

- [Artlist vs Epidemic Sound: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/artlist-vs-epidemic-sound): 40.3% against 29.2% Share of Search.
- [Artlist vs YouTube Audio Library: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/artlist-vs-youtube-audio-library): 40.3% against 12.9% Share of Search.
- [Artlist vs Pixabay Music: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/artlist-vs-pixabay-music): 40.3% against 10.6% Share of Search.
- [Artlist vs Musicbed: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/artlist-vs-musicbed): 40.3% against 5.7% Share of Search.
- [Epidemic Sound vs YouTube Audio Library: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/epidemic-sound-vs-youtube-audio-library): 29.2% against 12.9% Share of Search.
- [Epidemic Sound vs Pixabay Music: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/epidemic-sound-vs-pixabay-music): 29.2% against 10.6% Share of Search.
- [Epidemic Sound vs Musicbed: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/epidemic-sound-vs-musicbed): 29.2% against 5.7% Share of Search.
- [YouTube Audio Library vs Pixabay Music: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/pixabay-music-vs-youtube-audio-library): 12.9% against 10.6% Share of Search.
- [YouTube Audio Library vs Musicbed: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/musicbed-vs-youtube-audio-library): 12.9% against 5.7% Share of Search.
- [Pixabay Music vs Musicbed: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/musicbed-vs-pixabay-music): 10.6% against 5.7% Share of Search.

## How did search popularity change for New Zealand royalty-free music libraries in September 2026?

- 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.

## Share of Search ranking

| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Artlist | 40.3% | 2.3K | -2.6% | Artlist |
| 2 | Epidemic Sound | 29.2% | 1.6K | 0.0% | Epidemic Sound |
| 3 | YouTube Audio Library | 12.9% | 720 | -80.0% | Google |
| 4 | Pixabay Music | 10.6% | 590 | 0.0% | Pixabay |
| 5 | Musicbed | 5.7% | 320 | 0.0% | Musicbed |
| 6 | Soundstripe | 0.9% | 50 | -44.4% | Soundstripe |
| 7 | PremiumBeat | 0.36% | 20 | -33.3% | PremiumBeat |

## Historical estimated branded-search demand

| Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | Artlist | 3.1K | 49.9% | 1 |
| Oct 2025 | Epidemic Sound | 1.3K | 21.2% | 2 |
| Oct 2025 | YouTube Audio Library | 880 | 14% | 3 |
| Oct 2025 | Pixabay Music | 390 | 6.2% | 4 |
| Oct 2025 | Musicbed | 320 | 5.1% | 5 |
| Oct 2025 | Soundstripe | 170 | 2.7% | 6 |
| Oct 2025 | PremiumBeat | 50 | 0.8% | 7 |
| Nov 2025 | Artlist | 2.5K | 44.5% | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | Epidemic Sound | 1.3K | 24.1% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | YouTube Audio Library | 720 | 13% | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | Pixabay Music | 480 | 8.7% | 4 |
| Nov 2025 | Musicbed | 320 | 5.8% | 5 |
| Nov 2025 | Soundstripe | 170 | 3.1% | 6 |
| Nov 2025 | PremiumBeat | 50 | 0.9% | 7 |
| Dec 2025 | Artlist | 2.4K | 46.7% | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | Epidemic Sound | 1.4K | 26.3% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | YouTube Audio Library | 720 | 14% | 3 |
| Dec 2025 | Pixabay Music | 320 | 6.2% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | Musicbed | 210 | 4.1% | 5 |
| Dec 2025 | Soundstripe | 110 | 2.1% | 6 |
| Dec 2025 | PremiumBeat | 30 | 0.58% | 7 |
| Jan 2026 | Artlist | 2.4K | 43.8% | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | Epidemic Sound | 1.3K | 24.7% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | YouTube Audio Library | 880 | 16.3% | 3 |
| Jan 2026 | Pixabay Music | 390 | 7.2% | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | Musicbed | 260 | 4.8% | 5 |
| Jan 2026 | Soundstripe | 140 | 2.6% | 6 |
| Jan 2026 | PremiumBeat | 30 | 0.56% | 7 |
| Feb 2026 | Artlist | 2.4K | 45.8% | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | Epidemic Sound | 1.4K | 26.2% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | YouTube Audio Library | 720 | 14% | 3 |
| Feb 2026 | Pixabay Music | 320 | 6.2% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | Musicbed | 260 | 5% | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | Soundstripe | 110 | 2.1% | 6 |
| Feb 2026 | PremiumBeat | 30 | 0.58% | 7 |
| Mar 2026 | Artlist | 3K | 47.6% | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | Epidemic Sound | 1.6K | 26.4% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | YouTube Audio Library | 720 | 11.6% | 3 |
| Mar 2026 | Pixabay Music | 390 | 6.3% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | Musicbed | 320 | 5.1% | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | Soundstripe | 140 | 2.3% | 6 |
| Mar 2026 | PremiumBeat | 50 | 0.8% | 7 |
| Apr 2026 | Artlist | 2.3K | 41.3% | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | Epidemic Sound | 1.3K | 24.2% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | YouTube Audio Library | 880 | 16% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | Pixabay Music | 480 | 8.7% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | Musicbed | 390 | 7.1% | 5 |
| Apr 2026 | Soundstripe | 110 | 2% | 6 |
| Apr 2026 | PremiumBeat | 30 | 0.55% | 7 |
| May 2026 | Artlist | 2.4K | 43.5% | 1 |
| May 2026 | Epidemic Sound | 1.4K | 24.6% | 2 |
| May 2026 | YouTube Audio Library | 720 | 13.1% | 3 |
| May 2026 | Pixabay Music | 590 | 10.7% | 4 |
| May 2026 | Musicbed | 320 | 5.8% | 5 |
| May 2026 | Soundstripe | 90 | 1.6% | 6 |
| May 2026 | PremiumBeat | 30 | 0.55% | 7 |
| Jun 2026 | Artlist | 2.3K | 40.9% | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | Epidemic Sound | 1.6K | 29% | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | YouTube Audio Library | 720 | 12.7% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | Pixabay Music | 480 | 8.5% | 4 |
| Jun 2026 | Musicbed | 320 | 5.7% | 5 |
| Jun 2026 | Soundstripe | 140 | 2.5% | 6 |
| Jun 2026 | PremiumBeat | 40 | 0.71% | 7 |
| Jul 2026 | YouTube Audio Library | 2.4K | 34.9% | 1 |
| Jul 2026 | Artlist | 2K | 28.6% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | Epidemic Sound | 1.6K | 24% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | Pixabay Music | 480 | 7% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | Musicbed | 260 | 3.8% | 5 |
| Jul 2026 | Soundstripe | 90 | 1.3% | 6 |
| Jul 2026 | PremiumBeat | 30 | 0.44% | 7 |
| Aug 2026 | YouTube Audio Library | 3.6K | 42% | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | Artlist | 2.3K | 27% | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | Epidemic Sound | 1.6K | 19% | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | Pixabay Music | 590 | 6.9% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | Musicbed | 320 | 3.7% | 5 |
| Aug 2026 | Soundstripe | 90 | 1.1% | 6 |
| Aug 2026 | PremiumBeat | 30 | 0.35% | 7 |
| Sep 2026 | Artlist | 2.3K | 40.3% | 1 |
| Sep 2026 | Epidemic Sound | 1.6K | 29.2% | 2 |
| Sep 2026 | YouTube Audio Library | 720 | 12.9% | 3 |
| Sep 2026 | Pixabay Music | 590 | 10.6% | 4 |
| Sep 2026 | Musicbed | 320 | 5.7% | 5 |
| Sep 2026 | Soundstripe | 50 | 0.9% | 6 |
| Sep 2026 | PremiumBeat | 20 | 0.36% | 7 |

## What is being compared

- **Artlist**: Measured on the search terms “artlist”, “artlist ai” and “artlist io”, summed into one figure.
- **Epidemic Sound**: Measured on the search terms “epidemic sound” and “epidemicsound”, summed into one figure.
- **Musicbed**: Measured on the search term “musicbed”.
- **Pixabay Music**: Measured on the search term “pixabay music”.
- **PremiumBeat**: Measured on the search term “premiumbeat”.
- **Soundstripe**: Measured on the search term “soundstripe”.
- **YouTube Audio Library**: Measured on the search term “youtube audio library”.

- [Artlist](/demand/nz/brands/artlist)
- [Epidemic Sound](/demand/nz/brands/epidemic-sound)
- [Musicbed](/demand/nz/brands/musicbed)
- [Pixabay Music](/demand/nz/brands/pixabay-music)
- [PremiumBeat](/demand/nz/brands/premiumbeat)
- [Soundstripe](/demand/nz/brands/soundstripe)
- [YouTube Audio Library](/demand/nz/brands/youtube-audio-library)

## Methodology

- [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which brand is most popular in search among royalty-free music libraries in New Zealand?

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.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Royalty-free music libraries in New Zealand: Which are searched most?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-royalty-free-music-libraries

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-royalty-free-music-libraries. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.