Epidemic Sound: The Digital Music Production Collective

Epidemic Sound is a Swedish music company revolutionizing how creators access and license high-quality production music. Founded in 2009, the Stockholm-based enterprise has grown from a niche service into a global powerhouse, providing a vast library of tracks to content creators worldwide.

Early career

Epidemic Sound was formed in 2009 by entrepreneurs David Stenmarck, Jan Zachrisson, and musicians Peer Åström and David Strääf. The concept originated from the founders' frustration with the complex and costly process of licensing music for online video. Their solution was to build a proprietary platform from the ground up, focusing on clearing all rights for worry-free usage.

The company's early years involved building its unique model, hiring composers in-house, and meticulously clearing publishing and master rights for every track. This foundational work established the extensive, creator-first library that would become its signature asset, initially serving the Scandinavian market before expanding globally.

Breakthrough

Epidemic Sound's major breakthrough coincided with the explosive growth of the creator economy on platforms like YouTube in the mid-2010s. By offering a subscription-based model with unlimited access to cleared music, it became the go-to source for YouTubers, filmmakers, and podcasters. Its strategic partnerships with major media companies and platforms solidified its position as an industry leader.

The company's success is measured not by traditional chart positions, but by its massive library growth and user adoption. It has amassed over 40,000 tracks and 90,000 sound effects, with its music soundtracking millions of videos globally each month, a testament to its pervasive reach in digital media.

Key tracks

Burbank Late Nights — This laid-back, lo-fi hip-hop track exemplifies the platform's focus on mood-based, genre-spanning music perfect for background scoring in diverse content.

Like That — An upbeat, indie-pop song showcasing the high production value and radio-ready quality that defines much of the Epidemic Sound catalog.

Golden Hour — A cinematic and uplifting instrumental piece highlighting the company's strength in providing score-quality music for visual storytelling.

Night Drive — A synthwave track that demonstrates the library's depth in niche genres, catering to specific creator aesthetics and project needs.

Following its establishment as a key player for independent creators, Epidemic Sound expanded its services to cater to larger businesses and broadcasters. It launched enterprise solutions and formed collaborations with major entities like Meta, Spotify, and Google, integrating its music directly into editing tools and social platforms. The company continues to invest heavily in its composer network and technological infrastructure, constantly refining its recommendation algorithms and search functionality.

For listeners who appreciate the polished, genre-fluid production style of Epidemic Sound's vast composer collective, several Swedish electronic and ambient artists share a similar sonic precision. Kiasmos delivers the same kind of meticulously crafted, minimalist electronic compositions. Kornél Kovács offers a similarly upbeat and eclectic approach to house music with Scandinavian flair. The textured, atmospheric soundscapes of Jon Hopkins align with the cinematic side of the Epidemic Sound library. Furthermore, the melodic electronica of Tourist resonates with the emotive, instrumental tracks frequently found on the platform.

The music from Epidemic Sound's extensive roster of composers receives regular airplay across a variety of digital radio formats. Online radio streams focusing on background music for work or study, modern electronica channels, and stations dedicated to cinematic scores frequently feature tracks from its ever-growing catalog, highlighting its versatility.

You can discover the wide-ranging music of the Epidemic Sound collective on numerous radio stations featured here. Listeners can explore this vast library of production music through the curated online radio stations available on onairium.com.