Sync
Sync libraries compared
Libraries differ on the split they pay, whether your music must be exclusive, and whether they accept AI-made music. This page lists each company’s own published terms, dated and linked, with no rankings.
Key takeaways
Pay models differ
Artist shares run from 30% to 80% of the fee where published; some pay a fixed fee per track, and several publish no figure.
Exclusivity varies
Several are non-exclusive, but Shutterstock Music and Soundstripe require exclusivity or a buyout. Read the current terms before you sign anything.
AI policies differ
CD Baby, Pond5 and Music Vine say they cannot accept AI-generated music (Music Vine allows AI mixing and mastering tools); the rest state no policy for artists.
Library terms, from each company’s own pages
Listed in a fixed order, not ranked. Click through to the source before you decide anything.
| Company | Your share of the fee | Exclusive? | Accepts AI music? | Sources, checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD Baby (CDB Sync)Opt in per release when you distribute with CD Baby | 60%You earn 60% of the fees CD Baby collects for traditional media placements (commercials, films, TV). CD Baby keeps 40% of sync revenue. | Non-exclusive. You keep your copyrights and grant non-exclusive sync rights; an exclusive deal elsewhere would conflict.Distribute through CD Baby, own the sound recording, and own the publishing or hold a cover licence. Check samples and royalty-free beats for sync eligibility. Part of CD Baby Boost ($39.99). | Not acceptedCD Baby says it cannot accept any AI-generated content, even if commercially licensed, and not if only part of a recording is AI.Company AI policy page | Terms page, Source 2checked October 20, 2026 |
| Pond5Contributor sign-up | 30%For music tracks and sound effects your share of net license revenue is 30%. (Video is 30%, or 40% in its exclusivity program.) | Non-exclusive licence for music. Pond5’s exclusivity program applies to video only.You must own the content you upload. | Not acceptedPond5 says its contributor agreement requires you to own what you upload, so it cannot accept content generated by AI to be licensed by contributors in its marketplace.Company AI policy page | Terms pagechecked October 20, 2026 |
| Envato Market (AudioJungle)Author application and review | 50%From 1 July 2026 the author fee for all authors is 50%: authors receive 50% of the item-price component of the list price. | Non-exclusive for all authors from 1 July 2026; the exclusive and non-exclusive account types were removed, so you can sell elsewhere too.Check the Envato Market Author Terms for requirements. | Not statedNo AI-music policy for authors was found on the pages checked. Read Envato’s current author terms before you upload.Page checked | Terms pagechecked October 20, 2026 |
| MusicbedNot stated on the pages checked | Not publishedVaries. Musicbed does not publish an artist percentage; it says it does not take more than its musician’s share on licenses. | Not published. Musicbed says artists maintain the rights to their music.Entry requirements not published on the pages checked. | Not statedNo AI-music policy for artist submissions was found on the pages checked. Ask Musicbed before you submit.Page checked | Terms pagechecked October 20, 2026 |
| Epidemic SoundSelective: takes on under 1% of submissions | Fixed fee, not a shareFixed fee of USD $2,000–$8,000 per track (as of Q1 2026), paid up front and not recouped, plus a 50/50 split of music-streaming royalties and a share of its Soundtrack Bonus. Not a percentage of license fees. | All artists work with Epidemic Sound on a non-exclusive basis, but only if unaffiliated with collecting societies (PROs). It owns the catalog’s rights.Artists based in a limited set of countries; unaffiliated with a collecting society. | Not statedThe artist page checked states no AI-music submission policy; it describes payments for artists contributing to its AI-powered tools.Page checked | Terms pagechecked October 20, 2026 |
| Music VineArtist applications closed when checked | Not publishedNot published. Music Vine’s pages do not state an artist percentage. | Not published.Applications were closed when checked. Samples and loops you use must be properly licensed. | Fully AI-made music not acceptedMusic Vine says it cannot accept music fully generated by AI, or made with AI tools that may have been trained on copyrighted works without consent, even for partial use. AI mixing or mastering plugins are fine. Last updated July 21, 2025.Company AI policy page | Terms page, Source 2checked October 20, 2026 |
| Music GatewayMembership plans (Pro $89/yr, Unlimited $199/yr) | 70% to 80% by planSync placement royalties are 70% on the Pro plan and 80% on the Unlimited plan, per its pricing page. | When you opt a song into Sync you choose exclusive or non-exclusive representation; its terms say it expects most licences to be non-exclusive.Paid plan; submissions per month are limited on Pro. | Not statedNo AI-music policy was found on the pricing page or terms checked.Page checked | Terms page, Source 2checked October 20, 2026 |
| Shutterstock Music / PremiumBeatVery small number of music contributors | Fixed fee, not a shareBuyout: a per-track fee paid up front, with no payout from sales. PRO-affiliated composers still receive 100% of the writer’s share of public performance royalties. | Exclusive only. It does not accept music on a non-exclusive basis, and the agreement is a full transfer of rights.You must own and control 100% of the composition and master; no uncleared samples, sound-alikes or covers. | Not statedThe contributor page checked states no AI-music policy.Page checked | Terms pagechecked October 20, 2026 |
| SoundstripeNot accepting submissions when checked | Not publishedNot published. Tracks are custom created and sold as “works made for hire”. | Compositions and recordings must be created exclusively for Soundstripe; previously distributed material is not accepted.Fully independent (no label or publishing deal) and with a PRO writer affiliation. | Not statedThe artist page checked states no AI-music policy.Page checked | Terms pagechecked October 20, 2026 |
| UppbeatContributor program (only about 1% of submissions accepted, per its blog) | Not publishedRevenue share: it says the majority of subscription and other money goes to contributors, and a contributor earns a payment every time an asset is downloaded. No percentage is published. | Not published. Uppbeat says contributors keep their rights and earn ongoing revenue rather than a one-time buyout.Not published on the page checked. | Not statedNo AI policy for contributors was found on the page checked.Page checked | Terms pagechecked October 20, 2026 |
| Crucial MusicOpen to submissions (check the company) | 50%Crucial negotiates the license fee, collects it and pays you 50% of what it receives. A co-writer is not paid separately; the licensor is paid the full 50% artist share. | Non-exclusive: you keep your copyrights and grant a non-exclusive right to pitch and license. The term is three years, and you cannot also have an exclusive deal elsewhere.You must own your masters and publishing, all songs original, and be registered with a PRO. An exclusive administration deal elsewhere generally disqualifies you. | Not statedNo AI-music policy was found on the artist FAQ checked.Page checked | Terms pagechecked October 20, 2026 |
| Jingle PunksNew artist submissions closed when checked | 50%Any individual sync fee is split 50/50 with the artist; the company collects the publisher’s share and the artist the writer’s share on the back end. | Not published.Not accepting new artists when checked. | Not statedNo AI-music policy was found on the FAQ checked.Page checked | Terms pagechecked October 20, 2026 |
| Audio NetworkSubmission form open when checked | Not publishedNot published. | Not published. Its submission form asks whether you are exclusively signed elsewhere and says it typically cannot work with artists and composers who are.Submit through its form with a link to your music and your PRO. | Not statedNo AI-music policy was found on the submission page checked.Page checked | Terms pagechecked October 20, 2026 |
Exclusive vs non-exclusive, in one minute
- Non-exclusive means you can place the same song with other libraries or pitch it yourself. CD Baby says its sync service is non-exclusive but that an exclusive deal elsewhere would conflict with it.
- Exclusive means one company controls the song for a period. Pond5’s exclusivity program, for example, applies only to video, not music.
- Before you opt in, list every place a song is already registered or placed, and read the notice and exit terms in the company’s agreement.
Questions people ask
What is a sync library?
A sync library is a company that licenses music to creators and productions for use with video, and shares the fee with the music’s owners. Terms differ by company.
Exclusive or non-exclusive: which is better?
Neither is better for everyone. Non-exclusive means you can place the same song elsewhere too; exclusive usually means one company controls it for a period. Read each company’s own terms, and do not sign an exclusive deal for a song already placed elsewhere.
How much does a library keep?
It varies. Of the companies that publish a share: CD Baby keeps 40% of sync fees for traditional media, Pond5 pays contributors 30% of net license revenue for music, Envato Market and Crucial Music pay 50%, Jingle Punks splits sync fees 50/50, and Music Gateway pays 70% or 80% depending on plan. Epidemic Sound and Shutterstock pay per-track fees instead, and others publish no figure.
Can I submit AI-generated music?
Policies differ. CD Baby, Pond5 and Music Vine say they cannot accept AI-generated content (Music Vine allows AI mixing and mastering plugins). For the others we found no AI policy for artists on the pages we checked, so ask them directly.
Why are some libraries missing?
We only list companies whose artist terms we could read on their own site. Songtradr’s artist pages no longer exist and Marmoset’s submissions were closed with no terms published, so neither is listed.
Why are some entries “Not published”?
We only list terms that a company states on its own pages. If it does not state a figure, we say so rather than guess, and we do not rank companies.
Do you rank the libraries?
No. They are listed in a fixed order with no ratings or winner badges.