LICKD
LICKD is a London-based music licensing platform that gives YouTube content creators pre-cleared access to over 1.4 million tracks from major labels via subscription, supported by an automated Content ID claims management system called VOUCH.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What LICKD does
LICKD is a London-based music licensing platform founded in 2016 that provides pre-cleared commercial music for YouTube content creators. The company addresses a structural pain point in the creator economy: mainstream artists' tracks routinely trigger copyright claims on YouTube via Content ID, forcing creators to use royalty-free alternatives or risk demonetization. LICKD's product enables creators to license popular music legally and embed it in monetized videos without claims disruption.
The platform's core offering is a subscription-based catalog of over 1.4 million tracks licensed from Warner Music Group, Universal Music, and BMG. Its proprietary VOUCH system integrates directly with YouTube's Content ID infrastructure to automate claims management across creator channels. The product surface extends through a "Lickd for Brands" sub-brand targeting business customers, Spotify playlist integration, and an affiliate program that pays $25 per referral. Discovery is supported by mood-, genre-, and tempo-based catalog search.
LICKD operates a self-serve, product-led growth model with tiered subscription pricing (Starter, Plus, Pro, Unlimited, Annual) structured around monthly video view volumes. The company is reported to have 11–50 employees, raised £5.1M in seed funding in September 2021 from Nick Mason Group (lead), Warner Music Group, and Epic Games, and was named by Fast Company to its Most Innovative Companies list in 2026.
LICKD firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- LICKD
- Legal name
- Lickd Limited
- Website
- https://lickd.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- LICKD is a London-based music licensing platform that gives YouTube content creators pre-cleared access to over 1.4 million tracks from major labels via subscription, supported by an automated Content ID claims management system called VOUCH.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
LICKD industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Music Licensing Platform
- NAICS
- Music Publishers (51223), Music Publishers (512230)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sync Marketplaces & Licensing Platforms (MPAIALAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sync Rights Representation (Pitching, Clearance, Negotiation) (MPAIABAF), Master Licensing & Clearances (Recorded Music) (MPAIAAAI)
Keywords
Where LICKD is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
LICKD business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Subscription Licensing: Recurring subscription model where creators pay monthly or annual fees to access and license music. Pricing is based on the creator's average video views, making it accessible for creators at any stage from new channels to global stars.
- Per-Track License Purchase: One-time license purchases for individual tracks. Most licenses are granted forever, with no danger of videos being taken down even if the subscription ends. Tracks must be used within 6 months of purchase.
- Affiliate Referrals: Pay-per-successful-referral program. Affiliates earn $25 for each subscriber who completes sign-up and makes their first subscription payment.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Starter plan for new creators |
| Subscription | Monthly | Plus plan for growing creators |
| Subscription | Monthly | Pro plan for established creators |
| Subscription | Monthly | Unlimited plan for high-volume creators |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual subscription option |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels10 records
LICKD product offering
Product offeringCore offering
LICKD operates a pre-cleared commercial music licensing platform purpose-built for YouTube and online video creators, providing access to over 1.4 million mainstream tracks from major labels (Warner, Universal, BMG). Its proprietary VOUCH system integrates with YouTube's Content ID to automatically clear copyright claims on licensed tracks, allowing creators to use chart music without risking demonetization or revenue loss.
Product overview
Lickd is a music licensing platform built specifically for YouTube content creators, offering access to over 1.4 million tracks including mainstream chart music from artists like The Weeknd, Ariana Grande, and Coldplay. The core product is the claims-managed music licensing service, where every track is pre-cleared and Lickd's VOUCH system handles any YouTube copyright claims automatically. The platform operates on a subscription model with multiple tiers (Starter, Plus, Pro, Unlimited, Annual) based on channel size and publishing frequency. Beyond the creator platform, Lickd offers a separate Lickd for Brands service for business video licensing, plus an affiliate program for creators to earn referral income.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Lickd Platform Self-serve web platform where content creators search, license, and download mainstream music tracks for use in YouTube videos. The platform integrates with YouTube Content ID and the VOUCH claims management system to automatically clear copyright claims on licensed uploads, protecting creator monetization.
- Lickd for Brands Dedicated portal for brands and businesses seeking licensed mainstream music for branded video content, influencer marketing, and corporate video campaigns. Provides brand-safe music licensing with the same claims-managed approach as the creator platform.
Quantifiable outcome
- 2x more views on average for videos using Lickd-licensed mainstream music vs royalty-free alternatives
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use LICKD
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
LICKD technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
AI capability3 records
Feature4 records
LICKD partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Universal Music Group (UMG)coreMajor music group partnership providing catalog access for Lickd creators. UMG is one of the 'big three' music corporations.
- BMGcoreMusic group partnership providing catalog access. Lickd offers tracks from Warner, Universal, BMG and other major labels.
- The Magic GangminorPartnership for Record Store Day 2021 promotion. Creators could use The Magic Gang tracks and enter a giveaway for signed vinyl.
- Warner Music (for Record Store Day)minorPartnership with Warner Music for Record Store Day 2021 promotional campaign.
- YouTubecoreDirect integration with YouTube Content ID system. Lickd is a YouTube partner that integrates into Content ID to notify YouTube that creators have permission to use licensed tracks.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
LICKD competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Epidemic Sound: Subscription music platform for content creators and brands. Direct competitor in the same YouTube/creator licensing category, but focused on original royalty-free tracks rather than mainstream label music.
- Artlist: Subscription-based music and SFX licensing platform for video creators and filmmakers. Competes for the same creator budget with a broad royalty-free catalog and AI-assisted tools.
- Musicbed: Licensed music platform for filmmakers, brands, and creators. Similar model of curating mainstream and indie artist tracks for video use, including YouTube creators.
- Soundstripe: Subscription music licensing service for video creators and businesses. Overlaps directly with Lickd's YouTube/creator use case and competes on price and catalog breadth.
- PremiumBeat: Royalty-free music library owned by Shutterstock serving video creators, editors, and agencies. Comparable on per-track and subscription licensing for YouTube-style content.
- Audiosocket: Music licensing platform representing independent artists for use in film, TV, advertising, and online video. Comparable to Lickd's model of brokering mainstream/indie tracks for creator content.
- Marmoset: Independent music licensing agency serving brands, agencies, and content creators. Competes in sync licensing for creator and brand video, with similar focus on curating high-quality tracks.
Broad incumbents
- Songtradr: B2B music licensing marketplace connecting rights holders with brands, agencies, and content creators. Broader incumbent in sync licensing with creator-facing offerings that overlap with Lickd's brand-side use case.
Emerging players
- Splash Music: Music licensing platform focused on TikTok and short-form creators. Smaller emerging player overlapping with Lickd on creator-direct mainstream licensing, but targeted at TikTok rather than YouTube.
Others
- YouTube Creator Music: YouTube's own mainstream music licensing offering for creators. Adjacent platform-provided service that competes for the same use case and underscores YouTube's strategic control of the ecosystem Lickd serves.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses1 record
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
LICKD social profiles
Digital presenceLICKD financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
LICKD leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
LICKD funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
LICKD M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about LICKD
What does LICKD do?
LICKD operates a pre-cleared commercial music licensing platform purpose-built for YouTube and online video creators, providing access to over 1.4 million mainstream tracks from major labels (Warner, Universal, BMG). Its proprietary VOUCH system integrates with YouTube's Content ID to automatically clear copyright claims on licensed tracks, allowing creators to use chart music without risking demonetization or revenue loss.
Is LICKD a public or private company?
LICKD is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was LICKD founded?
LICKD was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is LICKD based?
LICKD is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does LICKD make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Subscription Licensing is the primary driver. The others are per-Track License Purchase and affiliate Referrals.
Who are LICKD's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Epidemic Sound, Artlist, Musicbed, Soundstripe, PremiumBeat, Audiosocket and Marmoset. Songtradr is listed as a broad incumbent. Splash Music is listed as an emerging player. YouTube Creator Music is listed as an others.
Does LICKD have an API?
No public API is recorded for LICKD.
What industry is LICKD in?
LICKD's product category is Music Licensing Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIALAG, Sync Marketplaces & Licensing Platforms, with a secondary code of MPAIABAF, Sync Rights Representation (Pitching, Clearance, Negotiation). Its NAICS code is 51223.