Musicbed
Musicbed is a curated music licensing platform serving filmmakers, agencies, brands, and content creators with 70,000+ songs and 150,000+ sound effects from 1,500+ artists, monetizing through subscriptions, per-track licenses, and enterprise agreements under FM LLC.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersFort Worth, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Musicbed does
Musicbed is a music licensing platform founded in 2011 and headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, operating under the legal entity FM LLC. The company connects filmmakers, video creators, agencies, and production companies with curated music from 1,500+ represented artists and composers, offering a catalog of 70,000+ songs and 150,000+ premium sound effects maintained through an in-house curation process that accepts less than 1% of artist submissions. Musicbed is part of the FM family of creative brands alongside FilmSupply (footage licensing) and Stills (image licensing), which together form an integrated ecosystem for licensing media assets used in video production.
The platform's technology stack centers on proprietary search and clearance tools: Search by Song™ enables reference-based music matching against any artist or song, SyncID™ provides copyright claim clearing for monetized video content, and additional features allow filtering by musical key, BPM, mood, and multiple song versions (instrumentals, vocals, alternative mixes). Musicbed distributes its platform through a self-serve website (musicbed.com), an iOS mobile app, and a dedicated enterprise sales motion, serving a horizontal mix of SMB/individual creators, agencies and brands, film/TV professionals, and large organizations with custom licensing needs.
The company operates a multi-stream revenue model: subscription-based licensing with monthly billing for standard users, annual enterprise contracts with custom pricing and unwatermarked deliverables, per-track licensing for projects outside subscription coverage, and professional services for custom music composition. Artists receive a 50/50 revenue split on licensing fees. Musicbed operates in a global stock music market valued at $1.45 billion in 2024, projected to reach $2.40 billion by 2030 at an 8.76% CAGR, where it is identified as one of the leading platforms alongside competitors such as Epidemic Sound, Artlist, and Shutterstock. The company is privately held, founder-led by CEO Daniel McCarthy, and operates with 11–50 employees.
Musicbed firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Musicbed
- Legal name
- FM LLC
- Website
- https://musicbed.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Musicbed is a curated music licensing platform serving filmmakers, agencies, brands, and content creators with 70,000+ songs and 150,000+ sound effects from 1,500+ artists, monetizing through subscriptions, per-track licenses, and enterprise agreements under FM LLC.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Musicbed industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Music Licensing
- NAICS
- Record Production and Distribution (51225), Record Production and Distribution (512250)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sync Marketplaces & Licensing Platforms (MPAIALAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Creator Music/SFX Asset Libraries & Licensing Platforms (MPACABAM), Brand Partnerships & Music Placement Services (Non-Exclusive Brand Deals) (MPAIALAM)
Keywords
Where Musicbed is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fort Worth
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Musicbed business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Music Licensing Subscriptions: Platform operates on subscription-based licensing model where content creators pay for access to licensed music. Artists receive 50/50 revenue split from licensing fees collected by the platform.
- Per-Track Licensing: Individual track licensing available for specific projects outside of subscription coverage. Some premium content (like classical works by London Symphony Orchestra) is not covered by standard subscription and requires separate licensing.
- Custom Music Services: Enterprise clients can commission custom music composed specifically for their projects by Musicbed's represented artists and composers
- Enterprise Licensing: Tailored pricing and custom licensing agreements for large organizations, agencies, and media productions with specific rights and clearances needs
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free Account |
| Subscription | Monthly | Subscription Plans |
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise Plans |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Musicbed product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Musicbed operates a curated music and sound effects licensing platform that connects filmmakers, agencies, brands, and content creators with 70,000+ songs and 150,000+ premium sound effects from 1,500+ hand-picked artists and composers. The platform offers subscription-based and per-track licensing for film, TV, advertising, and digital content use, supplemented by custom music composition, expert song search, and comprehensive rights and clearances services for any platform.
Product overview
Musicbed operates as a music licensing platform within the FM family of creative brands (alongside FilmSupply for footage and Stills for images), offering a curated catalog of 70,000+ songs and 150,000+ premium sound effects from 1,500+ hand-picked artists and composers. The platform provides core licensing for film, TV, and advertising, supplemented by add-on services including Song Search (expert music supervisor curation delivered in 1 business day), Custom Music (collaboration with composers), Rights & Clearances (licensing any song for all platforms), and Covers. The Enterprise tier offers tailored solutions for large organizations with custom pricing, unwatermarked downloads, and custom music options. Additional features include SyncID for copyright claim clearing and Search by Song for reference-based music discovery.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Musicbed
Quantifiable outcome
- Less than 1% of artist submissions accepted, ensuring curated quality
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Musicbed
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Musicbed technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Musicbed partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- FilmsupplycoreFilmsupply is a sister brand under FM family of brands, dedicated to footage licensing for productions. Part of the integrated creative ecosystem offering video, music, and image licensing.
- StillscoreStills is a sister brand under FM family of brands, focused on image licensing for creatives. Complements the music and footage offerings within the FM creative ecosystem.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights2 records
Musicbed competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Artlist: Subscription music and SFX licensing platform targeting video creators, agencies, and filmmakers. Competes head-to-head with Musicbed on catalog breadth, transparent pricing, and platform-style licensing for YouTubers and brands.
- Epidemic Sound: Subscription-based music licensing platform providing royalty-free music for video creators, filmmakers, and brands. Direct competitor to Musicbed with a similar self-serve GTM and a large curated catalog, backed by significant venture capital.
- Audio Network: Rights-managed music licensing company supplying original music to film, TV, advertising, and broadcast. Comparable to Musicbed in serving production-grade sync needs with curated catalogs and enterprise licensing.
- Soundstripe: Subscription music and SFX licensing platform built for content creators, agencies, and brands. Direct overlap with Musicbed in self-serve licensing for YouTubers and ad agencies.
- PremiumBeat: Curated royalty-free music library owned by Shutterstock, targeting filmmakers, agencies, and video producers. Overlaps Musicbed on the premium sync-licensing segment with similar per-track and subscription options.
Broad incumbents
- Pond5: Large stock media marketplace offering music, footage, and SFX with broad, long-tail catalog versus Musicbed's curated approach. Competes for the same production licensing budgets at the SMB and mid-market segments.
- Shutterstock Music: Music licensing offering within Shutterstock's broader stock media platform. Comparable buyer (filmmakers, agencies, brands) and overlapping sync-licensing use cases, but sold as part of a wider images/footage portfolio rather than a stand-alone music brand.
- Storyblocks: Unlimited subscription platform for stock footage, audio, and images serving video creators and agencies. Comparable self-serve, subscription-based GTM targeting YouTubers and small production teams.
- Envato Elements: Subscription-based creative asset platform including music, video, and templates. Comparable as a horizontal subscription licensing alternative for SMB content creators, though broader and less curated than Musicbed.
Emerging players
- Splice: Music creation and licensing platform for producers and creators offering royalty-free samples and tracks. Adjacent rather than direct, but increasingly intersects with Musicbed's creator-side customer base as AI and sample-based production grows.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Musicbed social profiles
Digital presenceMusicbed financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Musicbed leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Musicbed subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Musicbed funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Musicbed 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 Musicbed
What does Musicbed do?
Musicbed operates a curated music and sound effects licensing platform that connects filmmakers, agencies, brands, and content creators with 70,000+ songs and 150,000+ premium sound effects from 1,500+ hand-picked artists and composers. The platform offers subscription-based and per-track licensing for film, TV, advertising, and digital content use, supplemented by custom music composition, expert song search, and comprehensive rights and clearances services for any platform.
Is Musicbed a public or private company?
Musicbed is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Musicbed founded?
Musicbed was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Musicbed based?
Musicbed is headquartered in Fort Worth, United States, in the North America region.
How does Musicbed make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Music Licensing Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are per-Track Licensing, custom Music Services and enterprise Licensing.
Who are Musicbed's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Artlist, Epidemic Sound, Audio Network, Soundstripe and PremiumBeat. Broad incumbents are Pond5, Shutterstock Music, Storyblocks and Envato Elements. Splice is listed as an emerging player.
Does Musicbed have an API?
No public API is recorded for Musicbed.
What industry is Musicbed in?
Musicbed's product category is Music Licensing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIALAG, Sync Marketplaces & Licensing Platforms, with a secondary code of MPACABAM, Creator Music/SFX Asset Libraries & Licensing Platforms. Its NAICS code is 51225 and its SIC code is 7822.