Shutterstock introduces Music collection

NEW! Unlimited Music Subscriptions at Shutterstock - 2022The Shutterstock Music service now has a new and really convenient offer: the Unlimited Music subscriptions. These flat-rate plans give you access to the entirety of Shutterstock's stock music and sound effects libraries –with tens of thousands of tracks– with unlimited downloads, at very affordable prices. Plans start at just $16.60 per month! And even better, the Premium Unlimited plan adds a selection of exclusive, high-end music tracks from PremiumBeat, Shutterstock's premium music company.
Explore the Shutterstock Unlimited Music plans here, courtesy of Stock Photo Press.

New York-based Microstock agency Shutterstock, renowned in the stock imagery field, has just opened doors to their newest store: Shutterstock Music! Just like with Video, the new Music department is kept separate due to the difference in content and search but simple to use as the other products. It helps creative professionals and business owners complete different projects that involve music.

The following content has been updated to reflect the Shutterstock Music offer in 2022.

Shutterstock Music: Beats for your media

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New Homepage of Shutterstock Music

While originally launched focusing on stock photography –in the microstock segment–, Shutterstock is now a leading creative marketplace with a well-rounded offer in stock media.

The first step in that direction-though still within the visual imagery sphere- was introducing Shutterstock Video in 2006. Moving images are still a growing trend in electronic advertising, and many need the right music to transport a mood along with the pictures. Hence why in 2014, they rolled out the Shutterstock Music library with a focus on music tracks and sound effects to complement video or audio productions, and other creative projects.

This service lets you license royalty free music from professional musicians, that is perfectly suited for commercial and business usage: podcasts, video ads, product demos, short films, and much more. Be it to play on a digital platform or at trade show booths, anyone can benefit from this service to license music: marketing agencies and media organizations, start ups, small businesses, and independent professionals, among others.

Shutterstock Music: High quality licensed assets

The Shutterstock Music service has a curated library with tens of thousands of tracks ready to download and use. They cover popular genres and have incredible content sourced from talented artists in almost every style and mood imaginable, catering to a wide audience. It includes SFX files, too.

The tracks are ranging from short pieces suited for a 30-second commercial up to 10 minutes or more of a track for an online video or presentation. It is possible to download shortened versions of full-length tracks, as well as loops, and even stems –files with each individual instrument/sound element isolated–. They come in 16-bit WAV format and are compatible with several software solutions for video and audio editing.

The single pieces are categorized by Genre from Classics to Hip-Hop or by Mood or Tempo. Also, Shutterstock is offering a set of curated playlists containing a set of tracks to create content for specific purposes, such as corporate presentations or trailers. Whatever your creative vision is, in Shutterstock, you can find all the elements to bring it to life, all in one platform.

Music offer and pricing at Shutterstock

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Prices of the Music Offer – Save now!

Initially, the Shutterstock Music services kept the pricing simple and operated on-demand only, with only two price levels for Standard or Enhanced licenses – the latter including unlimited usage while the standard license is limited to one million people in broadcast use and one country in theatrical use. In both cases, these prices were for one single track download.

These on-demand prices are still available today: The standard license comes at $49 for tracks and $5 for SFX files. The Enhanced License costs $199 for music and $20 for SFX. Check out their pricing here.

However, later on, they introduced a music subscription option that allows you to save money and time in getting royalty free music and that is one of the best offers in the online music business: the unlimited music subscription.

The Shutterstock Unlimited Music subscription was launched as an annual plan, but in 2022 they updated the offer to include more options: a Premium tier that adds access to a selection of PremiumBeat tracks on top of the Shutterstock music library, and monthly and annual plans in both tiers. In all cases, your plan comes with the right to download unlimited tracks. The current pricing for music subscriptions is:

Essential (Shutterstock music and SFX)

  • Monthly: $29/mo
  • Annual billed monthly: $19/mo
  • Annual billed upfront: $199/yr

Premium (Shutterstock music and SFX + Selected PremiumBeat music)

  • Monthly: $69/mo
  • Annual billed monthly: $49/mo
  • Annual billed upfront: $499/yr

Shutterstock Music's Frequently Asked Questions

Is Shutterstock Music free?

No. Unless very few exceptions where they release freebie music tracks, it isn't. Shutterstock music is a paid service, and you have to pay to download and use tracks from the website.

How much is music on Shutterstock?

Depends on the buying method. Single tracks are $49, but with a subscription you can get unlimited tracks for just $29 per month.

Can I sell music on Shutterstock?

Yes, Shutterstock sells music from contributors and you can be one of them. You just have to sign up on the Shutterstock Contributor portal, see the requirements, and submit your work. If approved, you can sell your music on Shutterstock.

How does Shutterstock music work?

Shutterstock Music is a stock media licensing service. You pay for royalty free licenses to use music tracks in your commercial or creative projects, but you don't get ownership of the music, just a permission to use it legally.

Shutterstock's stock audio services are very competent and fairly priced and have options to help companies of all sizes produce great video and audio content easily. Plus, Shutterstock is one of the largest networks of stock media resources, they develop innovative tools and are providing knowledge for creatives in very accessible ways.

We recommend Shutterstock to license music, as well as images and video footage. We also highly encourage you to grab our special offers and discounts, check out our Shutterstock coupon code here!

Amos Struck
Amos Struck

Amos Struck, a renowned expert with over two decades in the stock photography industry, is known for his profound expertise in both stock imagery and artificial intelligence (AI). He is the founder of StockPhotoSecrets.com and a driving force behind the innovative AI-driven platform, Stockphotos.com. His pioneering work in visual AI is marked by co-founding Ximilar AI. Amos also established the Microstock Expo Conference, a key event in the stock photography sector. As a regular speaker at major industry conferences like DMLA and a prominent member of CEPIC, he consistently contributes to the industry's growth and evolution through a blend of technological innovation and market insight.

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