Epidemic Sound launches AI music tool 'Adapt' alongside expanded artist compensation model

• Adapt reshapes licensed, human-made music for any story while protecting and rewarding artists
• Epidemic Sound to boost artist bonus payouts by 43% in 2026

Stockholm, Sweden, September 17, 2025 — Epidemic Sound, the world’s leading soundtracking platform powering over 3 billion video views daily across TikTok and YouTube, today announced the launch of Adapt, a new AI-powered feature that will enable creators to easily edit, shape, and customize music for their content, unlocking a new world of possibilities for their creative storytelling. This launch signals the beginning of Epidemic Sound’s next era of soundtracking, which is focused on using AI to amplify creativity and empower creators while keeping musicians’ human artistry at the center.

"At Epidemic Sound, we strive to use technology to do right by both creators and artists, and AI is no different. With Adapt, we are giving creators a powerful new way to customize music, while ensuring artists are rewarded every time their tracks are used,” said Oscar Höglund, CEO of Epidemic Sound. “More freedom for creators, more visibility and income for artists, and stronger meaningful human connections—this is what a human-first approach to AI looks like, and it is the future of AI soundtracking. While many companies race to flood the market with AI-generated tracks, Epidemic Sound is charting a different path towards a future where human creativity is enhanced, not replaced, by AI.” 

Introducing Adapt: a new era of soundtracking
Built on Epidemic Sound’s own high-quality catalog and licensed music, Adapt allows creators to reshape tracks made by real artists to perfectly fit their stories. Whether extending a track to match a scene, stripping back instrumentation for an emotional moment, or aligning a song to an edit, Adapt gives creators more flexibility while ensuring every track remains safe to publish and continues rewarding the original artist. 

“Our vision is to make the art of soundtracking effortless. According to a recent survey of creators, 94% believe music is critical to successful content. It’s also a vital source of inspiration throughout the creative process, helping them express exactly what they want to say. At the same time, we know soundtracking can be challenging, demanding multiple skills and significant time to get right,” said Sam Hall, Chief Product Officer at Epidemic Sound. “Adapt is the first in a series of releases rolling out in the coming weeks, designed to give creators tools to use the music that inspires them, adapt it in real time, and align it seamlessly with their vision. With trust at the core, creators can be confident that the artists behind these tracks are recognized and compensated.”

Steve Wright, professional content creator (1.6M subscribers), filmmaker, and member of the Epidemic Sound Creator Council, added, “Adapt has completely changed how I approach music in my edits. Instead of wasting time cutting tracks to fit footage, I can now shape the music around my story, whether that’s dropping the intensity for dialogue or shifting the mood to match a scene. Importantly, the tracks still come from real artists, who are rewarded every time I use their work. As a filmmaker, that balance of creative freedom and fair compensation is huge. Tools like Adapt are proof that AI can support creativity without replacing it.”

Commitment to artists
Epidemic Sound has a strong track record of innovative remuneration models for artists, including pioneering a 50/50 royalty split and an annual Soundtrack Bonus that has grown in step with the company’s success. Now, the company is reinforcing its human-first approach and commitment to artists, boosting bonus payouts by 43% overall in 2026. This includes a new $1M remuneration pool to reward AI-related adaptation, and an increase in the annual Soundtrack Bonus from $3.7M to $4.2M.

“As our company grows, we believe that the artists behind the music should directly share in that success,” said Höglund. “While we deeply believe in the power of AI to enhance creativity, our commitment remains to music made by real artists and ensuring that the value of human creativity is recognized and rewarded.”

That commitment extends to the company’s new AI-powered tool, Adapt, developed in collaboration with select artists. Their direct involvement shaped its functionality to ensure it unlocks new opportunities for discovery and income, while safeguarding artistic freedom — including the ability to opt out of having their tracks adapted.

Epidemic Sound artist Ooyy underscored the value of this collaborative approach: “I’ve been working with Epidemic Sound for eight years now, and the company has always prioritized artist payments so we can earn from our work,” said Ooyy. “It’s harder than ever to make a living in music, so having that foundation gives me the freedom to focus on creating. I’m also really excited about Adapt, and it’s been great to have a voice in its development. I can see how it’ll help my music reach more people in new ways.”

With Adapt and its upcoming suite of AI-powered features, Epidemic Sound is building the future of soundtracking, where human creativity and technology work hand in hand. To learn more about Epidemic Sound and its suite of products, visit www.epidemicsound.com.