Epidemic Sound has published a new report that underlines the crucial role of music for content creators.
The Future of the Creator Economy Report 2025 captures insights from 3,000 professional online influencers across the US and UK.
While companies such as Lickd and MAIA Universe sign agreements with labels, publishers and other rights-holders to license music for commercial use, Epidemic Sound doesn’t work with existing copyrights.
The Swedish company pays one-off fees to musicians and artists ($1,775–$8,000 per track) who are unaffiliated with collection societies. It also pays bonuses based on popularity of tracks in its library and shares royalties 50-50 with artists for any streaming income.
According to the Epidemic Sound report, which is now in its third year, nearly all content creators (98%) use music in their content, and 97% adapt their music strategy to match their creative goals.
Furthermore, 94% say music contributes to their content’s success, particularly in strengthening brand relationships (61%), driving audience engagement (47%) and boosting discoverability (41%).
Music is also a top emotional driver: 27% prioritise emotional tone when selecting tracks.
Creators are also adapting their music strategies to different formats. In short-form content, 27% say a strong hook is essential, while long-form demands consistency and flow (27%). Across both formats, emotionally rich music remains a constant priority (22% for short-form and 21% for long form).
According to Epidemic Sound, 93% of all creators feel either very or somewhat confident about music licensing. However, it’s not clear from the report if they are using music beyond the production music library subscription service offered by Epidemic Sound.
Our latest report shows just how crucial music is in this landscape as a driving force behind engagement, discovery, and emotional connection
Oscar Höglund
When it comes to plans to expand to new platforms, YouTube tops the list (45%) for content creators, with Instagram (41%) and TikTok (41%) close behind.
However, 94% of creators are preparing for platform disruption and 29% view platform diversification as a hedge against volatility. Among US creators, 44% still plan to grow on TikTok, even amid uncertainty around its future
US creators are also looking at new platforms like Lemon8 (12%) and RedNote (8%).
The report also covers the use of AI with 91% of influencers employing these tools in their content creation process, up seven percentage points from the prior year. Among the users of artificial intelligence tools, 43% use AI for music discovery or adaptation.
Oscar Höglund, CEO and co-founder of Epidemic Sound, said: “The creator economy has come of age. Today’s creators are more ambitious, strategic, and empowered than ever before, leveraging everything from direct-to-fan monetisation to AI-powered production tools to build sustainable, audience-first businesses. Our latest report shows just how crucial music is in this landscape as a driving force behind engagement, discovery, and emotional connection. At Epidemic Sound, we’re proud to help creators soundtrack their success and navigate this evolving ecosystem with clarity, creativity and control.”
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