Cinematic · Festival-cleared · from €29.90 · Music you can own
Music for Indie Films
The cinematic, real-orchestra sound your film deserves — without a studio budget. Artyfile licenses original orchestral music recorded by real orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road, to indie and short filmmakers for €29.90 a track. One payment clears sync and master rights, worldwide and for life, so your film is covered from festival submission to streaming — and you can even own a share of the score and earn.
Curated by Paul Lorenz — composer, arranger & conductor · London Symphony Orchestra · Abbey Road Studios · Vienna State Opera
500M+ streams · Gold & Double Platinum · Instant download · Lifetime worldwide license
Clearance check · 30 seconds
Is your film’s music cleared for where it’s going?
Tell us where your film will screen and which licence you’re weighing up. We’ll show the rights that path actually requires — and confirm one Artyfile licence covers them.
What your distribution path requires
- A synchronization licence (music + picture)
- A master-use licence (the specific recording)
- Clean chain of title + clearance docs for E&O
- Worldwide rights, valid in perpetuity
- Monetization-safe — no blocks or strikes
One Artyfile licence covers it
- Sync rights cleared
- Master rights cleared
- Documented rights & human authorship for your E&O log
- Worldwide & lifetime — never expires
- Never blocked, muted or struck
Verdict
A “free” track can fail at the delivery stage
Free and Creative-Commons tracks rarely include master rights, often demand attribution that clashes with your film credits, and can still be claimed on YouTube — so they fall down at E&O review, exactly when a distribution deal is on the line.
Every Artyfile track clears sync + master together in one lifetime, worldwide licence from €29.90 — real orchestral recordings with documented rights, ready for festival, broadcast, VOD and theatrical. Or own a share of the score and earn.
The cinematic sound of a studio film — on an indie budget
A real orchestral score is what makes a low-budget film feel bigger than its budget — and it is usually the one thing an indie production cannot afford. Commissioning original music runs into the thousands; a single sync licence for a recognisable track is typically €500–€5,000. Artyfile gives you the same calibre of sound for €29.90 per track: original recordings performed by real orchestras — including the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios under composer Paul Lorenz — and produced to film-score standard. It is the depth and emotion that MIDI-only stock libraries and AI-generated music cannot fake, ready to license today. Preview every track free before you commit.
Cleared for the festival circuit — and everywhere your film travels next
An indie film has a long life: a year or more on the festival circuit, then — if it lands a deal — distribution, broadcast, VOD and streaming. At every one of those gates a distributor or streamer runs a chain-of-title and E&O (Errors & Omissions) review, and missing music rights are one of the most common reasons an indie deal stalls. Every Artyfile track clears both rights you need — a synchronization licence (music with your picture) and a master-use licence (that specific recording) — together, in one licence, managed directly by Artyfile, worldwide and in perpetuity. That gives you the clean chain of title and documentation festivals, sales agents and streamers ask for.
Why "free" and subscription tracks fail an indie film when it matters most
The cheapest options fail at exactly the wrong moment — delivery. "Free" and Creative-Commons tracks rarely include master rights, often demand attribution that collides with your credits, and can still be claimed on YouTube — so they fall down at E&O review. Subscription libraries are worse for a film's long timeline: some licences are only valid while you keep paying, so a film that sits in the festival circuit for a year can lose its coverage before it is ever distributed. Artyfile is a one-time buyout — yours forever, never revoked — built for the full festival-to-distribution lifecycle.
What it really costs to score an indie film
Artyfile Basic — €29.90 per track. One payment for a lifetime, worldwide synchronization and master-use licence, covering short film, documentary, indie and feature productions, festivals, broadcast, VOD and streaming. No subscription, no per-project quote, no renewals. You download a studio-grade 44.1 kHz WAV instantly. Compared with a €2,000+ commission or a €500–€5,000 sync licence per needle-drop, it is built for an indie budget. See full pricing & licences.
Every mood your story needs
Score your film from one hub: cinematic & epic, emotional & dramatic, action & tension, documentary, Celtic & folk and rock — or browse the full catalogue. Need something written to picture? We also offer a custom score.
Turn a production cost into an asset
Stock and subscription libraries only ever rent you music. With Artyfile Limited Edition (from €96.90) you own 1–10% of the master recording as a Music NFT — so if the score is streamed or licensed again, you earn a share of the royalties. For an indie filmmaker, that turns a line item into a long-term asset. Use the music safely, or own a piece of it.
How it's made
A real orchestra. At Abbey Road. For your video.
Every Artyfile orchestral score begins where the great film scores do — real players in a real room. The London Symphony Orchestra performs at Abbey Road Studios in London under composer Paul Lorenz, then the recording is finished with the professional studio craft used on modern film scores. That is the depth and humanity AI-generated music and MIDI-only libraries cannot fake — and, unlike AI tracks, every recording carries clear human authorship and fully documented rights you can license with confidence.
- London Symphony Orchestra
- Abbey Road Studios, London
- Conducted by Paul Lorenz
- 44.1 kHz studio WAV
The indie budget question
How do you score an indie film without a studio budget?
A cinematic score is what makes a low-budget film feel like more than its budget — and it is usually the line item indie filmmakers cannot afford. Here are the three usual routes, what they really cost, and the catch each one hides.
Commission a composer
Hire a composer + real players
- Typical cost
- Around €2,000–€3,000 just for a short film’s cues — and far more once you add live orchestral players and a studio.
- What you get
- A bespoke, original score written to your picture.
- The catch
- Out of reach for most indie budgets, and weeks of turnaround. A real orchestral session is normally a feature-studio expense, not an indie one.
Subscription library
Artlist / Epidemic Sound
- Typical cost
- Around €120–€300 per year — recurring, for as long as you keep paying.
- What you get
- A large catalogue and fast downloads, mostly MIDI and sample-library recordings.
- The catch
- Some licences are only valid while you subscribe. A film can sit on the festival circuit for a year — stop paying, and its coverage can lapse before it is ever distributed.
Per-track sync licence
License a known song
- Typical cost
- Typically €500–€5,000 per track, per use — and far more for a recognisable song.
- What you get
- A specific, recognisable recording for one defined use.
- The catch
- Priced per project and per territory; a new platform or a new cut can mean renegotiating the whole licence.
The Artyfile answer
A real orchestra — for the price of a coffee round
€29.90 per track · one-time · yours for life
Artyfile gives indie filmmakers the one thing the other routes cannot at this price: music recorded by real orchestras — including the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios — already produced to film-score standard and ready to license. One payment clears both the sync and master rights, worldwide and for life, so your film is covered from festival submission through to streaming.
- Real orchestral recordings, produced to film-score standard — not MIDI-only stock or AI
- Sync + master cleared together in one licence — festival, broadcast, VOD & streaming safe
- A one-time buyout, worldwide and for life — it never lapses, even after years on the circuit
- Instant 44.1 kHz studio WAV, free preview before you license
And here is what no library can offer an indie filmmaker: with Limited Edition (from €96.90) you can own 1–10% of the master recording and earn a share of its streaming and sync royalties — turning a production cost into a long-term asset.
Distribution-ready
Will this music survive festival, broadcast and distribution?
For a film, the music has to clear the hardest gate in the industry: a distributor or streamer’s chain-of-title and E&O review. Missing or partial music rights are one of the most common reasons a distribution deal stalls. Here’s what that gate demands — and what a single Artyfile licence already gives you.
What festivals, broadcasters & E&O insurers require
- A synchronization licence (the right to pair the music with your picture)
- A separate master-use licence (the right to that specific recording)
- Worldwide rights, valid in perpetuity — not just while a subscription runs
- Clean, documented chain of title for every cue in your film
- No third-party claim, block or takedown once the film is distributed
What one Artyfile licence gives you
- Sync + master cleared together, in one licence — managed directly by Artyfile
- Lifetime, worldwide use: theatrical, festival, broadcast, VOD and streaming
- Yours forever — a one-time buyout, never revoked if you stop paying
- Clear human authorship and fully documented rights for your clearance log
- No GEMA upcharge, no Content ID blocks or strikes
A “free”, Creative-Commons or subscription track can leave you uncovered at exactly this stage — no master rights, or attribution that conflicts with your credits. Some licences even lapse the moment you stop paying. Artyfile is a one-time buyout, built for a film’s full festival-to-distribution lifecycle.
Instant quote
Calculate your license cost
How many tracks?
Your one-time cost
€29.90
one-time · lifetime · worldwide
What this covers
- ✓Lifetime, worldwide commercial license for 1 track.
- ✓Cleared for monetized YouTube — Content-ID monetize policy means a routine claim, never a strike, block or takedown.
- ✓Use across YouTube.
- ✓Sync + master rights cleared together — no additional GEMA or collection-society fees.
Same flat price for every platform and commercial use — no per-use upcharge, no subscription.
What it costs to license music, by use case
| Use case | Artyfile | Typical elsewhere |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube video (monetized) | €29.90 / track · lifetime | Subscription €120–300 / year |
| Instagram, TikTok & CapCut | €29.90 / track · lifetime | Personal-use-only "free" libraries |
| Podcast | €29.90 / track · lifetime | €10–50 / track or subscription |
| Client / corporate video | €29.90 / track · lifetime | €50–500 / track |
| TV commercial / advertising | €29.90 / track · lifetime | €10,000–500,000 for known songs |
| Film / festival | €29.90 / track · lifetime | Per-project quote |
One flat price for every use and platform. Sync + master rights cleared together, worldwide and for life — no GEMA upcharge, no renewals.
Artyfile vs subscription libraries vs sync houses
| Artyfile | Artlist / Epidemic | Musicbed / Songtradr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | One-time €29.90 / track | €120–300 / year, recurring | Per-project quote |
| Keep rights if you stop paying | Yes — forever | No — revoked | Varies |
| Recording | Real LSO / Abbey Road | Mostly MIDI / library | Famous songs |
| Extra GEMA / society fees | None | Often unclear | Separate |
| YouTube | Monetize claim, never struck | Varies | Varies |
| Ownership option | Yes (Limited Edition) | No | No |
Why Artyfile
Real Orchestras, Not AI
Recorded with real orchestras — including the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road — and produced to film-score standard, never AI-generated stock.
Fully Cleared
Sync & master rights managed directly by Artyfile, for life & worldwide. No extra GEMA fees, no Content ID blocks.
Beyond Licensing
With Limited Edition you own a share of the master and earn streaming & sync royalties.
Instant Download
Studio-grade 44.1 kHz WAV, the moment you buy. No subscription.
Music for Indie Films: hand-picked & sync-ready
Violin Concerto No. 2: 1. Moderato Giocoso
London Symphony Orchestra
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find cinematic music for indie films and independent filmmakers?
At Artyfile. We license original orchestral music recorded by real orchestras — including the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road — to indie and short filmmakers from €29.90 per track, with a lifetime worldwide sync + master licence. Real recordings produced to film-score standard, not MIDI-only stock or AI.
How much does it cost to license music for an indie or short film?
Artyfile Basic is a one-time €29.90 per track for a lifetime, worldwide licence — no subscription, no per-project quote, no renewals. For context, commissioning an original score runs into the thousands and a single sync licence for a known track is typically €500–€5,000. Some premium tracks carry individual pricing shown on the track. You download a studio-grade 44.1 kHz WAV instantly.
Is the music cleared for festivals, distribution and streaming?
Yes. Every track carries both a synchronization and a master-use licence, cleared together, worldwide and in perpetuity — exactly the documented chain of title a festival, sales agent, streamer or E&O insurer asks for. Your film stays covered from festival submission through theatrical, broadcast, VOD and streaming, for life.
Is this a real orchestra or MIDI / AI music?
Real recordings. Artyfile’s orchestral catalogue is performed by real players — including the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios under composer Paul Lorenz — and produced to film-score standard, with clear human authorship and documented rights that MIDI-only libraries and AI tools cannot offer.
Can I use Artyfile music in a short film on YouTube or Vimeo?
Yes. The lifetime worldwide licence covers online platforms including YouTube and Vimeo as well as festivals, broadcast and streaming. Your video is never blocked, muted or struck — for the life of your film and channel.
Is Artyfile indie-film music royalty-free, and are there extra GEMA fees?
It goes beyond royalty-free: you pay once (from €29.90) for a lifetime, worldwide sync + master licence. Because Artyfile manages both rights directly, there are no additional GEMA or collection-society fees and no recurring costs. The catalogue is registered with GEMA for worldwide monitoring; licensing runs directly through Artyfile.
Can I own the music in my film or earn from it?
Yes — with Artyfile Limited Edition (from €96.90) you own 1–10% of the master recording as a Music NFT and earn a share of streaming and future sync royalties when the track is used again. For an indie filmmaker that turns a production cost into a long-term asset. License the music safely, or own a piece of it.