Sell music and sound effects to AI companies: 6 buyers, what they pay, on what terms

The list holds six data buyers for music and sound effects. None publishes a per-track or per-minute rate. Two publish payout figures. SourceAudio + Musical AI reports "$1.35M new ARR to rightsholders; 14M cleared tracks". ElevenLabs Voice Library reports "$22M+ paid out by May 2026" across its marketplace, which added music in Mar 2026. Storyblocks says "contact sales", and Pro Sound Effects keeps its price undisclosed.

Two editor's picks open the list. SourceAudio + Musical AI licenses non-exclusively and opt-in, pays a revenue share tied to attribution, and sets no minimum. Rightsify / GCX pays a flat fee or a revenue share, varies on exclusivity, trains its own Hydra models, and helped found the Dataset Providers Alliance. ElevenLabs Voice Library comes third: non-exclusive, paid on usage, no minimum.

Three of the six license non-exclusively. Rightsify / GCX varies, Storyblocks does not say, and Sureel is an attribution and opt-out layer for artists and labels. In the contract, check that you hold both the master and the composition, and clear every sample. Ask whether the buyer wants stems or finished mixes, and whether metadata ships with the files. Check whether the grant covers training only or also models that generate new tracks, and how attribution is measured where pay depends on it.