Artlist Music vs CriticalPast
Artlist Music
artlist.ioCriticalPast
criticalpast.comSide by side
| Figure | Artlist Music | CriticalPast |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $1.38/mo | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 4 | 5 |
| Spec score · Stock Video Websites | 8.6 (#7) | 8.9 (#4) |
| Founded | 2016 | 2007 |
| Product | Artlist provides royalty-free music with licensing for projects from social media to worldwide commercial use. | CriticalPast is a searchable online collection of historic footage and still images spanning the 20th century. |
| Security | Artlist states that it is GDPR compliant, ISO 27001 certified and SOC 2 Type II certified. | The privacy policy says passwords are hashed, database servers are not accessible from outside the corporate network, and payment and billing data are handled by PayPal Braintree rather than stored on or transmitted by corporate servers. |
| Support | Artlist directs users to contact support through the chat widget in the Help Center. | The FAQ lists staff availability for cancellation requests as 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. |
Plans
Artlist Music
- Music & SFX Social$14.99 a month
- Music Pro$16.58 a year
- Music & SFX Pro$24.92 a year
- Music & SFX Social$119.88 a year
CriticalPast
- Video screenerFree
- Still image — Personal use only$5, paid once
- Still image — Standard License$20, paid once
- Still image — Premium License$30, paid once
- Broadcast-ready video clip master$95, paid once
In their own words
Artlist Music
Artlist Music is a subscription service for royalty-free music licensed for synchronization in video projects, from social media work to worldwide commercial use. Its catalog has thousands of curated songs across genres, moods, and instruments, and Music plans include unlimited access to preview and download available stems. Similar Songs recommends tracks using musical and lyrical qualities; Artboards organizes project assets and uses AI to suggest catalog assets. The Adobe Premiere Pro Library extension supports browsing, previewing, downloading, and dragging assets into a timeline. Plans include Music & SFX Social at $14.99 a month, Music Pro at $16.58 a year, and Music & SFX Pro at $24.92 a year. The latter two are billed monthly at the listed rate billed annually. A free trial has no time limit and requires no payment details, but its previews are watermarked and AI generations are limited. The license does not cover standalone audio except in podcasts.
CriticalPast
CriticalPast is a web archive for searching and licensing historic video clips and still images about worldwide events, people, and B-roll from the 20th century. The site describes a collection of more than 59,000 clips and 7 million stills. Search tools include filters for decade, location, color, and sound, plus advanced operators; registered users can save and share selections in multiple lightboxes. Video is licensed by the clip. Broadcast-ready, unmarked HD masters are available in ProRes or XDCAM with multiple frame rates; the listed master plan is $95, while the stated price range is $95-$295 depending on duration and format. Full-resolution screeners are available at no charge to registered users, with timecode and the CriticalPast logo burned in. JPEG stills cost $5 for personal use, 20.00 USD for a Standard License, or 30.00 USD for a Premium License. The site says licensed material can be used worldwide, in perpetuity, across media, subject to the selected license terms. Orders are typically ready within one hour and remain available for two weeks.