Epidemic Sound, the global sound tracking platform, has entered into a strategic partnership with Blackbird plc(Aim:BIRD) to integrate its catalog of music and sound effects directly into Blackbird’s browser-based collaborative video creation platform, elevate.io.
The move aims to streamline audio sourcing for professional creators and teams working in the cloud. The integration, announced today, will be delivered via Epidemic Sound’s API and is slated to go live before the end of Q1 2026.
Once implemented, elevate.io users will have instant in-platform access to Epidemic’s entire royalty-cleared library, allowing them to score videos without licensing concerns or workflow interruptions.
For elevate.io, a platform built on Blackbird’s patented cloud-native video technology, the partnership strengthens its appeal in the rapidly growing collaborative video editing sector, which analysts forecast will reach $4.5 billion by 2029.
Chief Product Officer at Epidemic Sound Sam Hall, emphasized the partnership’s alignment with the company’s mission to simplify soundtracking for creators worldwide.
This Partnership Is A Testament To Our Commitment To Make It As Easy As Possible For Global Content Creators To Find The Perfect Soundtrack For Their Projects, Publish Without Copyright Worries, And Enable Them To Focus On Creating
Sam Hall, Chief Product Officer at Epidemic Sound
The deal also represents a significant business-to-business validation for Epidemic’s API strategy, which seeks to embed its audio ecosystem within third-party creation tools.
For Blackbird, it marks a key enhancement to its elevate.io platform, which targets both professional production teams and the expanding creator economy.
Blackbird plc operates two core products: Blackbird®, a cloud-native video toolset used by broadcasters and media companies, and elevate.io, its newer collaborative editor aimed at agile content teams.
The company also licenses its underlying technology through a “Powered by Blackbird” model. Blackbird Executive Chair Ian McDonough stated that music “completes” creators’ stories and that the integration preserves users’ creative flow from edit to publish.
Partnering With Epidemic Sound To Provide An Integrated, Fluid Experience Not Only Enhances Elevate.io’s Value Proposition For Its Users, But Enables Them To Create, Iterate And Deliver Professional Videos While Never Breaking Their Creative Flow
Ian McDonough, Blackbird Executive Chair
Epidemic Sound boasts a catalog heard more than 3 billion times per day and is built on a 100% owned-IP model, ensuring worry-free licensing.
The company shares revenue with artists through a 50/50 royalty split, alongside upfront payments and bonuses.
The partnership arrives as demand for cloud-based, collaborative creative tools accelerates, particularly among remote teams and digital-native creators.
Integrating professional-grade audio directly into the editing environment addresses a persistent pain point in video production workflows.
For creators, the integration promises a seamless experience: searching, previewing, and adding cleared music and sound effects without leaving the elevate.io interface or worrying about copyright strikes on published content.
The collaboration between Epidemic Sound and Blackbird reflects a broader trend of consolidation within the creator tech stack, as platforms seek to offer more integrated, end-to-end solutions that reduce friction and support professional output in competitive digital markets.
