Copyright claims against creators are increasing, and it’s not a healthy sign for the creative industry. YouTube’s Content ID system automatically detected nearly a billion copyright infringement claims in the first half of 2023 alone, with only 0.4% of those claims being disputed.

This trend exposes a critical weakness in the creator economy: the systems designed to provide safe, legal music for content aren’t solving the problem they were built to address.

“The fact that copyright takedowns are actually on the rise suggested to us that our target market is still being underserved,” says Jack Whitis, CEO of WavMaker, the royalty-free music platform founded in 2023 that’s taking a different approach to creator audio solutions.

Jack identified this gap from a position of insider knowledge, having worked as an audio engineer who transitioned to software development. “I come from a long lineage of music nerds,” he explains, highlighting how his background provided insight into both the technical and artistic challenges creators face.

The tension facing content creators is twofold: They need music that precisely fits their specific content type and absolute certainty that using it won’t trigger copyright claims that threaten their business. 

WavMaker’s solution combines purpose-built music collections designed for specific content categories with direct ownership of all rights, creating a new model in a space where innovation had largely plateaued.

Reimagining the Music Catalog

Perhaps the most notable aspect of WavMaker’s business model is its rejection of the “quantity trumps quality” approach that is prevalent in the industry. 

While other platforms boast about massive libraries with hundreds of thousands or even millions of songs, WavMaker focuses on purpose and quality.

“I would argue that is not the greatest predictor of the likelihood of finding a good song for your production because there is a natural threshold to how many songs you can audition and how many songs you can listen to when trying to find the right song,” Jack states.

Instead, WavMaker has introduced an offering called “Cue Packs” – modular music collections composed specifically for popular video and podcast themes.

“Cue Packs ” is a novel offering in our space. They are modular music collections composed specifically for popular video and podcast themes, such as true crime,” Jack explains. 

Working with professional TV and film composers, they create miniaturized packages of themes and additional assets that can be used interchangeably to score an entire production.

“It was born from the observation that other royalty-free music sites have broad classifications and categories, but nothing hit on the nose about what music should sound like for a particular type of production,” Jack explains. “So, we’re working with professional TV and film composers to produce miniaturized packages of themes and additional assets that can be used interchangeably and seamlessly to score an entire production.”

This approach starkly contrasts the industry standard of generic categorization, offering creators a complete package of musical elements for their specific content type.

“You could have a long-form piece of content, something that’s 10-15 minutes, and you’ve got 10 main themes to work with that you can slice, dice, mix, and match. And we’ve also got additional assets common in video editing, like intros, outros, stingers, transitions,” Jack adds. 

These collections are continuously expanding, with WavMaker releasing “two or more every single month.”

Owning the Rights to Protect Creators

Rather than sublicensing music from other rights holders (a common industry practice), WavMaker owns the publishing rights and master recordings to its entire catalog.

“Many companies in our space do what’s called sublicensing where they’re renting songs from other rights holders to offer through their service,” Jack explains. “That can be problematic because there’s no guarantee that at some point that sublicensing agreement won’t end or there won’t be some other ownership dispute that results in either legitimate or illegitimate copyright claims on publishing platforms, especially UGC platforms like YouTube.”

WavMakers approach ensures protection for creators against copyright claims – tackling head-on one of the most grueling pain points in the creator economy. It has also built technology integrations with platforms like YouTube to programmatically clear claims.

“YouTube has a system called Content ID that some creators may be familiar with,” Jack explains. “We’re able to verify that subscribers to our service, or I should say verify that channels publishing content that use our music are by subscribers to our service, and so we can immediately release those claims or prevent those claims from being placed in the first place.”

Search That Actually Makes Sense

Another area where WavMaker is challenging industry conventions is in how creators find music. Traditional search categories often force creators to think like music theorists rather than visual storytellers.

“Like every other technology service out there, in the last year, we’ve started to leverage more AI-based technology to provide natural language search,” Jack explains. “It’s a really powerful way, an intuitive way, in my opinion, to search for music for sync.”

The key insight behind this approach is that creators think about music differently depending on their background.

“When somebody is searching for a song for a video, not everybody thinks about this the same way, depending upon their background. If they have a music background, they may be targeting a particular genre of music. They’re like, ‘I need a hardcore song for this action sports reel,’ or ‘I need some smooth jazz,’” Jack explains. “Whereas folks who don’t have a music background may say, ‘I’m looking for something that’s chill, upbeat, or optimistic.’”

WavMaker’s AI-powered natural language search allows both types of creators to find what they need by accommodating their natural way of thinking.

“This is where the AI shines – they want to describe the type of production they’re making,” Jack says. “Until the last couple of years, there was no facility for that. We had to shove people into these categories and make them think about music like a musicologist, not a video producer. And now they can describe what they’re looking for in their own words.”

Solving Problems at the Production Level

Every song in WavMaker’s catalog maintains consistent volume levels, eliminating the common problem of having to adjust levels when combining multiple tracks.

“All of our songs are going to be a similar volume. So you don’t worry about bringing in two different songs into your production and having volume mismatches that you have to deal with,” Jack explains. 

He notes that this attention to technical details comes from their team’s industry experience, including “credits working with major artists like Tyler Hubbard, or working on major television shows like ‘Survivor.’”

Their preview files match the exact specifications of the final files, ensuring seamless replacement when moving from test to production.

“You can download the full audio file, but it’s watermarked… But the great thing about it is that you can add the same volume and length to your edit. And when you decide to subscribe, you can swap those audio files out seamlessly and still have them work in your final edit,” Jack says.

WavMaker also provides stems (individual instrument tracks) for every song in its catalog, allowing creators to customize songs to perfectly fit their productions.

“We offer stems for all of our songs. Music production can be broken down into all the kinds of little requisite instruments or parts that go into a mix,” Jack says. 

He adds, “A song may have drums, acoustic guitar, bass, and piano. If you’re unsatisfied with how a song is mixed, have a particular need, or love one aspect, you can download the stems and only use that part. You could turn it into a drum and bass duet from an entire production.”

The Clarity of Perpetual Licensing

In an industry notorious for complex, time-limited licenses, WavMaker offers perpetual coverage for any content created during an active subscription.

“The thing that’s most confusing for people or that we get asked about most often is how long that coverage lasts. And the answer is it’s perpetual,” Jack explains. “Any content you create while you have an active subscription is covered forever.”

This diametrically opposes how popular music is typically licensed for video content, which Jack describes as a complex and expensive process “due to the accumulation of decades of copyright law and history in the music industry.”

WavMaker’s perpetual licensing approach eliminates uncertainty about future compliance. “If the video that you publish to YouTube today using one of our songs is still going to be covered in 10 years. Even if you’re not a subscriber and living off the grid somewhere, that coverage is forever,” Jack emphasizes.

Target Market: Everyone Creating Content

WavMaker’s ideal user spans a broad spectrum of the creator economy. “Strictly speaking, if you’re creating content that could be enhanced by a professional soundtrack, then WavMaker is for you,” Jack says.

Their most frequent users include “professional and aspiring filmmakers, content creators and influencers, podcasters, video editors, marketers, and advertisers” – essentially anyone who needs high-quality music to enhance their productions.

The company offers three service tiers designed around specific usage rights rather than feature limitations:

“The personal tier is aimed at folks publishing content on their own behalf. So that would be like a solo content creator or somebody who runs a small business,” Jack explains. “The commercial tier is for people producing client content or publishing digital ads.”

For larger organizations, the company offers an “Enterprise” plan with custom terms. “If you need multiple accounts or coverage for something a little less common, like video on demand or broadcast television or live events, you qualify for our enterprise plan,” Jack says.

Importantly, all subscribers have access to the same features, regardless of tier. “All of the features accessible on ‘Commercial’ are also accessible on ‘Personal,’” Jack emphasizes.

Removing More Barriers

As WavMaker looks to the future, its vision remains focused on eliminating barriers between creators and the perfect soundtrack for their content.

“One of our goals in 2025 is to make ourselves the most convenient and accessible music solution we can be,” Jack says. “That means meeting creatives where they work, whether inside popular creator tools or alongside other complementary services.”

This philosophy acknowledges that music licensing is just one part of a creator’s production process. “We are one of a myriad of tools video creators use to make their content. We’re just one part of their production process,” Jack acknowledges. “And so I don’t want to overestimate our headspace for these people. So we need to bring our product to them and make it as easy to integrate into their workflow as possible.”

Music’s Role in Digital Storytelling

While Jack doesn’t believe the fundamental role of music in storytelling will change dramatically, he does see an evolution coming in how music licensing works.

“I think the thing that is going to evolve is the removal of barriers currently preventing it from being maximally utilized,” he says. “At the very least, it should be clear how to legally use a song and the associated costs.”

He suggests that services like WavMaker place “positive pressure on the industry to simplify their practices around music licensing” by offering high-quality alternatives to traditional licensing models.

“The same people making pop records you know are blowing up on streaming services are also producing our music,” Jack notes. “As that delineation continues to erode, it places positive pressure on the industry.”

What excites Jack most is that despite technological changes, the value of purpose-created music remains strong. “Amidst all of the other changes happening in the music industry, in the creator economy, I have not seen the need or the value for new music – specifically intentionally composed music – diminish whatsoever.”

For those exploring music solutions, WavMaker represents a fresh perspective in a space where innovation has largely plateaued. 

“We have our ears to the ground for the pain points that creators are experiencing and are moving quickly to develop solutions to those problems,” Jack says. “We’re a new company; we’re a new catalog. And so we’re just getting started in terms of how we’re going to be evolving our service and our music catalog to meet their needs.”