THE AUDIOLUMO JOURNAL
Practical comparisons for people who already own great sounds. Find the right library manager, understand the price, and get back to your edit.
START HERE · BUYING GUIDE
Compare AudioLumo, Soundly, Soundminer and BaseHead by price, sound libraries, metadata and editing workflow. Choose the features you will actually use.
Read the articleSame question. Different workflows. Here is where each tool makes sense.
AudioLumo or Soundly? Compare one-time pricing, Soundly Free and Pro, local files, cloud sounds and the workflow from search to your video edit.
Read the articleCompare AudioLumo with Soundminer V7 Basic, Plus and Pro. See current prices, metadata differences, licensing and the right choice for a local Mac library.
Read the articleAudioLumo and BaseHead both avoid mandatory app subscriptions. Compare perpetual pricing, metadata, DAW transfer, screenshots and personal Mac workflows.
Read the articleScroll the table horizontally on smaller screens.
| What matters | AudioLumo | Soundly | Soundminer | BaseHead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Listed price | €29 launch price · then €49 | US$19.99 / month · Pro monthly | V7 Basic US$199 · Plus US$399 · Pro US$899 | US$149–549 · new license options |
| Payment model | One-time purchase. No subscription. | Subscription; Free plan also available | Purchased license; platform and upgrade options cost extra | Perpetual; 12 months of updates/support included |
| Platform | macOS 14+ · Apple Silicon | Mac & Windows | Mac & Windows | Mac & Windows |
| Sounds included | Your own files; no sound pack included | Pro cloud library + your local sounds | Database tools for your own libraries | Your libraries + time-limited CloudPack access |
| Best fit | Personal local sound library on Mac | Cloud sounds, local files and team sharing | Professional metadata and sound design pipelines | Configurable DAW transfer and studio workflows |
| Metadata & workflow | Keywords, descriptions, custom fields; WAV range export | Metadata editing, natural-language search, DAW integrations | Edition-dependent: Basic search; Plus/Pro expand editing and DSP | Lite / Standard / Ultra; full editing from Standard |
Prices checked on 23 October 2026. Original currencies are shown without conversion. Soundly explicitly excludes VAT; taxes, region, license options and offers can change the other checkout totals. Check the linked vendor before buying.
One-time purchase. No subscription.
Launch offer for the first 100 purchases or until 30 November 2026, whichever comes first. €49 from 1 December 2026 at the latest.
Mac App Store release in preparation. No purchase is available yet; the final price is shown in your regional App Store.
Published by AudioLumo, one of the products compared. Competitor facts come from the linked manufacturer pages; recommendations reflect our focus on personal Mac sound libraries. This is a feature and pricing comparison, not a performance benchmark.
AUDIOLUMO / MAC
AudioLumo turns your folders into a searchable Mac sound library. Preview, organise, and export just the part your edit needs.
One-time purchase. No subscription.
Watch the complete walkthrough Discover the appMac App Store release in preparation. No purchase is available yet; the final price is shown in your regional App Store.
