What does it take to start a billion-dollar company during a financial crisis? In this Bite-sized Screw It Just DO It episode, I sit down with Oscar Höglund, co-founder and CEO of Epidemic Sound, to hear how he turned a broken music licensing industry into a global platform used by millions of creators. Oscar shares how he and his co-founders launched Epidemic Sound in 2008 at the height of the recession, why they decided to rewrite the rules of music licensing, and how their vision to “soundtrack the internet” fuelled their growth. His story is a powerful lesson in resilience, timing, and taking risks when others hold back.

Key Takeaways:

Why starting in a recession can be an advantage for bold entrepreneurs.

How Epidemic Sound spotted a broken system and built a solution creators needed.

The importance of unrestricted music licensing for the creator economy.

Why conviction in your mission matters more than playing by old industry rules.

🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday - so makes sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way.

🔥 Want to take things further? Join me in person this October at the Festival of Entrepreneurs on the 8–9th October at the NEC in Birmingham. The Festival of Entrepreneurs is where 5-10,000 ambitious founders come together to learn from the people who've actually done it. I'm giving my listeners free 2-day passes.

Real entrepreneurs, real stories, real strategies – exactly like what you're hearing right now, but live and in person. Go to www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and grab your free pass before they're gone.

https://eventdata.uk/Visitor/FestivalOfEntrepreneurs2025.aspx?TrackingCode=ACHISNALL

👉 Follow the show. Turn up in October. Screw It Just DO It!

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Starting Epidemic Sound During the 2008 Crash with Oscar Höglund

Screw It Just DO It with Alex Chisnall