In short
With a lease you buy the right to use the beat, but not exclusively: other artists can buy it too, and there are usually limits on streams or sales. With an exclusive, nobody new can buy the beat from then on. In both cases the copyright in the beat usually stays with the producer.
Lease tiers: MP3, WAV and trackout
| Licence | You get |
|---|---|
| MP3 lease | Beat as MP3 |
| WAV lease | Beat as WAV |
| Trackout lease | All tracks separately |
| Unlimited | Usually no stream limit |
Every producer sets their own limits on streams, sales and videos. Read the licence before you buy.
What does exclusive mean?
- Nobody can newly buy the beat.
- Existing leases usually keep running. So the beat may already be in other artists’ songs.
- Often with trackouts and without limits.
- The producer usually stays a co-author.
Why trackouts make the mix better
With the beat as one file, it can only be processed as a whole in the mix. With trackouts I can fit the 808 to your voice, make room in the mids and build the beat around your vocals. The result sounds much more like one cohesive song. Pricing is under Mixing & mastering.
Credits, splits and Content ID
- Credit: “prod. by …” is usually required, the format is in the licence.
- Splits: the producer is usually a co-author of the music. You enter the shares with AKM or GEMA.
- Content ID: if the producer registered the beat with YouTube, your video can be claimed. Clear this before release.
- Free beats: “free for non-profit” means you can’t make money with it. For a release you need a licence.
Checklist before buying
- Licence as a PDF with your name.
- Limits on streams, sales and videos.
- Rules for credits and splits.
- File without producer tag.
- Trackouts available?
This guide is not legal advice. The licence you receive when buying is always binding.