You’ve just uploaded your hardest beat to BeatStars and now you’re staring at the licensing page. Basic lease for $30? Premium for $75? Exclusive rights for $800? The pricing feels random, and you’re not even sure what the difference means.
Here’s the thing—beat licensing isn’t just about slapping numbers on your tracks. It’s about understanding what rights you’re selling, how to price them strategically, and how to protect yourself legally. Get it wrong and you’ll either leave money on the table or end up in a messy dispute.
In this guide, I’ll break down beat leasing vs exclusive rights, when to use each model, how to price your licenses, and how to manage contracts without losing your mind. Whether you’re a producer building a beat store or an artist deciding what to buy, this is everything you need to know.
What is Beat Leasing? (Non-Exclusive Rights)
Beat leasing—also called non-exclusive licensing—means an artist pays you to use your beat while you retain full ownership. You can sell the same beat to multiple artists, and each one gets their own set of usage rights.
That said, leases come with restrictions. Most contracts include stream limits (like 100,000 Spotify plays), distribution caps (2,000 physical copies), or time limits (1-3 years). Once an artist hits those caps, they either need to upgrade their license or stop monetizing the track.
Here’s a real example: Artist A buys your basic lease for $30. Their song blows up and hits 150,000 streams on Spotify. They’ve exceeded the 100,000-stream cap in their contract. Technically, they owe you an upgrade fee—or they forfeit the royalties they earned past that limit.
Common lease pricing tiers look like this:
- Basic Lease: $20-$40 (10,000 streams, MP3 + WAV files)
- Premium Lease: $50-$100 (100,000 streams, includes tracked-out stems)
- Unlimited Lease: $100-$250 (no stream caps, all files included)
Leases are popular because they’re affordable for artists and create recurring revenue for producers. The downside? You’re managing multiple licenses for the same beat, and there’s always a risk someone buys exclusive rights—more on that in a minute.
What are Exclusive Rights?
Exclusive rights mean exactly what they sound like: one artist pays you a premium price, and they become the only person who can use that beat going forward. Once you sell exclusive rights, you pull the beat from your store and no one else can license it.
The buyer gets unlimited distribution and commercial use—no stream caps, no time limits, no territory restrictions. They also typically receive the full project files (stems, MIDI, session files) so they can customize the beat however they want.
Exclusive pricing varies wildly based on your reputation. A bedroom producer might charge $200-$500 for exclusives. An established producer with placements might charge $2,000-$10,000 or more. Some producers also negotiate producer royalties (called "points")—usually 1-10% of mechanical royalties from streaming and sales.
Here’s what changes when you sell exclusive rights:
- Beat is removed from all marketplaces
- Any existing leases become invalid (buyers need refunds or grandfathered terms)
- Artist owns the master recording (you still own the composition/publishing)
- You receive a one-time payment (unless you negotiated royalty points)
Exclusives are where you make real money as a producer, but they also mean that beat’s earning potential is done. No more recurring lease income. It’s a one-and-done transaction.
Beat Leasing vs Exclusive Rights: Side-by-Side Comparison
Let’s break this down clearly:
| Feature | Beat Leasing (Non-Exclusive) | Exclusive Rights |
|---|---|---|
| Ownership | Producer retains ownership | Artist owns master recording, producer owns composition |
| Price Range | $20-$250 | $200-$10,000+ |
| Distribution | Limited by contract (10k-500k streams) | Unlimited |
| Uniqueness | Multiple artists can use same beat | Only one artist can use it |
| Files Included | MP3, WAV, sometimes stems | Full stems, MIDI, project files |
| Duration | Often 1-3 years (or until exclusive sold) | Permanent |
| Best For | Early-career artists, mixtapes, testing songs | Established artists, singles, major releases |
The biggest risk with leases? Another artist could blow up on the same beat you’re using. Or worse—someone buys the exclusive rights and your lease becomes worthless.
When to Offer Beat Leases (Producer Perspective)
Beat leases are your bread and butter when you’re building recurring revenue. Instead of waiting months for one $500 exclusive sale, you’re making $30-$100 multiple times per month on the same beat.
Leases also attract budget-conscious artists who are still developing their sound. They’ll test your beats, and if they blow up, they’ll come back for an exclusive or upgraded license. It’s a built-in customer funnel.
That said, managing multiple leases on the same beat gets messy. You need to track who bought what, when their contracts expire, and whether anyone exceeded their stream limits. If you’re not organized, you’ll lose money.
The biggest risk is this: if someone buys exclusive rights, all existing leases technically terminate. Some producers grandfather in existing leases until they expire, but legally, the exclusive buyer owns the master. Handle this upfront in your contracts or you’ll deal with angry customers demanding refunds.
When to Offer Exclusive Rights
Exclusive rights are where you charge premium prices for your best work. If you’ve got a beat that you know is fire—or an artist specifically requests it—you can command $500, $2,000, even $10,000+ depending on your reputation.
Exclusive sales work best when:
- An established artist approaches you directly
- You’ve created a custom beat for a specific artist
- A beat has been sitting in your store for months with multiple lease sales (milk the leases first, then sell exclusive)
- You want to clear out older catalog to make room for new beats
The downside is obvious: once it’s sold, that beat stops generating income. No more leases, no more recurring revenue. That’s why your exclusive price needs to reflect the total potential earnings you’re giving up.
Here’s a simple pricing formula: If a beat has sold 5 leases at $50 each ($250 total), and you think it could sell 10 more over the next year, your exclusive should be at least $750-$1,000. Factor in your reputation, placement history, and market demand to adjust from there.
When to Buy a Lease (Artist Perspective)
If you’re an early-career artist building your catalog, leases are your best friend. You can grab a professional-quality beat for $30-$100, record your song, release it, and see how it performs—without dropping $1,000 on exclusive rights.
Leases make sense when:
- You’re testing songs before committing to a major release
- You’re working on a mixtape or SoundCloud series
- You don’t expect to exceed 100,000 streams in the near term
- You’re on a tight budget
The risks are real, though. Another artist could release a song on the same beat and blow up before you do. Or the producer sells exclusive rights to someone else, and your lease becomes invalid. You’ll need to pull your song down or negotiate with the new exclusive owner.
Here’s the thing you absolutely need to watch: distribution limits. If your lease caps you at 100,000 streams and you hit 150,000, you’re technically in breach of contract. The producer can demand their royalties or force you to take the song down. Always upgrade your license before you exceed the cap.
When to Buy Exclusive Rights (Artist Perspective)
You should buy exclusive rights when you know a song is going to be big. If you’re releasing a single, planning a music video, or pitching to labels, you want that beat to be yours alone.
Run the math: if you expect your song to hit 500,000+ streams, a $500 exclusive is cheaper than buying a $100 lease, hitting the cap, upgrading for another $150, hitting that cap, and upgrading again. At a certain point, exclusive rights are the smarter financial move.
Exclusive rights also give you creative control. You get the stems, so you can rearrange the beat, add elements, or bring it to your engineer for a custom mix. You’re not locked into the producer’s final bounce.
When negotiating exclusives, ask these questions:
- Do you retain producer royalties (points)? If so, what percentage?
- What files are included? (Stems, MIDI, project file?)
- Do I need to credit you on streaming platforms?
- What happens if I don’t release the song—can you resell the beat?
Some producers charge less for exclusives if they keep 2-5% mechanical royalties. That’s fair—they’re giving up future lease income, and a small royalty percentage keeps them invested in your success.
Understanding Beat License Contracts
This is where most producers and artists screw up: no written contract. Just a PayPal receipt and a "good luck bro" DM. That’s a disaster waiting to happen.
Every beat license—lease or exclusive—needs a written agreement that covers:
Essential Terms:
- Stream/download limits: How many plays on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube? How many paid downloads?
- Distribution formats: Digital only? Or can the artist press vinyl, CDs?
- Performance rights: Can they perform the song live? Play it on radio?
- Territory: Worldwide or specific regions?
- Mechanical royalties: Does the producer keep a percentage of streaming income?
- Producer credits: How must the artist credit you?
- Exclusivity clause: What happens if the beat is sold exclusively while the lease is active?
Red flags to watch for:
- Vague language like "reasonable use" (define everything numerically)
- No expiration date or renewal terms
- Producer keeps 50%+ mechanical royalties on a lease (industry standard is 0-10% for leases)
- No refund or dispute resolution terms
If you’re a producer, platforms like BeatStars, Airbit, and SendBeatsTo auto-generate contracts for you. If you’re selling independently, grab a template from HipHopMakers or Creators Legal and customize it. Don’t wing it.
If you’re an artist, read the damn contract before you buy. I know it’s boring legal jargon, but 5 minutes now saves you thousands in lost royalties later.
Pricing Strategies for Producers
Pricing your beats is part art, part market research. Charge too much and no one buys. Charge too little and you leave money on the table—or worse, you signal low quality.
Start by researching producers in your niche with similar sound quality and follower count. What are they charging for leases? For exclusives? Use that as your baseline.
Tier structure example:
- Basic Lease: $25 (10,000 streams, MP3 + WAV, no stems)
- Premium Lease: $75 (100,000 streams, includes stems, YouTube monetization)
- Unlimited Lease: $200 (unlimited streams, all files, radio/performance rights)
- Exclusive Rights: $500-$1,500 (all files, no competition, optional producer royalties)
As you gain traction—placements, growing YouTube channel, social proof—raise your prices. A placement on a Spotify editorial playlist or a collab with a known artist is worth at least a 20-30% price increase.
Common mistake: pricing your exclusives too low because you’re afraid no one will buy. Here’s the reality—if you’re selling 10 leases a month at $50 each, your exclusives should be at minimum $600-$800 to offset lost recurring revenue. Don’t undersell yourself.
Managing Your Beat Licenses and Contracts
Once you’ve sold 20, 50, 100 leases, keeping track becomes a nightmare. Which artist bought which beat? What are their stream limits? When does their contract expire?
You need an organization system. Here’s what works:
Spreadsheet tracking (minimum viable approach):
- Columns: Beat Name | Buyer Name | License Type | Purchase Date | Stream Limit | Expiration Date | Status
- Update monthly: check streaming platforms, note if anyone’s approaching limits
- Archive expired or upgraded licenses
Marketplace built-in tools:
- BeatStars: Licensing dashboard shows all sales, types, and terms automatically
- Airbit: Similar tracking with customer notifications when approaching limits
- These platforms handle contract generation, delivery, and tracking—huge time-saver
Dedicated storage/organization platforms:
- Google Drive: Generic file storage, decent for storing signed contracts, but no beat-specific features
- Notion: Great for creating databases and linking contracts to beats, but requires manual setup
- Feedtracks: If you need secure storage with blockchain-verified contracts and version tracking for different license agreements (basic vs premium vs exclusive), this works well. The activity log helps monitor who’s accessing files. That said, it’s audio storage/collaboration, not a marketplace—you’re still selling beats on BeatStars or your website, just storing the agreements and files here.
The key is monitoring usage. If an artist’s song is blowing up on Spotify, check their stream count against their contract cap. Reach out before they exceed the limit and offer an upgrade. Most artists don’t even realize they’re in breach—they’ll appreciate the heads-up and pay to upgrade rather than risk losing their song.
What to do when an exclusive is purchased:
- Pull the beat from all storefronts immediately
- Email all existing lease holders: "This beat has been sold exclusively. Your lease remains valid until [expiration date], but renewals are not available."
- Stop selling new leases
- If your contract says leases terminate upon exclusive sale, offer partial refunds or let them finish their current term (your choice—but honor what’s in your contract)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
For Producers:
No written contract. Relying on email screenshots, PayPal transactions, or DM agreements is asking for trouble. When an artist blows up and claims they "didn’t know" about the stream cap, you have no legal standing without a signed contract.
Not tracking licenses. You sold the same beat 15 times over two years—can you name every buyer and their license type? If not, you’re losing money. Spreadsheets or marketplace dashboards are non-negotiable.
Unclear exclusive terms. If you’re keeping producer royalties (points) on exclusive sales, spell it out in the contract. "2% of mechanical royalties from all streams and sales" is clear. "We’ll work something out later" is a lawsuit waiting to happen.
Continuing to sell after exclusive purchase. Once you sell exclusive rights, the beat is OFF THE MARKET. Remove it from BeatStars, YouTube, your website—everywhere. Selling it again after an exclusive sale is breach of contract.
For Artists:
Not reading distribution limits. You bought a $40 lease thinking you can blow up on Spotify, then you hit 200,000 streams and the producer demands $500 or threatens to pull your song down. Read the contract. Know your caps.
Assuming lease = ownership. A lease gives you usage rights, not ownership. The producer still owns the beat. They can sell it to others. They can sell it exclusively. You’re renting, not buying.
Exceeding terms without upgrading. If your contract says 100,000 streams and you’re at 150,000, you’re in breach. The producer can claim your royalties, force you to remove the song, or sue. Upgrade before you hit the cap, not after.
No proof of purchase. PayPal receipt deleted. Email lost. Producer’s website shut down. Now you can’t prove you legally licensed the beat. Save contracts, receipts, and any communication with the producer.
The Future of Beat Licensing in 2025
The beat market is oversaturated. There are more producers than ever, and prices are dropping because of competition. What used to sell for $1,000 exclusive now goes for $300. Basic leases that were $50 are now $20.
That said, technology is creating new opportunities. Blockchain-based contracts through platforms like Royal and Bluebox are making licensing more transparent. Smart contracts auto-split royalties, verify ownership, and eliminate disputes.
We’re also seeing streaming-based licensing models similar to Tracklib’s sample licensing—where producers earn royalties based on actual streams rather than upfront fees. This could become the norm for high-value collaborations.
NFT-based exclusive rights are another emerging trend. An artist buys an NFT that represents exclusive ownership of the beat, and the blockchain verifies authenticity. It’s early, but it’s happening.
One thing’s certain: producers who understand licensing, price strategically, and protect themselves with solid contracts will thrive. Those who don’t will get left behind.
Final Thoughts
Beat leasing vs exclusive rights isn’t complicated once you understand what you’re selling. Leases = affordable, limited, recurring revenue. Exclusives = premium, unlimited, one-time payment.
If you’re a producer, offer both. Use leases to generate steady income and build customer relationships. Use exclusives to capitalize on your best work and high-demand beats. Price strategically, track your licenses, and always use written contracts.
If you’re an artist, buy leases when you’re testing songs and building your catalog. Buy exclusives when you know a track is going to be big and you need unlimited distribution. Read every contract, know your limits, and upgrade before you exceed caps.
The producers making real money aren’t just making fire beats—they’re running their beat business like a business. That means organization, legal protection, and smart pricing. Whether you’re managing 10 licenses or 1,000, keeping your contracts and files organized isn’t optional. It’s the difference between getting paid and getting burned.