Most first tracks are written on a purchased beat, and most release problems come from not reading the license. A lease caps streams and sales, an exclusive costs real money, and a "free for profit" beat can get your release pulled. Here is what the terms mean and which to choose.
Lease vs exclusive: the core difference
A lease is a rental: you get permission to use the beat under the producer’s terms while the beat stays theirs, and they can sell the same lease to dozens of other artists. An exclusive buys the right to be the only one: the producer takes the beat off sale and you get full usage rights for your song. Authorship of the beat still belongs to the producer, who is credited either way.
What a license usually includes
| Tier | What you get | Typical limits | Price range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic lease (MP3) | MP3 file, limited commercial use | 5,000–10,000 streams, one or two platforms | $20–50 |
| WAV lease | uncompressed WAV | 50,000–100,000 streams, all platforms | $40–100 |
| Trackout / stems | separate tracks for mixing | 100,000–500,000 streams | $80–200 |
| Unlimited lease | everything above with no stream cap | beat stays non-exclusive | $100–300 |
| Exclusive | beat removed from sale, full rights | earlier leases stay valid | $300 and up, often negotiated |
What to check in the license text
- Stream and sales caps: exceed them and you must upgrade or go exclusive.
- Platforms: some leases allow social media only and prohibit streaming services.
- Credit: almost always a mandatory "prod. by …" in the title or description.
- YouTube Content ID and monetisation: cheap leases forbid it, and the producer may claim revenue on your videos.
- Radio, TV, ads and sync — separate rights, rarely included in leases.
- Term: some leases run one or two years, after which the track technically has to come down.
Free beats and "free for profit"
A free beat for non-commercial use is a demo tool: you cannot release a track on it. "Free for profit" means a license with the producer’s conditions — usually a mandatory credit, a stream cap and no exclusivity. Save a screenshot of the terms and the license file: your distributor or a platform may ask for them, and without proof the release comes down on the first complaint.
Which one to choose
- First releases, audience growing: a WAV lease or trackout — quality and headroom on the caps for reasonable money.
- The track is taking off: upgrade to unlimited or exclusive before you cross the cap — doing it after is pricier and tenser.
- You are putting a promo budget behind the track: exclusive only, or the same beat shows up under another artist at your peak.
- Treat the beat as a line in the release budget — the rest is in how much it costs to release a song.
Frequently asked questions
Can I release a song on a leased beat to all platforms?
If the license allows streaming and you are under the cap — yes. Check the platform list and the stream threshold in the license text.
What happens if I exceed the stream cap?
Formally the license is breached: the producer can demand an upgrade fee or a takedown. In practice you buy the next tier — better to do it early.
Who is credited as the songwriter on a leased beat?
Music — the producer; lyrics and performance — you. That is how it goes into release metadata, and the producer gets a publishing share if the license says so.
Another artist released a song on my beat. Is that legal?
For a lease — yes, that is what a lease is. Only an exclusive guarantees you are the sole user, and even then leases sold before it remain valid.
Ready to release your track?
Single — $45, album — $135. We work with Zvonko Digital and deliver the release to Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, TikTok and 150+ platforms. Sent in 1–2 days after all materials are provided.