What is the difference between a lease and an exclusive?

A lease is shared, capped permission: the producer can license the same beat to many artists. Exclusive rights remove the beat from sale so no future licenses are issued, though earlier lease holders keep theirs.

Can I release a leased beat on Spotify?

Yes. Nearly every paid lease includes distribution rights up to a streaming cap. Track your streams and upgrade the license before you pass the cap.

What are trackouts or stems?

The individual audio files that make up the beat, delivered separately so your engineer can mix your song properly. Worth it for any serious release.

Do producers keep publishing on beats they sell?

Usually yes, around 50 percent on leases and often a negotiated share on exclusives. The producer wrote the composition, so they share in its songwriting royalties.

Liner note A2 · 8 min read · curious

How to Buy Beats Online: Leases, Exclusives and Licenses Explained

I have sold beats to artists on every continent, and the same questions arrive in my inbox every week. This is the guide I send back: how beat licensing really works, from the producer's side of the counter.

Published April 20, 2026 · Updated June 18, 2026 · by Shaz

When you buy a beat online you are almost never buying the beat itself. You are buying a license, which is a permission slip that says what you can do with the instrumental: how many streams, how many sales, which platforms, and whether other artists can use the same beat. Understanding those permissions is the difference between a smooth release and a takedown notice.

The license ladder, from cheapest to full ownership

Basic lease (MP3)

The entry ticket. You usually get a tagged or untagged MP3, permission for a limited number of streams and sales, and the producer keeps the right to sell the same beat to others. Perfect for demos, mixtapes and testing songs with your audience.

Premium lease (WAV)

Higher caps, an untagged WAV master, sometimes music video rights. The sound quality jump from MP3 to WAV matters once your song is going to real mixing and mastering.

Trackout or stems lease

You receive every individual track: drums, bass, melodies, all separated. Your engineer can now mix your vocals into the beat properly instead of sitting them on top of a stereo file. If you are serious about a release, this tier is worth every rupee, dollar or euro.

Unlimited lease

No caps on streams or sales, but still not exclusive. The producer can keep selling the beat. This tier exists because most artists want freedom from counting streams without paying exclusive prices.

Exclusive rights

The beat comes off the market. Nobody else can license it after you, though earlier lease holders keep their rights. Prices range from a few hundred to many thousands depending on the producer. You still usually share publishing, which surprises people, so read on.

The three things artists always miss

Streaming caps are real. A 100,000 stream cap sounds huge until your song works. Set a reminder to upgrade your license before you blow past it, upgrading late is always more awkward.
Earlier leases survive an exclusive sale. Buying exclusive rights stops future sales, it does not un-sell the past ones. If you need a beat nobody has ever touched, ask the producer for unreleased catalog. I keep a private folder exactly for this.
Publishing is separate from the license fee. On most stores the producer keeps 50 percent of publishing on leases. That only matters when your song earns performance royalties, but register your split correctly from day one.

Where to buy, and how to not get burned

Marketplaces like BeatStars and Airbit handle licensing contracts, payments and file delivery automatically, which protects both sides. Buying through DMs with no paperwork saves nobody money in the long run. Whichever store you use, download your license PDF the moment you pay and keep it with your session files forever. My own catalog lives on BeatStars, and every license I sell is readable before you pay.

How to choose the right beat in the first place

Licensing knowledge is useless if the beat is wrong. Listen for space: a great beat leaves room for a voice, it does not fight you for the spotlight. Check the BPM suits your natural flow. And record a rough take over the demo before buying anything above a basic lease, thirty minutes of testing saves months of regret.

A license is a relationship with a producer, not a receipt. The artists who read their licenses are the ones I end up making custom beats for.

Ready to put this into practice? My catalog and licensing options are on the music page, and if you want something built from scratch, the beats page walks you through commissioning a custom record.

Quick answers

What is the difference between a lease and an exclusive?: A lease is shared, capped permission: the producer can license the same beat to many artists. Exclusive rights remove the beat from sale so no future licenses are issued, though earlier lease holders keep theirs.
Can I release a leased beat on Spotify?: Yes. Nearly every paid lease includes distribution rights up to a streaming cap. Track your streams and upgrade the license before you pass the cap.
What are trackouts or stems?: The individual audio files that make up the beat, delivered separately so your engineer can mix your song properly. Worth it for any serious release.
Do producers keep publishing on beats they sell?: Usually yes, around 50 percent on leases and often a negotiated share on exclusives. The producer wrote the composition, so they share in its songwriting royalties.