Understanding license types, contract terms, and protecting your intellectual property as a music producer.
Leases let you sell the same beat multiple times with usage limitations. Exclusives are one-time sales that transfer full rights. Most income comes from leases — selling 50 leases at $30 earns more than one exclusive at $500. However, exclusives signal premium value and attract serious artists.
Every beat sale needs a contract specifying: license type, usage rights, distribution limits, streaming caps, credit requirements, and duration. Without a contract, copyright disputes become messy. Both BeatStars and Airbit provide standard contract templates.
Register your beats with the U.S. Copyright Office ($65 per registration, or group registration for savings). Registration is not required for copyright protection but is required to sue for infringement and collect statutory damages. Register before publishing.