Типы лицензий на биты: MP3, WAV, Trackout, Unlimited и Exclusive

Что такое лицензия на бит?

When you buy a beat on BeatStars, Airbit, or any other marketplace, you are not buying the beat itself — you are purchasing a license to use it. The license is a legal contract that grants you specific rights: what you can release, how many times, on which platforms, and for how long. The producer retains the underlying copyright unless the contract explicitly transfers it.

Beat licenses come in two families: non-exclusive (leases), where the producer can sell the same beat to unlimited artists simultaneously, and exclusive, where you become the last new buyer going forward. Within the lease family, there are typically four tiers — MP3, WAV, Trackout/Stems, and Unlimited — each granting broader usage rights and higher-quality files at a higher price point.^[1]

Все пять типов лицензий: обзор

The table below summarizes typical terms across the five standard license tiers. Caps vary by producer — treat these as industry norms, not universal rules. Always read the specific contract you are purchasing.^[2][1]

MP3 Lease — начальный уровень

The MP3 lease is the lowest-cost entry point into professional beat licensing. You receive a compressed MP3 file — adequate for streaming delivery but not ideal for a professional mix. Typical caps run to roughly 100,000 monetized audio streams and 100,000 monetized video plays, with one music video and a distribution ceiling of around 1,000 copies.^[2]

This tier fits artists testing whether a song connects with an audience before investing in higher rights. A mixtape upload, a SoundCloud track, or a low-budget single release all sit comfortably here — provided you respect the cap. If the song blows up past those limits, you will need to upgrade to a higher lease tier.

One important detail: most MP3 leases require you to credit the producer in the song title or metadata (e.g., "Song Name (prod. ProducerName)"). Failure to do so is a contract breach even if the fee was paid.^[3]

WAV Lease — стандартный релизный тариф

The WAV lease adds an uncompressed WAV file alongside the MP3, giving your mixing engineer full audio fidelity to work with. Streaming caps typically double or more relative to the MP3 tier — commonly landing in the 200,000–500,000 monetized stream range — and most producers allow two music videos instead of one.^[2]

This is the practical sweet spot for independent artists releasing singles on Spotify and Apple Music. You get professional-quality source files, meaningful distribution headroom, and a price that does not break an indie budget. If you plan to have your track professionally mixed and mastered, the WAV lease is the minimum you should purchase — the MP3 file will limit what your engineer can achieve.

Trackout / Stems Lease — для профессионального продакшена

A trackout (also called a stems lease) delivers the beat as individual separated tracks — kick, snare, 808, hi-hats, melody, bass, pads — rather than a single stereo mix. This matters enormously for mix quality: your engineer can balance, EQ, and compress each element independently, creating a far cleaner and more competitive final product.^[1]

Caps at this tier often reach 500,000 streams and sometimes go unlimited depending on the producer. Distribution copies typically extend to 5,000–20,000 units, and three music videos are commonly allowed. If you are pitching to radio, this tier frequently includes two or three station broadcasts.

Trackout leases represent the highest non-exclusive tier at which the producer still retains the right to sell the beat to other artists. If you plan a serious promotional campaign and want a truly polished master, this is the minimum to consider — but recognize the beat is still shared property.

Unlimited Lease — полная неэксклюзивная свобода

The unlimited lease removes every cap that the lower tiers impose: streams, distribution copies, music videos, and radio broadcasts are all unrestricted. You receive the same file package as a trackout lease (MP3 + WAV + stems). The key word, though, is still non-exclusive — the producer retains the right to sell the same beat to any other artist before or after your purchase.^[4]

Unlimited leases typically price between $200 and $600. They make sense when you expect a track to get real traction — label interest, significant playlist placement, or a campaign with serious budget behind it — but you do not need or cannot afford full exclusivity. Many established independent artists use this tier for album releases where exclusivity is commercially unnecessary.

Exclusive License — один покупатель, вперёд

An exclusive license means the producer will not sell or license the beat to any new buyers after your purchase. The beat is removed from the marketplace, you face no competing releases, and there are no stream or sales caps. This is the right choice when you are investing heavily in a single — shooting a high-budget video, running paid advertising, or pitching to a label that requires clear ownership documentation.

Critical misconception: exclusive does not mean you own the beat's copyright. In the vast majority of marketplace transactions, the producer retains the copyright of the instrumental composition and continues to collect writer's share performance royalties through their PRO (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC). You are purchasing exclusive usage rights, not intellectual property.^[3][5]

One exclusive contract type does transfer full copyright — sometimes called a work-for-hire buyout — but this is uncommon in standard marketplace transactions and commands a correspondingly higher price. If full ownership is your goal, have a music attorney review the contract and confirm it includes explicit copyright assignment language.

Exclusive pricing varies enormously: a newer independent producer may price exclusives at $300–$800, while an established producer with label placements commands $2,000–$10,000 or more.^[3] One additional practical benefit: an exclusive license lets you safely register your song in YouTube's Content ID system — something non-exclusive leases typically prohibit.^[3]

Prior Leases Survive an Exclusive Sale

If a producer sold 20 non-exclusive leases before you purchased the exclusive, all 20 artists retain the right to use the beat under their original terms. Exclusivity is forward-looking — it stops future sales, it does not retroactively erase existing ones. This is typically disclosed in the contract under a "Notice of Outstanding Clients" or similar clause.^[5] If having zero competition matters to you, ask the producer how many prior leases exist before buying.

Владение, авторское право и роялти

Music copyright law treats the composition (the underlying music) and the master recording (your specific recorded version) as two separate works. For lease holders, the producer owns the composition; you own the master recording of your song but only within the caps the license permits. For exclusive license holders, you typically own the master recording with no caps — but the producer retains the composition copyright unless the contract says otherwise.^[5]

Publishing splits are a related point of confusion. Because the producer authored the instrumental, they hold a share of the song's publishing. A common starting point in industry practice is a 50/50 writing split between artist and producer.^[5] However, individual contracts vary widely — read yours carefully. When you register a song for performance royalties, your PRO (ASCAP, BMI) will ask who co-wrote it; the producer must be listed.

Distributors like DistroKid and TuneCore do not automatically enforce license stream caps. Compliance is your responsibility.^[3] If your track exceeds its cap, you are in breach of contract — reach out to the producer proactively and upgrade to the next tier.

• Composition copyright Owned by the producer in virtually all marketplace transactions. Grants them writer's share performance royalties through their PRO.
• Master recording copyright Owned by you (the artist) for your specific recorded track. Exclusive license holders have broader exploitation rights than lease holders.
• Publishing royalties Split between you and the producer based on authorship. Commonly starts at 50/50 but is set in your contract.^[5]
• Performance royalties (master side) Most modern flat-fee beat leases are royalty-free on the master side — you keep 100% of your master streaming income, unless the contract specifies producer points.^[5]
• YouTube Content ID Non-exclusive lease holders typically cannot register their song in Content ID. Exclusive license holders can — this is one of the clearest practical advantages of going exclusive.^[3]

Какую лицензию стоит купить?

1. Assess your realistic reach
   Be honest about expected stream and sales volume. If this is a demo or a song aimed at a few thousand listeners, an MP3 lease is usually enough. If you are running a real release campaign with a playlist push or paid advertising, start at WAV or trackout to avoid scrambling for an upgrade mid-campaign.
2. Decide whether stems matter for your mix
   A professional mix engineer needs individual stems to do their best work. If you are mixing yourself with the stereo bounce, a WAV lease works. If you are paying for a proper mix session, budget for the trackout lease — the quality difference will be audible.
3. Check whether exclusivity is commercially necessary
   Exclusivity costs significantly more. Ask yourself: will investors, labels, or sync supervisors require it? Do you plan to invest heavily in a music video and need zero competition? If yes, go exclusive. If no, an unlimited lease offers the same practical freedom at a fraction of the price.
4. Ask the producer about prior lease count before buying exclusive
   If having no other artists on the same beat is important, ask before purchasing — prior leases are valid even after your exclusive takes effect.^[5]
5. Read the actual contract — always
   Marketplace templates are starting points, not uniform standards. Check: stream cap, duration (many leases expire after 1–3 years^[4]), publishing split, credit requirements, whether the contract includes a Notice of Outstanding Clients clause, and whether copyright is transferred or just usage rights.