Licensing

Beat lease or exclusive: which one do you actually need?

Updated 7 October 2026 · 6 min read

Almost every first purchase stalls on the same question. A lease costs a fraction of an exclusive, and many artists do not need more than that — but nobody explains where the line sits. Here it is, without the sales pitch.

What a lease actually gives you

A lease is a licence to use the beat for a release. You record on it, you put the track out, you keep your royalties as the artist. What you do not get is exclusivity: the producer can license the same beat to someone else.

That matters less than people fear: two artists rarely make the same song out of the same instrumental. A lease is the honest option for a first single, a mixtape, or anything you are testing.

What an exclusive gives you

An exclusive removes the beat from the catalogue. Nobody else can license it after you — it stops being available the day you buy it. You own the master, there is no stream cap, and no credit obligation.

That is what you pay for: not better audio — the same WAV and stems as Premium. You pay for the fact that the beat leaves the catalogue, and that the producer gives up every future sale on it.

The honest way to choose

1. Is the track a test or a statement? A test takes a lease. A single you are going to push, that people will associate with you, takes an exclusive.
2. Will it be pushed with a budget? If money goes into promotion, the beat should not resurface under someone else's name six months later.
3. Are you near the stream ceiling? If your last release passed the cap, you already know the answer.

And a point worth checking anywhere: with us, if a leased track outgrows its licence, you move up by paying the difference. Your track never has to come down. Ask that question of anyone you buy from — the answer tells you a lot.

What it costs here

Basic 29 CHF, Premium 49 CHF, Exclusive from 199 to 799 CHF depending on the beat. Every licence ships with its signed contract — what you read is what you sign.

Questions we get asked

Can I release commercially with a leased beat?

Yes. A Basic licence covers one commercial release with a stream ceiling; Premium covers unlimited releases with a higher ceiling. Both come with a signed contract stating exactly what you may do.

What happens if my track passes the stream limit?

You move up to the next licence by paying the difference. Your track never has to be taken down — that is written into the contract, not a favour.

Does an exclusive give me better audio?

No. You get the same WAV and stems as with Premium. What you buy is exclusivity: the beat leaves the catalogue and nobody can license it after you.

Do I have to credit the producer?

On Basic and Premium, yes — “Prod. Ureshima”. On an Exclusive, no credit is required.

We sell both, so read this knowing that. The three questions above hold whoever you buy from — ask them of everyone, us included.