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If you are an artist, you should know the difference between leasing beats and buying them exclusively. Here is a quick breakdown of what you need to know!
What does “Leasing Rights” mean?
When you are purchasing leasing rights of an instrumental, you do not own it but you are allowed to use it under individual usage rights. Every beat maker or music producer has individual license specifications. Here is a short example:
- Basic Lease – Mp3 file, distribution limit 0f 500, 1 commercial use ($19.95)
- Premium Lease – WAV file, distribution limit 0f 2500, 2 commercial uses ($29.95)
- Unlimited Lease – WAV file + trackout files, unlimited distributions, unlimitted commercial uses ($99.95)
Like you can see, the different usage rights vary in quality, the amount of distributions and commercial uses. Please keep in mind by leasing beats you do not own the instrumental!
What does “Exclusive Rights” mean?
By purchasing the exclusive rights of an instrumental, you will get ownership of the beat and for sure an unlimited use of it as well. If you are buying the beat from a serious music producer, he will hand out you the trackout WAV files in high quality and a contract. After selling an instrumental exclusively the producer is not allowed to sell or lease this instrumental anymore and has to take it down from sale.
What is the best version for you?
To lease beats is a great opportunity for upcoming artists to get high quality instrumentals and spend a very little amount of money. Especially if you do not plan to record and sell your tracks. If so, you should think about leasing beats with unlimited rights or choose the exclusive rights. If you are planing to record an album for commercial uses, you definitely should look out for them. So, it really depends on where are you standing right now as an artist.
Hopefully I could help you with this little article. If you still have any questions, please just let me know! – Kimbo from KimboBeatz.com
This was very helpful, thanks!
I am new to this …so if one leases a beat you are not allowed to sell, record or get radio play with the instrumental? Whereas if you own the rights completely you can do whatever you want?
Hi Shai, thanks for reaching out! First of all I am not a lawyer, but I’ll try to give you my best advice. Every music producer has his own rules. Most might be as confused as you 🙂 For example: If you lease one of my instrumentals as an “unlimited lease” you can easily make money by streaming your music online, sell records and play it on the radio. But I can still lease/sell the beat to somebody else, because I own the copyright.
Hope this helps!
So there is a instrumental that I’m trying to buy (own) from a producer as an exclusive but he is only selling it as a non exclusive , track out , or an unlimited lease so my question is if I was to buy it as an unlimited lease can the song be streamed or played on social media forever ? or if it were to take off because of its popularity could I still buy the rights to it from the producer if they choose to give up their ownership of the instrumental?
Hi Jammie, sorry for my delayed answer. 2 things in advance: I am not a lawyer and every producer has his own terms and conditions. But normally like the name “unlimited” says, the license should be for ever. After the producer sells the beat exclusively, he is not allowed to sell licenses to it but he will always be the author of the instrumental. Hope this helps buddy!