How beat licenses work, in plain words

A beat license is permission. You're not buying the beat, you're buying the right to make a song with it and put that song out under clear rules. The rules are what change between licenses.

Leases: Basic MP3 and Basic WAV

A lease lets you release your song with limits, like a cap on streams or music videos. It's the right pick for testing a record, a mixtape cut, or a first single. If the song takes off and passes the cap, you upgrade.

Unlimited

No caps on streams, videos or sales. This is what most artists pick for a proper release. The beat can still be licensed by other artists, so it isn't only yours.

Exclusive

Only you can license it from that day on, and it comes off the store. Pick this when the song is the focus single and you want it locked.

What stays the same

The producer keeps the copyright in the beat on every license, and the songwriting split for the beat is written into your license. Every license has a number anyone can verify, so distributors and YouTube can confirm it's real.