beat license
Beat Licenses Explained: Lease, Unlimited Rights, and Trackout Stems
July 19, 2026
Buying a beat is simple. Understanding what you’re actually buying — that’s where most artists get tripped up. Beat licenses come in several tiers, and the one you choose affects how you can release your music, how many streams you can monetize, and whether you need to share credit with the producer. Here’s everything you need to know before you checkout.
The Non-Exclusive Lease (The Standard)
A non-exclusive lease is the most common type of beat license. When you buy a lease, you get the right to release a song commercially using that instrumental — but the producer retains ownership of the beat and can sell it to other artists at the same time. That’s what “non-exclusive” means: multiple artists can lease the same beat simultaneously.
Most commercial leases come with limits:
Stream cap. Typically 100,000 streams across all platforms. Once you hit that number, you’re technically in breach of the license — though in practice, you can usually upgrade before that point.
Music video limit. Usually one monetized music video (YouTube, etc.).
Credit requirement. You must credit the producer in your song title or description, e.g., “Prod. TRKVLT.”
For most independent artists releasing on Spotify, Apple Music, or TikTok, a standard commercial lease is plenty. The 100,000-stream threshold is a milestone most debut singles never reach — and if you do, that’s a great problem to have. You can upgrade your license at that point.
Unlimited Rights (The Upgrade)
An Unlimited Rights license removes every cap from your commercial lease. No stream limit. No music video limit. No credit requirement. You can put the song on as many platforms as you want, run as many ads as you want, and never worry about hitting a ceiling.
This is the right move if:
— You have an established audience and expect high streams on release day.
— You’re pitching the song to a label, sync placement, or major distribution deal.
— You want to use the beat in a long-running campaign or multiple projects.
At TRKVLT, Unlimited Rights is available as an add-on at checkout — so you can decide at the time of purchase without having to come back later.
Exclusive Rights (The Full Transfer)
An exclusive license means the producer pulls the beat from sale entirely. You become the only artist who can use it, and it’s taken off the market. This is the most expensive tier and requires direct negotiation with the producer.
Exclusive rights make sense for established artists, labels, or situations where you need 100% control over the instrumental. For most independent artists, the cost isn’t justified — especially when Unlimited Rights gives you everything you need for a fraction of the price.
What Are Trackout Stems?
Trackout stems are individual audio files for every element of a beat: kick drum, snare, hi-hats, bass, synth layer 1, synth layer 2, and so on. Instead of getting one stereo mixdown of the beat, you get every component separately.
Why does that matter? Because with stems, your mixing engineer can treat each element of the production independently. They can pull down the bass if it clashes with your vocal, push up a melody that was buried in the mixdown, or completely re-EQ the drums to fit your vocal chain. If you’re recording professionally or releasing music with major-label-quality production, stems are non-negotiable.
At TRKVLT, Trackout Stems are available as a purchase add-on for every beat pack.
Which License Do You Need?
If you’re just starting out and releasing on streaming platforms: buy a standard commercial lease. It covers everything you need.
If you have an existing audience, a label deal in the works, or you know this song is going to move: add the Unlimited Rights upgrade at checkout. It’s a small cost relative to the freedom it gives you.
If you want full mixing control and professional post-production: add Trackout Stems. Your engineer will thank you.
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Atlanta Trap Beats, 808s, and What Makes a Beat Pack Worth Buying — What to listen for when evaluating trap production, from the 808 tuning to mix readiness.