Three licenses.
Pick the one that fits where you're at.
Basic to try a beat on a release. Unlimited when the release is commercial. Exclusive when you want it pulled from the catalog.
Basic
Try it. Release it. Upgrade if it works.
- FilesMP3 (320 kbps)
- Streams10,000 total
- Music videos1 non-monetized music video
- CommercialNon-commercial only
- Term10 years
- Content IDProhibited
Unlimited
Commercial rights. Uncapped. The one most artists use.
- FilesMP3 + WAV
- StreamsUnlimited
- Music videosUnlimited
- CommercialFull commercial use
- Term10 years
- Content IDProhibited
Exclusive
Exclusive rights. Removed from the store. Only one exists.
- FilesMP3 + WAV
- StreamsUnlimited
- Music videosUnlimited
- CommercialFull commercial use
- TermPerpetual
- Content IDAllowed and encouraged
What each license actually lets you do
Click a tier to expand the full terms. These are the terms you accept when you download or purchase a beat.
What you get
- MP3 download (320 kbps)
- Limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license
- 10-year term
What you can do
- Release non-commercial recordings on any platform
- Up to 10,000 total audio streams across all platforms combined
- One music video (non-monetized)
- Social media promotion — unlimited
- Demo reels and mixtapes
What you can't do
- Register the beat or your new song with any Content ID system, distributor, aggregator, or label (DistroKid, TuneCore, CDBaby, Identifyy, etc.)
- Monetize the release through ads or paid placements
- Exceed 10,000 total streams without upgrading to Unlimited
- Resell, sublicense, or transfer the license
- Claim ownership of the instrumental
- Use the beat in commercial ads, sync placements, or TV/film without an Unlimited license
Credit
- Required on every release: "Produced by beatsunlmtd"
If your release takes off
- You must upgrade to Unlimited within 30 days of crossing the 10,000 stream cap. The upgrade is $9. Your release stays up; you just buy the Unlimited license for that beat.
Revocation
- beatsunlmtd can revoke a Basic license with 30 days written notice to the email you used at download. This rarely happens.
Warranty
- Provided as-is. No warranty regarding sample clearance or fitness for any particular purpose.
What you get
- MP3 (320 kbps) + WAV (24-bit, uncompressed)
- Non-exclusive, non-transferable license
- 10-year term
What you can do
- Release commercially on every platform — Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, SoundCloud, Tidal, TikTok, Bandcamp, everywhere
- Unlimited audio streams and downloads
- Unlimited music videos (monetized or not)
- Public performances — live, radio, and venue
- Profit from the recording — paid shows, merch bundling, splits
What you can't do
- Register the beat or your new song with any Content ID system, distributor, aggregator, or label — this is the most important rule. Content ID registration on a non-exclusive beat causes false claims against other licensees.
- Resell, sublicense, or transfer the license
- Claim ownership of the instrumental composition
- Use in sync placements for TV, film, or major ad campaigns without a separate sync license
Credit
- Required on every release: "Produced by beatsunlmtd"
Publishing
- 50/50 split. You register your 50% with your PRO (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC). beatsunlmtd registers the other 50% as writer and publisher.
Warranty
- Provided as-is. No warranty regarding sample clearance or fitness for any particular purpose.
What you get
- MP3 (320 kbps) + WAV (24-bit, uncompressed)
- Exclusive, non-transferable license
- Perpetual term — no expiration
- The beat is removed from the beatsunlmtd catalog permanently on purchase. No one can license it after you.
What you can do
- Everything in Unlimited, plus:
- Register the beat and your new song with Content ID, distributors, aggregators, and labels — this is allowed and encouraged for exclusive buyers
- Use in sync placements (TV, film, ads)
- Exclusivity against all future licensees
What you can't do
- Resell, sublicense, or transfer the exclusive license to another party without beatsunlmtd's written consent
- Claim copyright ownership of the underlying composition — copyright stays with the producer. You hold exclusive usage rights.
Previous licensees
- Artists who purchased Basic or Unlimited licenses before your exclusive purchase retain their rights under their original license terms. Their releases stay up. New non-exclusive sales stop immediately.
Credit
- Required on every release: "Produced by beatsunlmtd"
Publishing
- 50/50 split. Negotiable down to 25-35% producer on a case-by-case basis for major placements.
Warranty
- Limited warranty. beatsunlmtd warrants the beat does not contain uncleared samples. Indemnification available on request for commercial placements.
The Content ID rule, explained
Content ID is YouTube's (and other platforms') automated fingerprinting system. When someone registers a track with Content ID — usually through a distributor like DistroKid or TuneCore — the platform scans for that audio and claims any other upload containing it.
For beats sold non-exclusively, this breaks everything. If any single licensee registers the beat with Content ID, every other licensee's release gets automatically flagged and claimed. The producer's own uploads get claimed. It poisons the pool.
So the rule is simple:
- Basic and Unlimited licenses prohibit Content ID registration. Producer doesn't register. Licensees don't register. No one registers.
- Exclusive licenses allow it. Once you buy an exclusive, the beat is removed from the catalog — only your release exists — and Content ID registration is safe and encouraged.
Most distributors auto-enroll releases in Content ID by default. If you're on a Basic or Unlimited license, you must opt out of Content ID / YouTube Music monetization when you upload to your distributor. Every distributor has this option in the release settings.
If you get a false Content ID claim on your release, file a dispute immediately with your license certificate as evidence. A dispute template is included in your purchase confirmation email.
When to upgrade
Most artists don't know which of their releases will perform until they release them. The three tiers are designed around that reality.
- Start with Basic if you want to try a beat on a release before committing financially. Non-commercial, 10,000 stream cap.
- Upgrade to Unlimited ($9) the moment the release becomes commercial, crosses the stream cap, or gets distributed through a paid platform. Keep the same beat; your release stays live.
- Upgrade to Exclusive ($99 — $199) when a release blows up and you want exclusive rights — the beat gets pulled from the catalog, no one else can license it after you, and you can register with Content ID.
You're not locked in. You're allowed to upgrade any license at any time. The upgrade cost is the difference in tier price, not a new full purchase.
What happens if a license is violated
beatsunlmtd actively monitors releases that use our catalog through Content ID scans, distributor feeds, and manual searches. Violations are handled in this order:
- Notice — Written notice of the breach to the email on file, with a 5-7 day cure period.
- Cure option — You can often cure a breach by upgrading your license tier (e.g., Basic → Unlimited) within the cure period at no additional penalty.
- DMCA takedowns — If the breach isn't cured, beatsunlmtd files DMCA notices with every platform hosting the infringing release.
- Cease and desist — Formal letter from beatsunlmtd LLC.
- Legal action — Last resort. Statutory damages under U.S. copyright law run up to $150,000 per willful infringement.
None of this is anyone's first choice. The catalog is priced to make compliance easy. A $9 upgrade is cheaper than a takedown notice.
Ready to pull something from the archive.
Grab a beat. The licensing is the boring part. The release is the point.