# How to sell beats online: licenses, stems and sound kits

URL: https://komerza.shop/sell/music-and-beats
Updated: 2026-10-31

> To sell beats online, list each beat as a product, add your license tiers (for example a basic lease, a premium lease and an exclusive) as options with their own prices, and include a written license with every sale. ShopFast delivers the files by private download link the moment payment confirms; sample packs and drum kits sell the same way.

Selling beats is selling permission as much as audio. An artist pays for the files and for the right to record over
them and release the song, so your store has to make both clear: what they download, and what they may do with it. This
page covers license tiers, the files artists expect, sample packs and kits, and selling your own music to fans.

## Beat licensing: lease vs exclusive

Beat sellers have settled on a few common tiers. None of them are rules: you set the limits, the credit and the splits.

| Tier | Files commonly included | What the artist commonly gets |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Basic lease | MP3 | Non-exclusive use, with limits you set on streams, sales or performances |
| Premium lease | WAV and MP3 | Non-exclusive use with higher limits |
| Trackout (stems) lease | WAV stems, WAV and MP3 | Non-exclusive use, plus the separate parts for mixing |
| Exclusive | WAV, stems and MP3 | Exclusive rights from the sale on; you stop selling the beat |

Most licenses also say how the artist credits you (for example "Prod. by" and your name), how publishing is split, and
whether music videos and paid performances are covered.

> This page isn't legal advice. Put your terms in a written license agreement included with every sale, and have a music
> lawyer review it, especially your exclusive license, which has to deal with leases sold before it, publishing and
> royalties.

## How to sell beats online with license tiers

On ShopFast, make one product per beat and add each tier as an **option** with its own price. Name options by what they
include ("Premium lease: WAV + MP3") so artists can compare at a glance, and repeat the terms of each tier in the
description. Put the license agreement in the download as a PDF, and use the product's **message**, which every buyer
receives, for the short version: how to credit you and where to send the finished song.

For exclusives, decide your process before the first one sells. Some producers sell the exclusive as a tier like any
other and take the beat off sale once it's bought; others prefer to talk with the artist first and send a signed
agreement. Either way, take the beat off sale the moment an exclusive is agreed, so nobody leases a beat that's no longer
available.

## Prepare files artists can use

- **WAV at the resolution you mixed at**, and a high-quality MP3 for basic leases.
- **Stems that line up:** every stem starts at the same point and has the same length, so they drop into any DAW in
  sync. Group small parts sensibly (drums, bass, melody, FX) rather than sending dozens of tiny files.
- **BPM and key in file names**, like `night-drive_140bpm_Fmin_premium.wav`.
- **A tagged preview** for listening, with your voice tag, so the free version can't be released without a license.

Share tagged previews where artists already listen and link each one to its product page. Zip each tier's files so an
artist downloads one file, not twenty.

## Sell sample packs, sound kits and drum kits

Kits are bought by other producers, so the folder structure is part of the product: `Drums/Kicks`, `Drums/Snares`,
`Loops` (with BPM and key in each name), `One-shots`, `MIDI`. Include a demo track built from the kit and a short readme.

The usage terms matter as much as the sounds. Say plainly whether the sounds are **royalty-free** for use in released
music, whether any loops need credit, and that buyers can't resell or share the samples as they are. When you add
sounds, send the new version to everyone who owns the kit from **Catalog → Updates**, by email, Discord DM and Telegram
([updates to owners](https://shopfa.st/docs/guides/updates-and-watermarks)). Several kits can also go together as a **bundle**,
delivered as all its parts.

## Sell music downloads to fans

Releasing your own music? Sell albums and singles as downloads with MP3 and lossless files (WAV or FLAC), the artwork,
and a PDF with liner notes or lyrics. **Pay what you want** lets fans who care pay more, and **tips** at checkout do the
same on fixed prices. For a fan club with monthly releases, early demos or a private Discord, sell a membership instead
([sell subscriptions online](/sell/memberships-and-subscriptions)).

## Delivery and proof of purchase

When a payment confirms, the order page shows a private download link made for that order. The same link is in the
receipt email and the buyer's library, which matters for beats: an artist may need to show their receipt and license
months later, when a distributor asks. You set how long links work and how many downloads each order gets; allow enough
for an artist to move files between studio computers. More in
[automatic delivery for digital products](/guides/instant-delivery).

A delivered beat can't be taken back, so make your refund policy clear before the sale
([refund policy for digital products](/guides/refund-policy), [buyer protection](https://shopfa.st/docs/selling/buyer-protection)).

## Get your beats in front of artists

Group beats into categories by genre and mood, put the BPM and key in each title, and turn on storefront search so an
artist looking for a dark beat at 140 BPM finds one fast ([storefront search](https://shopfa.st/docs/store/search)). Put your store link
in your bio and in the description of every preview
([sell digital products without a website](/guides/sell-without-a-website)). A Discord server for the artists who
buy from you is a good place to announce new drops ([how to sell on Discord](/guides/sell-on-discord)). For
release-week discounts and bundle pricing, see [how to price digital products](/guides/price-digital-products).

## Questions sellers ask

### What's the difference between a lease and an exclusive?

A lease is non-exclusive: you can sell the same beat to many artists, usually with limits on how the song may be used. An exclusive usually gives one buyer exclusive rights from then on, and the beat comes off sale. The exact terms are whatever your written license says.

### Do I need a lawyer to write a beat license?

This page isn't legal advice. A written license included with every sale is the minimum, and having a music lawyer review your license is worth it, especially for exclusives, which touch earlier leases, publishing and royalties.

### What should I include when I sell stems?

One WAV per instrument or group, all starting at the same point and the same length so they line up in any DAW, named with the beat, the part, the BPM and the key.

### Can I keep selling leases after an exclusive sells?

That depends on your license. A common approach is that the beat comes off sale once an exclusive is bought, while leases sold before stay valid, and the exclusive license says so. Whatever you choose, write it down before the first exclusive sells.

### Can I sell drum kits and sample packs on ShopFast?

Yes, as file products delivered by download link after payment. Say clearly whether the sounds are royalty-free for released music and that they can't be resold or shared as they are.

### How do artists get the files after paying?

The order page shows a private download link the moment the payment confirms. The same link is in the receipt email and the buyer's library, so the files and the receipt are easy to find when an artist needs proof of their license.


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