Parties and the beat
The producer, the artist, the beat and the song it will be used in.
Beat license agreement
Beat license agreement template: lease or exclusive
Two templates for selling or buying a beat: a non-exclusive licence (lease) with caps, and an exclusive licence that takes the beat off the market. In English or Spanish, filled in with your numbers and signed online. Starting from a template uses no credits.
TONTRIA Law guides you and drafts your documents. For a lawsuit or a big negotiation, consult a lawyer.
What the template includes
Fee and delivery
What is paid, when, and the files the producer delivers.
Caps on the lease
Limits on streams, sales and monetised videos, and a term. If you reach a cap, you have 30 days to renew or upgrade to exclusive.
Exclusivity
In the exclusive licence the producer takes the beat off every store and stops selling it; leases already sold run until they expire.
Master and Content ID
With the exclusive licence the master is yours, you can register it in Content ID and license it for sync. With a lease you cannot, because others use the same beat.
Songwriting share and royalty
The producer’s share of the composition and, in the exclusive licence, their royalty on top of the fee.
Credits
How the producer is credited on platforms and in the release.
When to use it
- You are an artist buying a beat from a producer and want the terms in writing
- You are a producer selling leases and exclusives outside a store that writes its own licence
- An exclusive deal is being negotiated and the master, Content ID and sync need to be settled before the release
- A leased song is growing and you need to upgrade to exclusive before you reach a cap
Before you sign: what to check
- Which song the licence covers: a lease is for one song
- The caps on streams, sales and monetised videos, and what happens when you reach one
- Whether the producer can keep selling the beat, and until when the leases already sold run
- The producer’s share of the composition, written the same way on the split sheet
- Who may register the song in Content ID, so a claim does not land on your own video
- How the producer is credited and where
The seller’s side, with what leases and exclusives usually cover: how to sell beats online. Splitting the song itself: split sheet template.
Frequently asked questions
Is the beat license agreement template free?
Yes. On the Free plan you can use every template as often as you want; starting from one uses no credits. The Free plan includes 2 documents to sign online each month, and Pro has unlimited signatures. See the plans.
What is the difference between a beat lease and an exclusive licence?
With a lease the producer keeps selling the beat to other artists, and your use has caps and a term. With an exclusive licence the producer stops selling it, the master is yours, you can register it in Content ID and license it for sync, and the producer gets a royalty on top of the fee.
Can I register a song with a leased beat in Content ID?
No. YouTube only accepts material you hold exclusive rights to, and other artists use the same beat. To register it you need the exclusive licence.
The beat store already gave me a licence. Do I need this one?
Not if its licence covers what you need: read it before you pay and keep a copy with the song. If you agree something different with the producer, such as an upgrade or another cap, put it in writing. You can also upload their licence and the review marks the clauses to check (about 10 credits).
Other templates
Know what you are signing
Upload your next contract or start a split sheet today, and get your deals on paper.