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Social, Creator, Premium: how to pick the right beat license without overpaying

July 4, 2026

A plain-English breakdown of what each license actually lets you do — so you buy what fits your release, not what looks impressive.

Most artists overpay for a license they don't need, or underpay and get stuck when a song starts moving. The three tiers on this site — Social, Creator, and Premium — map to three very different stages of an artist's career. Here's how to figure out which one you're actually in.

The three tiers, at a glance

Each tier is designed for a specific use case. Buying up or down without knowing which one fits is where most artists lose money.

Social License — $19.99

This is for content, not releases. If you're making TikToks, reels, YouTube shorts, a demo for a placement pitch, or a live set at a non-profit event, the Social license covers you. What it doesn't do: put your song on Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube as an official audio upload, and it doesn't clear music videos.

Pick this if the beat is a tool for content, not the foundation of a release you plan to monetize.

Creator License — $39.99

This is the working artist tier. You get MP3 delivery, the right to release the song on streaming platforms, distribution up to 50,000 units, for-profit live performance rights, and unlimited radio play. It's the sweet spot for independent artists dropping singles and EPs on DistroKid, TuneCore, or CD Baby who don't need stems for a full mix rework.

Pick this if you're actively releasing music and want a clean, exclusive-feeling track without paying for the top tier.

Premium License — $69.99

This is the "no ceiling" tier: unlimited distribution, unlimited streams, unlimited music videos, for-profit performances, radio, and — the big one — stems. Stems let your engineer remix, re-tune, and master the beat properly instead of working around a stereo mixdown.

Pick this if the song is a lead single, if you're shooting a real music video, if a sync opportunity is on the table, or if your mix engineer has ever asked you for "the parts."

The one-question test

Ask yourself: if this song blows up in six months, will my current license still cover it? If the honest answer is no, buy the next tier up. It's always cheaper than re-licensing a hit after the fact.

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