Know the Unknown about the License Agreement of Beats
What exactly is a License Agreement?
When you buy a beat, you are acquiring material that the producer has copyrighted. With this purchase comes some leeway and rights granted by the producer over the rhythm. According to Adelante Music, this is referred to as a License Agreement.
Beat Licenses That Aren’t Exclusive (Leases)
Non-exclusive license beats provide specified user rights to the purchased beat for the purpose of recording lyrics and vocals on it. It should be noted that this does not imply that you have sole ownership of the beats. All copyright ownership remains with the producer. This simply means that the producer retains the freedom to license the beat to whomever they like until they find a buyer willing to purchase exclusive rights.
Copyright Concerns
So, if you buy a non-exclusive license and record your vocals on it, do you have any copyright rights? Both yes and no! All you’ve done in this scenario is generating derivative work. So, in essence, you have copyright over the lyrics but not over the beat you recorded because the music copyright remains with the producer.
Publication Rights
A non-exclusive license grants you 0% of the publishing rights.
Beat Licensing Exclusive
Having exclusive rights to a rhythm essentially means that you can master your song without regard for user rights. You can make money commercially and globally with this type of license. Your options for exploiting the master are virtually limitless. Furthermore, because you now control the unique rights to the music you generated using the beats; beat licensing is no longer an issue.
Copyright and Publishing Rights
The question of copyright sharing in exclusive license beats has been a hotly debated matter among producers. They differ in their definition of ‘exclusive’ rights. Most, however, negotiate a fair 50/50 split of publishing rights in order to maximize the song’s potential. The majority of the terms are negotiable between the performers and the producer.
What should you select: Exclusive vs. Non-Exclusive Significant Difference
The main distinction between the two is that non-exclusive licensing for a single beat can be sold to multiple artists, but exclusive licenses are only sold to one artist.
What suits you the best?
Exclusive licenses are your best bet if you want to get serious about the beats and have the ability to make it a smash. However, if you are a new artist working on your first mix tape or album, it does not make sense to spend all that money on exclusive rights. A non-exclusive license can sufficiently assist you in establishing a fan following and getting your music recognized.
If you want to buy a beat in the USA, connect with Adelante Music now.