One of the first questions every artist asks: should I lease a beat or buy it exclusive? Both are valid — it comes down to your budget and your plans for the song.
Non-exclusive (a lease)
With a non-exclusive license, you get permission to use the beat, but the producer can still license it to other artists.
- Lower cost — the best way to release music on a budget.
- Shared — other artists may release over the same instrumental.
- Defined limits — usually one song, sometimes a cap on streams or video use.
Leases are perfect when you are building momentum and releasing regularly.
Exclusive rights
An exclusive deal transfers the rights to the recording to you alone, and the beat is removed from the store so no one else can license it.
- Yours alone — no competing versions.
- Higher cost — you are paying for exclusivity.
- Bigger plans — the right call when a song is a priority single or has real commercial push behind it.
Note that even on an exclusive, the producer normally keeps a publishing share and a credit — that is standard across the industry.
Which should you choose?
- Testing ideas or dropping frequent tracks? Lease.
- Backing a single with a video and a marketing budget? Go exclusive.
Upgrading later
A good option: start with a lease, and if the song takes off, upgrade to exclusive later. At A-Lex Production you can request an upgrade from your account — so a lease today never locks you out of owning the beat tomorrow.