Did you know that, on average, over 800,000 songs are made and released each calendar year? If you are an aspiring musician yourself, making it in the music business can seem like an impossible dream.
However, thanks to technology, turning your dream of being a full-time musician into a reality is easier than ever. After all, it wasn't possible to buy beats online 25 years ago, which means that you have access to tools that musicians in the past didn't have.
But what if you are not quite sure how to find beats to buy? And with so many licensing options to choose from, as well as file-type options, how do you make sure you are making the right purchase for you and your songs?
In this article, we will give you an in-depth guide to buying beats online. We'll tell you how to find a sound that fits you, where you can find beats that fit that sound, and what you need to know to make your songs legal to sell.
Using this complete beats song buyer guide, you can start making music professionally with song license rights ASAP!
How to Find Beats Online
We get it, finding beats to buy online can be tough. With so many options to choose from, and platforms to search, how are you supposed to know where the best beats are?
Well, there are a few tips and tricks that you can use to making finding beats online that much easier. First, we recommend that you use Spotify to get an idea of what is popular at the current moment.
Sure, you don't want to completely steal someone else's sound. But this will give you an idea of what is selling, as well as help you find a sound that you like, which is an important first step.
Once you figure out an artist that you like, hop on YouTube and type in that artist's name plus the phrase "type beat." Type beats are a great way you get started on your beat search. It will help you locate beats that sound like the beats that you want, as well as producers who make those kinds of beats, which is also important.
Your YouTube search will give you results featuring some of the top online beat producers who are currently making your desired sound. Following these producers on YouTube, as well as on other social media platforms, is a great way to get access to new beats almost daily.
A Few More Useful Beat-Finding Tips
When you are searching for beats online, there are a few more tips that you need to know if you want to make the process a bit easier for yourself. First, make sure that, above all else, you are in the right mood to hear new beats.
Being in the wrong headspace can make things unenjoyable, which of course will make being creative that much harder.
Also, make sure that you use both speakers and headphones to listen to new beats. That way you can see how they sound on both, allowing you to confirm whether or not you love a beat before you buy it.
If you can, try to write to a beat before you purchase it. After all, nobody likes to waste money. And if you buy every beat that you like on first listen, odds are you are going to be left with a ton of beats that you won't ever use.
Finally, when you find a beat that you love, check to see if the producer does mixing and mastering. They will usually have that information located somewhere on their website, so you shouldn't have to look too hard to get your answer.
The benefit of doing this? They are already familiar with your beat, as they made it, so they will be able to mix your vocals to it with ease. Plus, if you like how their beat sounds, they will most likely give you a mix of your final song that you enjoy, too.
How to Understand Licensing Rights
Speaking of buying beats, understanding licensing rights can be one of the most frustrating parts about buying beats for beginners. After all, there are so many "free" beats out there, as well as beats that are available for multiple prices.
How can you determine which option is right for you? Well, it is actually pretty simple.
Those "free" beats are in fact free, as long as you don't intend on selling your songs. Remember, streaming on sites like Spotify is selling your music, so keep your songs off of those platforms if you plan on going the free-beat route.
Non-exclusive beat rights are exactly that: non-exclusive. You will have the ability to legally sell your songs after purchasing a non-exclusive beat. But other people can buy that same beat, too, which isn't ideal if you want your music to be unique to you.
If you are looking to lock up a beat just for yourself, the exclusive route is the best way to go. You will have to pay a bit more to do so, but you owning your beat is very much worth it. You usually get access to all of the files for the beat, too, which can be helpful during the mixing and mastering process.
How to Understand File Types
So, you have found a few beats that you want to purchase online. The only problem? You are not sure which file type is the best option for you.
The good news is, file types can be broken down into three categories: good, better, and best. Once you understand the pros and cons of each file type, making a selection yourself is simple.
MP3s (Good)
If you are working on a tight budget, or you are just making songs for fun, there is nothing wrong with using MP3 files to make songs. The quality of these files isn't the best, but again, that isn't an issue if you're not trying to make music your career.
Unless you plan on making songs using beats from popular songs, perhaps for a mixtape, avoid using MP3s for commercial use. They are harder to work with during the mixing process, and they don't sound the best, which makes them worth avoiding for most scenarios.
WAVs (Better)
If you do plan on selling your music, but youare still working with a budget, WAV files are the way to go. They are much bigger and higher quality files than MP3s, which means you can get a professional sound by using them.
Our advice is to stick with WAV files unless you plan on making music your full-time gig. Stems are often double or triple the price of WAVs, making them not worth the costs for anyone who isn't a professional.
Stems (Best)
Want your music to be able to compete with the biggest songs in the world? You need to purchase the stem files for your beats so you can have the entire beat mixed by a professional.
Stems will give you access to every sound and every file that is in a particular beat. That way an audio engineer can take that beat, as well as your vocals, and mix them together so that everything sounds as good as it possibly can.
Tips for Networking With Producers
Once you start searching for beats online, it won't take long for you to find a few producers that you really like. It is best to go ahead and try to network with these producers so you can start making some useful connections.
Start off by liking and commenting on their YouTube videos. This will not only help them find more success with YouTube's algorithm, but it will let them see your name more often in their notifications.
To take things a step further, follow them on all of your favorite social media platforms so you can keep up with whatever it is they are doing. It is not a bad idea to reach out and introduce yourself, either, especially after you have purchased some beats from their online store.
How can you locate a producer's online store? That is usually pretty easy. That information is, more often than not, located in the video description of all of their YouTube videos.
For example, if you look up fresh new beats on YouTube, you will find a direct link to purchase the beat that you are currently listening to in the description. That means you won't even have to search for the beat you want on a site or store.
The direct link will take you right to the purchase screen, where you can buy your beat in just a few clicks. It's pretty simple, right?
Tips for Creating a Cohesive Sound
If you are looking to purchase beats, odds are you are doing so because you want to create an EP or LP. If that is the case for you, there are a few tips and tricks that you need to keep in mind to ensure that you create an album that sounds cohesive and professional.
First, we recommend that you stick to one or two producers at-most for your project. This is especially important if you are not purchasing stem files for your beats, as everyone mixes things differently. By only using one or two producers, you will make sure that your beats all sound the same mix and volume-wise.
If you are going the type beat route, try to stick to one or two type beats per project. Doing this will once again allow you to create an album that has a unique and consistent sound, which is important if you plan on trying to make money off of your project.
Finally, we recommend that you get the final versions of your songs mixed and mastered professionally. Doing this in-house is possible if you are an experienced audio engineer. But if you are not, and you want your songs to sound the best that they can, outsourcing this process is very much the way to go.
Common Beat-Buying Mistakes to Avoid
Worried you are going to make a beat-buying mistake along the way and hurt the quality of your music? Not sure what the common mistakes are and how you can avoid them? Don't worry, we have got you covered!
The first thing that you need to make sure that you do, above all else, is pay for your beats. Trying to steal a beat is a great way to end up in a copyright lawsuit, especially if you plan on monetizing your music in any way.
Also, keep in mind that, if you purchase beats with samples in them, you need to clear those samples before monetizing your music. With that being said, doing this is often easier said than done, even for the biggest artist in the world. That is why we recommend that avoid using beats that have samples in them completely.
If you think ripping a beat off of YouTube is a great idea, think again. Not only will this lead to you having a beat that is an MP3 file, but it will be a lower-quality MP3 file, too.
Your best bet is always to go to a producer's store and get a file directly from them. That way you can ensure that when you buy beats, even if it is an MP3 file, it is the highest-quality version of that file that you can get.
Still Not Sure How to Buy Beats Online?
Remember, if you want to buy beats online, you first need to find beats that are worth purchasing. By going with the type beat method, you can locate beats that sound like the ones that your favorite artists use.
Once you find some song beats that you like, make sure you purchase them so you can use the music legally. That way, should your song find success, you don't have to worry about being sued.
Looking for tips on how you can market and promote your music? Check back with our blog often for tons of useful advertising advice!
