This sounds like a simple question, right?
Well, free beat is a little more complicated than that. When you think of today’s top producers, you’re probably thinking of names like Timbaland, Metro Boomin, Etc.
But those are just a few of the names you’ll see listed in tomorrow’s top producer’s list.
Free beat is a fact of life for today’s artists, who must scour the web for free samples.
It's important to know the rules before you sell rap beats.
"Free beat" is a general term used to describe a sample of music that’s available for use without paying the original copyright holder.
Free rap beats can come in various forms, and they can be found in any genre of music.
Bonus: If you're a producer here's my secret to selling beats FAST! 👇
The option you're looking for may be royalty-free beats.
A royalty-free beat license is a legal agreement that permits you to use the instrumental in your song. Most of these licenses let you use music in commercial and non-commercial projects, so long as you credit the producer.
The best part?
These royalty-free hip-hop beats can be downloaded on your computer and turned into new music pretty quickly.
It'd advised that before uploading music made with royalty-free beats - you let the original composer know about the project.
The last thing producers want is for tracks to come out without their knowledge.
In many cases, you can monetize and sell songs off of the streams made with royalty-free rap beats.
You can find a library of royalty-free tracks, and from these, you have access to great sounds.
On Instagram stories, I see lots of music made with royalty-free hip-hop beats.
There is a clear difference between a free beat and a free for-profit beat.
A free beat cannot be sold on streaming platforms and must remain tagged - a free for-profit beat can be sold on platforms under specific terms.
These terms can vary by the beat and by the producer.
Regardless - you can expect a high-quality WAV format for either beat.
If it sounds good, then you should hop on.
Generally, though, I advise paying for a beat but if you’re down on your luck a free-for-profit beat can get you further in your music career.
Fun fact: one of the most iconic XXXTentacion songs ‘Vice City’ was made with a free beat!
Listen to the song below. 👇
(Listen on your mobile device for the optimal experience!)
The rules aren't binary, browse legal sites or consult a music lawyer in advance.
What is a beat tag?
You can identify a tagged beat because there are watermarks in the audio that plays throughout. Producers tag their beats to prevent piracy and encourage serious recording artists to purchase licenses.
The reason most free music beats maintain tag is pretty simple:
If you hate the tag but LOVE the beat… You’ll buy it haha.
Almost every download of a free beat offers an untagged version that can be used, and since free rap beats are for promotional use then it can sometimes be worth it.
Think about this:
If a musician is spending $300 to promote their song, they may as well put $19.99 for the untagged version.
You'll just sign yourself up for success!
More artists but untagged beats than you can imagine.
Due to the nature of the beat, you have to consider a few things before buying untagged beats.
3 key questions to ask yourself before buying a beat:
How much do you love the beat
Is this beat for promotional use on social media or YouTube?
Do you plan to write original lyrics on this beat?
Of course, if you answer yes to 2 of these then buying the untagged version may solve your worries.
The last one is the most important.
Once you’re hooked on the melody and keep thinking about it, chances are you may have a hit record on your hands.
At this stage you should hit up the producer and ask him permission - they may set up a beat lease structure for mutual benefits.
Why do producers offer free-for-profit beats?
Free for-profit beats are offered as an incentive for producers to engage in collaborations that are beneficial to the producer and artist.
Because free-for-profit beats are not paid to the producer, they do not qualify as a Beat for Profit.
You don't owe royalties back in these cases.
However, free-for-profit beats are an excellent way for producers to get started and build their reputation in the industry.
You’ll notice that almost all free hearts require you to input your email.
Now that you’re in the system the producer hopes to sell you more stuff in the future.
And guess what… This model WORKS really well!
The copyright law of the United States is a complex beast, and the question of whether or not it applies to music has been a hot topic for many years.
What's the rule for using free rap beats online?
The truth is that it’s still not entirely clear how and when copyright laws apply to music. There’s a grey area, and music copyright is hard to enforce on the independent level.
Even so, the issue of whether or not it’s okay to steal other people’s music and use it as your own is still a big one.
Even if you don’t want to deal with the legalities, you know that you will run into them sooner or later (especially when you owe royalties to another party.)
Some believe that they only apply to recordings that are sold and distributed for profit, while others believe all remixes should be compensated.
Others still believe that even in this digital age, remixing should be free reign.
Artists generally can't be sued over a beat because there are virtually thousands of beats on the market.
Even so, if you’re still considering stealing music, it might be time to think again.
Even if you don’t sell or distribute the recordings, it is still a big no-no to steal music.
Is using a beat without permission considered copyright infringement?
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized use of another person’s work—using and selling a beat without permission is considered copyright infringement.
It is a form of intellectual property theft.
This has HUGE implications when it comes to using free rap beats.
In these cases, it can be legal for you to record another person’s music as long as you have their permission.
It’s important to understand these exceptions, but what makes it illegal is when you do not have the right to record music in the first place.
It’s very important to read the beatmaker’s terms of service before using their music.
Sometimes, unexpected things may happen.
What if you use a free for-profit beat, then it goes viral?
The beatmaker is surely going to have an issue with that, and they would like some sort of fair compensation.
This is why the terms and conditions for each beat matter!
The terms of your agreement will determine how you handle disagreements over royalties. If it’s a free-for-profit beat arrangement, make sure to include caveats and exceptions.
It is also important that you have a signed contract before you begin producing the track.
Lots of hip-hop beats are taken haphazardly which can lead to issues.
Don't put stuff out on Google Play or iTunes without letting the beatmaker know in advance.
This ensures the protection of all parties involved.
Artists gain a lot of benefits from using a free for-profit beat!
Here’s a list:
5 benefits to using a free-for-profit beat:
Stepping stone to better collaborations and connects
Exposure to other producers and labels
Improve your reputation in the industry
Build your music catalog
Save your music budget for promotions
Of course, each benefit has a different value for different artists.
Usually, it’s the connection that matters most since producers are known for their network or the artists they work with.
Build some rapport and the next thing you know they may refer you to the next upcoming artist!
Now let’s look at this from the producer’s angle.
Free for Profit beats benefit everybody.
5 Benefits of free-for-profit Beats for Music Producers:
Potential synch licensing with songs that have your beat
The song might become a gold record
Build relationships with industry professionals
Can lead to future placements
Artist contact info to sell them beats in the future
One day the beat can go viral on Tiktok!
Imagine putting out free beats... And it gets a million views.
When that happens, so many deals will start flowing in, you won’t believe it, mate!
It is best to contact the copyright holders of the music that you want to use to make sure that you have their permission first.
Why was Bryson Tiller sued over a beat?
Bryson Tiller was sued by a music producer named G-Money, who claimed that Tiller had ripped off his "Shawty So Cold" beat, and changed the music so that it sounded like his own on Tiller’s “Exchange.”
In some cases though… You might be stealing without knowing!
This is what G-Money has to say. 👇
Melodies and compositions that sound similar can lead a producer to believe that you have stolen their works, even if you haven't.
This is the case of Bryson Tiller.
While the lawsuit claimed that Tiller had submitted a track and taken the beat without permission, it also claimed that he had changed the track so that it sounded like his own and that he had not changed the production credits.
This has huge implications!
On streaming services alone - Bryson Tiller sells songs like crazy.
Whether this actually happened or not is up to debate - but the risk of legal issues will persist so don’t discount it.
Should you get beats from YouTube?
A great place to find free instrumentals is by browsing other music-related channels on YouTube. If the beat is tagged “free” then you can use it with permission.
Youtube content is the freakin' best!
These beats channels will be popular with all kinds of types of beats, so you can find music from all kinds of different genres.
Find a YouTube channel that you like, and get all the hip-hop beats you'd like.
YouTube is a site professionally composed of beats.
This makes it really easy to find plenty of great instrumentals and free beats that you can use in your own songs.
One of the best ways to find free beats on YouTube is by browsing the music “type beat” category on YouTube.
You can find high-quality WAV format hip-hop beats easily!
That way, you can find tons of brand-new tracks from big and small channels alike!
You can also browse artists on SoundCloud, and see if they have any free beats that you can use.
That way, you can start networking while still finding tons of free instrumental beats that you can use to start making money.
Lots of royalty-free beats out there that you can use for your next project.
The best part: you can upload them to Google Play, iTunes, and other streaming services.
SoundCloud is a site professionally composed of the best beats.
If you want to find free instrumental beats, one of the best places to start is by networking with artists you already know.
SoundCloud has tons of unheard high-quality WAV format beats to use.
That way, you can find some of your favorite beatmakers on YouTube who are willing to share their music for free.
Finding a high-quality WAV format type beat can be hard...
But it doesn't have to be.
I created the ULTIMATE list of hip-hop beats based on top artists!
Tap below to link to the website for download 👇
10 Best Rap Type Beats (Free Download)
Juice WRLD Type Beat Free Download (top 10 beats)
NBA Youngboy Type Beat Free Download (Top 10 Beats)
Rod Wave Type Beat Free Download (Top 10 Beats)
Lil Peep Type Beat Free Download (Top 10 Beats)
Pop Smoke Type Beat Type Beat Free Download (Top 10 Beats)
Lil Durk Type Beat Type Beat Free Download (Top 10 Beats)
Lil Tjay Type Beat Download (Free Top 10 Beats)
21 Savage Type Beat Download (Free Top 10 Beats)
Metro Boomin Type Beat Download (Free Top 10 Beats)
Migos Type Beat Download (Free Top 10 Beats)
These are the best results found on the internet for type beat downloads!
You can use these hip-hop beats to make awesome music!
Just note: you can't sell songs with these beats on streaming services.
For that, you'll have to message the producer directly and
(Best to access through your computer rather than a mobile device)
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