WAV Lease vs Unlimited Lease vs Exclusive Rights Explained - Guide

Whether you're a new artist recording your first project or an established artist building your catalog, choosing the right beat license is one of the most important decisions you’ll make.
Licenses affect your streams, revenue, ownership, distribution rights, Content ID, live shows, and long-term opportunities.

This guide explains everything clearly and simply — based fully on how my licenses are structured:

WAV Lease License
Unlimited Lease License
Exclusive License Agreement

Let’s break down exactly what each license gives you, how they differ, and which one is best for your career stage.

1. WAV Lease License (Entry-Level, Budget-Friendly, Low Commitment)

A WAV Lease is the perfect starting point for most artists.
It gives you clean commercial rights, high-quality audio, and no royalty splits — at an affordable price.

What You Get

High-quality WAV file
Permission to release a song commercially
Monetization allowed
1 music video allowed
You keep 100% of Publishing + Master Royalties
You can always upgrade later

WAV Lease Usage Limits

Online Audio Streams: 100,000
Music Video Streams: 100,000
Distribution Copies: 5,000
Music Videos: 1
Live Performances: allowed for small shows, clubs, small events
Major commercial events: require an upgrade

Who Is WAV Lease For?

New artists
Artists dropping warm-up singles
Demo releases
Low-risk / low-budget projects
Songs you don’t expect to blow up yet

This is the “start small and keep it simple” license.

2. Unlimited Lease License (For Serious Artists Ready to Grow)

Unlimited Lease is the most popular choice among rising artists who expect their music to gain traction.

It removes all limits and gives you a professional license without needing exclusivity.

What You Get

WAV file + Full Stems / Trackouts
Unlimited commercial rights
Unlimited streams
Unlimited video content
Unlimited distribution
Unlimited live performance rights
Publishing Split: 25% Producer / 75% Artist
Master Royalties: 5% Producer / 95% Artist

Why these splits?

This keeps Unlimited affordable while still ensuring the producer is compensated fairly when the song performs extremely well.

You still keep the majority of revenue, and you don’t owe anything upfront except the license price.

Important Rule (Upgrade Trigger)

Content ID is NOT allowed with Unlimited.

Only Exclusive License holders can use Content ID.

This rule:

prevents conflicts between multiple artists
protects major releases
keeps monetization clean and organized

If you want worldwide monetization through Content ID → Exclusive License is required.

Who Is Unlimited Lease For?

Serious artists building a catalog
Artists expecting large streaming numbers
Artists who want stems for professional mixing
Artists who want total freedom without stream limits
Artists preparing a marketing push or release campaign

Unlimited Lease = the best value for 90% of artists.

3. Exclusive License (Full Control, Long-Term Ownership, Maximum Freedom)

Exclusive License is the top-tier option.
You get the highest level of rights and the beat becomes exclusively yours.

After purchase:

The beat is removed from the store
No one else can buy or use it
You unlock full monetization rights

What You Get

Full WAV + Stems
Exclusive rights (beat no longer sold)
Unlimited commercial usage
Unlimited streams
Unlimited music videos
Unlimited copies
Unlimited live performances
Content ID ALLOWED
Publishing Split: 25% Producer / 75% Artist
Master Royalties: 5% Producer / 95% Artist

Ownership Clarification

Producer keeps copyright (this is standard)
Artist gets exclusive usage rights forever
Publishing and Master splits remain as agreed

This is the cleanest, industry-standard way to structure exclusivity.

Who Is Exclusive License For?

Artists with strong momentum
Labels or management-backed artists
Songs that are going viral
Songs planned for Content ID monetization
Artists wanting to build long-term revenue
Anyone who wants to own their song’s foundation

Exclusive = you lock in the beat permanently.

4. Full Comparison Table (Quick Overview)

5. Practical Examples (Realistic Scenarios)

Scenario A — New Artist

You’re dropping your first few songs.
You don’t expect huge numbers yet.

→ WAV Lease is perfect.

Scenario B — You’re growing fast

Your songs get 50k–500k streams.
You’re doing shows.
You want stems.

→ Unlimited Lease is your best option.

Scenario C — You believe the track is a HIT

You want to monetize Content ID.
You want to protect the song long-term.
You want full control and exclusivity.

→ Go straight to Exclusive License.

6. Biggest Mistakes Artists Make When Buying Beats

❌ 1. Choosing a low license for a big release

Artists often buy a WAV Lease and then blow past 100k streams — causing legal issues and forced upgrades.

❌ 2. Using Content ID without the proper license

This can get your video taken down, demonetized, or blocked.

Only Exclusive allows it.

❌ 3. Not reading the license limits

Limits matter.
Streaming platforms verify ownership automatically.

❌ 4. Thinking “lease” means non-commercial

Leases ARE commercial.
You can fully monetize them.

❌ 5. Waiting too long to buy Exclusive

Once someone else buys it… it’s gone forever.

7. FAQ (Most Important Questions Artists Ask)

Q1: Do I own the beat when I buy a license?

No. You own the rights to use the beat, not the underlying copyright.
Even with Exclusive, copyright stays with the producer (standard industry practice).

Q2: Can I monetize my song with a lease?

Yes — WAV and Unlimited both allow full monetization.

Q3: What happens if I exceed my WAV Lease limits?

You must upgrade to Unlimited or Exclusive.
Your song won’t get taken down — but you must stay compliant.

Q4: Why is Content ID only allowed for Exclusive?

Because Content ID requires global ownership control.
If multiple artists used the same beat, Content ID would cause conflicts.

Q5: What are Publishing and Master Splits?

Publishing = songwriting/composition royalties.
Master = recording royalties from DSPs (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.).

Q6: Do I have to pay the producer every month?

No.
Only the agreed royalty percentages when the song earns revenue.

Q7: Can I transfer or resell my license?

No.
Only you can use the beat.