Beat License Agreement Templates 

 
Avoid the hassle and use our licensing templates. Before you jump in, 
make sure you read the instructions below.  
 
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How to use these templates

 
On page 1-7, you will find the entire license agreement template which you can copy and paste 
for personal use. Please read through it entirely first.  
 
On page 8 to 13, you will find a detailed breakdown of the sections in the contract. Please read 
it through before making any changes. 
 
 
DISCLAIMER:​ Urban Masterclass is not a legal firm. While this is the exact same license 
that we use for our business, we recommend that you should always seek counsel from 
an attorney for legal advice.  
   
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TEMPLATE
 
THIS ​PREMIUM​ LICENSE AGREEMENT is made on ​Mon, 01 Jan 2018 11:30:30 -0500 
("Effective Date") by and between ​John Doe ​(hereinafter referred to as the "Licensee"), and 
Robin W. Schwartze​ ("Producer"). (hereinafter referred to as the "Licensor"). Licensor warrants 
that it controls the mechanical rights in and to the copyrighted musical work entitled​ Beat Title 
("Beat") as of and prior to the date first written above. The Beat, including the music thereof, 
was composed by ​Robin W. Schwartze​, who is professionally known as ​Robin Wesley. 
 
This Agreement is issued solely in connection with and for Licensee's use of the Beat pursuant 
and subject to all terms and conditions set forth herein. 
 

1. License Fee   
The Licensee shall make payment of the License Fee to Licensor on the date of this 
Agreement. All rights granted to Licensee by Licensor in the Beat are conditional upon 
Licensee’s timely payment of the License Fee. The License Fee is a one-time payment for the 
rights granted to Licensee and this Agreement is not valid until the License Fee has been paid. 

2. Delivery of the Beat 

Licensor agrees to deliver the Beat as high quality, so called​ “untagged”​,​ ​MP3, WAV files and 
Tracked Out WAV files​, as such terms are understood in the music industry. Licensor shall use 
commercially reasonable efforts to deliver the Beat to Licensee immediately after payment of 
the License Fee is made. Licensee will receive the Beat via email, to the address Licensee 
provided to Licensor. 
  

3. Term  
​ nd this license shall expire on the four (4) 
The Term of this Agreement shall be​ four (4) years a
year anniversary of the Effective Date. 
 

4. Use of the Beat 

In consideration for Licensee’s payment of the License Fee, the Licensor hereby grants 
Licensee a limited non-exclusive, nontransferable license and the right to incorporate, include 
and/or use the Beat in the preparation of ​one (1)​ ​“New Song.”​ Licensee may create the New 
Song by recording his/her written lyrics over the Beat. The new song created by the Licensee 
which incorporates some or all of the Beat shall hereinafter be referred to as the “New Song”. 
 

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Permission is granted to Licensee to modify the arrangement, length, tempo, or pitch of the 
Beat in preparation of the New Song for public release. Licensee is not allowed to add new 
instrumentation to the beat or modify the Beat without written consent of the Licensor.  
 
This License grants Licensee a worldwide, non-exclusive license to use the Beat as 
incorporated in the New Song in the manners and for the purposes expressly provided for 
herein, subject to the sale restrictions, limitations and prohibited uses stated in this Agreement.  
 
Licensee acknowledges and agrees that any and all rights granted to Licensee in the Beat 
pursuant to this Agreement are on a non-exclusive basis and Licensor shall continue to license 
the Beat upon the same or similar terms and conditions as this Agreement to other potential 
third-party licensees. 
 
i. Distribution: ​The Licensor hereby grants to Licensee a non-exclusive license to use the New 
Song in the reproduction, duplication, manufacture, and distribution of phonograph records, 
cassette tapes, compact disk, digital downloads, other miscellaneous audio and digital 
recordings, and any lifts and versions thereof (collectively, the "Recordings", and individually, a 
"Recording") worldwide for up to the pressing or selling a total of ​Ten Thousand (10,000) 
copies of such Recordings or any combination of such Recordings. 
 
ii. Streaming:​ Additionally, licensor shall be permitted to distribute unlimited free internet 
downloads or streams for non-profit and non-commercial use. This license allows up to ​Five 
Hundred Thousand (500,000)​ monetized audio streams to sites like (Spotify, RDIO, Rhapsody) 
but ​not eligible for monetization on YouTube​. 
 
iii. Synchronization: ​The Licensor hereby grants limited synchronization rights for ​One (1)​ ​music 
video streamed online (Youtube, Vimeo, etc..) for up to ​500,000 non-monetized video streams 
on all total sites. A separate synchronisation license will need to be purchased for distribution 
of video to Television, Film or Video game. 
 
iv. Broadcasting: ​The Licensor hereby grants to Licensee broadcasting rights up to 2 Radio 
Stations. 
 
v. Live Performances:​ The Licensor hereby grants to Licensee a non-exclusive license to use 
the New Song in unlimited non-profit performances, shows, or concerts. ​Licensee is granted 
the right to receive compensation from performances with this license. 
 
For clarity and avoidance of doubt, the Licensee does NOT have the right to sell the Beat in the 
form that it was delivered to Licensee. The Licensee must create a New Song for its rights 
under this provision to vest. Any sale of the Beat in its original form by Licensee shall be a 
material breach of this Agreement and the Licensee shall be liable to the Licensor for damages 
as provided hereunder. 
 

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Subject to the Licensee’s compliance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement, 
Licensee shall not be required to account or pay to Licensor any royalties, fees, or monies paid 
to or collected by the Licensee, or which would otherwise be payable to Licensor in connection 
with the use/exploitation of the New Song as set forth in this Agreement. 
 

5. Restrictions on the Use of the Beat 

Licensee hereby agrees and acknowledges that it is expressly prohibited from taking any 
action(s) and from engaging in any use of the Beat or New Song in the manners, or for the 
purposes, set forth below: 
 
The rights granted to Licensee are NON-TRANSFERABLE and that Licensee may not transfer or 
assign any of its rights hereunder to any third-party; Licensee shall not synchronize, or permit 
third parties to synchronize, the Beat or New Song with any audiovisual works EXCEPT as 
expressly provided for and pursuant to Paragraph 4(iii) of this Agreement for use in ​one (1) 
Video​.​ This restriction includes, but is not limited to, use of the Beat and/or New Song in 
television, commercials, film/movies, theatrical works, video games, and in any other form on 
the Internet which is not expressly permitted herein. 
Licensee shall not have the right to license or sublicense any use of the Beat or of the New 
Song, in whole or in part, for any so-called “samples”.   
 
Licensee shall not engage in any unlawful copying, streaming, duplicating, selling, lending, 
renting, hiring, broadcasting, uploading, or downloading to any database, servers, computers, 
peer to peer sharing, or other file sharing services, posting on websites, or distribution of the 
Beat in the form, or a substantially similar form, as delivered to Licensee. Licensee may send 
the Beat file to any individual musician, engineer, studio manager or other person who is 
working on the New Song. 
 
As applicable to both the underlying composition in the Beat and to the master recording of the 
Beat: (i) The parties acknowledge and agree that the New Song is a “derivative work”, as that 
term is used in the United States Copyright Act; (ii) As applicable to the Beat and/or the New 
Song, there is no intention by the parties to create a joint work; and (iii) There is no intention by 
the Licensor to grant any rights in and/or to any other derivative works that may have been 
created by other third-party licensees. 
  

6. Ownership 
The Licensor is and shall remain the sole owner and holder of all right, title, and interest in the 
Beat, including all copyrights to and in the sound recording and the underlying musical 
compositions written and composed by Licensor. Nothing contained herein shall constitute an 
assignment by Licensor to Licensee of any of the foregoing rights. Licensee may not, under any 
circumstances, register or attempt to register the New Song and/or the Beat with the U.S. 
Copyright Office. The aforementioned right to register the New Song and/or the Beat shall be 
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strictly limited to Licensor. Licensee will, upon request, execute, acknowledge and deliver to 
Licensor such additional documents as Licensor may deem necessary to evidence and 
effectuate Licensor’s rights hereunder, and Licensee hereby grants to Licensor the right as 
attorney-in-fact to execute, acknowledge, deliver and record in the U.S. Copyright Office or 
elsewhere any and all such documents if Licensee shall fail to execute same within five (5) days 
after so requested by Licensor. 
 
For the avoidance of doubt, you do not own the master or the sound recording rights in the 
New Song. You have been licensed the right to use the Beat in the New Song and to 
commercially exploit the New Song based on the terms and conditions of this Agreement. 
  
Notwithstanding the above, you do own the lyrics or other original musical components of the 
New Song that were written or composed solely by you. 
 

7. Writer’s Share and Publishing Rights 

With respect to the publishing rights and ownership of the underlying composition embodied in 
the New Song, the Licensee and the Licensor hereby acknowledge and agree that the 
underlying composition shall be owned/split between them as follows: 
 
i. Licensee shall own and control Fifty Percent (50%) of the so-called “Writer’s Share” of the 
underlying composition. Specifically, the Lyrics. 
 
ii. Licensor shall own and control Fifty Percent (50%) of the so-called “Writer’s Share” of the 
underlying composition. Specifically, the Music.   
 
iii. Licensor shall own, control, and administer Fifty Percent (50%) of the so-called “Publisher’s 
Share” of the underlying composition embodied in the New Song. 
 

8. Registering the New Song with your PRO 

In the event that Licensee wishes to register his/her interests and rights to the underlying 
composition of the New Song with their Performing Rights Organization (“PRO”), Licensee must 
simultaneously identify and register the Licensor’s / Producer’s share and ownership interest in 
the composition to indicate that Licensor wrote and owns 50% of the composition in the New 
Song and as the owner of 50% of the Publisher’s share of the New Song. 
 
Name:​ Robin W. Schwartze  
PRO: ​BUMA  
IPI #​ 729842506  
  

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9. Consideration 
In consideration for the rights granted under this agreement, Licensee shall pay to licensor the 
sum of​ ​Eighty​ (​$80) US dollars​ and other good and valuable consideration, payable to "Robin 
W. Schwartze", receipt of which is hereby acknowledged. If the Licensee fails to account to the 
Licensor, timely complete the payments provided for hereunder, or perform its other 
obligations hereunder, including having insufficient bank balance, the licensor shall have the 
right to terminate License upon written notice to the Licensee. Such termination shall render 
the recording, manufacture and/or distribution of Recordings for which monies have not been 
paid subject to and actionable infringements under applicable law, including, without limitation, 
the United States Copyright Act, as amended. 
  

10. Credit  
Licensee shall have the right to use and permit others to use Licensor’s (“Producer”) approved 
name, approved likeness, and other approved identification and approved biographical 
material concerning the Producer solely for purposes of trade and otherwise without restriction 
solely in connection with the New Song recorded hereunder. Licensee shall use best efforts to 
have Producer credited as a “producer” and shall give Producer appropriate production and 
songwriting credit on all compact discs, record, music video, and digital labels or any other 
record configuration manufactured which is now known or created in the future that embodies 
the New Song created hereunder and on all cover liner notes, any records containing the New 
Song and on the front and/or back cover of any album listing the New Song and other musician 
credits. Licensee shall use its best efforts to ensure that Producer is properly credited and 
Licensee shall check all proofs for accuracy of credits, and shall use its best efforts to cure any 
mistakes regarding Producer's credit. In the event of any failure by Licensee to issue credit to 
Producer, Licensee must use reasonable efforts to correct any such failure immediately and on 
a prospective basis. Such credit shall be in substantial form: ​“Produced by Robin Wesley”​.  
 

11. Breach by Licensee 

Licensee shall have five (5) business days from its receipt of written notice by Licensor and/or 
Licensor’s authorized representative to cure any alleged breach of this Agreement by Licensee. 
Licensee’s failure to cure the alleged breach within five (5) business days shall result in 
Licensee’s default of its obligations, its breach of this Agreement, and at Licensor's sole 
discretion, the termination of Licensee’s rights hereunder. 
 
If Licensee engages in the commercial exploitation and/or sale of the Beat or New Song 
outside of the manner and amount expressly provided for in this Agreement, Licensee shall be 
liable to Licensor for monetary damages in an amount equal to any and all monies paid, 
collected by, or received by Licensee, or any third party on its behalf, in connection with such 
unauthorized commercial exploitation of the Beat and/or New Song. 

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Licensee recognizes and agrees that a breach or threatened breach of this Agreement by 
Licensee give rise to irreparable injury to Licensor, which may not be adequately compensated 
by damages. Accordingly, in the event of a breach or threatened breach by the Licensee of the 
provisions of this Agreement, Licensor may seek and shall be entitled to a temporary 
restraining order and preliminary injunction restraining the Licensee from violating the 
provisions of this Agreement. Nothing herein shall prohibit Licensor from pursuing any other 
available legal or equitable remedy from such breach or threatened breach, including but not 
limited to the recovery of damages from the Licensee. The Licensee shall be responsible for all 
costs, expenses or damages that Licensor incurs as a result of any violation by the Licensee of 
any provision of this Agreement. Licensee’ obligation shall include court costs, litigation 
expenses, and reasonable attorneys' fees. 
  

12. Warranties, Representations and Indemnification 

Licensee hereby agrees that Licensor has not made any guarantees or promises that the Beat 
fits the particular creative use or musical purpose intended or desired by the Licensee. The 
Beat, its sound recording, and the underlying musical composition embodied therein, are 
licensed to the Licensee “as is” without warranties of any kind or fitness for a particular 
purpose. 
 
Licensor warrants and represents that he has the full right and ability to enter into this 
agreement, and is not under any disability, restriction, or prohibition with respect to the grant of 
rights hereunder. Licensor warrants that the manufacture, sale, distribution, or other 
exploitation of the New Song hereunder will not infringe upon or violate any common law or 
statutory right of any person, firm, or corporation; including, without limitation, contractual 
rights, copyrights, and right(s) of privacy and publicity and will not constitute libel and/or 
slander.  
 
Licensee warrants that the manufacture, sale, distribution, or other exploitation of the New 
Song hereunder will not infringe upon or violate any common law or statutory right of any 
person, firm, or corporation; including, without limitation, contractual rights, copyrights, and 
rights of privacy and publicity and will not constitute libel and/or slander. The foregoing 
notwithstanding, Licensor undertakes no responsibility whatsoever as to any elements added 
to the New Song by Licensee, and Licensee indemnifies and holds Licensor harmless for any 
such elements.   
 
Licensor warrants that he did not “sample” (as that term is commonly understood in the 
recording industry) any copyrighted material or sound recordings belonging to any other 
person, firm, or corporation (hereinafter referred to as “Owner”) without first having notified 
Licensee. Licensee shall have no obligation to approve the use of any sample thereof; 
however, if approved, any payment in connection therewith, including any associated legal 
clearance costs, shall be borne by Licensee. Knowledge by Licensee that “samples” were used 

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by Licensor which were not affirmatively disclosed by Licensor to Licensee shall shift, in whole 
or in part, the liability for infringement or violation of the rights of any third party arising from the 
use of any such “sample” from Licensor to Licensee. 
 
Parties hereto shall indemnify and hold each other harmless from any and all third party claims, 
liabilities, costs, losses, damages or expenses as are actually incurred by the non-defaulting 
party and shall hold the non-defaulting party, free, safe, and harmless against and from any and 
all claims, suits, demands, costs, liabilities, loss, damages, judgments, recoveries, costs, and 
expenses; (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys' fees), which may be made or 
brought, paid, or incurred by reason of any breach or claim of breach of the warranties and 
representations hereunder by the defaulting party, their agents, heirs, successors, assigns and 
employees, which have been reduced to final judgment; provided that prior to final judgment, 
arising out of any breach of any representations or warranties of the defaulting party contained 
in this agreement or any failure by defaulting party to perform any obligations on its part to be 
performed hereunder the non-defaulting party has given the defaulting party prompt written 
notice of all claims and the right to participate in the defense with counsel of its choice at its 
sole expense. In no event shall Licensee be entitled to seek injunctive or any other equitable 
relief for any breach or non-compliance with any provision of this agreement.  
  

13. Miscellaneous  
This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding of the parties and is intended as a final 
expression of their agreement and cannot be altered, modified, amended or waived, in whole 
or in part, except by written instrument (email being sufficient) signed by both parties hereto. 
 
This license is non-transferable and is limited to the Beat specified above, and shall be binding 
upon both the Licensor and the Licensee and their respective successors, assigns, and legal 
representatives. 
 
This License is governed by and shall be construed under the law of ​The Netherlands, ​without 
regard to the conflicts of laws principles thereof. 

 
 
   

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Step-by-step explanation of this agreement 

It’s up to you to make changes to this contract but we recommend to only make changes to the 
text in red and leave the copy in black as it is.  
 
In the screenshots below, we’ve broken down the content of this license agreement. It should 
help you with creating a version of your own.  
 
Please note:​ BeatStars and Airbit have different ways to (auto-)generate contracts. Please 
follow the instructions on their platform before copying all the text of this template.  

 
 
 

 
If you have 3 different licensing options. You could, for example, leave out the Tracked 
Out WAV files for the cheapest license you have. Only selling them with more 
expensive licenses.  

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Some producers set a term of 2 years, some 10 years and I’ve chosen to go for 4 years. 
It’s entirely up to you, all though we recommend setting the term to at least 2 years.  
 

 
It is common that 1 license counts for the use of 1 song created with your beat. We 
recommend leaving this as it is.  
 

 
It’s up to you to set the amount of units artists can sell. Keep in mind that this includes 
digital copies (e.g. iTunes or Amazon sales.) You do NOT receive any revenue from 
these sales. The price that people pay for a license covers the amount of units they are 
allowed to sell. It’s common to raise the amount, depending on the price of your 
license.:  
 
Basic License - 5,000 copies  
Premium License - 10,000 copies  
Unlimited License - Unlimited copies   
 

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The same principle works for streaming as it works selling amounts. But since 
streaming is more popular (compared to selling on iTunes) it’s common to set higher 
amounts for this. It’s entirely up to you to give permission to monetize music videos on 
YouTube. This means that artists can earn extra revenue from advertising revenue on 
their YouTube videos. 
 

 
Again, the same principle applies here as well.  
 

 
It’s common to limit the broadcasting rights for cheaper licenses. For example:  
 
Basic - No broadcasting rights  
Premium - Broadcasting rights for 2 radio stations  
Unlimited - Unlimited broadcasting rights  
 
When the song is properly registered with a PRO (we’ll get to that later) and you’ve 
registered the the song as well, you’ll be able to earn so called Performing Rights 
Royalties from radio plays.  
 
 

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Every artist wants to perform the song live. It’s up to you if you want to permit the right 
to earn money from live performances. We recommend permitting these rights only 
with more expensive licenses. That way you will push more people towards purchasing 
a more expensive license.  
 
If the artists performs the song live on radio or television and the song is properly 
registered with your PRO, you’ll be able to earn performing rights royalties from this as 
well.  
 
 

 
In order to collect performing rights royalties, you’ll need to be affiliated with a 
Performing Rights Organisation (“PRO”). Once you’re registered, you’ll receive an IPI 
number which artists need to submit your info and register your participation as the 
producer of the song they’re submitting.   
 

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This section of the agreement basically covers the fact that you’re granting the 
user-rights for the (one-time) license fee of [your license price].  
 

 
It’s very important to force people to give credit to you as the producer. It’s not 
uncommon and this term needs to be added to the agreement.  

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Simply add your country name here.  

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