How to price your beats in 2026

Pricing is the single highest-leverage decision you make as a producer. Get it wrong low, you leave money on the table and devalue your sound. Get it wrong high, no one clicks checkout. This guide gives you the numbers that actually work, grouped by where you are in your career.

The pricing frame that matters

Before any specific numbers: pricing signals quality. If two beats sound identical but one is priced at $15 and the other at $60, most buyers believe the $60 one is better. This is not rational — it's how pricing psychology works everywhere, not just in music. Charging more also attracts a more professional buyer who is less likely to ghost you, less likely to dispute, and more likely to upgrade.

The exception: oversupply at the low end. If your target market is flooded with $10 MP3 leases, you cannot charge $60 and expect volume. You either differentiate on sound (much harder) or you price to the market (easier) and focus on catalog depth.

The standard tiered price table

Here is a tier structure that works for a producer with 20-80 released beats, some plays, some engagement, and no major placements yet:

Scale each column by roughly 1.5x as you build traction; keep the ratios similar so each tier still has a reason to exist.

What "new" looks like (0-20 released beats)

If you've just started, don't price like a top-50 producer. Buyers research. A $99 MP3 lease from someone with 120 monthly plays reads as a red flag. Sensible numbers:

• MP3: $19 – $25
• WAV: $35 – $45
• Exclusive: $200 – $400

The goal at this stage is volume and reviews. Twenty happy buyers paying $25 each is worth more than one buyer paying $300 because the twenty tell their friends.

What "established" looks like (100+ plays per beat, collabs)

Once you have a repeatable audience and producers citing your work, push:

• MP3: $35 – $50
• WAV: $60 – $90
• Exclusive: $800 – $2,500 depending on sub-genre

Drill and trap exclusives in 2026 regularly sell for $1,500 – $5,000. R&B exclusives sell lower ($500 – $1,500). Sync-eligible beats sell much higher if you retain sync rights and negotiate per placement.

What "tier 1" looks like (placements, charts)

If you've placed on a charting artist, you can ignore this whole guide. Your exclusives are worth whatever you negotiate. Typical numbers for someone with one or two mid-level placements:

• Leases: $75 – $150 (brand value built into the sticker price)
• Exclusive: $3,000 – $10,000+

Four pricing tactics that actually move beats

1. Use bulk deals instead of cutting base prices

Cutting your base MP3 from $30 to $19 permanently damages your positioning. Running a "buy 3 beats, get 25% off" bulk deal gives price-sensitive buyers the same effect without signaling that your sound is worth $19. beatsheaven supports this out of the box at /dashboard.

2. Limited-time discounts create urgency

A 48-hour flash sale with a crimson OFF badge converts hesitant buyers. Run one every 3-4 weeks, never more. If it's always on, it stops being a discount — it's just the price.

3. Anchor with your exclusive

If your exclusive is $500 and your MP3 is $29, the MP3 looks cheap by comparison. Exclusives barely sell, but their presence makes everything below them easier to buy. Keep the exclusive listed even when you don't expect to sell it.

4. Don't offer the same terms on every tier

Many producers differentiate MP3 vs WAV only on file format. Buyers notice. Differentiate on real usage: streams cap, units, broadcast, monetization. If the WAV is 2x the MP3 in price, it should be roughly 2.5x in usage rights. That math drives the MP3 buyer to the WAV checkout.

Mistakes that kill margins

• Pricing every beat identically: great beats deserve premium prices; filler beats should subsidize the catalog.
• Running the same coupon for six months: dilutes the list price.
• Hidden buyer fees: some marketplaces charge buyers an extra 10-15% at checkout. We don't on beatsheaven — read why we don't charge buyers a fee. If you're on a platform that does, factor it into your sticker.
• No exclusive option: if you never list an exclusive, you lose the anchor effect above and you miss the occasional $3,000 deal.

The only pricing rule that's always true

Pricing is not static. Revisit every 60 days. If every lease sold at list, your prices are too low. If zero leases sold in 60 days, your prices are too high (or your promotion is broken — see how to get more plays on your beats).

Ready to start? Create a free beatsheaven account and you'll be pricing your first beat inside of fifteen minutes.