Airtune vs Beat22: fees, payouts and licences (2026)

Airtune vs Beat22 is a choice between two Indian beat marketplaces that both take rupees and UPI. Beat22 is the easier start for a new seller, because its basic tier is free. Airtune costs ₹199 to start, but also sells in US dollars to buyers abroad and posts your beats to YouTube for you.

In short

• Beat22 lets you start selling free with up to 10 beats at 30% commission; Airtune starts at ₹199 one time.
• Commission differs: Beat22’s plans page lists 30%, 20% and 10%; Airtune goes from 20% down to 0% on Studio Pro.
• Both verify licences by QR code; Airtune also sells in US dollars and posts beats to YouTube.

Every Beat22 fact below comes from Beat22’s own plans page, help centre, blog and terms, checked on 8 Nov 2026. Beat22 was formerly illpeoplemusic.com: its blog says the site launched under that name in 2019 and announced the new name in February 2025.

What is the difference between Airtune and Beat22?

The main difference between Airtune and Beat22 is how a seller starts and what the buyer gets. Beat22 has a free Basic plan for up to 10 beats and takes 30% commission on it. Airtune has no free seller plan: the entry plan, Studio Starter, costs ₹199 one time and also takes 20%.

Both stores take rupees and UPI at checkout. Airtune’s top plan takes 0%; Beat22’s top plan, Pro, takes 10%. Airtune also sells in US dollars. Beat22 dates from 2019 and is based in Gurgaon, Haryana; its founders are Kanav Singh Mehra and Ashish Sudhera. Airtune is invite-only for producers, so it has fewer producers than open stores, while buyer sign-up is free and open.

On Airtune, every sale comes with a licence signed in the buyer’s legal name and saved as a PDF with a QR code. Anyone can scan it to check it. Beat22 offers “Digital Contracts”, has a QR licence verify page, and advertises leases of “Upto 99 years”.

Airtune figures are from the Airtune pricing, licensing and policy pages; Beat22 figures from its plans page, help centre, blog and terms. All checked 8 Nov 2026.

How does selling beats on Beat22 work?

Selling beats on Beat22 starts with a free Basic account for up to 10 beats. You verify your mobile number and your Aadhaar through DigiLocker, then upload beats and set prices in rupees. Beat22’s blog says verified studios get a “Verified” status and that beats from unverified studios are no longer shown.

Beat22’s own documents disagree on commission. Its plans page lists 30% on Basic, 20% on Premium and 10% on Pro. Its terms say subscription packs carry “no separate commission”, and its seller agreement says 20% without a paid pack. The seller also pays the gateway fee, including taxes, on every sale.

Payouts go to the bank account you add under Payout Bank Details. The seller agreement says Beat22 releases your money within 15 days of confirming the buyer’s payment, and its refund policy holds payouts during a 14-day buyer review. Plan around two weeks or more.

Beat22 also gives sellers a useful set of tools:

• Negotiation: accept, counter or reject a buyer’s offer.
• Buyer leads: abandoned cart recovery with the buyer’s email, plus lead generation.
• Growth tools: analytics, a website builder and paid ads.
• Pro perks (plans page): lead generation, priority support, and a ₹1,500 ad wallet balance on the yearly plan (₹100 on monthly).
• Kits22: a separate sound kit marketplace that uses credits.

How much do Airtune and Beat22 take from a sale?

Airtune and Beat22 both take a smaller cut as you pay more. Airtune takes 20% on Studio Starter, 15% on Studio Lite, 10% on Studio and 0% on Studio Pro. Beat22’s plans page lists 30% on Basic, 20% on Premium and 10% on Pro. Its terms say paid packs carry “no separate commission”, so ask Beat22 which rate applies.

Payment fees sit on top at both stores. Airtune passes on the Razorpay or Stripe fee at cost, the same on every plan. Beat22 deducts its gateway fee, including taxes, before it pays you.

Plan prices differ too. Airtune Studio Pro costs ₹699 a month or ₹6,999 a year, GST included. Beat22 Pro costs ₹599 a month or ₹4,999 a year, and Premium costs ₹1,999 a year, per its plans page.

Here is one ₹999 sale on each plan, before payment fees (our maths on each store’s published rate):

Tip: On Beat22, Premium at ₹1,999 a year cuts commission from 30% to 20%, so it pays for itself once you sell ₹19,990 a year (₹1,999 ÷ 10%). Airtune Studio Pro costs ₹2,000 more than Beat22 Pro yearly but takes 0% instead of 10%, so it costs less once you sell more than ₹20,000 a year (our maths).

On Airtune, every selling price includes tax. Airtune pays the tax on its own commission. Any other tax, such as your own GST or income tax, is yours to handle.

What do buyers get on Airtune and Beat22?

Buyers on Airtune and Beat22 can both pay in rupees with UPI. Beat22 offers more ways to pay: cards, EMI, netbanking, wallets, pay later and PayPal. Airtune takes UPI, cards and netbanking through Razorpay, and buyers abroad pay in US dollars through Stripe.

Both stores let anyone check a licence by QR code, so the real difference is the terms. On Airtune, you sign the licence in your legal name at checkout, and the terms are locked from then on. The verify page shows who the licence was issued to and whether it is still valid.

Beat22’s licence bars buyers from Content ID and from registering with a PRO such as IPRS. On Airtune, terms can differ from beat to beat. When we checked six live beat pages on 8 Nov 2026, some Easy leases allowed PRO registration and others did not. Read the terms on any store before you pay.

• If files are faulty on Airtune: files arrive the moment you pay; report missing or broken files within 14 days.
• Exclusives on Airtune: an exclusive takes the beat off sale; licences already sold stay valid.
• Know your rights first: our guide to beat licensing in India explains each term.

Is there a good Beat22 alternative for Indian producers?

A good Beat22 alternative for Indian producers pays in rupees, takes UPI and shows its commission clearly. Two Indian stores fit: Airtune and BeatStore. Global stores like BeatStars and Traktrain price plans in US dollars and pay through PayPal or Stripe instead.

BeatStore has a free plan at 20% commission, Creator at ₹399 a month with 5%, and Premium at ₹1,299 a month with 0%, GST included (list prices, checked 8 Nov 2026). It caps uploads at 1 beat a day on Free, and only sellers based in India can sell. We compare it in detail in Airtune vs BeatStore.

Airtune suits producers who want automatic YouTube uploads, a signed licence for every buyer, and separate ₹ and $ prices for buyers abroad. You need an invite to sell. For every option side by side, see the best beat marketplace in India.

Choose Beat22 if, choose Airtune if

Neither store wins on everything. Pick the one that matches how you sell.

Choose Beat22 if:

• You want to start free. The Basic plan costs nothing for up to 10 beats; you pay 30% on each sale.
• Your buyers want EMI, wallets or PayPal. Beat22 lists more ways to pay.
• You want a cheap yearly plan. Premium costs ₹1,999 a year and takes 20%; check today’s price.
• You want an established name. Beat22 calls itself “India’s biggest beats marketplace” and dates from 2019.

Choose Airtune if:

• You want licences in the buyer’s legal name. Terms are locked at checkout and saved as a signed PDF.
• You post beats on YouTube. Airtune builds the video from your cover and audio and publishes it to your channel, on every plan. See YouTube beat upload sync.
• You sell abroad too. You set separate ₹ and $ prices per licence, and you are paid in rupees.
• You want UPI payouts. Sales clear in 7 days (14 when paid in US dollars), then become available the next Friday, paid in rupees to UPI or bank. Payouts need KYC and PAN, the Airtune team checks each one, and there is no minimum payout.

Next steps

1. Read the licence terms on both stores for the same type of beat. Start with beat licensing in India.
2. Compare plan costs against your yearly sales on the Airtune pricing page and Beat22’s plan page.
3. Plan your payouts with our guide to get paid for selling beats in India.
4. Buying a beat? Explore beats on Airtune and pay by UPI.