BeatStars pricing 2026: plans, fees and what it takes

BeatStars pricing has three paid seller plans, all in US dollars: Starter, Growth and Professional. Each has a monthly and a yearly price. BeatStars takes 0% of your beat sales, but there are other fees to know before you pick a plan.

Every BeatStars figure here comes from its own help centre, checked on 8 Nov 2026. Its main pricing page needs JavaScript and could not be read, so the help centre is the source.

In short

• You need a paid BeatStars plan, from $4.99 a month, to upload and sell.
• BeatStars takes 0% of beat sales on every paid plan.
• Marketplace buyers pay a 12% service fee, and PayPal takes its own processing fee.

How much does BeatStars cost?

BeatStars costs $4.99 a month or $19.99 a year for Starter, $8.99 a month or $79.99 a year for Growth, and $19.99 a month or $179.88 a year for Professional. These are the BeatStars pricing plans in its help article last edited on 3 Sep 2026 (checked 8 Nov 2026).

All prices are in US dollars. BeatStars does not say on these pages whether it charges plans in rupees, so expect a dollar charge on your card. Your bank may add its own foreign currency fee.

Sellers billed in the UK and EU may also see VAT added at checkout, since 1 Apr 2025. Every paid plan lets you post an unlimited number of beats. The yearly price is much lower than paying monthly for twelve months, as the table shows. The last column is our own maths on the listed prices.

On Professional, paying yearly instead of monthly saves $60.00 a year. On Growth it saves $27.89, and on Starter $39.89.

Does BeatStars cost money?

Yes, BeatStars costs money if you want to sell. Its Subscription FAQs say that to “upload, publish & sell tracks” you need a paid plan: Starter, Growth or Professional (checked 8 Nov 2026). The plans are seller subscriptions.

There is a free account, but its limits are not clear. One help article says that if you downgrade to free, “your account will be limited to 10 tracks”, and extra content is archived after a 30-day grace period. No article we read says a free account can sell. So plan on paying for at least Starter.

The cheapest way in is Starter at $19.99 a year. That is less than five months of Starter billed monthly, which comes to $24.95 by our maths. If you only want to test BeatStars for a month, the monthly Starter plan at $4.99 is the smallest outlay.

Watch out: new Starter members since 19 Sep 2024 cannot upload stem files, sound kits or services. If you sell stems, Starter may not be enough.

What percentage does BeatStars take?

BeatStars takes 0% of beat sales on its platform. Its help centre says “Producers keep 100% of beat sales revenue” (checked 8 Nov 2026). That holds on every paid plan, which is a real strength.

Two other costs still come off a sale. First, the BeatStars service fee: on Marketplace purchases, 12% of the subtotal is added to the price. It covers beats, sound kits, collections and services. The buyer pays it, unless you choose to cover it. It does not apply to sales on your own Pro Page or Blaze Player.

Second, PayPal’s processing fee. BeatStars says it does not process payments itself, so PayPal’s fee is taken from the gross amount. Beat-sale payouts go only to PayPal. So the full answer is 0% commission, plus PayPal’s fee, plus a 12% buyer fee on Marketplace sales.

Here is a worked example, using our own maths on a beat priced at $30:

What other BeatStars fees should you know about?

A few BeatStars services carry their own fees or shares, separate from the plan price. None of them is required to sell beats, but each one changes what you keep.

BeatStars Pay is the biggest one to check. Its help article says BeatStars Pay sales carry a 10% transaction fee, plus any withdrawal fees, and payments can be held for up to 180 days. That rule took effect on 18 July 2023, so the article is old. Confirm it with BeatStars before you rely on it.

BeatStars Publishing works differently. It is an admin deal where BeatStars keeps a share of royalties. The term is one year and it renews by itself, with a one-year retention period after you end it. The Creator Rights Agency takes 10% of deals it closes for you. It is free to join for Professional plan members who also use Publishing.

• BeatStars Pay: 10% transaction fee and holds of up to 180 days (rule dated July 2023).
• Publishing, mechanicals: 80% to the writer, 20% to the publisher.
• Publishing, publisher’s performance: split 60/40.
• Publishing, syncs: split 80/20, or 65/35 when BeatStars finds the sync.
• Creator Rights Agency: 10% of advances and master points it closes.
• VAT: may be added to plans in the UK and EU.

BeatStars Starter vs Growth: which plan should you choose?

Choose by what you sell. All three BeatStars plans allow unlimited beats and take 0% of beat sales, so the price gap buys extra tools, not a lower cut.

The clearest verified difference is for new Starter members. Since 19 Sep 2024, Starter cannot upload stem files, sound kits or services. If you sell stems licences or kits, Growth at $8.99 a month or $79.99 a year is the first plan to look at. Professional, at $19.99 a month or $179.88 a year, is also the plan that gets free Creator Rights Agency access when paired with Publishing.

The full feature list for each plan sits on BeatStars’ pricing page, which needs JavaScript and could not be read on 8 Nov 2026. So check that page for the rest before you pay. Start small if you are unsure. You can upgrade once your sales show what you need.

How does BeatStars pricing compare with Airtune?

BeatStars and Airtune price in different ways. BeatStars charges a dollar plan and takes 0% of beat sales on every plan. Airtune plans are in rupees, GST included, and you sell in rupees and US dollars at separate prices. Its commission falls as the plan rises, to 0% on Studio Pro (Airtune pricing page, checked 8 Nov 2026).

So BeatStars takes less from each sale than the cheaper Airtune plans. Airtune is easier for Indian sellers, because buyers pay by UPI and you withdraw in rupees to UPI or bank. Sales clear in 7 days (14 when paid in US dollars). Payouts need KYC and PAN, the Airtune team checks each one, and there is no minimum payout.

On Airtune, a ₹999 Easy WAV licence sold on Studio gives a commission of ₹99.90. On Studio Pro the commission is ₹0.00. “Pro” on Airtune includes Legacy. The table puts the plans side by side; currencies differ, so we do not convert them.

Read the full Airtune vs BeatStars comparison, or see every plan on Airtune Studio plans.

Which should you choose?

Pick by where your buyers are and how you want to be paid. Both stores’ numbers sit side by side here, as of 8 Nov 2026.

• Choose BeatStars if most buyers are abroad and PayPal works for you, since beat-sale payouts go only to PayPal.
• Choose BeatStars if you want 0% at the lowest price. Starter is $19.99 a year and takes 0% of beat sales. Airtune’s 0% plan, Studio Pro, is ₹6,999 a year.
• Choose BeatStars if you want its extra services, such as Publishing or the Creator Rights Agency.
• Choose Airtune if most buyers are in India. They can pay by UPI, which BeatStars does not list, and buyers abroad still pay your dollar price.
• Choose Airtune if you want rupee payouts to UPI or bank instead of PayPal.
• Choose Airtune if you are starting small. Studio Starter is ₹199 one time at 20% commission. On a ₹999 Easy WAV sale, that is ₹199.80.

You can also use both: a BeatStars page for global reach and Airtune for buyers in India.

Next steps

1. Decide what you will sell, then pick the matching BeatStars plan from the table above.
2. Ask yourself is BeatStars worth it for your buyers and payout needs.
3. Set fair prices for your licences with our guide on how much to charge for beats.
4. Compare Indian options in our BeatStars alternative in India guide, or see the Airtune pricing page.