How to get paid for selling beats in India: UPI and KYC

To get paid for selling beats in India, you need three things in place: KYC with your PAN, a verified UPI or bank account, and a store that pays out in rupees. After a buyer pays, the money waits for a short clearing period, and then you withdraw it. Your taxes stay your own job, so keep good records.

In short

• Finish KYC with your PAN and add a verified UPI or bank account first.
• Sales clear in 7 days (14 when paid in US dollars), then are ready the next Friday.
• You handle your own taxes; Studio statements give you clear proof of income.

This guide explains each step on Airtune, why each check exists, and what to keep for your taxes.

How do music producers get paid in India?

Music producers in India get paid in a few main ways: beat licences, sound kits and packs, custom work for artists, and royalties where a contract gives them a share. For most new producers, beat licences are the first steady income. An artist buys a lease or an exclusive, the store takes its cut, and the producer withdraws the rest.

Airtune works in both rupees and US dollars. You set a separate rupee price and dollar price for each licence, and rupee and dollar sales land in their own wallets. Payouts go to your Indian UPI or bank account in rupees.

Each sale shows the commission for your plan. The Airtune pricing page (checked 8 Nov 2026) lists 20% on Studio Starter, 15% on Studio Lite, 10% on Studio and 0% on Studio Pro and Legacy. The payment provider’s fee is charged at cost on its own line, with nothing added on top.

Worked example: one ₹999 sale on the Studio plan

1. An artist pays ₹999 for an Easy WAV licence by UPI.
2. Commission at 10% is ₹99.90, leaving ₹899.10 before the payment fee.
3. The payment fee is taken at cost and shown on its own line.
4. After 7 days the sale clears.
5. It becomes available the next Friday and is paid that payday, or when you tap Withdraw after that.

Why does Airtune need KYC and PAN before payouts?

KYC means “know your customer”. It is the identity check a platform does before it sends anyone money. Airtune needs it so that every payout goes to the real person or business who earned it, through a lawful, verified account.

KYC also protects you. If someone gets into your account, they can’t quietly change where your money goes, because payout account changes go through verified support only. It also helps Airtune spot fraud, such as stolen cards or fake accounts, before money leaves the platform.

For payouts, the Airtune Payout Policy asks for your legal name, address, PAN if you are an Indian partner, GST registration where it applies, and verified bank, UPI or PayPal details. PayPal is for partners outside India. Indian partners are paid by bank transfer (NEFT or IMPS) or UPI. Use the same legal name on your PAN, bank account and Airtune profile, because a mismatch can hold up the check.

Tip: finish KYC before your first sale, so your first payout is not held up.

How long until UPI payouts for producers arrive?

UPI payouts for producers on Airtune arrive after a 7-day clearing period, or 14 days when the buyer paid in US dollars. Clearing lets refunds and chargebacks be handled before money leaves the platform. During that time the sale shows in your sales history, but you cannot withdraw it yet.

Once it clears, the amount becomes available the following Friday. It is paid in rupees to your verified UPI or bank account that payday, or whenever you tap Withdraw after that. There is no minimum payout, and the Airtune team checks every payout.

In some cases Airtune may hold an amount for longer, for a specific risk such as suspected fraud or an open chargeback. The Payout Policy says these holds are typically up to 180 days for payment-network risk, that Airtune tells you the reason, and that holds are not forfeitures. For most sales, the 7-day clearing is the only wait, so plan your cash flow around it.

Who pays tax on beat sales in India?

You do. On Airtune, every seller handles their own taxes, whether you sell as an individual or as a business. Airtune does not file, pay or manage any seller’s taxes. The Payout Policy says each seller is “solely responsible” for their own tax compliance.

Every price on Airtune is tax-inclusive, so the price a buyer sees is the full price, and Airtune never adds tax on top. Airtune pays tax only on its own revenue, such as GST on its commission and fees, never on your full sale price.

Any GST, income tax or other tax on what you earn is yours. What you owe depends on your income, whether you are GST-registered, and how you sell. That is a question for a qualified tax professional, not for a blog post. Bring your Airtune statements to them, so they can work from exact numbers. For background, read our guide to GST for music producers.

Talk to a professional: this is general information, not tax advice. Tax rules change and depend on your situation. Before you file, speak to a chartered accountant or another qualified tax professional.

How do Studio statements help with your taxes?

Studio statements give you clear proof of income for your taxes. Every month you can download a statement as a PDF or CSV. It lists each sale, the commission on every line, the payment provider’s fees and your payouts, with every amount exact to the paisa.

That makes it easy to match your Airtune income with your bank account. It also gives your accountant one clean record, instead of a pile of screenshots and UPI messages. If you sell in both rupees and dollars, your sales show in their own wallets, so you can see each currency clearly.

Your plan payments are covered too. Yearly Studio plans come with a receipt and a GST invoice in your billing history, which your accountant may ask for. Keep every monthly statement and invoice in one folder for the whole financial year. Download them each month rather than at filing time, so nothing is missing.

• Monthly statement: PDF or CSV, exact to the paisa.
• Plan invoice: receipt and GST invoice for yearly plans.
• Payout record: every withdrawal to your UPI or bank.

What happens to your earnings after a refund or chargeback?

A refund or chargeback takes back the money for that sale, so it comes out of your earnings. On Airtune, sales are final, so buyers cannot get a refund just because they changed their mind. Beat buyers should still read their licence, which may give them extra rights.

The main exception is a genuine problem with the files. If they were not delivered, are broken, or are not what you listed, the buyer reports it within 14 days of delivery. You then have 14 days to deliver working files. If you don’t, the buyer gets a 100% refund. When a refund goes through, the licence is withdrawn, and the buyer loses download access and must delete the files.

If a refund or chargeback arrives after you were paid, the amount comes out of your next earnings. If your balance is too low, Airtune may charge your linked payment method after 5 days’ notice. A chargeback filed outside Airtune’s process breaks the buyer’s agreement and voids their licence.

Next steps

1. Finish your KYC, then read how to sell beats online in India.
2. Set your prices with how much to charge for beats.
3. Compare commission by plan in Airtune Studio plans or on the Airtune pricing page.
4. Read the full payout rules in the Airtune policies.