How much to charge for beats: a pricing guide for India

How much to charge for beats is one of the first questions every producer asks, and there is no single right number. The price should follow the licence: what files the artist gets, what rights they get, and whether anyone else can buy the same beat.

In short

• Build a price ladder: each licence tier costs more because it gives more.
• On Airtune, minimums run from ₹499 (Easy MP3) to ₹4,999 (Exclusive), so nobody wins by undercutting.
• Use coupons and offers on purpose, never below 50% of a licence minimum.

We do not quote “average beat prices in India”, because there is no reliable public data for them. Instead, this guide gives you a method you can apply to your own catalogue and demand.

How do you price beats by licence tier?

The simplest way to price beats is to build a ladder, where each licence tier costs more because it gives the artist more. A basic lease, usually an MP3, is the entry step. It should be cheap enough that an independent rapper can buy it without thinking too long.

A WAV lease costs more because the artist gets release-quality audio. A stems licence costs more again, because a mix engineer can balance each instrument around the vocals. An exclusive sits at the top, because you stop selling the beat to anyone new.

Keep the gaps between steps clear, so the upgrade feels worth it, and raise prices when beats sell fast or artists start asking for exclusives. If nothing sells, lower your entry price, not your exclusive. Also remember what you keep: commission and the payment provider’s fee come out of each sale.

Worked example: what you keep from a ₹999 sale

The table uses the commission listed on the Airtune pricing page (checked 8 Nov 2026) for one ₹999 Easy WAV sale. The payment provider’s fee is then taken at cost, on its own line. See Airtune Studio plans for plan prices and limits.

What are the minimum beat prices on Airtune?

Airtune sets a minimum price, or floor, for each beat licence, and producers can charge anything above it. The floors are ₹499 for Easy MP3, ₹999 for Easy WAV, ₹1,999 for Easy Stems and ₹4,999 for Exclusive. For buyers abroad you set a separate dollar price, with floors of $14.99, $29.99, $49.99 and $99.99.

There is no forced conversion between the two, so you can price for India and for the world separately. There is no maximum price either. Sound kits and beat packs have no floor, and you can offer a free download tier to grow your audience.

Coupons and negotiated deals can take a price below the floor, but never below 50% of it, which stops a race to the bottom. Your price is the full sale price, and any tax is included in sale price. Airtune pays tax on its own commission; any other tax on your earnings is yours to handle.

Why does Airtune set minimum beat prices?

Airtune sets minimum beat prices so producers don’t get pulled into a price war they can’t win. On many beat marketplaces, you can list a beat at any price you like. When one producer drops to a very low price, others feel they must follow, and soon nobody earns enough to keep making music.

A floor stops that race to the bottom. On Airtune, every producer starts from the same minimums, so you compete on sound, service and trust, not on who is cheapest. Buyers also learn what a fair price for a licence looks like.

The goal is simple: producers on Airtune should earn money, not lose it. So treat the floor as a starting line, not a target. If your beats sell well at the floor, that is a sign to raise your prices.

• Floors are the same for everyone, in rupees and in dollars.
• Discounts and offers can go below a floor, but never below 50% of it.
• There is no maximum, so strong beats can be priced well above the floor.

How much do beats cost for artists in India?

Beat prices in India depend on the producer and the licence, so two beats on the same store can cost very different amounts. A basic lease is the cheapest way to release a song on a beat, and an exclusive is the most expensive.

On Airtune, the licensing page shows example prices from a live beat: ₹499 for Easy MP3, ₹999 for Easy WAV and ₹1,999 for Easy Stems, with the Exclusive at the producer’s price or by offer. Every producer sets their own prices and may offer only some licences, so always check the beat page.

Every Easy licence on Airtune allows unlimited audio streams and unlimited monetised music videos. So a cheaper licence there mostly means fewer files, not fewer streams. When you compare stores, compare rights and limits as well as price, because a cheap lease with a low stream cap can cost more later.

What should an exclusive beat price be?

An exclusive beat price should cover what you give up: every future lease sale of that beat. When an artist buys an exclusive, the beat comes off sale and nobody new can lease it. Leases you already sold stay valid, so tell the buyer other artists may already have songs on it.

To set the price, think about how many leases the beat has sold, how many it might still sell, and how much the artist plans to invest. A beat that already sells well should cost more to take off the market, and a fresh beat with no sales can be priced lower.

On Airtune the exclusive floor is ₹4,999, with no maximum, and the exclusive includes the project file. Exclusives are negotiable by default, so an artist can make an offer. Our guide to exclusive beats explains the rights, and leasing beats covers the cheaper tiers.

Should you use coupons and bulk deals on beats?

Coupons and bulk deals help you sell more beats without lowering your listed prices for everyone. A coupon gives a percentage off for a short time, such as a Diwali sale or a reward for followers. A bulk deal, such as “buy 2 get 1 free”, gets artists to buy several beats at once.

On Airtune, coupons are percentage-only, and a buyer can use one coupon per producer in the cart. Coupons you create are funded by you, and they reduce your sale amount before fees and commission. Exclusives accept a coupon only if it allows exclusives, and negotiated items take none.

Bulk deals give the cheapest eligible items free. Each plan has a limit: Studio Starter 1 coupon and 1 bulk deal, Studio Lite 5 each, Studio 25 each, and Studio Pro unlimited. Use discounts on purpose, not all year, or artists will wait for the next sale.

Tip: no discount can take a licence below 50% of its floor. For an Easy WAV, that is ₹499.50, half of ₹999.

How should you handle offers and negotiation?

Offers let an artist propose a price when your listed price does not fit their budget. Stems and exclusives are negotiable by default, so treat an offer as a conversation. Decide your lowest acceptable price before you reply, and counter with a clear number and a short reason.

On Airtune, offers work on licences you mark as negotiable; by default that is Easy Stems and Exclusive. The buyer makes an offer on the beat page, and you accept, counter or decline in the same chat. For some licences the buyer can also propose terms, which go into the contract.

An accepted offer is held in the buyer’s cart for 24 hours. A negotiated price can never go below 50% of the floor, and coupons cannot be added on top. Reply quickly, so the buyer is not left waiting.

Next steps

1. Write a price ladder for one beat, from Easy MP3 to Exclusive, and check it against the floors on Airtune licensing.
2. Put it into practice with how to sell beats online in India.
3. Compare commission by plan on the Airtune pricing page.