You've found a beat in the catalog that's close to what you're hearing in your head — but not quite. Do you license it and make it work, or ask for something built from scratch? The answer depends less on budget and more on what the song is actually for.
What a type beat actually gets you
A type beat is an instrumental already made, licensed to you (and, on non-exclusive tiers, to other artists too) the moment you check out. It's fast — download in minutes, no waiting on a producer's schedule — and it scales with your budget, from a $29.99 Basic lease up to Unlimited. The tradeoff is that you're picking from what already exists rather than describing what you want built.
What custom production actually gets you
A custom beat starts with a 1-on-1 conversation about your reference tracks, key, BPM, and direction, then gets built specifically around your voice and the song you're making. Every custom project comes with exclusive rights — the beat is never sold to anyone else — plus multiple rounds of revisions. Custom Beat runs $600; Full Production, which adds mixing and mastering, runs $800.
A type beat is a beat you shape your song around. A custom beat is shaped around a song you already know.
When a type beat is the right call
If you're releasing regularly — weekly, biweekly, even monthly — leasing keeps that pace realistic in a way waiting on custom production per song never will. It's also the better move when you're still exploring: testing a new genre lane, seeing how a certain tempo or mood fits your voice, or simply not ready to commit real budget to a beat before you know if the direction is right. Most artists spend real time here before they ever need anything custom.
When custom is worth it
Custom production earns its price when a song is a moment you want to protect — a lead single, a project's title track, anything you don't want another artist releasing over the same instrumental. It's also the right call once you already know your lane and want the beat built to move around your vocal in a specific way, rather than adapting your vocal to fit an existing arrangement.
You don't have to choose forever
Most artists don't pick one path and stay there — they lease type beats early to figure out what their sound actually is, then move to custom production once a release matters enough to protect. If you're still working that out, finding your sound first makes the type-beat-vs-custom decision a lot easier later.
Quick answers
Can I upgrade a type beat lease to exclusive later? Often, yes — reach out and ask if the specific beat is still available for Exclusive Rights. Once it's sold exclusively to someone else, though, it's off the table for good.
Is custom always more expensive than leasing? Yes — custom starts at $600 versus $29.99 for a Basic lease, since you're paying for a producer's time and exclusivity, not just a file.
Do I need custom production for my very first song? Almost never. A leased type beat is the practical starting point for most artists — custom makes the most sense once you already know what you're protecting.