Watch: Sally Coleman gives the 101 on registering and selling your beats
You can sell your samples and beats either directly to artists or via a third-party platform
As a music creator or producer, you’re entitled to royalties when your copyrighted work is performed - even by other artists
It’s important to check out third-party platforms’ Terms & Conditions
Many producers prefer to sell their samples and beats directly to artists. In this context, a producer can fully control pricing and the terms of use for the sample or beat. Generally, you would be selling exclusive rights to the beat – meaning nobody else can use it for their song. Exclusive licenses tend to be more expensive than non-exclusive licenses. Check out this useful article.
Lots of producers use a third-party royalty-free platform (for example Splice) to make their beats and samples available for others to use. Many producers do this to make passive income and to build awareness of their production skills in the production community.
With Splice, you are licensing your sounds for others to use. These are non-exclusive licences – anyone can use your samples. Each time someone downloads your sample, you will earn a percentage of the download fee.
Other platforms, like BeatStars, offer producers more control over terms and conditions and pricing of their beats. Licenses are fully customisable, can be both exclusive or non-exclusive, and beatmakers can have more control over the monetisation of their music.
The takeaway – it’s really important to be aware of each platform’s benefits and limitations, and what your goals are for making your beats available on third-party platforms.
If you want to earn songwriting royalties through your beats you’ll need to make sure it’s written into the platform’s terms and conditions. These T&Cs will spell out if those who use your beats or samples must credit you - both on the public release of the track and the data provided to music rights organisations like APRA AMCOS.
This way your name, IPI number and writer share will be included on the song registration and your royalties come back to you via APRA AMCOS.
For help with contracts or understanding terms and conditions contact The Arts Law Centre of Australia.
If you know the details of the finished track using your beats, and have come to an agreement with that artist regarding songwriting splits, you can register the track yourself with APRA AMCOS.
You can also earn performance royalties if your beats or samples are used in live performance. If an artist includes your work in their live show, they should include it in their own PRO’s performance report, or you can submit a performance report yourself in the writer portal.
We've got them answered.
What's the difference between a remix and a cover?
A cover is a performance or new recording of a song that was written and previously performed by someone else. It does not involve any significant changes to the underlying musical work.
A remix is a new song that uses parts or samples of a previously written song. It may also contain new material composed by the remix artist.
What is copyright and how does it work?
Copyright is free and automatic. Copyright is there from the moment a song or composition is written down or recorded in some way.
The Australian Copyright Act (1968) gives music copyright owners a number of exclusive rights. Nobody else can use the work without getting the owner’s permission first, and if necessary, paying a royalty for this use.
Want to learn more about copyright? We've put together a simple visual explanation of the Story of a Song—from inspiration through to royalty payments and all the work that goes on inbetween. Or keep reading for a more detailed explanation of copyright.
Copyright is a legal right that generally belongs to the original creator of a work.
Copyright protects literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works. It also protects sound recordings, films, published editions, performances and broadcasts. A song may have more than one copyright. The lyrics will be protected as a literary work and the music as a musical work. A recording of the song will also be separately protected as a sound recording.
Generally the composer or author of music or lyrics is the first owner of copyright in the work.
However, if you create music or lyrics as part of your employment, your employer is usually the first owner of copyright.
Similarly, if you create a work under the direction or control of a government body, the government would own copyright in the absence of an agreement to the contrary.
Copyright owners in music and lyrics have a number of exclusive rights.
Anyone who wants to use a protected work in any of the ways outlined below will usually need the copyright owner’s permission. He or she may also have to pay a royalty.
Copyright owners have the right to:
In the music industry, these rights are usually grouped in the following way:
There is a separate copyright in the sound recording of a musical work (with or without lyrics). The person or company that owns the rights in the recording owns the right to copy it, record it, perform it, communicate it to the public or rent it out.
Copyright lasts for the life of the author + 70 years
Generally copyright in music and lyrics lasts for the life of the author or creator, plus 70 years after the end of the calendar year in which the author dies.
If the work was not published, broadcast, performed or records of the work had not been offered or exposed for sale to the public until after the creator’s death, copyright will last for 70 years from the end of the calendar year of first publication, broadcast, performance or when records of the work were offered or exposed for sale to the public.
When copyright in a work expires, it is in the public domain and anyone can use it without having to obtain permission or pay a fee.
What is an IPI number?
IPI is the acronym for Interested Parties Information.
An IPI is a unique 9-11 digit number that identifies creative right holders as members of collective societies. This number is yours for life when you join APRA AMCOS, even if you join another collecting society or transfer your membership.
How do I get an IPI number?
When you become an elected member of APRA AMCOS an 11 digit IPI number will be assigned to you.
You can find your IPI in the app or Writer Portal in your Account . You can also find your IPI number in the acknowledgement of membership email you receive from APRA AMCOS once you've become a member.