The Data Nobody Shares
Everyone has opinions on leasing vs exclusives. We wanted actual numbers, so we surveyed 50 producers earning at least $2,000/month from beat sales.
The Revenue Split
Average across all 50 producers:
- Leases: 73% of total revenue
- Exclusives: 27% of total revenue
But here's where it gets interesting...
The Two Models
High-Volume Leasers (30 producers)
- Average monthly revenue: $3,200
- Leases: 89% of revenue
- Exclusives: 11% of revenue
- Average lease price: $34
- Monthly lease sales: 85
Exclusive-Focused (20 producers)
- Average monthly revenue: $5,800
- Leases: 48% of revenue
- Exclusives: 52% of revenue
- Average exclusive price: $850
- Monthly exclusive sales: 3.5
The Surprising Finding
Higher-earning producers weren't necessarily making more exclusives—they were making better leases at higher prices.
Top 10 earners average lease price: $67 Bottom 10 earners average lease price: $24
The Strategy Shift
Based on this data, here's what's working:
1. Premium positioning over volume
Producers charging $50+ for basic leases reported:- Fewer but more serious buyers
- Better artist relationships
- More exclusive inquiries from lease customers
2. The lease-to-exclusive pipeline
78% of exclusives came from previous lease customers. Your leases are your exclusive leads.3. Tiered lease structures
Top earners averaged 4.2 lease tiers. The unlimited/trackout tier at $200+ was the fastest-growing segment.Action Items
1. Audit your pricing—you're probably undercharging 2. Build relationships with lease buyers 3. Create a clear upgrade path to exclusives 4. Focus on quality over quantity
The beat market is more competitive than ever, but the data shows there's still significant money for producers who position correctly.
