The rights tiers, explained

When a work is sold in the Marketplace, the buyer isn't just buying a file — they're buying a right to use the work in certain ways. There are six rights (called tiers). The seller chooses which ones to offer and prices each one. This page is the plain-language version of what each right means, for buyers and sellers alike.

These are the site's standard terms, written for musicians, not lawyers. The exact wording recorded on a sale is the wording in the seller's listing at the moment of purchase, and that snapshot is what both sides agreed to.

1. Full ownership

The buyer owns the work outright.

• The buyer may use it, change it, record and release it, perform it, and resell it — any medium, worldwide, forever.
• The writer keeps no rights in the work and is owed no credit and no further payment.
• The listing closes when this sells. Ownership can only change hands once — after this sale, the seller no longer owns the work and can't sell any right to it again.

This is the "buyout." Price it like selling the song itself, because that is what it is.

2. Ownership, credit the writer

The buyer owns the work — and the writer's name stays on it.

• Everything in Full ownership applies: the buyer owns it, can use, change, record, release, and perform it, with no further payment owed.
• One condition travels with the work: the writer must be credited by name wherever the work is published or released — song credits, liner notes, the release's credits listing.
• The listing closes when this sells.

Choose this over Full ownership when you want the work's future, but you also want your name attached to it wherever it goes.

3. Exclusive use, no ownership

Only this buyer may use the work; the writer keeps ownership.

• The buyer may perform it, record and release their own recordings of it, and use it in their projects — and the writer will not sell or license the same rights to anyone else.
• The writer keeps ownership of the work itself. The buyer can't resell the work or pass the rights on.
• The listing closes when this sells — that's what makes it exclusive.

This is the classic exclusive beat license, widened to any kind of work.

4. Performance and recording, no ownership

Perform it live, record it, release it — the writer keeps ownership.

• The buyer may perform the work live and record and release their own recording of it, including selling and streaming that recording.
• The writer keeps ownership and can sell the same right to other buyers — it is not exclusive.
• The buyer can't resell the work itself or license it on to anyone else.

For most working musicians this is the workhorse tier: it's the right you need to put a song on your album or play it on stage.

5. Performance only

Live performance rights — no recording.

• The buyer may perform the work live.
• They may not record, release, or sell a recording of it.
• The writer keeps ownership and can sell this right again.

Good for covers-style arrangements, live-only material, and trying a work out on stage before committing to recording rights.

6. Video / project use

Use the work inside a video, film, game, podcast, or stream.

• The buyer may put the work in a project and publish and monetize that project.
• The writer keeps ownership and can sell this right again — it is not exclusive.
• This covers the work's use inside the project; it doesn't make the buyer the owner, and the buyer can't resell the work on its own.

The pick for background music, theme material, game loops, and stream audio.

Which should I offer? (for sellers)

• Want repeat income? Offer the non-exclusive tiers (4, 5, 6). They never close the listing.
• Willing to let the work go for the right price? Add the closing tiers (1, 2, 3) — priced like the one-time events they are. Many sellers offer both: cheap non-exclusive rights for everyday buyers, and a serious price on ownership for the buyer who wants it all.
• Care about your name travelling with the work? Ownership with credit (2) instead of, or priced below, Full ownership (1).
• Not sure? Start with tiers 4–6 only. You can edit the listing and add closing tiers later; you can't take back an ownership sale.

Which should I buy? (for buyers)

• Recording a song for release → Performance and recording (4).
• Playing it live only → Performance only (5).
• Scoring a video, game, or stream → Video / project use (6).
• You want to be the only one using it → Exclusive use (3).
• You want to own it outright → Full ownership (1), or Ownership with credit (2) if the writer's name staying attached is fine with you.

See also: Selling a work · Buying a work · After an ownership or exclusive sale