02 · The rent trap
Marketplaces didn't drop their cut.
They repackaged it.
0% commission sounds great until you read the invoice: monthly subscriptions, buyer-side fees, upload ceilings. On their platform you're not a store owner. You're a tenant.
BeatStars
- ×Paid plans run $10–$50 every month
- ×A 12% “service fee” is added to your buyer's total on marketplace sales
- ×Stop paying and your storefront goes dark
Airbit
- ×Free tier caps your catalog at 20 beats
- ×Paid tiers of ~$8–$16/mo just to raise the ceiling
- ×0% commission, but the store still lives on their rails
Traktrain
- ×Invite-only: you apply for the privilege
- ×A curated catalog means competing for placement
- ×Extra fees kick in past upload thresholds
Competitor terms as published, July 2026. They change. Ours fit on a napkin: your WordPress, your catalog, 0% commission.