Blog
Notes from the booth
Product updates, beat-selling tutorials, and producer tactics. Older posts were restored from the BeatStore archive.
- How to Auto-Fill Beat License Contracts on Your Own WordPress StoreStop writing beat license contracts by hand. Here's how to auto-fill a license PDF with the buyer's name, beat, and price on your own WordPress store.
- Lease vs Exclusive Beat Licenses: A Plain-English Guide for ProducersLease vs exclusive beat licenses explained for producers: what each one gives the artist, what you keep, and how to set up license tiers on your own store.
- How to Protect Your Beat Previews From Being Ripped (What Works, What Doesn't)Worried about people ripping your beats? Here's what really protects your previews: voice tags, lower-quality preview files, and expiring links on WordPress.
- Multiple Players & Playlists on Your Beat StoreRun more than one BeatStore player on your WordPress site. Curate separate playlists for beats, kits, or your own releases, then embed each on its own page.
- Choosing the Right WordPress Host for a Beat Store (Cloudways)Hosting for a beat store: audio uploads, speed, SSL, and backups. Why BeatStore sites use Cloudways instead of cheap shared hosting.
- How to Make a Beat-Selling Website with WordPressBuild a beat store on WordPress you control: player, licenses, checkout, hosting, and why a self-hosted stack beats renting a marketplace template.
- Best WordPress Hosting for Beat Producers: Cloudways for Beat StoresWhy beat producers should skip weak shared hosting and run BeatStore on Cloudways: media uploads, speed, SSL, backups, and a clean path to your own store.
- Do I need a Music Publisher as a Beatmaker?What a music publisher does for beatmakers: royalties, licensing, copyright, and admin. A short guide on whether you need one.
- Licenses and Contracts for WooCommerce Version 1.2.4Licenses & Contracts for WooCommerce 1.2.4 added producer name and alias, a publishing percentage field, and a required agree-to-license checkbox.
- BeatStore Nulled: The Hidden Risks of Using Pirated WordPress Plugins and ThemesNulled BeatStore copies are pirated plugins and themes. This post covers the risks and why a real license is the safer path.
- Licenses and Contracts for Easy Digital Downloads ReleasedArchive: Licenses and Contracts for Easy Digital Downloads 1.0 added custom contracts and automatic PDF delivery. The current plugin is BeatStore Contracts.
- Erick Sermon – Rhythm RouletteErick Sermon picks 3 records, finds a sample, and creates a beat on the spot in Mass Appeal’s Rhythm Roulette.
- Official BeatStore WordPress PluginThis week we released the Official BeatStore WordPress plugin. Here is a quick overview of the plugin features: Installs on any self-hosted WordPress Website Up
- Web Hosting for BeatStore (Cloudways)Managed cloud hosting we recommend for BeatStore WordPress sites. Fast setup, solid performance for audio stores, 24/7 support. Affiliate partner link.
- Hi-Tek Making A Beat From ScratchLegendary producer Hi-Tek making a beat in the studio — studio footage from the Hi-Teknology²: The Chip era (Babygrande Records).
- New Support PageThe new support page brings together Videos, Frequently Asked Questions and Email Support into one page. We designed the new support page to be like a Support P
- WAV vs MP3 for Music Producers: Which Format to Export, Sell, and StreamWAV vs MP3 for beatmakers: file size, quality, and what to send for a lease, an exclusive, or a mix.
- New Version of BeatStoreArchive note from the hosted BeatStore era about a site redesign, an embedded store, and a site editor. That hosted network has shut down.
- How to Get Placements as a Music ProducerHow music producers get placements: build a local network, keep music ready, and put beats where decision makers can hear them.
- Licenses & Contracts for Easy Digital DownloadsArchive page for the retired Licenses & Contracts for Easy Digital Downloads plugin. BeatStore Contracts is the current PDF add-on.
- Licenses & Contracts for WooCommerceArchive page for the retired Licenses & Contracts for WooCommerce plugin. BeatStore Contracts is the current PDF add-on.
- Cookin’ Soul making a classic Hip-Hop Beat (Soul Jazz 90s Boom Bap)Cookin Soul uses the MPC and samples vinyl to make a classic hip-hop beat — soul-jazz flavor and 90s boom bap.
- How J Dilla humanized his MPC3000Vox breaks down how J Dilla used the Akai MPC3000 to create his signature off-grid, human feel — and why that approach still shapes hip-hop production.
- Alchemist – Secret Sauce (Behind the Beats Video + Alchemist Drum Kit)The Alchemist breaks down his beat-making approach in this Behind the Beats style session, plus an exclusive drum kit from Drum Broker.
- Music Producer Life Hacks IIProducer habits: finish one beat at a time, learn session recording, use loops and kits, and back up your projects.
- Plugin Version 2.0 (Beta) ReleasedArchive: Beat Store WordPress Plugin 2.0 beta added a new player and stronger WooCommerce support. Update from the Plugins screen.
- Bitwig Studio: Are you using it?A 2020 note on Bitwig Studio, a DAW for creating and performing music, with a link to the maker's own overview.
- Player DemosTry live BeatStore Widget 2 and Widget 3 embeds from real producer storefronts.
- Light Theme now available for Beat Store WidgetThe Beat Store widget got a light theme. A short note from the hosted BeatStore era on switching the player between dark and light styles.
- New Exclusive Theme: SoundStarArchive: SoundStar was an exclusive theme for hosted BeatStore members, with a single-page template and custom fonts.
- New Feature: Set Widget HeightArchive post: the hosted BeatStore widget let producers set a custom player height and width. Today's player is the BeatStore WordPress plugin.
- New Feature: SoundCloud API IntegrationArchive post on the original BeatStore SoundCloud integration. BeatStore 3.0.14+ supports SoundCloud previews again via official OAuth credentials.
- Producer Dashboard UpdateArchive video note on a work-in-progress update to the hosted BeatStore producer dashboard, asking members for feedback.
- 5 Plugins You Should Know (Pensado’s Place)Pensado's Place video: Dave Pensado covers five mixing plugins audio engineers should know.
- AutoPlay: New FeatureArchive post: AutoPlay on/off for the hosted BeatStore player widget. For the current WordPress plugin, see the BeatStore player docs.
- Buying Beats without PayPalBuyers do not need a PayPal account to purchase beats. The seller still needs a verified PayPal Business account.
- 5 Things to Never Say to a Music Producer or Studio EngineerFive lines producers and studio engineers hear too often, starting with requests for free beats and unpaid collaborations.
- Bedroom Super ProducerA short note on J.T. Cloutier's Bedroom Super Producer book about making a living by selling music online.
- Finding Inspiration for BeatsWays producers get past beat block: listen outside your genre, try a new instrument, or learn a mixing move you have not used.
- How to Re-Order Beats with a PluginHow to change the order beats appear in the BeatStore player. Archive tip; in BeatStore 4.x use Playlists & order or drag-and-drop sorting.