Type Beat vs. Custom Beat: Which One Actually Fits Your Song

In short: a type beat is an instrumental made in the style of a well-known artist (for example, a “Burna Boy type beat”) that a producer sells online so any artist can use it in their own song by buying a license. The artist’s name only describes the style: the beat isn’t theirs and wasn’t made with them. Listen to my type beats →

Every artist eventually hits the question: keep buying type beats, or start commissioning custom production? They're not a strict upgrade path from one to the other — they solve different problems, and plenty of working artists use both, for different songs.

What a type beat actually is

A type beat is an instrumental made in the style of an artist or a sound (hence the name — "Drake type beat," "dark trap type beat") and sold non-exclusively to whoever licenses it. It's ready today, previewable in full before you buy, and priced to be accessible — because the producer is selling the same instrumental to multiple artists over time, not building it around one specific voice.

Type beat examples

When you see “Burna Boy type beat” or “Wizkid type beat,” the beat sits in the lane of those artists’ afrobeat. “Olivia Rodrigo type beat” or “Lewis Capaldi type beat” point to emotional pop with piano or guitar. “Drake type beat” or “Travis Scott type beat” lean toward trap and hip hop. You can hear examples of each in my catalog: Burna Boy, Wizkid, Olivia Rodrigo, Lewis Capaldi, Drake and Travis Scott.

What a custom beat actually is

A custom beat is commissioned specifically for you — built from a conversation about your voice, your reference tracks, the exact tempo and key that fits how you write, sometimes built around a topline or melody idea you already have. It doesn't exist until you ask for it, and the price reflects a producer's time spent building one thing for one artist instead of one thing sold repeatedly.

When a type beat is the right call

• You want to write and release today, not in three weeks
• You're still finding your sound and don't want to lock in a custom direction yet
• Budget matters — a type beat costs a fraction of a custom commission
• You write well against instrumentals that already exist, rather than needing one shaped around a specific idea first

When a custom beat is worth it

• You already have a clear vision — a melody, a topline, a specific reference — that a pre-made catalog isn't going to match
• You want a sound that's genuinely yours, not shared with anyone else who licensed the same type beat
• The song is a planned single or centerpiece track worth the extra investment and turnaround time
• You've been writing to type beats for a while and keep hitting the same limitation: nothing quite fits what's in your head

The middle path most people don't know about

Buying exclusive rights to an existing type beat sits between the two — you're not commissioning something from scratch, but once you own exclusive rights, no one else can use that instrumental again, which gets you a lot of the "this is genuinely mine" feeling of a custom beat, usually for less than a full custom commission costs, and without the wait.

The realistic answer for most artists

Type beats for volume — writing often, releasing often, building a catalog without draining a budget. Custom (or exclusive rights on a type beat) for the songs that matter most — the planned single, the project centerpiece. Most working independent artists use both, and there's no rule that says you have to pick one lane forever.

Laruny's catalog covers type beats across afrobeat, trap, hip hop, R&B and pop, with exclusive rights available on select beats — and custom work is always a message away. Get a custom beat →

Frequently asked questions

Is it legal to use a type beat?

Yes, if you buy a license. The license is the producer’s permission to use the beat in your song. The artist’s name in the title only describes the style: in your song you shouldn’t present it as a collaboration with that artist. How to use a type beat legally →

Can I upload a song made with a type beat to Spotify?

Yes. All my licenses let you upload it to Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube. What changes is the cap on monetized streams: Basic covers 150,000, Premium 350,000 and Unlimited has no cap.

Which license do I need?

To start or test a song, Basic. If you’re going to promote it and think it can pass 150,000 streams, Premium or Unlimited. If you want nobody else to use the beat, Exclusive rights. Compare the licenses →

Do I have to credit the producer?

Yes. Every license asks you to put “Prod. by Laruny” in the description or in the song credits.