BeatStars vs Airbit: Pricing, Fees & Features Compared (2026)

When you start researching how to sell beats internationally, you'll inevitably run into the question: "BeatStars or Airbit — which should I use?" Both are global beat-selling platforms, and a search turns up many old comparison articles whose pricing and fee information conflicts with today's reality.

So in this article, based on the official information on beatstars.com and airbit.com as of July 7, 2026, we compare plans, fees, features (Pro Page / Infinity Store, distribution, publishing) and market size, then wrap up with a "this type of person should pick this" conclusion by use case.

To give the conclusion up front: choose BeatStars if you're picking on marketplace reach and the depth of surrounding services, and Airbit if you want to try for free or prioritize embedding on your own site. Let's look at the reasons in order.

1. Where both platforms stand in 2026

BeatStars: the world's largest beat marketplace

Founded in 2008, BeatStars is one of the world's largest beat-selling platforms. According to reporting from the industry outlet Music Business Worldwide, as of November 2025, cumulative payouts to creators had surpassed $400 million. In terms of scale, it remains at the top of the industry.

For the basic getting-started steps and how the screens work, see our separate article, "How to Start Selling Beats on BeatStars."

Airbit: a veteran platform still running under BandLab

Airbit (formerly MyFlashStore) is a veteran going back to around 2006, and it was acquired by BandLab Technologies (the company behind the BandLab music-making app) in 2023. You may see people ask "Is Airbit finished?", but as of July 2026 it continues to operate as Airbit SG Pte. Ltd. If anything, updates have kept coming since the acquisition: a 0% marketplace seller commission (announced September 2023), login integration with BandLab accounts, and iOS/Android apps.

According to its official site, Airbit has over 800,000 users, more than 2 million beats sold cumulatively, and over $50 million in cumulative producer earnings (as stated on the official site as of July 7, 2026).

2. Plan comparison

Here's the biggest difference first. The structure is that BeatStars is paid plans only (with a free trial), while Airbit has a free plan.

*Airbit's free-plan upload cap of "20 tracks" reflects the September 2023 official announcement (the current cap should be reconfirmed officially). Because Airbit's pricing page is dynamic, the Platinum price was confirmed from the official Help Center (help.airbit.com) and the official sell page (airbit.com/sell-beats) on July 7, 2026. BeatStars prices taken from the official Help the same day. Prices may vary during sales.

What's interesting is that the ranking flips when you look at annual cost. Even though BeatStars is "paid," the cheapest Starter is $19.99/year (about $1.7/month), which is far cheaper to start with than Airbit Platinum's $95.88/year. On the other hand, because Airbit has a completely free Basic plan, if you "want to try first without paying a cent," Airbit is the only option.

3. Fee comparison: both charge 0% selling fees — the difference is the "buyer's side"

There was a time when people said "Airbit's free plan has high fees," but the situation has changed.

To summarize, the seller keeps 100% of sales on both (excluding payment processing fees). In September 2023 Airbit announced it was "cutting the seller commission from 40% to 0%, with a 0% buyer-side fee too," giving it a slight lead on fee transparency. BeatStars, meanwhile, adds a 12% service fee on the buyer's side at Marketplace purchase (the seller can be set to absorb it).

That said, this 12% can also be read as "the buyer paying a usage fee for BeatStars' huge audience machine." Since it doesn't directly affect the seller's take-home, the reality is that you don't need to decide superiority on fees alone.

4. Feature comparison: Pro Page / Infinity Store, distribution, publishing

Your own shop site: Pro Page vs Infinity Store

Both offer a feature to "have your own store outside the marketplace."

• BeatStars "Pro Page": Your own dedicated shop site. The Professional plan supports custom domains. You can also place an embedded player on an existing site.
• Airbit "Infinity Store": A highly customizable store for Platinum members. It can be used as a full site, supports custom-domain connection (with SSL) and embedding on an existing site. Airbit officially states that sales through the store carry 0% commission.

Airbit has traditionally been rated highly for the flexibility and customizability of its embedded store, making it well-suited to "people who want their own website to be the main battleground."

Streaming distribution

BeatStars has a distribution service called BeatStars Distribution that lets you release tracks to major streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music. Being able to complete both beat sales and distribution within the same platform is a big strength (check the official site for coverage and pricing).

By contrast, Airbit itself has no DSP distribution feature. If you want distribution, you'd use a separate distribution service alongside it.

YouTube integration (Content ID): as of 2026, Airbit is the one offering it

Content ID-type services that "place ads on YouTube videos using your beat and collect the revenue" have diverged between the two.

• Airbit: Offers monetization via YouTube Content ID (YouTube Monetization). It's application-based (the official guide says even free members can apply, and applying requires 10+ beats in the account), and once approved you receive 80% of ad revenue. Payments are monthly via PayPal.
• BeatStars: The "Content ID & More" offered for the Professional plan, according to the official Help, stopped accepting new signups on December 8, 2025, and registered tracks were removed from YouTube, Meta and TikTok by January 14, 2026. The company says it is "exploring a stronger Content ID solution," but as of July 7, 2026 no successor service has been announced.

For people who value ad revenue from secondary use of their beats, this is currently a point where Airbit is a step ahead. Note that Airbit also advises that you can register with only one Content ID provider (registering with multiple causes conflicts on YouTube and prevents monetization), so if you use both platforms, pick a single provider.

Publishing (rights management / royalty collection)

This is BeatStars' territory. BeatStars Publishing is a publishing-administration service in partnership with Sony Music Publishing that handles copyright registration and collection of royalties worldwide (streaming, radio, live performance and so on) on your behalf. The official site states a creator 80 / BeatStars 20 split. A system that also looks after "the income beyond" when your beat is used by a famous artist is something Airbit doesn't have.

Feature comparison summary

*An overview based on both companies' official sites and Help as of July 7, 2026. Check the official sites for detailed plan conditions.

Note that the concept of licenses (non-exclusive Lease / exclusive) and customizing contract templates is a shared world across both platforms. The mechanism itself is explained in detail in "The Complete BeatStars License Guide."

5. Market size and reach: the gap in numbers

On the question of "which marketplace makes you easier to find," the numbers tell a clear story.

• BeatStars: Cumulative payouts to creators of over $400 million (reported as of November 2025). Registered creators number in the millions, and listed beats are said to exceed 10 million.
• Airbit: Cumulative producer earnings of over $50 million and over 800,000 users (as stated on the official site as of July 2026).

On a cumulative-payout basis there's roughly an 8x gap, and in terms of "discoverability" within the marketplace — the base of potential visitors — BeatStars is overwhelming. On the flip side, though, this also means BeatStars has an order of magnitude more competing producers. On either platform, building your own external funnel from YouTube and elsewhere remains the key to sales.

6. Conclusion: recommendations by use case

Here's the comparison wrapped up by type.

Want to "get found" and sell in the marketplace → BeatStars

The base of reach is different. Considering inflow from Type Beat searches, a track record of over $400 million in transactions, and buyer-side recognition, the shortcut for a beginner to make their first sale is BeatStars. You can start from the $19.99/year Starter, so the cost barrier is fairly low too.

Want to try without spending a cent → Airbit (Basic)

A free plan with 0% selling fees is, as of 2026, a combination only Airbit offers. It's a reasonable entry point for people who "want a free feel for it because they're not sure they'll stick with it."

Want your own site/brand as the main battleground → Airbit (Platinum) or BeatStars (Professional)

Infinity Store's customizability and 0% fees are Airbit's strengths. It pairs well with people who already have a WordPress site or portfolio. BeatStars Professional's Pro Page + custom domain can play the same role.

Want everything end-to-end through distribution and publishing → BeatStars

If you're looking beyond beat sales to streaming distribution (Distribution) and royalty collection (Publishing) for your own tracks, BeatStars — with its full ecosystem — is the clear choice.

If you're unsure, "start with BeatStars as your main and add Airbit when you need it" is the order with the fewest pitfalls. Whichever you choose, optimizing metadata such as titles and tags is essential, so use the Beat Lab: Type Beat Title & Tag Generator and the Producer Tag Maker to streamline the work.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Which one can I start for free?

A. As of July 2026, the one with a free plan is Airbit (the free Basic plan). BeatStars' seller plans are paid only, but there is a 7-day free trial, and the cheapest Starter plan is a low-cost $19.99/year. Please check each official site for the latest plan details.

Q. Which has lower selling fees?

A. The seller commission is 0% on both, so you keep 100% of your sales (PayPal/Stripe payment processing fees apply separately). However, purchases through the BeatStars Marketplace add a 12% service fee on the buyer's side, whereas Airbit states that the buyer-side fee is also 0%.

Q. I heard Airbit was acquired — is it still usable?

A. Yes. Airbit was acquired by BandLab Technologies in 2023 and now continues to operate as Airbit SG Pte. Ltd. Since the acquisition, updates such as a 0% marketplace seller commission, BandLab account integration and mobile apps have been rolled out (as of July 2026).

Q. Can I use BeatStars and Airbit together?

A. Yes, you can. However, you must manage your inventory and sales status so you don't breach a contract — for example continuing to sell a beat elsewhere after selling it under an exclusive license. It also doubles the operational effort, so beginners should focus on one first and consider using both once things are running.

Summary

BeatStars and Airbit have both entered the "0% selling fee" era, and a simple fee comparison no longer separates them. What decides it is the fit with your own strategy: BeatStars for reach and surrounding services (distribution, publishing), or Airbit for its free plan and the freedom of its embedded store.

If you're serious about making beat sales your work, starting with the larger-market BeatStars is the standard play. The concrete signup steps and initial setup are gathered in "How to Start Selling Beats on BeatStars," so if this article settled your direction, move on to the next step.