How to Make a Producer Tag (Voice Tag) for Free

"Metro Boomin want some more," "Mustard on the beat, ho!" — that little phrase you hear at the top of a track is the producer tag (Voice Tag). In the world of selling beats, a tag isn't just decoration: it's a watermark that prevents unauthorized use, and it's branding that gets your name remembered.

Three ways to make one without spending money, then the audio processing, where to place it, and the BeatStars upload spec. Actually placing your tag onto the beat can be done entirely in your browser with our site's Producer Tag maker.

1. What is a producer tag, and why do you need one?

A producer tag is a short piece of audio (often 1-3 seconds) layered over the preview version of a beat. It plays three main roles.

• Preventing unauthorized use: preview audio without a tag risks being used directly in a recording. With a tag in place, you create a state where "the only way to remove it is to buy."
• Branding: amid the flood of beats on YouTube and BeatStars, a tag is a sonic logo that instantly says "whose beat this is."
• Credit as it spreads: even if preview audio gets reposted or shared, the creator's name travels with it as long as the tag is there.

The key point is that you only tag the preview audio. You do not tag the WAV/MP3/Stems delivered to buyers. For how licenses and delivered files relate, see BeatStars Licenses Explained.

2. Three ways to make a tag for free

You can prepare the tag audio itself in one of three ways.

1) Record your own voice (most recommended)

Your phone's voice memo app, or a DAW plus a mic you already own, is plenty. The biggest strengths are that the rights are 100% yours and it will never collide with another producer's. Points for recording:

• Keep the phrase short. Fit it into 1-3 seconds with a standard form like "(name) on the beat," "Prod. by (name)," or "(name)!"
• Record in a quiet room, keeping a constant distance between your mouth and the mic
• Record about 10 takes with varied energy and pick the one that's the most "you"

2) Make it with a TTS (text-to-speech) service

If you feel "my own voice is a bit much…," AI voices are handy. Here are the representative options.

• ElevenLabs: the go-to for realistic English voices. The free plan is 10,000 credits per month (one character of text = one credit), but the free plan is non-commercial only and requires attribution to ElevenLabs. To use it on beats you sell, you'll need a paid plan that includes a commercial license (Starter, around $5/month and up) (as of July 2026).
• VOICEVOX: free Japanese speech-synthesis software. The software itself is free even for commercial use, but it requires credit in the "VOICEVOX:character name" format and checking each character's terms of use.

There's just one caution when making a tag with TTS: always check the terms (whether commercial use is allowed and any credit conditions). Terms change with plan revisions, so check the latest conditions on the official site right before you use it.

3) Outsource on Fiverr and the like

If you want a pro feel with native English pronunciation, you can outsource in Fiverr's "Producer Tags / DJ Drops" category. As of July 2026, there are many gigs (listings) around $5-25, some offering delivery within 24 hours. When ordering, it goes smoothly if you convey the following.

• The phrase to read (e.g. "YOSUKE on the beat") and how the name is pronounced (a romanized spelling of the reading, etc.)
• A reference for the energy (a URL of a tag by a producer you like)
• Delivery format (WAV, plus the raw voice with no effects as a set)

Example: Fiverr's "Producer Tags" category. So you can redo the effects processing yourself, always ask for the unprocessed (dry) audio data too.

3. Audio-processing tips: making the tag "sound the part"

A voice you've just recorded surprisingly sticks out when layered over a beat. Processing it in your DAW or a waveform editor in the following order instantly gives it that "familiar" texture.

1. Noise reduction and trimming silence: tighten the silence before and after, and add short fades at the ends so it doesn't "click"
2. EQ: cut below 100 Hz to avoid low-end buildup, and lift 2-5 kHz slightly for clarity
3. Compressor: apply it fairly heavily to even out the level so it's audible even at low volume
4. Adding character: shift the pitch by ±2-4 semitones, change the formant, add a tape-style texture — turning a "voice" into a "tag." For adding texture, lo-fi plugins like RC-20 Retro Color are a classic choice
5. Space: apply a short reverb or delay (a 1/4-note echo) thinly to blend it in

For the final volume, the basic rule is a little below the beat. Too loud and the tag gets in the way of previewing; too quiet and it loses its meaning as a watermark. After export, checking the overall volume balance with Beat Lab: Dynamics Analysis is reassuring. For plugins useful for pitching the voice and making robot voices, see our Soundtoys review (Little AlterBoy).

4. Placement theory: where and how often to put it

There's a globally shared "standard" for placing tags.

• Once at the top of the track: imprint your name the moment it plays. The head of the intro or right before the beat drops is standard
• Then every 20-30 seconds: keep a tag in wherever it's cut, to prevent partial use
• Line it up to the beat: placing it at the head of a bar or a section change (verse → hook, etc.) blends in musically
• Don't get in the way of the arrangement: put it where it won't step on the beat's biggest moment (a drop or the head of the hook)

There's some adjustment — "more tags if you prioritize protection, fewer if you prioritize branding" — but when in doubt, starting with once at the top plus a 25-second interval won't steer you wrong.

5. The BeatStars upload spec and operating rules

You upload the tagged audio you made as a Tagged Preview on BeatStars. The key points of the official spec as of July 2026 are as follows.

• The upload slots are split into Untagged track (the untagged master), Tagged mp3 (the tagged preview), and Stems
• Uploading a tagged MP3 is optional. If left blank, the BeatStars system automatically tags the untagged audio and uses it for streaming (previews)
• If you upload an untagged WAV, the MP3 for delivery is generated automatically
• Buyers receive untagged files (the tag only rides on the preview side)
• From Track Preferences → Voice tags in Studio, you can register your own custom Voice Tag (by uploading an audio file, or creating one with the built-in text-to-speech) and set it as default, which is then used for auto-tagging future uploads

So BeatStars can auto-apply your tag too, but if you want to control the position and interval of the tag yourself, making your own tagged preview is the sure route. If lining up tags in a DAW and exporting every time is a hassle, the shortest path is to make a tagged MP3 with the Producer Tag maker and upload it straight into the Tagged mp3 slot. For how licenses and delivered files relate in detail, see BeatStars Licenses Explained.

File-management rules

To prevent accidents, decide on a naming convention for your exports. For example, always put whether it's tagged into the filename, like "BeatName_92BPM_Amin_TAGGED.mp3" and "BeatName_92BPM_Amin_CLEAN.wav." Accidentally uploading the tagged audio as the delivery file (or vice versa) is the most common mistake in this area. If you don't know the BPM or key, checking with the BPM & key detector before adding it to the filename makes later management easier.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Do I absolutely need a producer tag?

A. It's not mandatory, but it's strongly recommended for preview audio. Preview audio without a tag carries a higher risk of unauthorized use, where the pre-purchase audio is used directly in a song. Note that on BeatStars, uploading a tagged MP3 is optional; if you don't provide one, the system automatically tags the untagged audio for previews.

Q. Can I use a tag made with AI voice (TTS) on a commercial beat?

A. It depends on the service's terms. For example, the ElevenLabs free plan is limited to non-commercial use and requires attribution, and commercial use requires a paid plan (as of July 2026). Japan's VOICEVOX can be used commercially for free, but it requires credit in the form of "VOICEVOX:character name" and checking each character's terms. Always check each service's latest terms before use.

Q. Where in the beat should I place the tag?

A. The standard is "once at the top of the track, then repeated every 20-30 seconds." The opening tag imprints the producer's name, and the repeated tags prevent someone from cutting out a clean section. The trick is to keep the volume a little below the beat so it doesn't get too much in the way of previewing.

Q. Do I put a tag on the audio delivered to buyers too?

A. No. You only tag the preview audio. On BeatStars, buyers receive untagged WAV/MP3 (and Stems depending on the license). Always manage untagged and tagged audio as separate files.

Summary

Here are the key points of making a producer tag.

• A tag is a sonic logo for preventing unauthorized use plus branding. Put it only on preview audio
• Three ways to make one: "your own voice (free, never collides)," "TTS (checking terms is a must)," and "Fiverr outsourcing (around $5+)"
• Process in the order EQ → compression → pitch/texture → space. Keep the volume a little below the beat
• Placement is standardly once at the top plus a 20-30 second interval
• On BeatStars a tagged MP3 is optional, but using your own tag is more favorable for branding

Once you have the tag audio, all that's left is to drop it into the Producer Tag maker. Take the beat you made today out into the world with your name on it. If you want to go deeper into making beats themselves, see how to make a Boom Bap beat too.