The questions people actually ask about ghost production, answered without the sales pitch. If you are new to the subject, start with what a ghost producer is.
The basics
What is ghost production?
Ghost production is when a producer creates a track that someone else releases under their own artist name. The producer is paid and transfers the rights; the buyer becomes the legal owner. It is a standard work-for-hire arrangement, common across electronic music.
Is ghost production legal?
Yes. Copyright can be sold and transferred like any other property, and work-for-hire is normal practice in music, film and advertising. What makes it legitimate is the paperwork: a written agreement transferring the rights, and a seller who genuinely owns what they are selling.
Is ghost production the same as buying a beat?
No. A leased beat is licensed to many buyers at once and the producer keeps ownership. An exclusive ghost production is sold to one buyer, removed from sale, and the ownership transfers. The prices differ by an order of magnitude for that reason.
Why do artists use ghost producers?
Mostly time. A touring artist has a release schedule to feed and very little studio time. Labels also commission tracks in subgenres their in-house producers do not write well. It solves a scheduling problem rather than a talent one.
Buying a track
What do I get when I buy a track?
The mastered WAV, the unmastered mixdown, every stem separated by instrument, the MIDI files, and a written agreement transferring the copyright to you. Some listings also include the original project file.
Can I release it under my own name?
Yes. That is the purpose of an exclusive purchase. You can release it under your own artist name, sign it to a label, and register it as your own work.
Do I owe royalties to the producer?
No. The purchase price is the entire payment. You keep 100% of the publishing and master royalties from that point on.
Can someone else buy the same track later?
No. The track is removed from the catalogue when your purchase completes and is never listed again.
What if the price is too high for me?
You can send the producer an offer below the asking price. They can accept, decline or counter it. Offers open a set period after a track is listed, and each producer chooses whether to accept them.
Can I request changes to a track before releasing it?
Yes. You can order paid customisation from the producer, which opens a direct conversation about the changes. You also receive every stem and the MIDI, so you or your own engineer can make changes independently.
What currency are prices in?
All prices are shown and charged in US dollars.
Selling as a producer
Do I need followers or releases to sell?
No. Buyers judge the track, not your profile. A producer with no public presence sells on exactly the same terms as one with an audience.
When do I get paid?
Once the sale completes and the files are delivered to the buyer, your share is released. There are no royalties afterwards: the exclusive price is the whole payment.
Can I sell under a fake name?
Yes, and most producers do. An alias keeps commercial work separate from your own artist project. Identity verification is handled privately for payouts and is never shown to buyers.
Can I use samples in tracks I sell?
Royalty-free drums and one-shots are generally fine. What you cannot sell is a melody built from a pre-made melodic loop, or anything with an uncleared sample of a commercial record, because you would be transferring rights you do not hold.
Why would a submission be rejected?
The most common reason by far is a melody taken from a pre-made loop rather than written. After that: missing stems or MIDI, uncleared samples, and mixes that are not actually finished.
Can I sell the same track somewhere else too?
No. Exclusivity is what the buyer is paying for. A track listed here must not be listed elsewhere, and once it sells you cannot release or reuse it, because the rights are no longer yours.
Can I take on custom work instead of selling finished tracks?
Yes. You can offer paid production services, where a client commissions specific work such as a mix, a master or a full track to a brief.
What producers keep on a sale
Because the exact figures change when the platform updates its rates, they are worth stating plainly rather than burying in an answer above. Producers keep 70% of a sale at Beginner level, rising to 85% at Legend. The platform commission is the remainder, from 30% down to 15%.
Your current rate is always shown in your producer dashboard, and it improves automatically as you sell more.
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