What is a type beat?
A type beat is a beat made in the style of a known artist and named after them, like "Nemzzz type beat" or "J. Cole type beat". It is how artists find a sound they already know they want, and how producers make their beats findable. The artist in the name has nothing to do with the beat.
Short answer: "type beat" is a label, not a collaboration. A Nemzzz type beat is a beat in the style people associate with Nemzzz, made by an independent producer. It is legal as long as the beat copies a style and not actual music, and you use it like any other beat: with a licence, under your own name, with the real producer credited.
By TH6 · Updated
What the name means
The name describes the sound, nothing more. A J. Cole type beat is a beat that could fit a J. Cole record: the tempo, the mood, the kind of drums. The artist in the name has nothing to do with the beat and has not used it.
You will often see two names joined with an x, like "Nemzzz x Kidwild type beat". That means the beat fits both styles, usually because people look for the same sound under both names.
Why beats are named after artists
Because that is how artists search. Nobody types "dark melodic beat, 146 BPM, A sharp minor" into YouTube. They type the name of an artist whose sound they want, and producers name their beats to match. The habit took off on YouTube in the 2010s and is now the standard way beats are listed, on YouTube and in beat stores alike.
For you that is useful: a name gets you into the right lane in one search. Just remember it is a label written by the producer, not a guarantee. Two "J. Cole type beats" from two producers can sound nothing alike.
Is it legal?
Using an artist’s name to describe a style is common practice, and it describes the sound without claiming a connection. A style itself is not protected by copyright. Tempo, a drum pattern, sliding 808s and a dark mood are free for anyone to use.
What is protected is the actual music: a melody, a recognisable part of an existing song, a sample of someone’s record, their voice. A type beat should sound like the lane, not like a copy. At TH6 every sound is original or licensed, so there is nothing of someone else’s record in the beats.
Free type beats and what "free" means
On YouTube many type beats are labelled [FREE]. Read the description before you use one. "Free for non-profit" usually means you may write and post a demo, but the moment you put the song on Spotify or earn from it, you need to buy a lease. "Free for profit" means the producer lets you release and earn without paying, often on the condition that you credit them.
Even then the terms are often one line in a video description, not a licence on your name, and a description can be changed later. Some producers also register their beats in YouTube Content ID, so your video gets claimed anyway. If the song matters to you, a written licence is cheap insurance.
How to use a type beat
- Use it as a starting point, not a costume. The beat puts you in a lane; your voice and your writing make the song yours.
- Search by more than one name. The same beat often fits two or three artists’ styles.
- Check the tempo and the key. They say more about whether a beat fits your voice than the name does.
- Read the licence. A type beat is sold like any other beat: a lease with limits, or an exclusive.
Type beats on your release
- Leave the artist’s name out of your song title. Distributors such as DistroKid reject titles like "My Song (Drake Type Beat)".
- Do not list the artist from the name as a featured artist or producer. They had nothing to do with it.
- Credit the producer who actually made the beat. For a TH6 beat that is prod. TH6.
The full checklist is in the guide to releasing a song on a leased beat.
Type beats at TH6
The TH6 catalogue has three lanes, each with its own page: Nemzzz and Kidwild type beats for hoodtrap, Kehlani and Cash Cobain type beats for sexy drill, and J. Cole type beats for hip-hop. Each page lists the beats with their tempo and key, so you can check the fit before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
Can I say "prod. by" the artist in the type beat name?
No. The artist in the name did not produce it. Credit the actual producer; for TH6 beats that is prod. TH6.
Will the artist in the name hear my song?
Not because of the beat. The name only describes the style.
Is a type beat lower quality than a custom beat?
Not necessarily. The difference is exclusivity and whether it was made around your song, not the quality of the production.
Is it legal to sell type beats?
Yes, as long as the beat is original. The name describes a style, and a style is not protected. Copying an actual melody or sampling a record without clearance is what gets beats taken down.
What does free for profit mean?
That the producer lets you release and earn from a song on the beat without paying, often if you credit them. Check the exact terms and keep a copy, because on YouTube they are usually one line in a description that can change.