If you’ve ever searched for beats online, the term type beat will not be new to you. This naming practice has become the standard convention for labelling pre-made beats. So, what exactly is a type beat, and why do they matter?

What is a Type Beat?

At their core, type beats are instrumentals made in the style of a particular artist, genre, or mood. For example, a “Drake Type Beat” would contain elements and production styles commonly associated with Drake’s music. Of course, high-profile artists such as Drake are associated with a wide variety of beats from moody trap bangers to party EDM anthems. As such, the term “type beat” serves primarily as a guideline and a way to leverage the artist’s name for better searchability.

Drake type beat with obligatory Drake type illustration


Another “type beat” option is to use a specific style or genre. For example “Dark Trap Type Beat” or “Boom-Bap Hip-Hop type beat”. These tend to be slightly more specific and predictable as they relate to a defined sound or style.

Type beats are inspired by the production techniques and sound choices of specific artists or genres but are not direct copies or remakes of existing tracks. They instead aim to capture the essence of an artist’s style. This makes type beats especially appealing to up-and-coming artists who often aim to create music inspired by their favourite artists. They allow artists to search and use suitable beats without the cost or complexity of commissioning custom-made tracks.

For beatmakers, type beats serve as a valuable tool, offering a way to capitalize on trends in the music industry. When a particular artist or sound gains popularity, producers can create beats that reflect that style, making their work more discoverable and appealing to potential buyers.

Why Are Type Beats Popular?

The popularity of type beats lies in their accessibility and specificity. For artists, finding the perfect beat can feel overwhelming due to the sheer volume of options available. Type beats simplify this process by enabling artists to focus on a particular sound or style that best captures their unique identity.

By searching for an instrumental labelled after their favourite artist—such as “Lil Baby Type Beat” or “J. Cole Type Beat”—artists can efficiently find something that fits their musical vision.

Beat-selling platforms like YouTube, BeatStars, and Airbit have helped to popularise and fuel the proliferation of type beats. A quick search for “type beat” on YouTube yields endless results. And while the search algorithms generally show the most popular beats of any particular “type” it may be prudent to dig a little deeper. This is because the most popular results will almost certainly be used by a high number of other artists. To acquire slightly more unique beats you should consider using different search filters like recently uploaded.



For beatmakers, “Type Beats” create an opportunity to use SEO (Search Engine Optimization) strategies to target a global audience. You may well have to be clever in your exact wording and try to jump on emerging or newly trending terms as competition for the big ones like Drake type beat will be intense.

Summary

Type beats are more than just a marketing ploy—they’re a useful tactic to help unite artists with the right beat for their project. Type beats also reflect emerging trends in music. When an established artist drops a hit single, beatmakers often respond by creating instrumentals inspired by its signature sound. For instance, the amount of Country music inspired Trap beats went through the roof after Beyonce released her Cowboy Carter LP. Conversely, if a brand new artist breaks through with a hit record beatmakers will be scrambling to jump on that artists name to claim the real estate and leverage more search results.

All of this ensures that type beats remain relevant and continue to attract interest from artists looking to align with current music trends. In today’s trend-driven era, where social media platforms like TikTok play a significant role in music discovery and promotion, staying in tune with popular styles is essential.

This all helps to keep type beats relevant and ensures a steady flow of interest from artists who want to ride the wave of popular music styles. One thing is for sure. type beats aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. So, What’s Your Type?


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