What to check before you buy a ghost track

You can tell a serious seller from a reseller in about four questions. Here are eight, in the order worth asking them.

1. Has this been sold before, and can it be sold again?

The answer must be no to both, in writing. Anything softer means you are buying a licence.

2. Has it ever been public?

A track that has sat on SoundCloud, gone out in a promo pool or circulated in a DJ's inbox is not unreleased, whatever the listing says. Ask directly.

3. Can I hear all of it before I pay?

A thirty-second snippet hides the arrangement, which is where most tracks fall apart. If you cannot hear how it develops, you cannot judge it.

Here you audition the full record on two decks with EQ and a crossfader before you buy — the Booth exists so you can hear a track the way you would actually play it.

4. What exactly am I getting?

Master, pre-master, radio edit, stems, project file, artwork. Get the list before paying, not after.

5. Are the samples clean?

Royalty-free, licensed with proof, or original. And vocals must be transferable, which is a separate question that catches people out.

6. Do both copyrights transfer?

Composition and master, named separately in the document. One without the other is half a deal.

7. What happens if there is a claim?

A seller who has thought about this has an indemnity clause. A seller who has not will go quiet.

8. Who am I actually buying from?

A platform that will not tell you how it vets producers is telling you it does not.

If a listing answers all eight without you having to chase, the price is probably fair. The catalogue is here if you want to test that against ours.