So, you want to make a fortune selling loops. Well, maybe not a fortune, but at least enough to buy a burrito without checking the price. But first, you need to figure out where to sell loops, drum kits and other your stuff. And if BeatStars doesn’t feel like the right place, what other platforms can help you keep both your buyers and your wallet happy? Let’s dive in.
But why not just use BeatStars to sell sound kits?
First off, it’s a bit inconvenient. BeatStars doesn’t let you embed YouTube videos on product pages, and you’re stuck with a 500-character limit for descriptions. Plus, there’s no way to organize your products into categories, even on the Pro Page.
On the bright side, the recent BeatStars Promo update now lets you promote your sound kits in the marketplace (which you couldn’t do before), so that’s a win. But if you’re serious about selling sample packs and want a proper storefront, you’ll probably need something more flexible than what BeatStars offers. So keep reading.
Gumroad
Gumroad makes it easy to sell digital products and subscriptions, courses, e-books and other stuff. So if you’re looking for where to sell loops, sample packs, or drum kits, it is a solid option. The platform has everything you need — from discount codes and email marketing to custom orders and even tips from your fans. They’ve also recently added audio previews to product pages, which makes it even more convenient for selling loops and sample packs.
I’ve personally used Gumroad and was pretty happy with it. Honestly, I think I’ve tried out almost every feature they offer. Their email marketing tools are a real game-changer: the platform doesn’t limit the number of subscribers on your email list and lets you set up automated emails triggered by actions like completing a purchase or abandoning a cart.
The platform’s design, however, is not the best. You can customize the structure of your storefront, add new pages and sections, but you can’t really change the overall look, which tends to be the same for all sellers. But your products can be integrated with WordPress using the Gumpress plugin, which might solve that problem.
Gumroad pricing and terms
Gumroad takes a 10% cut of every sale, and there’s no way to reduce it with a subscription because, well, there isn’t one. Payments can be processed through PayPal and Stripe, and in many countries, Gumroad can send funds directly to your bank account. There’s also a feature called “purchasing power parity” that adjusts your prices based on the buyer’s country, making it easier to reach a global audience.
Gumroad’s Website: Gumroad.com
Payhip: my current answer to where to sell loops and templates
Payhip is the closest Gumroad alternative I know, but with better customization options for your storefront — colors, themes, and all that good stuff. You can sell single digital products, bundles, subscriptions, courses, and even physical items if that’s your thing. Despite offering a decent range of features, Payhip keeps things simple and doesn’t overwhelm you with options you’ll never use.
In fact, I’m using Payhip right now. Moreover, you might’ve noticed that my templates and sample packs are displayed on my WordPress site, but payments and file delivery are handled by Payhip, thanks to a third-party plugin called “Payhip Integration for WP”. After switching from Gumroad, I honestly didn’t feel like I lost much, except maybe the email marketing tools. Yes, you can still send email updates to buyers of specific products, but if you need anything more complex, you’ll probably want to connect Payhip with Mailchimp or something similar.
Payhip pricing and terms
On the free plan, Payhip takes a 5% cut per sale, but you can reduce that to 2% or zero by upgrading to a paid plan. All plans offer the same features — the only difference is the fee. Payments are processed through PayPal or Stripe, so if you’re looking for where to sell loops, Payhip has all the tools and features you need, at least to get started.
And since Payhip is my main storefront at the moment, here is my affiliate link: Payhip.com
Sellfy
Sellfy is the heavy-duty option on this list. Plenty of websites, including those selling VST plugins, use it. You can either use it as a standalone site or integrate it with your existing WordPress setup. While Sellfy isn’t as popular as the most famous e-commerce platfotm, Shopify, it’s also much easier to use. This makes it a well-balanced choice if you plan to manage your entire loop-selling business solo, including all the technical stuff.
To be honest, I haven’t used Sellfy as my main store, but I did a deep dive into its features when I was looking for alternatives to Gumroad. And if I were starting my business from scratch and figuring out where to sell loops and other digital products, I’d probably go with Sellfy. But if you need some social proof, at some point Sellfy was used by ProdbyJack (107K subscribers on YouTube) and PVLACE from 808 Mafia.
Sellfy pricing and terms
There’s no free plan, only a 14-day trial. Paid plans start at $29/month with no extra fees or surprises. Payments are processed through PayPal or Stripe.
Sellfy’s website: sellfy.com
Splice, WAVs and other options where to sell loops and kits
If you’re up for a challenge, you can try selling your loops on platforms like Splice and WAVs. Both are open to new creators, but you’ll need to fill out an application and showcase your work. They’re pretty picky — everything from genre to your social media presence can affect your chances. But hey, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
And of course, I should mention Shopify here, because most of your favorite music producers from YouTube use this platform to sell their sample packs. However, for someone just starting out, Shopify might feel a bit overpowered. While it offers a solid foundation for building your online store, setting up landing pages with animations, pretty audio previews and other bells and whistles often requires third-party plugins and additional integrations. This not only increases the complexity of maintaining your store but also adds to the overall cost. If you’re looking for a simple, plug-and-play solution, there are more beginner-friendly options out there.
Bonus: why I left Gumroad
Here’s my personal experience with Gumroad. It’s not perfect, but it gets the job done, and I was pretty happy with it for about four years.
The first red flag was when they canceled paid plans and switched to a flat 10% fee for all sellers. Remember — a commission-based model only benefits the marketplace. Once your sales reach a certain level, the fees become unreasonable: if you make $1,000 in sales, you’re giving $100 to the platform. I’d much rather pay, say, $30 for a subscription and keep 100% of my sales, but Gumroad doesn’t offer that anymore.
Then there’s the marketplace design. At one point, Gumroad rolled out this clunky and awkward design for all sellers, and a lot of people hated it. As a platform, you shouldn’t put your own branding above your sellers’. But now, all storefronts look the same, no matter how poorly that design fits what a creator is selling.
The final straw was when Gumroad suddenly disabled PayPal. One day, I just noticed my sales had dropped. I checked the payment options and saw that PayPal was simply gone — no email notifications, no admin panel alerts, nothing. As you might’ve guessed by now, dropping major updates without warning is kind of Gumroad’s thing.
Less than six months later, they brought PayPal back, but like many other creators, I had already moved to another platform.