For producers & engineers

How to get paid before you send the stems

Make payment the thing that unlocks the files. Agree the price and what’s included in writing, send an invoice that says the files are delivered on payment, share only a tagged or streaming preview until then, and release the full-quality stems once the money has actually arrived. FEAT. does this for you: your client pays by card from an invoice link, can stream a preview first, and the downloads unlock only when the invoice is paid — so you never chase money from someone who already has your files.

Payment-before-delivery checklist

Agree the scope in writing before you start: what you’ll deliver, how many revisions, and the price.
Take a deposit on bigger jobs — half up front is common.
Send an invoice that says it plainly: files are delivered once this invoice is paid.
Share previews only — a streaming link, a bounce with a voice tag, or a low-quality MP3. Never the stems or the full-quality master.
Wait for the money to arrive in your own account — not a screenshot of a payment.
Deliver the full files right after payment, so paying quickly is the fastest way for your client to get them.
Keep the invoice, the agreement and your delivery record — they’re your proof if anything is ever disputed.

Free invoice maker

Make the invoice now — free. Download the PDF with a free FEAT. account, or send it with FEAT. so the files unlock only when it’s paid.

Add your details, your client, and a line for each service — production, mix, master, stems, session hours — then download a finished PDF with a free FEAT. account. No watermark.

Make an invoice Send invoices with FEAT.

Why “send first, invoice later” goes wrong

Once a client has the stems, your leverage is gone: paying you becomes a favour they can put off. Slow payers and clients who go quiet are almost always clients who already have the files.

Payment before delivery isn’t distrust — it’s the normal order for any finished product, and the clients worth keeping are used to it.

How FEAT. keeps the files locked until you’re paid

Create an invoice on FEAT. and attach the files — stems, WAVs, the master.
Your client opens it from a link — no account needed — and can stream a preview.
They agree to your terms and pay by card.
The downloads unlock the moment the payment goes through.
Your payout follows after a short protection hold. If something goes wrong, FEAT. steps in.

Questions

What if the client wants to hear it before paying?

Let them — that’s what previews are for. On FEAT. your client can stream the files before paying; the full-quality downloads are what unlock on payment.

Should I take a deposit?

For bigger or longer jobs, yes: a deposit covers your time if the project stalls. Put it in writing up front, then bill the balance on delivery.