Is it just me or does it seem like more producers on here are more interested in selling beats for $15 on SoundClick than breaking into the industry? I personally haven't been placed, but I feel like my time is better spent perfecting my craft and positioning myself and my music to be ready when my opportunity presents itself.
Let's be real...all the cold cats out there now, (Meek Mill, Rick Ross, Drake, J. Cole, etc.)...them n-ggas ain't lookin online to buy a beat. They have their A&R's and their management team out on the real networks and circuits. Not saying that my music is just the hot sh-t, but I feel like there's no real point in me making a beat just to sell it--because honestly, it shows in your music. As soon as I click on a Soundclick or Soundcloud track in somebody's signature, I already assume what it's going to sound like. And more often than not, it does. A "creative trap beat" that sounds like just another Shawty Redd or Lex Luger Youtube imitation. Why would Ross buy your beat when he can get a Real Shawty Redd or Lex Luger track?
Unless I come across a great talent (kinda like the way Drake and 40 met up), I'd rather stay on my grind, make great music, and save it for when a proven artist likes what he or she hears, and then it's GO TIME. Maybe I'm missing something here. Chime in, FP...
Oh there is so much you have to learn my friend. Allow me to explain some things hopefully it makes sense.
You might be right as far as most producer being more interested in selling tracks for $15.00 vs trying to get placements with bigger artist. I personally could care less about working with a bigger artist if I had the clientele to be financially free. Now I'm not saying that ever beatmaker/producer is doing this but financially free means something different to everyone (everyone has their own level income required for this)
Lets play with some very very realistic numbers non exclusive track = $15.00 cheap yes but when non exclusive and leased to 2000 clients over the course of a 12 months that's $30,000. I know that's not a lot of money but it's more than a lot of people make annually in this world. It's true that same track might not sell for 2000 (only being real but it could and it has) it's more realistic to get 2000 beat sells from an arsenal of tracks. With the way the game works now for producers/beatmakers is awesome you need don't the labels you don't need the celeb artist all you need is an email list of targeted clients (which isn't hard to get).
The great thing about that non exclusive model is just that...it's non exclusive you still own your rights and if you're smart you're shopping tracks to everyone possible income source and you have your paper work together for bmi and or ascap someone is going to get something on the radio,movie,video game,TV show list goes on.
I could dive into a lot of other avenues for those 15.00 tracks but I want to get you thinking
Big artists like Meek Mill, Rick Ross, Drake and so on trust their people are looking on line for material and have been a number of years. Also remember you don't know who is who online oK. I know big producers who toss what they call throw away tracks on soundclick under a different name. It's all gain for them. No one knows who they are their making an extra 5 figures on a batch of tracks no one is picking up any and it's all autopilot...and they are testing the market... I think it's insane that a new producer can listen to a Lex beat..study him for 1 day (if that) and within a month be generating a decent monthly income. Is it uncreative..well yea is it smart..oh yea for sure.
Why would Rick Ross by a knock off track when he can get Shawty Redd to do it. That's like asking me why a radio station paid $3,600 to knock off a dre tracks rather than just...hitting up dr dre... It's about money why spend more if you don't have to...There are plenty of artists and A&Rs that monitor online properties and trends looking to either buy or sign a new act. No they might not be on FP but they are on twitter and other social media networks going through keywords and wondering why this no name producer has so many clicks on is site etc regardless of how good he is if he has a following (big one) he will have a chance. Quite often that Opp is not always in Hiphop space which most people burn all their energy into like morons
It's great that you want to really perfect your craft I encourage that but there is a lot of money you can make in the process which could allow you to get better gear cut hours on your day job supplement your income or even build up a nice savings account.
I personally don't work with a lot of artist anymore my main thing is jingles and film scoring. I bring in close to 50k a year working with indi film makers(w/non exclusive music). That does not include what I pull from companies like VH1 or EA Games or my royalty checks and I don't grind nearly as hard as a did when I was chasing big labels for placements..
You gotta realize online you can target a huge number of people it's very realistic to have 23,000 potential clients each month 3-5% will lease what you have to offer. Honestly that 3-5% is low balling it as it really depends on how well targeted your list is...
Another thing you have to realize is once you are making money in this game even if it's 2-4k a month that allows you to really relax and focus on what you need to do. Hell 800 a month would do that for a lot of people. If you can do that on soundclick under a different name who gives a shit?
