Why Being a Hip-Hop Producer Sucks
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Ajani Nanabuluku
New member
Not a good plan, at all lol.
When hip hop SOLD (a.k.a. early-mid 2000s, a.k.a. every rapper and they momma going platinum), rappers and producers was eating. You had folks like Timbaland selling beats for 500k.
Hip Hop's not selling anymore and now folks like Mike Will selling beats for 75-100k. Apparently this is why we haven't heard that much of Lex Luger cause no one's buying his beats anymore.
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SFTRAXX
West Coast Rap Producer
IMO Being a music producer doesn't suck.
Well.... maybe it does if you are being held back by old ways that no longer work.
As a producer or beatmaker there are plenty of ways to get out there and make money through music.
But first you need to get over the: make a beat -> send it out -> get a check-> get rich-> get fame - mindset.
It just isn't reliable nor realistic.
Think about this:
Everybody has the same thing you do: (eg: software / computer / keyboard / beats / social media )
So what are you going to do different?
You've gotta try harder.
Well.... maybe it does if you are being held back by old ways that no longer work.
As a producer or beatmaker there are plenty of ways to get out there and make money through music.
But first you need to get over the: make a beat -> send it out -> get a check-> get rich-> get fame - mindset.
It just isn't reliable nor realistic.
Think about this:
Everybody has the same thing you do: (eg: software / computer / keyboard / beats / social media )
So what are you going to do different?
You've gotta try harder.
AveMcree
Dope Boy Music
in response to the guy that started this thread.... 5 years is usually minimum in getting a placement.... it literally took me years on years just to get a good placement.... 10 years to get a single...... the music business is about timing and patience as it is about talent/skill... there are 100's of talented producers out there waiting for they first blood.... and that to mention producers that already have platinum plaques and grammys striving to continue they onslaught...... nothing sucks about that.... it is what it is....
J
JeanLukPigheart
Guest
We had this talk in 2010-2011. And I was strongly against free work as a concept for "hip hop production". The only person who has learned from the discussion seem to be Ryan Leslie &..............Troup. And he is still making music. Call him what you like, like him or not, but at least he is capable of learning.
And Troup, I think you are smart enough to extrapolate the answer to your question @ what is missing in your business idea.
It should be fairly obvious after that video.
For all the others: I know you gonna be a Grammy winner next year and make 10s of millions a year. So it shouldn
t be a problem then that I charge 7-10k/day as a business consultant. Hire me for at least two days and we can talk. Oh right! They all want the knowledge, productivity, creativity & contacts for free. "Imma put ya on, once I'm in!". Sorry, me is no hoe.
And Troup, I think you are smart enough to extrapolate the answer to your question @ what is missing in your business idea.
It should be fairly obvious after that video.
For all the others: I know you gonna be a Grammy winner next year and make 10s of millions a year. So it shouldn
t be a problem then that I charge 7-10k/day as a business consultant. Hire me for at least two days and we can talk. Oh right! They all want the knowledge, productivity, creativity & contacts for free. "Imma put ya on, once I'm in!". Sorry, me is no hoe.
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j.troup
New member
We had this talk in 2010-2011. And I was strongly against free work as a concept for "hip hop production". The only person who has learned from the discussion seem to be Ryan Leslie &..............Troup. And he is still making music. Call him what you like, like him or not, but at least he is capable of learning.
And Troup, I think you are smart enough to extrapolate the answer to your question @ what is missing in your business idea.
It should be fairly obvious after that video.
For all the others: I know you gonna be a Grammy winner next year and make 10s of millions a year. So it shouldn
t be a problem then that I charge 7-10k/day as a business consultant. Hire me for at least two days and we can talk. Oh right! They all want the knowledge, productivity, creativity & contacts for free. "Imma put ya on, once I'm in!". Sorry, me is no hoe.
I just watched. And what R.Les is talking about is great...owning the relationship, and collecting metrics to make better business decisions.
He's doing it in a consolidated fashion with his Actifan App.
That part is great. It's absolutely needed, and I've been doing just that (albeit with a hodgepodge of separate tools, up to and including Mail Chimp that he mentioned)....
But he's missing one critical part...
HOW DO YOU ESTABLISH THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE POTENTIAL FAN? How do you cultivate that relationship, in order to start the flow of data, where his app becomes necessary / useful??
That's the one thing that I've been trying to figure out. A proprietary way to monetize my methodology of building and cultivating the Artist <-> Fan Experience.
Once i figure that out, it's off to the races.
M
mistaox
Guest
Potential fan? how do you know someone will like something before they do?
How do you know know someone will like an artist/song before they hear them/it?...hmmm
How does Facebook/Google/youtube etc know to show you an ad about.....idunno, music gear, clothing, alchohol etc?
The tools are all there, you just have to put them together and create a platform that allows the building and cultivating the Artist <-> Fan Experience.
a great example is soundcloud...
Soundcloud hasn't really targeted the Artist <-> fan interaction in the way you are thinking, but they have the platform and mind-share to make it happen.
ego killer
New member
either start rapping or meet some rappers, that way it will be fun regardless of whether you not make money because you'll be making actual songs that people might like listening too, people don't tend to listen to "beats."
either that or start making instrumental hip-hop.
if you're going the beat peddling route you could very well A) not sell any beats and B) never make an actual song, which makes your beats somewhat pointless.
either that or start making instrumental hip-hop.
if you're going the beat peddling route you could very well A) not sell any beats and B) never make an actual song, which makes your beats somewhat pointless.
SwagProductionz
@SlurRty on Twitter
i remember when i first saw this thread i ignored it.. but in reality, it does suck being an up and coming producer.. you do so much free shit.. gotta chase artists... it's starting to get not fun for me.. i think i'm just going to start sending beats to musicians i really really like
HeadboyMusik
New member
Good Post, This will discourage alot of wanna be producers and get some of the saturation out of this game. It seems like when Pac died, everyone wanted to be rapper, them when Mike Will Made It, Now everyone think they can make beats! I swear if another producer inbox me or dm me talking about "check out my beetz"
Zonic
New member
Ryan Leslie is a walking case study... i recommend anyone to pay attention to the guy.
Fortunate for me, i've been following the guy since he first came out... it's not hard to
see how he cultivated his fanbase... he constantly engages with em, giving them his
phone number, email etc. (and he does pick up and chats it up with you - responds
to emails too). He drops videos where the audience feels as if they are walking with
him etc.
His first "behind the scenes" production videos is how he hooked the majority of his
fanbase.
wildinout8
Moderator
I first heard of Ryan Leslie (his name - didn't know he had produced some of the tracks I'd already heard) back in the mid 2000's from a YouTube video of him behind the scenes driving around NY and in the studio making a beat. It was top-notch work and I was so impressed I even played the video for a girl I was out on a first date with and she wanted to hear it back at the spot...madd respect for the man.
Just from that one video he got 2 new fans to share an experience with him and then go out to search more of his material.
B-Cool
New member
Posts like these are great to get out of your "box". Aka, knowing what not to do. Sending songs and files to artists that already made it, is great, but shouldn't be your go to way of marketing yourself.
If your just selling beats, you may want to rethink your position in the music game, you need to be multi talented in mixing/songwriting/instrument/singing. Don't have to he awesome in all of those but hopefully you are in a few...
Your best shot at getting a placement is working with someone underground. Put out great stuff that may or may not make it, but it draws attention. If you can draw attention to your production, that's way more productive than sitting home waiting for an email from a top name artist who will probably never open your song.
Sit down and come up with ideas, plans. It's not just about making music, it's about having an idea, a vision and following it. Having one and then reinventing yourself as you go.
You cant just do one thing and expect results. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result.
Think outside the box!
Are you saying that other genres don't work for free? If that's what you are saying, I would disagree. How many rock bands are out there doing stuff for free just to be heard. The industry is the industry and all of us are trying to make it in the same way.
Now, I would say hip hop is a little different bc you can have some random producer on an album that no one has ever of. Hip Hop I feel gives more chances to the masses bc it's so diverse. Not saying you should be working for free all the time. If you are, there's a problem. But there is nothing wrong w taking a shot, especially if it'll make great contacts, sometime you have to bite the bullet and remember you make music bc you love it!
This guy nailed it on the head right here!
B-Cool
New member
I'm lost. What the f*ck are you guys talking about.
Market Research. Ryan Leslie did graduate from Harvard so he's probably more analytical than your average music producer.
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SORRI DENTE
New member
I'm new to producing hip hop tracks (making beats for a year but never uploaded anything)
I'mdiscouraged when I read stuff like this but if it's the reallity then so be it
However I watched some videos like these that claim selling beats is easy etc..
So I'm very confused. I want a clear answer whether selling beats for a living is dream or reallity for someone who is not a superb producer but a person who tries hard for his/her music
I'mdiscouraged when I read stuff like this but if it's the reallity then so be it
However I watched some videos like these that claim selling beats is easy etc..
So I'm very confused. I want a clear answer whether selling beats for a living is dream or reallity for someone who is not a superb producer but a person who tries hard for his/her music
So being a hip hop producer sucks because 50 cent might wait five years to pay you for a beat?
Being a hip hop producer is one of the most intrinsically rewarding things I've ever done, regardless of whether or not I get money from my effort. Yeah the industry can be bullshit sometimes, but the better thing to do is have several opportunities going at once, so you're not waiting to hear back from an artist for years. Anyone who complains about being a hip hop producer should get a new job.
Being a hip hop producer is one of the most intrinsically rewarding things I've ever done, regardless of whether or not I get money from my effort. Yeah the industry can be bullshit sometimes, but the better thing to do is have several opportunities going at once, so you're not waiting to hear back from an artist for years. Anyone who complains about being a hip hop producer should get a new job.
B
BeatsByYou
Guest
You have to watch out for some of these guys that claim to help you sell beats because a lot of their information comes free with just a little bit of research. I know some of the major players that sell these videos and are only out to sell you information that is useless and out dated. If you want to learn how to sell beats you have to provide value to your customers and learn marketing. That is one of the biggest issues in this game is marketing and that is why you see a lot of these guys getting over on you with these how to sell videos you have to buy. I have yet to see any of them work as I have sold beats without them because the information is outdated as I stated before. I will not work for free and if you want to do that its a hobby not a career.
Don't give me that I do this for fun because then you need to get out of the way because I want to do this for a career which means I want to make money. I have a job and a sound design business which makes way more money then selling beats for right now but it helps me make money to do music for right now.
Don't give me that I do this for fun because then you need to get out of the way because I want to do this for a career which means I want to make money. I have a job and a sound design business which makes way more money then selling beats for right now but it helps me make money to do music for right now.
Brightboy
Bright Boy
If you want to be a successful producer in this day in age, you will figure it out if you really want it. The best way is to find an artist, push him, focus on every aspect not just music. So make sure the marketing is right, image, etc. That is what being in the music business is about. It is a business, multiple things go into making it successful. And if the music is right and the marketing is A1 then you have a better chance. You'll only get what you put in it. Just never give up, yea there are a lot of things that don't make sense and things that suck for producers but keep pushing through. It's a marathon and those who aren't capable will drop off.