Why you will NEVER make a living selling beats.

[barrettj]

what u mean u get sync rights??

they finish a song on a beat u gave to them, then they send it to you and u send the finished song to your contacts????

http://www.google.com

 

[[F_or_DEAF]]

You can always claim any beat you sold as a production credit. That still won't make you a producer.

truth hurts...
:smokinFP:

 

[j.troup]

what u mean u get sync rights??

they finish a song on a beat u gave to them, then they send it to you and u send the finished song to your contacts????

I get the exclusive rights to place the song in movies and on TV.



Google sync publishing.

 

[Ty baby]

what u mean u get sync rights??

they finish a song on a beat u gave to them, then they send it to you and u send the finished song to your contacts????

Here you go bruh

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&source=hp&q=sync+rights&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&fp=8631cdd35a4d476d

Dont always believe what you read on the computer though you need

to get into the buisness more dont spend all of your time trolling and

learning from google theirs colleges and stuff for this

Im going to AIP next year to get more into this buisness

 

[SFTRAXX]

Wow.

That post by Drew Spence was a vicious eye opener. Posts like that are why I still come to this site. They are realistic and to the point.

Unfortunately a lot of people on this site who can benefit from that post (Kids/newbies) will just let that game fly right over their heads and just try and use the traffic this thread has created to promote themselves, missing the message entirely.

Damn.

 

[[F_or_DEAF]]

1,000 are going to find their own Soulja Boy or Waka Flocka and just build their own thing slowly and that's where the next Drake, J. Cole, Wale will come from. Those people will be on some 9th and LB stuff without the drama. Some Snoop and Dre Batman and Robin type vibe... not just random people with $20 on their stuff.

I don't get you BigRome. You keep claiming to be lightly involved or uninterested in production and yet you have some of the keenest insight. What's your deal?

I only see two angles here.
Dudes that want a placement.
Dudes that want a Place-that-Meant something.

You watch 8 million youtube videos and read 8 million interviews and still the big picture seems lost on everyone. A few "insiders" say it's about RELATIONSHIPS and everyone takes that cliche phrase and runs with it.

The relationship isn't calling the same A&R week after week to see if anything is poppin or emailing all your contacts once a week to see what's hood.

All the producers with solid careers that have lasted built themselves off an artist(s) that started on their level and they GREW TOGETHER. Pete Rock, Preem, Heatmakerz, Collipark, Timbo, Neps-

Most cats are looking for a big $ale to make it all happen off one beat.
One sale with G-Unit and they good money.
One head nod from Juelz Santanna and they in for life.
Oh, if Rick Ross heard this...
Etc...

A Placement is a single check. Not actually worth very much compared to how much time you invest in gear and time making beats and that's compared to a straight nine-to-five [with college or without college].


It's 2010 and the magic trick has been revealed. Hot beats are a dime a dozen. It takes a bit of work to find a good source, but still they're out here in numbers.

A Producer is STILL hard to find. What do I get for working with you? Only the chance to rhyme over a nice track? I can get that anywhere. I don't even NEED YOU- JUST YOUR BEATS. How about help with my hook? How about help with my image? How about free studio time while I grind away at a day job -just like you. You get free raps to promote your beats and I get free beats to promote my raps. Fair exchange.

We're a team. If I make it, you make it. OUR RELATIONSHIP isn't me buying a $20 dollar beat off your soundclick. It's YOU Producing ME. It's US as a group. Remember. "He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper"
Same thing in 2010.

And no, 20 million followers on twitter or facebook or soundick or whatever isn't the answer. It's a few partners that are reliable that will build your future. So yes to the OP, a lot of cats are dreaming way past their reality. And many of us who dream won't be the next [insert whoever you wish you were].

Better to see reality as is.
You're a cat who works a nine-to-five with dreams of making it big.
Rewind and repeat.

That doesn't make you a loser.

You'd be a loser if you believed in your dreams in place of reality and really thought "This year is it!, Drake is gonna buy some of my beats and I'll be Livin Large in no time!"

Or had some wacky mathematics...X beats sold a week at X dollars = livin la Vida loca.

The market isn't saturated.
The world isn't looking for beatmakers or just hot beats.
The world is STILL looking for producers.

Test my theory.

If Oprah or Vibe or Prince or Super-Duper-Rapper or anybody with enough clout to spark genuine interest showed up and presented a really sick opportunity that involved producing a viable record- but only to those that were really, really ready to take advantage of it and carry out the responsibility from A to Z, most of you/us could name maybe ten producers that would really get it done. And we'd all name roughly the same ten. That's horrible for a site with so many so called future producers. Sure lots of cats that really aren't ready would post and cause a clog...There might be a few that come out the woodwork to represent... but you get the idea.

You can't be a Super-Producer until you're a producer first. You can't be a producer until you produce somebody first.

You can always claim any beat you sold as a production credit. That still won't make you a producer.

Trying to make a living off selling beats (especially on the internet) is a wild adventure.

If you want to make a living off being a producer then you'd better start producing somebody. Anybody. There isn't a profession or industry that you just start off at the top end on your first day. You'd better expect to work for free for a minute.

Your value isn't what your talent is worth.
Your value isn't what your talent is worth.
Your value isn't what your talent is worth.

Your value is what you can make somebody el$e.
When your beats can make money for somebody else, then you'll know what to charge for your talent/time and you'll actually know what your worth is to the industry and demand exactly that.

So the fantasy stops when you realize that you think you're a producer and you haven't produced anybody. When you think a placement/beat-sold makes you a producer. When you think being a salesman of something (beats) with low value and a million similar products on the market is a good longshot to bank on.


Stop selling beats. Nobody wants them. Start selling yourself. You could be unique and special, but as long as a "hot beat" is all you present, we'll never know if there's more behind the head nod.


-Drew Spence logged on as Griffin Avid
Thanks Griff.

O.P. POST PWNAGE...

it's a beautiful thing to witness an OP's post get BLOWN OUT OF THE WATER by a responding post...

truth always overcomes falsehood...

 

[YUNG DIEZEL]

I get the exclusive rights to place the song in movies and on TV.



Google sync publishing.

u said they goin for 500 a pop??

or 3000 to 5000,

how many songs are on the 3000 to 5000 records

and are your contacts still paying that ??
also u got any example records that this has occured with??

i just dont see why cats would do the record then do nothing else with it, especially giving u the sync rights.

link me to example of songs and and/or records of people that gave u the sync rights or that u sold

 

[barrettj]

u said they goin for 500 a pop??

or 3000 to 5000,

how many songs are on the 3000 to 5000 records

and are your contacts still paying that ??
also u got any example records that this has occured with??

i just dont see why cats would do the record then do nothing else with it, especially giving u the sync rights.

link me to example of songs and and/or records of people that gave u the sync rights or that u sold

:rofl: at 2 other people other than me sayin to use google ...should tell you something

 

[[F_or_DEAF]]

If you want to make a living off being a producer then you'd better start producing somebody. Anybody.

yet another great point.

hands on > hands off

 

[j.troup]

u said they goin for 500 a pop??

or 3000 to 5000,

how many songs are on the 3000 to 5000 records

and are your contacts still paying that ??
also u got any example records that this has occured with??

i just dont see why cats would do the record then do nothing else with it, especially giving u the sync rights.

link me to example of songs and and/or records of people that gave u the sync rights or that u sold

I'm talking for one song.


Cats will do the record then do nothing else with it, because they dont' know what to do with it, or lack the connections to do it. They are only thinking TODAY.



No links. Sorry.

 

[[F_or_DEAF]]

Stop selling beats. Nobody wants them. Start selling yourself.

this is an excellent point that actually deserves a whole new thread / discussion
:smokinFP:

 

[SFTRAXX]

u said they goin for 500 a pop??

or 3000 to 5000,

how many songs are on the 3000 to 5000 records

and are your contacts still paying that ??
also u got any example records that this has occured with??

i just dont see why cats would do the record then do nothing else with it, especially giving u the sync rights.

link me to example of songs and and/or records of people that gave u the sync rights or that u sold

Mr Yung Diezel,

If you are serious about pursuing music you might wanna grab a roadmap.

 

[YUNG DIEZEL]

Mr Yung Diezel,

If you are serious about pursuing music you might wanna grab a roadmap.

i just started. thanks.

---------- Post added at 04:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:39 PM ----------

ON ANOTHER NOTE, AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO THOUGHT THEY WAS FATHER AND SON


---------- Post added at 04:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:45 PM ----------

my manz troup got the shirt on pmp, on some pimp shit,

my manz pimpin beats on pmp


sorry i just had to point this out, even if im the only nigga that found it amusing.

yall got the same face and shit, plus the headphones and glasses.

 

[barrettj]

i just started. thanks.

---------- Post added at 04:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:39 PM ----------

ON ANOTHER NOTE, AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO THOUGHT THEY WAS FATHER AND SON


---------- Post added at 04:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:45 PM ----------

my manz troup got the shirt on pmp, on some pimp shit,

my manz pimpin beats on pmp


sorry i just had to point this out, even if im the only nigga that found it amusing.

yall got the same face and shit, plus the headphones and glasses.

pause.....

 

[KlickBeatz]

I think the appropriate question to the OP is...


What successes have YOU had, that make you qualified to make this assessment about other people and their aspirations?

He GOT YOU !!!

 

[[F_or_DEAF]]

If I had the experience of actually producing, it would have been about what I could make WITH KRS and not just how good my beats were

that's really a good point...

it's like, people wanna focus on "relationships" as CONTACTS, but not "relationships" as in the studio; as far as "chemistry" is concerned.

what good are "contacts" w/ out "chemistry"??

---------- Post added at 02:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:36 PM ----------

if you're really going to go in on this beatmaking thing, then your beats need to sound like an instrumental to a hit record

somewhat disagree...

---------- Post added at 02:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:41 PM ----------

its much harder to trailblaze than it is to follow a script/formula

nice point...

---------- Post added at 03:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:49 PM ----------

Cats will do the record then do nothing else with it, because they dont' know what to do with it, or lack the connections to do it

word...

that AND they don't wanna put any money behind it as far as promoting / marketing / advertising goes...

 

[MC Griffith]

Don't dream about being the next Em, the next Timb... distinguish yourself. Promote your differences and make other people get interested in you, in your life.

God, just stop thinkin' so BIG all the time. Don't imagine creating the Great Wall of China, instead focus on each goddamn brick you have to put up. And put it up as perfectly as you can. Pay attention to every single syllable you combine... and Live life to the fullest.

Hard work always pays off, maybe u'll be a rap star, or one of the best producers around. Maybe you'll be an economist or what ever. But Everything you do is important, you'll just have to connect the dots eventually (Steve Jobs @ Stanford ).

Bottomline, do what you love as seriously as you can without forgetting to live.

 

[Legal Dollaz]

If you're goal is long term financial sustainability then (in terms of importance, not a 'either/or' thing):

Artist Development Services > Freelance Beat Selling
Production Company Entity > Producer
Branding > Relationships
Diversified Revenue Streams > Label Placements Only

Take some time to understand the BUSINESS in current terms to make sure your not spending all your time and sweat equity into a antiquated ghost-dream. This will help guide your decisions moving forward.

If you're paying more attention to the Jeezy-Rick Ross beef (or supposed beef) than the on-going developments with the Google Music pending launch or the new Big Champagne audience impact metrics or the Verizon/Google Net-Neutrality controversy, etc... then you don't have a clue of what's going on in this business (and yes it all has a impact in your business end results). But yet you expect to succeed lol.

Ignorance is the luxury of those with minimum expectations of results. Don't waste years and years 'fence straddling', either your all the way in or not.

 

[[F_or_DEAF]]

Artist Development Services > Freelance Beat Selling
Production Company Entity > Producer
Branding > Relationships
Diversified Revenue Streams > Label Placements Only

well put

 

[biggrome]

I think we should thank the OP for this thread now, lol.