Many artists are not willing to invest money in us, producers because they want the
free route. I typically charge $19.99 for a beat, which I think is pretty reasonable, however, the "clients" I deal with in real life are like, "Wow, That's really expensive! I'm not paying for that," only to find them invest in a microphone, all these other expensive equipment or a new iPhone. Conversely, I've dealt with other clients that brought 1 or more of my beats with no problems attached but from these experiences in selling beats I was able to conclude:
1. Selling beats for low prices is really short changing yourself.
Sell your beats for what you really think they're worth. If you think your beats are worth $1000, sell it for $1000. Sometime down the road, if someone values your beats the way you do, they will buy.
2.
Learn to negotiate. Negotiating is a powerful tool that can help you in many ways. A good negotiator can easily raise the price of his beats to a client, or cut "deals" that can benefit both you and your client at the same time, but mostly you of course!
3.
Be Business Minded. Put your foot down. A lot of artists will try to take advantage of you. I've been taken advantage of many times when I first started out.
Separate friends from business. If your client seems like he's trying to take advantage of you, stop it & close the deal if you have to.
If your client turns you into a desperate producer willing to do anything to sell a beat to him/her, you're in a sad space. Don't be afraid to let your client go because, If a client really respects you and your business policies, he will follow them without any serious problems. There may be some scenarios or exceptions where you can change your policy for that particular moment, but for the most part,
put your foot down.
4.
Invest in yourself. There's many ways to invest in yourself, like getting better equipment and such but another good way to invest in yourself and your music is through promotion. Learn to promote yourself well & don't be afraid to pay for promotion. Just make sure the promotion you pay for is legit & will actually get you somewhere. Also, don't be afraid to ask your fans to help promote you. Fans are actually, in my opinion, the best form of promotion. If your friend told you to listen to his new favorite song, would you do it?
5.
Don't focus too much on making sales. Don't be desperate on making sales. If someone likes your beat enough & they're serious about what they do, they'll buy it. Don't stress it. Just focus on making great, better music.
6.
Check on your customers. Ask prior customers who bought your beats about their success, how they're doing or if they're interested in new beats. Cut deals for them, give them VIP opportunities, etc. Congratulate them for buying your beat.
7.
Cut deals. Discounts, specials, prizes, free downloads, Buy 1 get 1 frees you name it. Have special days where you do at least one of these. It'll keep some people interested.
8.
Deliver fresh content as much as possible. It's self explanatory but the fresher your content database, the more likely it is for your fan base to grow, perfect your craft, & make a sale.
9.
Network, Network, Network. Get your music out there to as much places & people as possible.
I got lazier as I wrote to the end, & most of this is things you already know. I'm not sure if these are the best tips, but these are thoughts I've developed while marketing my beats. Feel free to discuss what you think.