Beat Disk/Demo Questions

[SiN]

Hey guys, this is my first post, looks like this board has got some great info on it, I'm pretty pissed that I didn't find out about this place sooner...
So the last couple months I've been working on my second instrumentals "album", not really anything I'm selling just a project that I can work on to sharpen my skills, work with some MCs, and get some beats down. Here are my questions:
1 - My plan is to finish this album, get soem feedback from friends and people I know and use that plus my own thoughts to pick my three best beats and get them onto a demo-type beat disk. Where should I distribute this demo/beat disk? (I plan on copyrighting it).
2 - Some of my beats (shit a lot of them) have uncleared samples, just cuz I like that gritty, underground, east coast, sample-based sound for my shit. I'm putting these into a demo to show my skills to whoever might be interested, not necessarily to sell them. Is it a problem for my demo to have uncleared samples if I'm not selling it?
Any info would be mad appreciated. Thanks guys!

 

[DaFunkDocta2004]

As far as distributing your demo, I have to tell you this. DO NOT MAIL anything to any god-damn-body except your own lawyer that you have on retainer. Biters abound everywhere, man. What you'll have to do is to network physically with the market you know you're strongest in. Where are the MCs at? Where are the MCs with managers at? When's the next big show coming to town? You gotta roll up on these cats on the humble. 90% of them do take the CDs. If not that, then let someone you trust and who believes in you (hopefully a lawyer, a pretty female or better yet a pretty female lawyer) represent you physically. DO NOT MAIL. DO NOT CONSORT WITH OTHER PRODUCERS ON THAT PART OF THE GRIND. Some of these cats can play ANYTHING by ear, and WILL.

Don't worry about clearing samples until its clear that you're about to sell a minimum of about 200,000 records or more.

 

[SiN]

Aright awesome, thanks for the feedback, I'm glad I don't have to worry about the copyright shit, I'm so busy right now I think even if you said I might get sued I would just let it slide anyway. And ya I'm trying to get my shit around locally, the only problem is I'm in Sacramento right now, and most of the cats here have that west coast, gangsta gangsta feel, which I'm not really about, but I'm trying to move shit around here. I actually got a beat disk to this guy who performed at my school in Santa Cruz and we been talking over the phone to get some shit done, but even just a few hours distance is hard. But anyway, thanks for the info mayne

 

[DaFunkDocta2004]

Aright awesome, thanks for the feedback, I'm glad I don't have to worry about the copyright shit, I'm so busy right now I think even if you said I might get sued I would just let it slide anyway. And ya I'm trying to get my shit around locally, the only problem is I'm in Sacramento right now, and most of the cats here have that west coast, gangsta gangsta feel, which I'm not really about, but I'm trying to move shit around here. I actually got a beat disk to this guy who performed at my school in Santa Cruz and we been talking over the phone to get some shit done, but even just a few hours distance is hard. But anyway, thanks for the info mayne

Ayo man, you're in a very hungry market over there! The West is pressed to get back on the scene, and they deserve to! If you can get to the colleges and the Bay Area, you may be surprised. Don't forget about college radio either.

 

[MadManBeats]

Ayo man, you're in a very hungry market over there! The West is pressed to get back on the scene, and they deserve to! If you can get to the colleges and the Bay Area, you may be surprised. Don't forget about college radio either.

Whats college radio gonna do for u, i live in southern cali, how da hell is college gonna help out a producers career?...

 

[DaFunkDocta2004]

Whats college radio gonna do for u, i live in southern cali, how da hell is college gonna help out a producers career?...

Any exposure is good exposure. Some of these college radio stations are huge in their areas. Some, not all. Like out here in Maryland and B'more. That college stations almost bring more prestige to these schools. More often than not, college radio will give you the freedom and support that can take root in your primary market, college kids. Also, it's a direct line to the artists that come touring for you to give CDs to and maybe slide your artists on the bill for that school's homecoming or some other huge event. It really depends on the size and reputation of the school, but you'd be surprised at how many kids on campus do try to check for their local station if they have that rep for playing all kinds of music. Howard U was like that for a good minute but things do change. Don't sleep man, all exposure is good exposure. You never know, some kid of some record executive going to that school or some college promotions rep for some label could hear you, find you and tell you how they couldn't get that track out of their heads. That's how it can start anyway...

oh and they give you access to tons of DJs, which you can NEVER have enough of on your side.