beat sales

[brooklynstyle]

word word, all these rappers on soundclick they scrubs. I got this offer for a club beat by some cat from Europe. I told him cool dogg I'ma hook u up but i wanna get paid and he said he's a hustler or something and he cant pay me much an shit and he ain't really gonna use the beat and he got like 60 of them stacked. WTF? I mean for real these cats are scrubs and aint serious about making music. they dont realize if they want people to buy thier shit, get signed or whatever, they need hot beats. u may be God himself rapping if u rap over bullshit u aint gonna sell shit. Look at biggie pac, jay, all of them got hot beats and thats one of the reasons they selling. the track is like rhyme booster - it catches your ear to get to listen to what the cat is saying. But all these scrubs dont understand that and try to hustle us on beats n shit.

 

[DaFunkDocta2004]

Everyone has such great and focused business attitudes here! Very refreshing! The Internet is good for PROMOTION for established figures, and not much else. Even if I were established, why would I advertise my tracks on the 'Net? What you really really want at one point is BRAND RECOGNITION...the point when they hear or read your name and know what they're getting or your name comes to mind when they know what they want. The 'Net is also the most convenient way to get JACKED (by the Trackmasters, for example, lol)

But I feel everyone's struggle to find serious and paying artists. This business has no rules except the ones concerning everyday relationships. Every encounter with an artist can be very unique or very redundant, you kinda have to adapt to each situation and really rely on your ability to judge a character and be completely aware of who you are as a creative individual before anyone directs or coerces you in a direction that could leave you, ultimately, very empty and miserable inside...even with the fat checks coming in. Because, guess what...that little slightly lil jon-sounding track you did for MC Killanig that really blew you up? Everyone wants more and more and more of the same thing! But wait, you grew up on Erick Sermon, Pete Rock, Primo, Dr. Dre, and other original pioneers and you swore you wanted to contribute something NEW and LASTING to this culture...but now you're just another money raker contributing to the royalty money pit of the Rap Game!

Know thyself! Pick and choose your battles (transactions, lol)!!! And stay the course! Stay cool with God, he's just as patient as you need to be when it comes to your destiny!

 

[MadManBeats]

first off...dont sell no beat cd's cuz ull get jacked for beats, next thing u know cats u dont know got tracks over ur shit, and its dookie.......ive been sellin a lot of beats to local cats for the past year down here in boston....u gotta let artists know u dont need them...because in reality unless its somebody in the industry, we dont need them.....at first it was hard for me, cuz i had to bargain and this and that, but after a while i got so many clients, that 1 of them isnt really all that important to me, and cuz of that i make everybody play by my rules....and if they dont wanna play, i got others that do......as far as being all like, "nah man i wont sell this beat for under a million" if u need money u need money....u have to understand that a beat uve made right now as an amateur, and the reason i say amateur is cuz none of us is really up in the industry, they will get better as time goes by....ur gonna make a 10x better beat in a year....anyway those are just my experiences, and i have sold many beats...some over 500, some under....ive made a beat with reason in 5 minutes and sold it for 30 bucks....cuz in reality thats how much a beat with reason is worth....as opposed 2 all the equipment dre and timbo are working with....

 

[GhostChamberz]

How i think of this is.... Give away ya beats for free to mc's u think are ok, but thats just my personal opinion cos exposure is far more important than money right now, i got beats on released cd's, allthough they aint mainstream its exposure, cos maybe someone will like the track i produced and look up da name on da credits. Mc's dont feel like paying for a beat from a producer they never heard of. Give away beats, get da exposure and build up a name,when u eventually got a name u can start to charge. as i said, its just my perspective. When u give away a beat,make sure he is shoutin out ya name on da track also. I think thats a fair exchange.

 

[DJ Hoppa]

I've never sold shit online, but ive met people who i later met in person and sold them some beats...

To the cats getting $500 a beat, HOLY SHIT! if i was a rapper, i dont care how dope that shit is, 500$ a beat is INSANE! by that time, you better be fucking a famous name in the game cause thats what you're money is paying for, obviously the beat aint worth that much...

ive built a small lil name for myself in my area and i still dont sell my shit for more than $50.. i hope to get more sooner or later, but i honestly dont expect it until my fame rises...

True, true, it is "art" but at the same time i need some weed/records/smokes/beer/dinner so i slang my beats hella cheap, and hella OFTEN. It works both ways, cause you and i know the beats are hot, and kids hit up the mcs i sell to like: "who made that beat?" and they like "DJ Hoppa" and BAM- More sales!

 

[DJ Hoppa]

best work with family and build, selling is nice but if you got a good crew and work hard you might get out there much quicker..

Thats the truth right there. All my political heads out there better keep your eyes peeled for my boy Mine+Us

 

[iLLVA1]

I'm glad somebody here is selling cuz I haven't sold one beat yet. I've had a few people talk about they wanted to cop one but it never went through. Now I'm in a drought. But I'ma keep doing me.

 

[Rhythmikal]

i aint sold shyt coz there aint no emcees near where i live, so im pretty much fu_ked at the moment.

there are too many kids who have seen 8 Mile and think they are skilled rappers, then ask for you to do them a beat like they are doing YOU a favour.

sAfE.

 

[blak flame]

I kinda stopped fuckin' wit' soundclick, cuz if anybody did get at me about my beats it was another broke nigga just tryin' to get on and make money like me...or be one of those people who don't take rappin' seriously...you know, people sayin' can I get such and such for my demo for free, or I'll give you $20 for that, or I'm tellin' you I could rip that beat and make you famous...then they will have the nerve to think I'm gon' ship them a cd wit' the beat on it wit' a contract, wastin' my time and tryin' to waste my money and take advantage of the skill I have that they don't...and 80% of the time they will be garbage as hell and can't rap period...I have never sold a beat on soundclick because it seems lik none of the niggas that rap on there are fo' real...but I don' had a whole lot of beggers and a lot of niggas claimin' they gon' buy a beat but when I ask for $100 or $75 I don't hear from they ass ever again...it upsets me!

 

[gram green]

$50?!?!?!?!?!?!?

yo hoppa $50 ?? ... i should buy some beats from you and resell them shits to make loot... jus playin.. but seriously hops ive heard your cd and you betta bump your price up ... serious man... i mean i guess if its your peeps than thats cool... but 50$ ... shit.. come on yo... i totally hear ya on the shit about until your name gets big but at the same time you got to break it down to the simplest of terms.... lets say a local cat that doesnt suck ass makes his little 6 song ep and is grindin like he should.. it aint shit for him to sell 1000 cd's .... $10 a cd is $10,000 tax free (lol i know yall can do the math but im jsut illustratin my point)... and of course this is a low end scenario... seriously.. again this is if he's grindin right and has some skills... this local cat here in denver i been workin with just got a distribution deal through navar i think is the name in vegas... but anyways he's sold over 20,000 cd's on the street in the last 3 years.. .but he is grindin his ass off... he got a little street team and gets to open a lot of national shows and shit.....but my point is, cats are able to make money off these beats if they workin right... so $50 is too low unless you just hookin up your boy or something, but before other cats gonna recognize your worth, you gotta see it yourself.... I'm workin on a deal with a national cat right now that aint mainstream by any means, but most of yall know his name ... but we'll see how it turns out ... i cant post shit about it untill its done cuz it will be the biggest cat i've worked with and i CANT jinx the shit... but anyways, when it comes down to it, it's more important for me to get these beats on his project than to make a shitload of cake, so we'll see if i cant take my own advice, I got high on my lunchbreak and i think im rambling on and even contradicting my original point... but yo, DONT SELLL NO MORE BEATS FOR $50 ... (unless you gonna get some big time recognition from it)

peace to da beatmakers

oh yeah and get your publishing straight cause you WILL see residuals from cd sales if its a barcoded legit product

 

[Qwerty]

I've never sold shit online, but ive met people who i later met in person and sold them some beats...

To the cats getting $500 a beat, HOLY SHIT! if i was a rapper, i dont care how dope that shit is, 500$ a beat is INSANE! by that time, you better be fucking a famous name in the game cause thats what you're money is paying for, obviously the beat aint worth that much...

ive built a small lil name for myself in my area and i still dont sell my shit for more than $50.. i hope to get more sooner or later, but i honestly dont expect it until my fame rises...

True, true, it is "art" but at the same time i need some weed/records/smokes/beer/dinner so i slang my beats hella cheap, and hella OFTEN. It works both ways, cause you and i know the beats are hot, and kids hit up the mcs i sell to like: "who made that beat?" and they like "DJ Hoppa" and BAM- More sales!

You crazy???? I'd say if you got skill as a producer than you got to start at about 300$ or maybe 500$. ALCHEMIST sells his beats for like 6 000-10 000$, and I know he sold the Jadakiss- We gon make it, for like 6 000$. So 500 is VERY REASONABLE.

And you know that D12 guy that did Pimp and Stunt 101? Well this wack nigga ask 25 000!!! He's askin more than Alchemist!!!! So bottom line, 500 is good.

 

[BlackSox]

What it comes down to is, you guys charging $500-$1000, how often do you sell a beat?

Thanks for the info

Merch

 

[Phoenix5891]

“As an artist, you gotta be willing to invest in your self. Complaining about a beats price is ridicules. Music is an art and the prices i've seen have been inexpensive for good art (like $250 for example). I've seen some cats whore off beats for like $25. But you get what you pay for.
If you come across a person who feels their art is worth nothing, so be it!
In the industry, hot beats generally sell for 50,000 and up! And yes, emcees pay for it. Why because they are investing in themselves and producers would have probably paid a price tag of $10,000 and up to get the right to use that “sample” you hear in modern day songs today. Like any other business, an expense is typically passed onto the consumer (you). Purchasing a beat puts you in the consumer’s position. When you sell your records, part of that cost is to recoup your investment (advertising, expenses, production costs, travel costs, etc). So then those costs are passed onto the retailer in a scaled out version. Then the retailer passes on their expense to general public. Don’t forget that everyone has to make a profit.

Producers invest time, money, and artistic creativity into composing a beat. Should they not be paid for their services? Or should they do it all for free and let the artists make a living off of it. Who wants to work for free?

The last time I checked, free labor was abolished with slavery. (But then again, many people in this country will work for food (I'm sure you've seen someone holding a sign like that). Working for food is not "free" labor, It's W O R K I N G - F O R - F O O D!

In the end, you will most likely be in the negative!

Like I said, NOTHING IS FOR FREE. I’m not trying to imply that people who sell inexpensive beats are guilty of the scenarios I speak about, but as an artist, producer, record company and manager, you must know your risks. You get what you pay and don’t pay for.

Peace,” A wise Man

 

[MadManBeats]

I Think All Beat Sales Should Be Thru Word Of Mouth....if U Really Wanna Get Ur Shit Heard...get Ur Ass Out There And Go From Studio 2 Studio...thats Where The Artists With Money Are...cuz They Spendin 50-100 An Hour For Recording...thats How I Got In Contact With The Cats I Sell Beats 2...i Met Em All In Studios....and No Matter What, If U Know U Got Fire, Dont Settle For A Lame Offer...fuck That...if U Dont Sell It Today Ull Sell It Tomorrow...and If U Dont Sell It At All Its Cuz Its Priceless...one

 

[Carpe Diem]

yeah....... well, there are "mc's" whee i live that try to come up with these rediculous little contracts, "$20 and a pecentage of all the sales!!" its funy as hell, especially when the beat you just showed them was a stripped down preset from a dr 202.... kids who rap (try to) are infesting this little town of mine and most of them are either armed with fruity loops and zero skills, so they think that they dont need an actual producer, or they are trying to get you for ten dollars a track..... my old partner would mess with these cats....... thats part of the reason he is my OLD partner..........

Exactly!!! Theres these dudes @ a youth studio centre by me that produce on a lil keyboard, you know the ones?!? You hold down a key and a beat plays, hold down another key when u want the melody to kick in, and another for the bass... Wack as!!! I went there for the first time a while back with some lil wack ass beats and kids were on my dick...make me this, make me that.... Soon as u mention money theyre like, oh come on man, ill give u a fiver ... lol!

 

[DJFANTOM]

I Think All Beat Sales Should Be Thru Word Of Mouth....if U Really Wanna Get Ur Shit Heard...get Ur Ass Out There And Go From Studio 2 Studio...thats Where The Artists With Money Are...cuz They Spendin 50-100 An Hour For Recording...thats How I Got In Contact With The Cats I Sell Beats 2...i Met Em All In Studios....and No Matter What, If U Know U Got Fire, Dont Settle For A Lame Offer...fuck That...if U Dont Sell It Today Ull Sell It Tomorrow...and If U Dont Sell It At All Its Cuz Its Priceless...one

Word man I agree with you. People need to get from infront of there computer and get out there. Hang out in studios, trade shows, music conventions/confrences etc.... You want 500 and up for a beat you not gonna get it from lil johny the 2 bit hustla around ya way who decides he wanna be a rapper cause its "cool" .






Like was mentioned the net is good as another means of promotion , but it shouldn't be your only means of promotion.
I my self have never sold abeat yet. But like many of you had people interested. But they usualy flake out. Or don't wanna pay. My starting price is 200 cash (no check money order or pay pal .lol) I will only go lower if my beat is being used for a project that's gonna be heard by a lot of people. Or amajor release.




Shit id give away a beat free to any major artist for production credit and my name said at the begining "just blaze style" . As far as selling beats online tho me personaly I wouldn't wanna do the transaction via the net 1) leaves a elect. Paper trail 2) you could get jerked ...etc.... Also in a artist point of view.. If im payig 500 or better for abeat then I sure don't want it in mp3 form. I want it in .wav format and possibly tracked out .

 

[MikeMiz]

Haven't sold anything exclusive, and mostly lease beats for this very reason. I don't own the lyrics to the song, so why should someone own the beat? Of course I want to sell beats exclusive for $500+, but honestly how many upcoming artists are going to pay that much to a stranger. I'd feel better giving it away to a talented mc or singer then selling it for $50, just for the promotion. Once I'm on top, then I'll start chargin Timbaland prices...

 

[Carpe Diem]

A lotta peep just pay for the name...

For example, if Alchem made a beat, and i made a nicer beat (cough lol), a lotta peep would pay for Als, even if it cost a whole lot more, just to get the name...

Thats wrong, peep gotta listen to up and coming producers and invest in them...

 

[DJ Hoppa]

yo hoppa $50 ?? ... i should buy some beats from you and resell them shits to make loot... jus playin.. but seriously hops ive heard your cd and you betta bump your price up ... serious man... i mean i guess if its your peeps than thats cool... but 50$ ... shit.. come on yo... i totally hear ya on the shit about until your name gets big but at the same time you got to break it down to the simplest of terms.... lets say a local cat that doesnt suck ass makes his little 6 song ep and is grindin like he should.. it aint shit for him to sell 1000 cd's .... $10 a cd is $10,000 tax free (lol i know yall can do the math but im jsut illustratin my point)... and of course this is a low end scenario... seriously.. again this is if he's grindin right and has some skills... this local cat here in denver i been workin with just got a distribution deal through navar i think is the name in vegas... but anyways he's sold over 20,000 cd's on the street in the last 3 years.. .but he is grindin his ass off... he got a little street team and gets to open a lot of national shows and shit.....but my point is, cats are able to make money off these beats if they workin right... so $50 is too low unless you just hookin up your boy or something, but before other cats gonna recognize your worth, you gotta see it yourself.... I'm workin on a deal with a national cat right now that aint mainstream by any means, but most of yall know his name ... but we'll see how it turns out ... i cant post shit about it untill its done cuz it will be the biggest cat i've worked with and i CANT jinx the shit... but anyways, when it comes down to it, it's more important for me to get these beats on his project than to make a shitload of cake, so we'll see if i cant take my own advice, I got high on my lunchbreak and i think im rambling on and even contradicting my original point... but yo, DONT SELLL NO MORE BEATS FOR $50 ... (unless you gonna get some big time recognition from it)

peace to da beatmakers

oh yeah and get your publishing straight cause you WILL see residuals from cd sales if its a barcoded legit product

Word up man, i see whatchu sayeing.....


but hip hop kids are poor. especially these underground local cats that hit me up. I feel where they are coming from, and its more music than business.

I just sold a certified BANGER for $24.25 ...it was 25 bux, but they couldnt scrounge it all together...

I know im a skilled producer, but honestly, it gets my name out, and i get paid. Ive prolly only made about 2000 bux selling beats in my production career, but thats cool wit me.

Im a cheap bastard!

btw, feel free to buy my beats and resell them hahah! i got rent to pay!

 

[DJ Hoppa]

Man, you guys REALLY selling beats for $500 ??????

No fucking way. seriously!

I wouldnt pay shit for a NO NAME MC to get on one of my tracks, why would anyone pay thaty kinda money for a NO NAME PRODUCER to make a beat?

those prices are crazy... until my harem of bitches start following me everywhere pouring all the cristal over my ice, imma keep the beats cheap.

It keeps the kids coming back, and it keeps me in the spotlight.

To those actually pulling in that kinda bread, more props to you. buy me a drink sometime you rich motherfucker!