“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
