What are some of your biggest pains in the butt at the moment regarding beat making?

[Iron Keys]

and a platform with ready made contracts is good for such things.

I think people only wanna buy type beats on those platforms for like $5

I don't see anyone likely to wanna buy my beats for whatever price id put them at anyway. The artists that would likely want to use my beats probably already have management who are sourcing producers for them direct to work with.

 

[MyDamSelph]

Yes, you could post the two versions on separate channels on YouTube, for example. I really like that idea!

Or here's what a friend of mine did:

Beat on YouTube: Link
Producers' cut / standalone track on SoundCloud: Link

P.S. Does BeatStars place so much value on posting daily? Have you tried different intervals? If yes, what were your findings?

Like @LiveLargeBeats said, I've noticed that the rate at which I gain followers seems to snowball the more I stick with posting every day. I'd tried it when I first started, then slacked a couple of times and noticed that the rate dropped and that it was hard to get back (they have graphs that help you understand your stats). Also, all the successful beatstars producers that I follow seem to second this. But I've been posting daily for almost a couple of weeks now and I've gained about 70 followers just in the past 3 days. Weekends are always better of course but that's when people tend to have more time.

 

[Iron Keys]

Like @LiveLargeBeats said, I've noticed that the rate at which I gain followers seems to snowball the more I stick with posting every day. I'd tried it when I first started, then slacked a couple of times and noticed that the rate dropped and that it was hard to get back (they have graphs that help you understand your stats). Also, all the successful beatstars producers that I follow seem to second this. But I've been posting daily for almost a couple of weeks now and I've gained about 70 followers just in the past 3 days. Weekends are always better of course but that's when people tend to have more time.

The problem is you saturate your own market and devalue your work.

I saw some private talk with an art seller, and apparently she said by creating too much work you actually devalue it.

Those algorithms are probably best suited to video creators n 'content creators'. It's sad that it works that way as a killer once a month content would be better than endless once a day content. who even has time to consume that.

Probably those beatsite or whatnot aren't really conducive or compatible with genuine success.

 

[MyDamSelph]

The problem is you saturate your own market and devalue your work.

I saw some private talk with an art seller, and apparently she said by creating too much work you actually devalue it.

Those algorithms are probably best suited to video creators n 'content creators'. It's sad that it works that way as a killer once a month content would be better than endless once a day content. who even has time to consume that.

Probably those beatsite or whatnot aren't really conducive or compatible with genuine success.

I look at it as building a catalog of equally valuable items. Nobody goes to a store and expects a discount because they have 20 of the same type of item, I believe that busisness concept applies to selling beats as well. At the same time though, I'm confident in the quality of my product or I wouldn't have invested the time, energy and money into actually getting it done. The beatsites don't create success for you, you create your success. But you have to start in order to have anything happen at all. The "it must suck, so I won't even try" mindset is self-limiting imo.

 

[Greg Savage]

I don't have any at the moment. If this question were asked maybe 10 years ago I might have had a novel.

 

[nikwen]

I just generally dont wanna put full beats online. Verse n hook should be enough for someone to know if they like it or wanna use it.

I think that's totally fine. You can post an excerpt, too. When people post their beats to Instagram, they have no other choice than to do this because IG limits videos to 60 seconds. Still lots of people selling beats through Instagram posts.

I hate "needs to be longer". I personally would get bored of song lengthbeats with no song. Only dew rare beats i can bang without vocal.

In my opinion it depends on how you "consume" it. If you just listen to it, a 3 minute rap beat is usually boring.
When I listen to a beat though, I start freestyling and that way 3 minutes are nothing.

I dont think it matters besides the fact you gain more followers by posting more, so eventually you gain a bigger following when being more committed to post on a regular base.

Yes, that's probably true. I prefer subscribing to people who post a new beat every 3-10 days.

I myself do struggle alot with that, as for example these last 2 weeks, i have like 5 beats nearly done, but it takes time arranging them and extracting the stems etc, make folders and put them online. So havent uploaded any, and its pretty stupid because you always feel your new beats are the best, right? This weekend ill have a few days off and get the machine going again. Defenitly need to be sending some tunes out to artists aswell..im saying this to myself for 4 weeks now, and you geussed it...ive send out exactly 0 lol

Oh, so you need to have all stems ready to upload to BeatStars?

However, if you have been working with artists and you gained yourself quite the circle,.thats when i think it could be interesting getting random buyes from your stores, as they will check up on you to see if you got some new stuff. And if you had a few placements and made some name for yourself people will look you up and follow you etc etc.

I agree that building relationships is the way to go. For the most part, I freestyle and I haven't recorded anything but if I were to do it, I have a couple of producer friends and would know exactly who to ask for beats.

the biggest struggle we all encounter,...arranging a song w/o working with an artist..its so shitty.

I've seen some people cut out the vocals from their favorite songs, make a good beat for those vocals and sell it without the vocals. Might be worth trying.

 

[nikwen]

Like @LiveLargeBeats said, I've noticed that the rate at which I gain followers seems to snowball the more I stick with posting every day. I'd tried it when I first started, then slacked a couple of times and noticed that the rate dropped and that it was hard to get back (they have graphs that help you understand your stats). Also, all the successful beatstars producers that I follow seem to second this. But I've been posting daily for almost a couple of weeks now and I've gained about 70 followers just in the past 3 days. Weekends are always better of course but that's when people tend to have more time.

Interesting! Thanks a lot for sharing and congrats on the great follower numbers!
How do followers convert into beat sales for you? Have the increased follower counts helped with that yet?

I don't see anyone likely to wanna buy my beats for whatever price id put them at anyway. The artists that would likely want to use my beats probably already have management who are sourcing producers for them direct to work with.

I'd say platforms like YouTube or SoundCloud are really helpful when talking to these artists, too, because you can send them a portfolio.
Even if your hypothesis is true that nobody would buy your beats directly off BeatStars, having a portfolio out will help you nonetheless.

 

[thedreampolice]

Marketing.

 

[MyDamSelph]

Interesting! Thanks a lot for sharing and congrats on the great follower numbers!
How do followers convert into beat sales for you? Have the increased follower counts helped with that yet?


I'd say platforms like YouTube or SoundCloud are really helpful when talking to these artists, too, because you can send them a portfolio.
Even if your hypothesis is true that nobody would buy your beats directly off BeatStars, having a portfolio out will help you nonetheless.

Well so far, I've had 4 sales and I've got a local person wanting 2 then somebody else saving to buy 4 as well. I feel like more than anything, the followers on beatstars tend to be other producers (there some rappers/singers/management types though), and all but one of my sales, I've done the legwork for (scouting and messaging via IG and youtube basically). But that being said, when I do guide people to my beatstore, I feel having at least a decent amount of followers and people interacting via liking, sharing and commenting that it adds some validity to my brand at face value, which probably helps when people are making a decision on whether or not to buy. Time will tell, though. It's gonna be a long time before I profit over my studio costs either way

 

[2GooD Productions]

Well so far, I've had 4 sales and I've got a local person wanting 2 then somebody else saving to buy 4 as well. I feel like more than anything, the followers on beatstars tend to be other producers (there some rappers/singers/management types though), and all but one of my sales, I've done the legwork for (scouting and messaging via IG and youtube basically). But that being said, when I do guide people to my beatstore, I feel having at least a decent amount of followers and people interacting via liking, sharing and commenting that it adds some validity to my brand at face value, which probably helps when people are making a decision on whether or not to buy. Time will tell, though. It's gonna be a long time before I profit over my studio costs either way

People need validation of a product before they buy, which is why they like to see a fan base. People generally dont go their own way with music, but instead like the music of their peers, it gives them something to talk about, a shared interest. People like to be perceived as "fashionable" or "ahead of the game" but in reality are just tag alongs to the latest trends. This is why music always evolves, to stay trendy and hip, so the sheeple can collectively attach themselves to "the latest trends in music".
Music as a form of entertainment is but a fraction of what it was in the 90's, people have so many forms of entertainment now that music is becoming less popular and harder to sell.

 

[OGBama]

I @2GooD Productions would have loved to been a musician in any era when music didn't have much else to compete with attention-span wise.

 

[2GooD Productions]

I @2GooD Productions would have loved to been a musician in any era when music didn't have much else to compete with attention-span wise.

i dunno, having the odds stacked against you is more of a challenge. You have to push yourself harder to stand out above the crowd.

 

[MyDamSelph]

People need validation of a product before they buy, which is why they like to see a fan base. People generally dont go their own way with music, but instead like the music of their peers, it gives them something to talk about, a shared interest. People like to be perceived as "fashionable" or "ahead of the game" but in reality are just tag alongs to the latest trends. This is why music always evolves, to stay trendy and hip, so the sheeple can collectively attach themselves to "the latest trends in music".
Music as a form of entertainment is but a fraction of what it was in the 90's, people have so many forms of entertainment now that music is becoming less popular and harder to sell.

Makes sense. And yeah, a lot of people are putting out all sorts of different content. I've considered leasing beats to youtube creators as well but then you've got companies like epidemic sounds basically monopolizing that lane. Rap in the 90's was dope. I miss when albums told an actual story.

 

[2GooD Productions]

Makes sense. And yeah, a lot of people are putting out all sorts of different content. I've considered leasing beats to youtube creators as well but then you've got companies like epidemic sounds basically monopolizing that lane. Rap in the 90's was dope. I miss when albums told an actual story.

yeah I miss listening to an album from start to finish and maybe only skipping one or two tracks, often none. Now an album has one single and the rest is filler.

 

[nikwen]

Well so far, I've had 4 sales and I've got a local person wanting 2 then somebody else saving to buy 4 as well. I feel like more than anything, the followers on beatstars tend to be other producers (there some rappers/singers/management types though), and all but one of my sales, I've done the legwork for (scouting and messaging via IG and youtube basically). But that being said, when I do guide people to my beatstore, I feel having at least a decent amount of followers and people interacting via liking, sharing and commenting that it adds some validity to my brand at face value, which probably helps when people are making a decision on whether or not to buy. Time will tell, though. It's gonna be a long time before I profit over my studio costs either way

That's great. Congrats on those sales!
And I do agree with your points about appearing more legit when you have more followers.

yeah I miss listening to an album from start to finish and maybe only skipping one or two tracks, often none. Now an album has one single and the rest is filler.

To be honest, that's how I still listen to music most of the time. If artists only release singles, there's a chance I'll never listen to them because I have no playlists to put them into. Albums and some of Apple Music's premade playlists are all I listen to.

 

[Iron Keys]

yeah I miss listening to an album from start to finish and maybe only skipping one or two tracks, often none. Now an album has one single and the rest is filler.

Or worse... is all singles.

When i listened to albums usually the singles jump out and grab you, and some of the "album tracks" get skipped. Get bored of the single tracks quickly, and usually it's the one track i always skipped that ends up becoming my favourite.

 

[Iron Keys]

@MyDamSelph how much you sell your music for?

 

[MyDamSelph]

@MyDamSelph how much you sell your music for?

Different levels of leases, but $25 $50 and $100. I don't have exclusives for sale at this point though, because long term you can make more money leasing the same beat multiple times vs. one sale.

 

[Iron Keys]

Different levels of leases, but $25 $50 and $100. I don't have exclusives for sale at this point though, because long term you can make more money leasing the same beat multiple times vs. one sale.

Well seeing as one beat should be like $5000 i dunno.

I wouldn't sell a decent beatfor less than $500

I haven't checked, but I doubt people are paying that for beats?

 

[2GooD Productions]

Well seeing as one beat should be like $5000 i dunno.

I wouldn't sell a decent beatfor less than $500

I haven't checked, but I doubt people are paying that for beats?

This ^^^