How can you sell beats without selling yourself short?

A

Ayiro "Arrow"

New member
I've been producing for almost 9 years now. Every person I let listen to my beats, from A&Rs, "rappers", "Singers", enigneers, people that were successful in the past, even people who don't like hip hop/rap/R&B LOVE my tracks! I'm more on focusing on how to get them out there, being paid to get them out there and not being f***** over! I have just about 90% of my tracks copywritten THE RIGHT WAY (that poorman copyright s*** doesn't hold up in court...you gotta get it through the library of congress), I have letters of intent written up and I have my publishing company ready. I have business cards done and I have my beat cds ready, but I'm waiting to get them done right (from what I'm told, blank cds with your info on them is GHETTO and unprofessional... so I plan on getting my picture done in a studio at my engineering school [LARW] and stomping that onto a beat CD with my contact info). I've also got my tracks ready to burn where they play a max of a minut and a half. I do that so that if someone likes my tracks, they have to negotiate, instead of going somewhere and tracking it into a system where they can record and i get f***** over. Is that cool? How is it that I can get these "artists" to take me seriously and buy my s***? How can I get connections that would get my tracks to some mainstream artists? I'm sure that if they get into the right hands, money would come in faster than Dr.Dre's bank account! I'm from L.A., where everybody and they momma is a rapper and now producer. I hear this garbage on the radio (i.e. Juelz Santana's new crap, The Whistle Song (There It Go) ) and I wonder, how did these producers get paid for that? How can I get my tracks heard to these industry artists/ record executives? Any advice would help....

Peace times Infinity....
 
Ayiro "Arrow" said:
I've been producing for almost 9 years now. Every person I let listen to my beats, from A&Rs, "rappers", "Singers", enigneers, people that were successful in the past, even people who don't like hip hop/rap/R&B LOVE my tracks! I'm more on focusing on how to get them out there, being paid to get them out there and not being f***** over! I have just about 90% of my tracks copywritten THE RIGHT WAY (that poorman copyright s*** doesn't hold up in court...you gotta get it through the library of congress), I have letters of intent written up and I have my publishing company ready. I have business cards done and I have my beat cds ready, but I'm waiting to get them done right (from what I'm told, blank cds with your info on them is GHETTO and unprofessional... so I plan on getting my picture done in a studio at my engineering school [LARW] and stomping that onto a beat CD with my contact info). I've also got my tracks ready to burn where they play a max of a minut and a half. I do that so that if someone likes my tracks, they have to negotiate, instead of going somewhere and tracking it into a system where they can record and i get f***** over. Is that cool? How is it that I can get these "artists" to take me seriously and buy my s***? How can I get connections that would get my tracks to some mainstream artists? I'm sure that if they get into the right hands, money would come in faster than Dr.Dre's bank account! I'm from L.A., where everybody and they momma is a rapper and now producer. I hear this garbage on the radio (i.e. Juelz Santana's new crap, The Whistle Song (There It Go) ) and I wonder, how did these producers get paid for that? How can I get my tracks heard to these industry artists/ record executives? Any advice would help....

Peace times Infinity....
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if you find out let a brotha know!!! i been sellin my beats for like an average of 5.00 buck s for like 10 beats.....i am gonna get screwed over , but if i get screwed over by the right person who hits it big, and i file a suit, i will get exposer to the world...filing a suit agianst a big name, or at least a popular new artist , will make the news...and if your beats are good enough to get jaked by one of them, im sure people will be asking who this kid is, ....hey in this world you gotta work the screw, dont let the screw work you!!!
but good luck my method is odd...but thats the industry...lol everyone in there mamma...thats da truth!!!!!
 
In answer to your original question, you have to find the right market. Selling beats for 3-500 while may be selling yourself a little short is a good way to make rent/buy clothes/whatever. I found the market because I run a studio and I DJ, and I go to a lot of events in the city. It's all about promotion, eventually you will find the people who can buy the beats. Also keep in mind that drug dealers that rap are more easy with the cash, I get most of my income from wannabe rapper drug dealers lol. I would be careful about giving them your beat cds without anything over the beats though, even if they have the money they might jack it and while they probably won't blow, you coulda got 300 in ur pocket.
As far as getting tracks to the industry, it's all politics. Just keep grinding, meeting people, giving stuff to the right people, theres really no shortcut through it unless your uncle is VP at Universal.
From what I've been told from people at the labels that they look for a package - i.e. find a sexy singer/hot rapper to produce, sign them to a production deal and shop the completed tracks to the industry.
Thats my 2 cents.
www.soundclick.com/djdocrokproductions
www.onlean.com
 
another question

aight... another question (but keep sending the advice PLEASE...the more the better). Some dude named gec on here was spitting some knowledge about not selling beats at a flat rate because that's selling all your rights of ownership. I don't understand that at all. How is that? If in my letter of intent I sell my tracks for a flat rate, say $300, and outline that the artist must recognize that I am NOT selling my rights to ownership (especially considering I have my copyrights to my tracks), does that work or it doesn't matter? Also gec said to sell for a percentage of what the track is used on will make (i.e. 3%) plus a cash advance up front. :confused: What the hell does that mean? Is that another way of asking for points? If I sell the track for 3%, is that for royalties? And if so, how is it that I'm getting paid? I'm assuming that the 3% is not going to be given upfront and only benefits me if I am a member of a royalty collection organization (i.e. BMI, which i am a member). Also, is the cash advance considered the "flat rate" (like I sell a beat for 3% of whatever the track is used on will make plus a $300 cash advance)? Holla back!

Audi 5000
 
I think that how you sell your beats is totally up to you. I know many people who sell at a flat rate for unsigned and indie labels and then a flat rate plus royalty percentage for larger more established labels. And that works for them. I sell mine at a flat rate because my beats right now just pay for new equipment for my studio (and it helps get word of mouth around). I might sell beats here and there, but I don't do it to pay the rent. I have a regular job for that, so I don't have to sell like crazy just to make it. But whoever said that wanna be rappers who deal dope bring swift cash. That is true. While I wouldn't bring them to my studio, I would bring them a sample CD or hit them up to my site and let them pick from there.

But as for your original question, I think when you first get started you should sell yourself a little short, just don't sell yourself "out". When Kanye first got started, he was doing some beats for free just to get his name around and then once that happened, he started slapping charges on them. Not bad business sense if you can afford to do that.
 
Yeah their isnt a clear cut way to do it man. You have to know your market like everyone else said. If your market is broke well you cant charge alot. If you an find the right guys who keep comming back that have the funds to afford what you feel your tracks are worth then you will be alright. I've recently been put on to managers though. Depending on the manager they can get some decent clients for a managers fee of course. I have looked into this recently and If this deal falls through with the manager I'll sign on with him. If it doesnt I'll continue to market myself until the next oppurtunity arises.

Another thing I recently found out is the under the producer thing where you sign on with a producer that has a contract with a record company. All your tracks goes under his name but you get paid based off the budget he gets per year from that record company. He could have a 300,000 dollar budget and you probably get paid 35,000 per year to make beats. Alot of dudes would probably jump at this type of stuff because they would have a sorta 9-5 job but wont get alot of credit for what they do. I have been told by my professors that Teddy Riley was one of these producers. There are others out there. I met one cat from Canada that had a deal with EMI. His deal required that he have a Female artist so he was seeking Perception a fem emcee I worked with a while back. How you find these cats and submit you resume to them I have no idea but they are out there.
 
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