wmsproductions
Member
Stay away from free work it usually just leads to more free work...
Why Offer Free Work?
- Thread starter dacalion
- Start date
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WarzoneThe next Warzone Beat Battle is set for May 24-25th!
JaxxForever
ILLIEN
AGREE. But I think working for free is a different side with different opportunities besides exposure and experience.
God
Creator of the Universe
ill o.g.
Think about this from a pure hustler's standpoint. You have to approach the music business the same way as a gangster would approach it. What I mean is "Ivy League gangsters" essentially run the business, meaning smart cats who are really intelligent, sharp and have an education, but possess the morals of a Russian mobster. That combination is tough to counter unless you battle them at their level.
So think about free production this way:
- What do you really get out of making free beats? Publicity? That's all BS. Never work for free unless it's a favor or where you get something directly in return for it, instead of a pipe dream promise.
- If your beats are hot someone will either:
a) Steal the beat from you and sell it themselves.
b) Buy the beat from you.
There's no way around it. You have to approach business with a razor-sharp hustler's mind. I don't know anyone who's built a successful business by giving stuff away for free UNLESS there was a DIRECT benefit of some sort. Like making a "free" beat for a chance to rap on a compilation album, or some garbage like that.
Too many people don't understand the value of leverage. If you're good, make it look like your always busy, get fake phone calls when talking to cats and answer the phone throwing out numbers for the beats. HUSTLE. Make people believe you're in demand. HAVE STANDARDS, don't sell yourself out too short. Real hustlers can smell your weakness from a mile away. Don't give in and always understand can walk away from a deal. Don't let anyone force you into signing or doing free stuff.
Suckers work for free. That Ferrari you want in your garage isn't going to be purchased with good will and honest intentions. It's bought with cold, hard cash.
So think about free production this way:
- What do you really get out of making free beats? Publicity? That's all BS. Never work for free unless it's a favor or where you get something directly in return for it, instead of a pipe dream promise.
- If your beats are hot someone will either:
a) Steal the beat from you and sell it themselves.
b) Buy the beat from you.
There's no way around it. You have to approach business with a razor-sharp hustler's mind. I don't know anyone who's built a successful business by giving stuff away for free UNLESS there was a DIRECT benefit of some sort. Like making a "free" beat for a chance to rap on a compilation album, or some garbage like that.
Too many people don't understand the value of leverage. If you're good, make it look like your always busy, get fake phone calls when talking to cats and answer the phone throwing out numbers for the beats. HUSTLE. Make people believe you're in demand. HAVE STANDARDS, don't sell yourself out too short. Real hustlers can smell your weakness from a mile away. Don't give in and always understand can walk away from a deal. Don't let anyone force you into signing or doing free stuff.
Suckers work for free. That Ferrari you want in your garage isn't going to be purchased with good will and honest intentions. It's bought with cold, hard cash.
Absolutely.
I would like to contribute, but why give shit away when they can pay?
I always felt that if an emcee/artist is SERIOUS about their business, he/she would understand there is a BUSINESS aspect to this music shit.
Many emcees/artists get butthurt when you tell them that your music/craft isn't given away for free.
If a big named artist wanted to work with me, damn well I will get a 3rd party involved to ensure that the correct process is followed and I dont' get fucked in the end.
I had a local dude out here who was making some moves (not big moves) and wanted a beat from me. I told him my price, gave him a BANGER...dude never responded back on some bitch shit...
Then the dude turns around and raps about how much money he has..and all the bottle poppin he does....give me a fucking break.
People get it so twisted these days....
But I also blame those online selling their beats for like $0.99 n shit...I can't knock their hustle, because they are getting money, but they are lowering the stock value of OUR product for a few dollars.
God
Creator of the Universe
ill o.g.
Business is ruthless and cruel. People will backstab you at any point for money. You have to be cold and calculated in business, since there are real winners and real losers. You don't want to be a loser, so here's an approach to take:
1) Figure out your angle. How are you going to create revenue?
- Are you going to be a person that pumps out cheap $0.99 beats and try to sell as many as possible.
- Are you going to be mid-level, charge several hundred dollars for the beat and deal with a lot of competitors in both the low and high range.
- Be a high paid professional: incorporate songwriting into your beats like including choruses pre-written into songs. Work on your songwriting game and become the Max Martin of hip-hop (Max Martin wrote and produced many of the hit songs of the 2000's using a "factory" hit songwriting technique.)
Find out how you DIFFERENTIATE from the others. What value do you add?
It's easy to sell cheap beats and harder to sell expensive "professional" beats that are songs. That's why people usually opt for mediocrity in the middle.
2) Yes, it's okay to take money.
- Every business runs on money. People are scared of business because they are scared of hurting someone's feelings if they feel like they offend them. You have to forget about emotion and think about money.
- Figure out: what are your different potential revenue streams? Is it only for beats, are you offering other services, like songwriting help or something else?
- Have a price and STICK WITH IT. Honor your prices, if someone doesn't want to pay you, fine. The next person will.
3) Be realistic.
- If you're a dreamer making beats in your bedroom, the chances are that you won't be found. People continue to bring up Apex as an example of the "overnight" online beatmaker success, but what cats don't know is Apex had his "I Get Money" beat stolen. Only when G-Unit found out the guy who took the beat didn't have master tracks (and couldn't produce similar sounding tracks) did they find out about Apex.
Understand EVERYONE these days makes beats because they think it's an easy way out of poverty, something fun to do, or they have some talent and think there's a realistic chance to make it. You're lying to yourself if you think of this.
How are you really DIFFERENT than the others? Find your differentiating factors.
4) Package acts
- What about putting the whole thing together, from music, merchandising and more? Build acts and sell them. Write their songs, get yourself noticed through the act and then see where it can take you in the major label sense of things.
The key is to find a differentiating factor for yourself.
Look, NEVER SELL YOURSELF SHORT. The reason why people fail at business is because they're SCARED. You know what's right and wrong and you should adopt the hustler's mindset.
Think about how to make as much money as possible, not how to give away as much free shit as possible. If there is no direct benefit, like getting something in return for your "free" work, don't do it.
1) Figure out your angle. How are you going to create revenue?
- Are you going to be a person that pumps out cheap $0.99 beats and try to sell as many as possible.
- Are you going to be mid-level, charge several hundred dollars for the beat and deal with a lot of competitors in both the low and high range.
- Be a high paid professional: incorporate songwriting into your beats like including choruses pre-written into songs. Work on your songwriting game and become the Max Martin of hip-hop (Max Martin wrote and produced many of the hit songs of the 2000's using a "factory" hit songwriting technique.)
Find out how you DIFFERENTIATE from the others. What value do you add?
It's easy to sell cheap beats and harder to sell expensive "professional" beats that are songs. That's why people usually opt for mediocrity in the middle.
2) Yes, it's okay to take money.
- Every business runs on money. People are scared of business because they are scared of hurting someone's feelings if they feel like they offend them. You have to forget about emotion and think about money.
- Figure out: what are your different potential revenue streams? Is it only for beats, are you offering other services, like songwriting help or something else?
- Have a price and STICK WITH IT. Honor your prices, if someone doesn't want to pay you, fine. The next person will.
3) Be realistic.
- If you're a dreamer making beats in your bedroom, the chances are that you won't be found. People continue to bring up Apex as an example of the "overnight" online beatmaker success, but what cats don't know is Apex had his "I Get Money" beat stolen. Only when G-Unit found out the guy who took the beat didn't have master tracks (and couldn't produce similar sounding tracks) did they find out about Apex.
Understand EVERYONE these days makes beats because they think it's an easy way out of poverty, something fun to do, or they have some talent and think there's a realistic chance to make it. You're lying to yourself if you think of this.
How are you really DIFFERENT than the others? Find your differentiating factors.
4) Package acts
- What about putting the whole thing together, from music, merchandising and more? Build acts and sell them. Write their songs, get yourself noticed through the act and then see where it can take you in the major label sense of things.
The key is to find a differentiating factor for yourself.
Look, NEVER SELL YOURSELF SHORT. The reason why people fail at business is because they're SCARED. You know what's right and wrong and you should adopt the hustler's mindset.
Think about how to make as much money as possible, not how to give away as much free shit as possible. If there is no direct benefit, like getting something in return for your "free" work, don't do it.
In my opinion, its better to give away free than for cheap. If you present your services as a trade for some type of return from the other side then it looks like you know how to negotiate. If you sell a beat for like 5 bucks you just look cheap and penny pinching. Selling something for that cheap also cheapens your value making look like a $2...you fill in the blank
I didn't read all the posts but i'm sure what im bout to say was probably already said in some way. If your offering your music at 5 dollars a "beat" then what are you saying about your music? yo if your an unknown (not just music-wise but, if your unknown to me or any of my associates) you better believe your fuckin paying me good, unless your really good. most of the time I turn down beats to people even if they have money because they are corny. Im not about to trash my name with some wack rapper on my track rapping through some USB mic who thinks hes the next french montana and says hes selling kilos of coke in his music. If its someone famous I would and have gave beats away for free. Your getting production credit in return instead of money which is ALWAYS (ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS) worth more than any type of money your gonna get as an upcoming producer. Right now Im not focusing on money at all im trying to build relationships with really good rappers (I mean REALLY good, if someone is garbage theres no chance im getting with them) and throw them a few of my really good beats just so if they get a little big my name is gonna be in their credits plus they know who to call when they need production. After you have a solid reputation and a lot of production credit then thats when you start banking on your music, I havnt got to that point yet but its coming soon! I cant really picture any upcoming unknown producer with no rep making any kind of money off of their "beats"
Greg Savage
Ehh Fuck you
ill o.g.
This guys problem is not giving his music away free it's the fact that he didn't have his paperwork in line and that's his fault.
You should never give music away free that you don't have registered with your publishing company. I give away music all the time but in exchange for the right to promote the music that is recorded. I do a lot of TV jingles and film scoring these days so in return im getting a lot of vocals over my material..
Hiphop/country/opera etc
I've been successful getting placements on Breaking Bad, Espn, HBO as well as scoring projects for warner.
The big problem here (with hiphop producers) is they don't understand the full spectrum and leverage of music and the value of exchange. Most hiphop producers only use "Free music" as a way of marketing their (buy my beats campaign)... You can do soo much more with it. There is a bigger world out there than simply selling music to an artist.
Building someones house free I wouldn't do it but allow someone to use music free sure.. I can duplicate that all day unlike a physical structure. Just make sure you don't give away your rights in the process.
When you give away your rights that's when the problem occurs. I love when someone claims my music as theirs and I love sitting in court getting the ruling in my favor..
I've sued more producers in the last 2 years than I have artists
You should never give music away free that you don't have registered with your publishing company. I give away music all the time but in exchange for the right to promote the music that is recorded. I do a lot of TV jingles and film scoring these days so in return im getting a lot of vocals over my material..
Hiphop/country/opera etc
I've been successful getting placements on Breaking Bad, Espn, HBO as well as scoring projects for warner.
The big problem here (with hiphop producers) is they don't understand the full spectrum and leverage of music and the value of exchange. Most hiphop producers only use "Free music" as a way of marketing their (buy my beats campaign)... You can do soo much more with it. There is a bigger world out there than simply selling music to an artist.
Building someones house free I wouldn't do it but allow someone to use music free sure.. I can duplicate that all day unlike a physical structure. Just make sure you don't give away your rights in the process.
When you give away your rights that's when the problem occurs. I love when someone claims my music as theirs and I love sitting in court getting the ruling in my favor..
I've sued more producers in the last 2 years than I have artists
