Website – www.musicproducerpro.net
Selling Beats Online
I could bore you with business terminologies, concepts, and how to properly apply them to the online beat market. But quite frankly, that kind of information won’t do you much good; business jargon only tend to complicate things, not solve problems. So with that being said I will try to minimize the business jargon, and lay down some fundamentals of branding and apply it to online beat selling, in hopes of increasing your probability of success selling beats online.
Branding
Brand your image, brand your music, and brand your communication. How can you do this? Here are a couple ideas you could experiment with:
1. Create 1 alias only!: A lot of producers fall into the habit of creating several aliases due to legitimate reasons of their own. Fair enough, but in order to maintain a clientele base, instead of a customer basis, you have to be grounded and identifiable.
2. Try to define your sound: This doesn’t mean making the same kind of beats over and over again. It simply means find/ create something distinct about your production. Whether it is layering your drums, passing guitars and other instruments through an effect that you’ve mastered, etc. You want people to be able to identify you, not only by your name but by your product (your beat). Kind of how you hear a Dr. Dre track and you know it’s Dr. Dre without browsing through the production credits
3. Keep at it: Don’t expect to start selling beats over night, or over the span of a week, or a month. Some people do get lucky and start selling their beats as soon as the create an account on social beat networks and upload their music, for the rest of us, we understand that this kind of success requires a great deal of time and patience. During down time, you can focus your time on branding your image. If there is a beat you have that isn’t selling, talk to other producers on the site (successful producers) and ask them to leave feedback on a particular track you are having problems selling, and see if you can pinpoint the problem from the feedback they give you (Remember, their word isn’t golden, it is just a suggestion). If that doesn’t work, try advertising on the main page of beat social networks.
A couple things to keep in mind in case your music isn’t selling:
i. Price: Are you charging too much in comparison to others
ii. Quality: Is it properly mixed, a full song, etc.
iii. Originality: Are there other tracks that sound the same that could be purchased for less
iv. Exposure: Is the track being heard
4. Learn some music theory: Music is an art form that has some basic rules that should be followed. This doesn’t mean that you can’t bend them; it just means you just can’t break them. If you’re really serious about making some money selling beats online, take the time out to learn some theory. There are some sites online that give free lessons on music theory. This will enable you to be more consistent in the quality of music you make, and help you distinguish yourself from other online producers.
5. Mixing DOES matter: Although this may seem completely out of left wing, it is very instrumental in your production. Imagine if the sound guy didn’t have the volume high enough during the president’s inauguration. Take time with your mixes. It’s like yin to yang, the music isn’t more important than the mix, or vise versa. They compliment each other, so if you can’t mix, find some one who can, or learn how to
6. Don’t compromise yourself: A lot of producers fall into the habit of selling their beats for next to nothing. This is only hurting you in the long run. You cripple your ability to evolve as a producer, because you are satisfied with your quantitative success, and you’re only creating a brand for yourself that you’ll find difficult to get out of. I mean, if you made a beat that you thought was hot, and posted it for a substantial price difference in comparison with the other tracks you have for sale, the probability of selling it will be pretty low, because they’d rather look for a substitute
7. People are watching: The way you respond to people could affect you even if your intentions where good. Never forget, even though you may feel you are right about something, there are a million people out there that disagree. Keep your opinions unbiased, briefly address the issue and or concern, and let it be. * As long as it doesn’t attack you as a brand*
E.g. – You may run into a situation where someone disagrees with the genre or sub-genre of music you made. Since this could affect you indirectly, you should stand up for your brand, BUT ONLY DEFEND YOURSELF & WORKS WITH FACTS. The person you’re arguing with might be ignorant, but the rest of the people reading those posts aren’t
8. Be humble: Online producers are a dime a dozen, you have to turn customer into clientele. Go online to producer forums, get to know the people on there, get to know artists, post up pictures of your self on your profile. Use these social tools to gain an advantage over your competitors. Treat people with respect and you will get respect back. It’s one thing to be competitive, it’s another thing to be arrogant.
These are just a couple things that could help you sell more beats. I’m not guaranteeing you that following these guidelines will guarantee you success; it is merely a step in the right direction. Good Luck!
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