Are you an aspiring beat maker or producer trying to get a break online in selling your beats? Have you created beats and struggled to make a sale online knowing you've sold outside the internet? Are you a believer or disbeliever in creating quality instrumentals in FL Studio?
If any of the above sounds like you, I'm here to tell you that you are indeed in luck, and that you CAN make it possible. While some beat makers or producers getting started think that if they have "the hottest beats", they can quickly jump online and make a killing on selling their hip hop or R&B instrumentals, the truth of the matter is, more of the online sales will rely on marketing yourself well.
I can testify to say that when I first started selling beats online years ago, I too was one of the beat makers who felt that, if enough people on the outside of the internet told me that my beats or instrumentals were hot or really good, I would just be able to jump on the internet, open up a Soundclick site, and just start hammering away at adding beats to the page. I opened up my own beat instrumental website then too, but just was not getting anywhere close to what I was hoping to receive the same way I did outside of the internet. However, it goes a bit deeper than just setting up a website or page.
I'll list a few tips that really helped me to get started again this year, and to start selling beats online in a much better way. With some time and devotion to your craft, you can continue to make hott hip hop or R&B instrumentals, and even collect a sale or two. Of course, the more time you put into it, the more you'll eventually reap as well. I can say that this time around, years later, I have been able to do better with my own website, as well as selling beats on other pages as well. I still have a ways to go myself, but I can honestly say that I've more than tripled my sales within the first few months, as opposed to the entire year when I started years ago.
Okay, on to the tips, which I attribute full credit to a course I took about Sell More Beats website. It is indeed full of ideas and stimulates the mind. The investment to me was worth it, as I've made almost $1,000 within the first couple of months starting off. Some of the tips I think will help you out are listed below:
1) Network, Network, Network!! The more websites you join and put your music on, the better your exposure will be, not just for the beats you have scattered, but for the fact that you'll continue to brand your name on other websites. This will eventually have customers realize that you're all over the internet. Think about it... the more you see a commercial on TV or hear an ad on the radio, the more the name of the company sticks with you, even if you're not interested in the product at the time. The same holds true with branding your name on other pages. Tip: Don't name yourself different names on each website. Try to stick to the same name. If you have "HottBeatmaker" on Rocbattle, then you'll want to make a "HottBeatmaker" on Soundclick, and so forth.
2) Starting up your own website. While people tend to believe that websites cost hundreds of dollars, most websites are far less, unless you want a customized website. You can go to sites like Host Gator, pay under 10 - 20 dollars for a domain name for the full year, and about 8 - 12 bucks a month to open up server space. Most servers provide their own website tools. But, you can also invest a little more into tools like EZGenerator that allows you to build your website within the tool, and then upload it into your server. I use the tool to create my website and have received compliments on the set up of the page. It beats spending a couple hundred or thousand on someone to build one for you. Plus, you can build as many websites as you can purchase domain names to add to your server. So, with some time and effort, and with the right web hosting provider like HostGator, you can pay annually for the server space, and then create five completely different websites with EZGenerator, and only pay the cost of the domain name per site.
3) MySpace is a helpful tool. MySpace has a lot of people that you can network with and try to get your name out there more and more. There are also specialized friend adder tools like Friend Blaster Pro that allows you to add friends little by little with added messages or comments to them to get your name. Tip: Don't DIRECTLY solicit your music to them. Instead, create a message when using a friend adder tool and greet them, compliment them or give them respect while passing through, and drop a signature of some sort with your beat page linked right in, as well as a catch phrase like "Beats this month for only $7.00" or something similar. While you won't have everyone reply, you'll find that you'll get people to reply to your comment or message and show interest.
4) Have a decent catalog ready. Don't get caught trying to start up sales with only 4 beats on the page. That will work as a disadvantage, and you'll send the customers leaving your site quicker than you could get them to check it out. Would you go to Wal-Mart if they only had 10 different types of items at the store? Would you go to a pizzeria if all they sold was a pie with cheese or pepperoni? The same holds true to your beats. You don't want to start pushing sales or networking with only a beat or two. Build the catalog to at LEAST 25 beats and then start selling. Make sure to add more as you progress as well. You want to make sure to give the person a variety of hip hop or R&B beats or instrumentals to sift through. Not everyone may like the three dirty south beats you have sitting on your page. BUT, if you have at least three or four of each category, it gives your customers more to look through.
5) Create a "Customer Leads" page, or as the Sell More Beats course lists it as, a "Squeeze Page" if creating your own website (which as mentioned above, is recommended). You'll want to create a page that causes your customers to have to enter their name and email address in order to access your beats. The bigger you create your mail subscription list, the more people you'll have to contact to update your customers with. The web server you decide to use may give the ability to create mailing lists within them. However, for under 20 a month, you can also subscribe to companies like GetResponse, or Constant Contact.
6) Offer something FREE. When starting your website networking, and you've created your catalog of beats, you'll want to start to generate a buzz. Usually, offering something FREE can generate the buzz pretty well, or even decently well to start. You can offer either a free non-exclusive beat choice to your customers when starting by listing it on your page where you may be networking, or on messages you send to your MySpace people or other network groups. For instance, I started off letting customers know that when I started, I was giving away FREE BEATS on my website for those that joined the site. Of course, the key was that I would send these customers an email every other day after and send one free beat through their email, to spark interest, and to build rapport with the customer. Or, you can do a promotion such as "For the first 50 customers, I'll give FIVE non-exclusive beats of your choice FREE with the purchase of a non-exclusive beat". Customers LOVE FREE!! Keep that in mind.
Of course, there are other tips that help along the way, but I'll let you do further research on those. Or, you can go to the Sellmorebeats.com website and subscribe. You'll then be able to listen to the videos and the tips they give to helping you sell your beats online in a more marketable way. It is indeed worth the investment.
Now, for the comments you tend to hear across the board on how "FL Studio" won't ever generate sales, or "FL Studio is amateur", or other bashing comments of that nature, I'll say not to let that discourage you from using it if you've either started already, or have been curious with it. With the beats I've created, people sometimes ask me either which program I created my hip hop beat instrumentals with, or ask if I possess a keyboard or beat machine to create my beats. When I tell them I use "FL Studio" and sounds I create from scratch from other plug in combinations, they're usually surprised. FL Studio is believe it or not, a very powerful tool, and it continues to get stronger. Do not let the comments discourage you. You can take constructive criticism such as comments that say to mix your track a bit differently, or to add some FX to a channel, but not to flat out state "good beats can only be made in Reason, Cubase, or equipment", because that is not the case at all. Besides, FL Studio surpasses Reason in that it allows the use of VSTi's (virtual instruments) or VST FX plugins of other companies all around, versus the limited Reason to which you must use their set of plugins.
Don't get me wrong, Reason is indeed a great tool as well. However, my point is that Reason is NOT the only tool that can create hot hip hop beat instrumentals. It's all in what you put into it, and the sounds or plugins you use. And if you're looking for sounds, feel free to save aside, the words Sounds For Beats, as I plan on launching a website soon as well that will cater to producers or beat makers looking to expand their libraries of sounds for different instruments, as well as drum kits.
All in all, I hope that with this article, I have encouraged, rather than discouraged you from knowing that you can indeed make a name for yourself by selling beats online. It just takes a bit of hard work, dedication, and effort. Hopefully, with some of the tips I've listed above, and other tips you may find either on the Sell More Beats site, or on the internet, you'll be able to get your beats launched off the ground, and onto the internet making you a bit of money off of your talents. Wish you much success on your beat selling. If you need ideas to help you along the way, you can view my website and subscribe to my WordPress blog as well. I will be adding more information over time as well.
Good Luck in your success and pursuits, and remember, never stop making music!
If any of the above sounds like you, I'm here to tell you that you are indeed in luck, and that you CAN make it possible. While some beat makers or producers getting started think that if they have "the hottest beats", they can quickly jump online and make a killing on selling their hip hop or R&B instrumentals, the truth of the matter is, more of the online sales will rely on marketing yourself well.
I can testify to say that when I first started selling beats online years ago, I too was one of the beat makers who felt that, if enough people on the outside of the internet told me that my beats or instrumentals were hot or really good, I would just be able to jump on the internet, open up a Soundclick site, and just start hammering away at adding beats to the page. I opened up my own beat instrumental website then too, but just was not getting anywhere close to what I was hoping to receive the same way I did outside of the internet. However, it goes a bit deeper than just setting up a website or page.
I'll list a few tips that really helped me to get started again this year, and to start selling beats online in a much better way. With some time and devotion to your craft, you can continue to make hott hip hop or R&B instrumentals, and even collect a sale or two. Of course, the more time you put into it, the more you'll eventually reap as well. I can say that this time around, years later, I have been able to do better with my own website, as well as selling beats on other pages as well. I still have a ways to go myself, but I can honestly say that I've more than tripled my sales within the first few months, as opposed to the entire year when I started years ago.
Okay, on to the tips, which I attribute full credit to a course I took about Sell More Beats website. It is indeed full of ideas and stimulates the mind. The investment to me was worth it, as I've made almost $1,000 within the first couple of months starting off. Some of the tips I think will help you out are listed below:
1) Network, Network, Network!! The more websites you join and put your music on, the better your exposure will be, not just for the beats you have scattered, but for the fact that you'll continue to brand your name on other websites. This will eventually have customers realize that you're all over the internet. Think about it... the more you see a commercial on TV or hear an ad on the radio, the more the name of the company sticks with you, even if you're not interested in the product at the time. The same holds true with branding your name on other pages. Tip: Don't name yourself different names on each website. Try to stick to the same name. If you have "HottBeatmaker" on Rocbattle, then you'll want to make a "HottBeatmaker" on Soundclick, and so forth.
2) Starting up your own website. While people tend to believe that websites cost hundreds of dollars, most websites are far less, unless you want a customized website. You can go to sites like Host Gator, pay under 10 - 20 dollars for a domain name for the full year, and about 8 - 12 bucks a month to open up server space. Most servers provide their own website tools. But, you can also invest a little more into tools like EZGenerator that allows you to build your website within the tool, and then upload it into your server. I use the tool to create my website and have received compliments on the set up of the page. It beats spending a couple hundred or thousand on someone to build one for you. Plus, you can build as many websites as you can purchase domain names to add to your server. So, with some time and effort, and with the right web hosting provider like HostGator, you can pay annually for the server space, and then create five completely different websites with EZGenerator, and only pay the cost of the domain name per site.
3) MySpace is a helpful tool. MySpace has a lot of people that you can network with and try to get your name out there more and more. There are also specialized friend adder tools like Friend Blaster Pro that allows you to add friends little by little with added messages or comments to them to get your name. Tip: Don't DIRECTLY solicit your music to them. Instead, create a message when using a friend adder tool and greet them, compliment them or give them respect while passing through, and drop a signature of some sort with your beat page linked right in, as well as a catch phrase like "Beats this month for only $7.00" or something similar. While you won't have everyone reply, you'll find that you'll get people to reply to your comment or message and show interest.
4) Have a decent catalog ready. Don't get caught trying to start up sales with only 4 beats on the page. That will work as a disadvantage, and you'll send the customers leaving your site quicker than you could get them to check it out. Would you go to Wal-Mart if they only had 10 different types of items at the store? Would you go to a pizzeria if all they sold was a pie with cheese or pepperoni? The same holds true to your beats. You don't want to start pushing sales or networking with only a beat or two. Build the catalog to at LEAST 25 beats and then start selling. Make sure to add more as you progress as well. You want to make sure to give the person a variety of hip hop or R&B beats or instrumentals to sift through. Not everyone may like the three dirty south beats you have sitting on your page. BUT, if you have at least three or four of each category, it gives your customers more to look through.
5) Create a "Customer Leads" page, or as the Sell More Beats course lists it as, a "Squeeze Page" if creating your own website (which as mentioned above, is recommended). You'll want to create a page that causes your customers to have to enter their name and email address in order to access your beats. The bigger you create your mail subscription list, the more people you'll have to contact to update your customers with. The web server you decide to use may give the ability to create mailing lists within them. However, for under 20 a month, you can also subscribe to companies like GetResponse, or Constant Contact.
6) Offer something FREE. When starting your website networking, and you've created your catalog of beats, you'll want to start to generate a buzz. Usually, offering something FREE can generate the buzz pretty well, or even decently well to start. You can offer either a free non-exclusive beat choice to your customers when starting by listing it on your page where you may be networking, or on messages you send to your MySpace people or other network groups. For instance, I started off letting customers know that when I started, I was giving away FREE BEATS on my website for those that joined the site. Of course, the key was that I would send these customers an email every other day after and send one free beat through their email, to spark interest, and to build rapport with the customer. Or, you can do a promotion such as "For the first 50 customers, I'll give FIVE non-exclusive beats of your choice FREE with the purchase of a non-exclusive beat". Customers LOVE FREE!! Keep that in mind.
Of course, there are other tips that help along the way, but I'll let you do further research on those. Or, you can go to the Sellmorebeats.com website and subscribe. You'll then be able to listen to the videos and the tips they give to helping you sell your beats online in a more marketable way. It is indeed worth the investment.
Now, for the comments you tend to hear across the board on how "FL Studio" won't ever generate sales, or "FL Studio is amateur", or other bashing comments of that nature, I'll say not to let that discourage you from using it if you've either started already, or have been curious with it. With the beats I've created, people sometimes ask me either which program I created my hip hop beat instrumentals with, or ask if I possess a keyboard or beat machine to create my beats. When I tell them I use "FL Studio" and sounds I create from scratch from other plug in combinations, they're usually surprised. FL Studio is believe it or not, a very powerful tool, and it continues to get stronger. Do not let the comments discourage you. You can take constructive criticism such as comments that say to mix your track a bit differently, or to add some FX to a channel, but not to flat out state "good beats can only be made in Reason, Cubase, or equipment", because that is not the case at all. Besides, FL Studio surpasses Reason in that it allows the use of VSTi's (virtual instruments) or VST FX plugins of other companies all around, versus the limited Reason to which you must use their set of plugins.
Don't get me wrong, Reason is indeed a great tool as well. However, my point is that Reason is NOT the only tool that can create hot hip hop beat instrumentals. It's all in what you put into it, and the sounds or plugins you use. And if you're looking for sounds, feel free to save aside, the words Sounds For Beats, as I plan on launching a website soon as well that will cater to producers or beat makers looking to expand their libraries of sounds for different instruments, as well as drum kits.
All in all, I hope that with this article, I have encouraged, rather than discouraged you from knowing that you can indeed make a name for yourself by selling beats online. It just takes a bit of hard work, dedication, and effort. Hopefully, with some of the tips I've listed above, and other tips you may find either on the Sell More Beats site, or on the internet, you'll be able to get your beats launched off the ground, and onto the internet making you a bit of money off of your talents. Wish you much success on your beat selling. If you need ideas to help you along the way, you can view my website and subscribe to my WordPress blog as well. I will be adding more information over time as well.
Good Luck in your success and pursuits, and remember, never stop making music!
German Lopez aka Genycis at http://www.genycis.com for hot beats, and for the most offered hottest free beats on the internet.
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