how to make money as a music producer online
The Ultimate Guide to Selling Beats Online
The most thorough and comprehensive guide to selling beats online is to be consistent with quality sounds. We all know consistency is the key to everything.
I will share the idea of what I have learnt during some online research which worked for at least ninety five percent of online beat makers. Remember Rome wasn’t built overnight, so things like this take time. As producers, we have lots of beats on our computer which we were not even sure who’s vocals are going to be on it, despite the effort and time spent on making them.
Most of us put enough time in beat making, depending on how easy music production is for you. A producer like me does not play keys, i only have ideas of what i want, kind of sound I’m going for, and the type of audience i’m aiming for, so sometimes i used 1–2 hours and most times, i used days lol. It’s funny, yeah? Well, just imagine how long it took you to make most of your beautiful beats just for them to end up on your computer without putting it out or expecting incomes on them.
Pro-Tip: Don’t spend too much time on one beat.
If you’re creating beats to sell, produce 1–3 beats per day. The bigger your portfolio, the better your odds are of selling your music, which is one of the things I learnt during my research. However, make sure your work is of a good quality.
You can either create a website yourself and sell your services, or join marketplaces where producers buy and sell their music. Some examples are:
1: Beatstars
2: Soundclick
3: Airbit
You can sign up for free and start selling beats on their platform within 30 minutes. It won’t be easy without having a fan base but you can get lucky.
These beat selling platforms give you a beat store and a personal website where you can sell beats from.
A place where you can direct your customers to and give them an opportunity to buy your beats. You don’t even need your own website anymore (although I recommend getting one).
Instagram, Facebook and YouTube are the most popular places to sell beats and to build a loyal fan base. “ Just make sure you use lots of hashtags, whenever you post your beats “
Platforms like BeatStars, Airbit and Soundclick help beatmakers run an automated beat selling business.
Instagram, Facebook and YouTube are the most popular places to sell your beats and to build a loyal fan base.
Let’s say the beat selling industry generates at least $30M a year. If you can get 0.1% of that, you’ll be able to make $30,000 a year.
Selling beats online is all about scaling your business one sale at a time. There is no “get rich quick” method.
As an afro music producer, I sell most of my beats to friends or referrals. As we all know, the industry needs us to be out there and not just within friends , unless you have friends with good promotional funds that can actually take your name out there as a producer, if you do? you wouldn’t need to be online in order to sell beats lol.
Anyways, i have had a BeatStars account for years which i barely use since i have refused to upload more beats or upgrade my account.
Recently I saw how everyone sells their beats on beat stars which include some of my friends or at least known producers on YouTube and here is the scope almost everyone uses, which I’m definitely going to be doing the same thing.
PS: Ghost Produce
A bit similar to selling beats, but it’s a little different. I’m not looking to dive into this, you seriously need to do research to better your understanding. MUSIC INDUSTRY IS QUITE WILD.. Let go back to selling your beats online, after all that’s what we are here to discuss.
First of all, you will have a create a beatstar.com account and a youtube.com account, once you are done with that, you will need to go ahead and look for the latest song of your favorite artists or any trendy artist, make a type beat , create a short video and upload on YOUTUBE.COM.
Give your beat or your post a similar title of your artist type beat or any catchy title. something like this..
(FREE) | “Let Me Know” | Wizkid Type Beat | Free Beat | Afrobeat Instrumental 2021
(FREE) | “Essence” | Wizkid x Tems Type Beat | Free Beat | Afrobeat Instrumental 2021
(FREE) | “CLD” | Drake x Tems Type Beat | Free Beat | Afrobeat Instrumental 2021
You can as well make Burna Boy, Kanye West, J Cole, Omah Lay, Ayra Starr or artist type beats.
Once you are done uploading on YouTube, in your post description, make sure you write it’s free for non-profit use, something like this…
● Purchase Link | Download Link : (Your BeatStars link)
● Instagram : (Your IG)
● Email : (Your email)
Prod. by (Your name)
This beat is free for non-profit use. If you use it, you must credit me (prod. Your name). For profit purposes please purchase a lease.
Only you know the type of audience you are aiming at. But either way, use the scope above whenever you are ready to sell beats online because it works 99% of time.
It is hard escaping a 9–5 job just to do what you love. Spend your days in the studio creating music. Take the day off and make your own hours. Get paid when you’re chilling with your friends and family. And get paid, even when you’re asleep. Ahh, this sounds more like a dream but it is not because hundreds of producers are living it and I want you and I to do the same. BeatStars is actually a good and quick way and you do not need a manager or a team to get started as long as you have quality beats, uploading daily on BeatStars and YouTube would give/bring you the audience you want. How long you have started making beats does not matter, all you need is a leap of faith, so please take one.
The fact that producers made over $1,000,000 in one month says enough about the possibilities of you doing the same.
This also proves that artists are willing to pay serious money for beats these days, most especially type beats. Just make sure your beats are good.
Robin Wesley said “I ran the numbers to see how much revenue the beat selling market generates. I concluded that the market must be generating at least $30,000,000 a year.
Even if you manage to get 0.1% of that, you would still be making $30,000 a year.”
Plenty of reasons to start selling your beats online, wouldn’t you say?
We all know there is no right or wrong way in making beats and this is just a guide which would get you through your first sales. Always remember to take time in your drums creation, sounds selection, and make sure there is clarity in your final beat and always give enough space for the singer/rapper ideas. LESS IS MORE. Being successful as a music producer requires more dedication and hard work than a lot of jobs, but is nonetheless a very valuable skillset and i do hope you learn something reading this, being my first article, and please do leave a comment if you need me to refer you to some of the Afrobeat producers that can actually take your beats from sore to excellent.
