Type beats have become an integral aspect of music to artists around the world, and love it or hate it, they are here to stay. In a 2016 article written by Shkyd, he addresses what a type beat is and the critics who take issue with producers that emulate popular sounds and sell it for profit:
“A type beat is an instrumental song, purposely matching patterns of already existing songs, using the usual types of BPM, drum sounds and song structure, to be easy to suit a rapper. Type Beats are usually uploaded on YouTube for display and promotion, and on the beatmakers’ websites for sale…”
With the rise of social media such as Youtube and Soundcloud, type beats are a profitable business structure for producers on the rise, and one of the most commonly searched for resources among hip-hop artists. CashMoneyAP paved the way for type beat producers as one of the first who signed a major deal with Universal Music Group. In a 2018 Pitchfork article, he discussed how profitable type beats can be:
“I’d say I was probably making a thousand [dollars] to two thousand a month at most. Being like 16, 17 years old and already making $1,000 to $2,000 a month was good… The first option [an mp3] is 50 bucks. The WAV is 60 bucks. The third option [including an mp3, WAV, and track stems] is 150 bucks.”
There isn’t anything problematic with producers posting type beats to churn a profit, and it undoubtedly can be seen as a practice to help producers improve at their craft. Two of our favorite producers told us their thoughts:
“I learned so much from referencing producers and rappers and their work… ultimately, type beats are super effective for marketing especially on YouTube… it helps producers find their own sound over time as they release type beats.” (Thomas Graham)
“I think they definitely have a place in the music community because people will always have a need for free beats… they help people explore potential sounds/styles. At the same time though I think the best producers create their own sounds and styles!” (Andrew Hallock)
Undoubtedly, the type beat market is saturated and it can seem as if a lot of people are riding a similar wave. We talked with two artists and asked them to give their perspective:
“Hate em.. It forces people to try to chase another person’s sound and doesn’t inspire originality.” (Rokeaux)
“I feel like they’re extremely important when not abused. Using them as a sort of “reference “ track is great, but making a career out of it takes away from that producer creating their own sound.” (Mojee)
Type beats are a great marketing plan and can provide cash flow and recognition early on in your career, selling and leasing beats can make an unknown producer rich. For that reason, they will always be a parto of music, especially hip-hop and r&b. Although, artists still express the importance of chasing their own unique sound within the process. Ultimately, however you can create, DO IT, and make sure you secure the bag along the way.
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Citation:
How Selling and Leasing ‘Type Beats’ Is Making Unknown Producers Rich
Type Beats : From the bottom of YouTube to the top of Billboard
