Why Artists Should Focus on Hot Singles rather than Just Mixtapes

Jan 21, 2014 by strat - Comments Off

rap beats, buy beats online, hip hop, mixtapes, hot singles

The Mixtape is King…Or is it? There may be a More Efficient Use of Your Budget for Rap Beats and Promotion.

The culture of hip hop for many years now has glorified the mixtape as the standard medium for artists to get their name out on the streets. Basically the trend is, if you don’t release a mixtape you’re a nobody. This has been further reinforced in recent times by the high number of successful mixtapes released by top artists such as Meek Mill, Ace Hood and Lil Wayne. For those of you old enough to remember, the mixtape has evolved and has seen many different forms. At one point the mixtape was primarily a DJ platform where the DJ would put together a number of top releases on one project and showcase his mixing skills. Then artists began to use the mixtape to release more informal tracks where they mostly rapped or sang over popular rap beats as opposed to hiring a producer to create original instrumentals. Nowadays a mixtape can be seen as basically an informal street album with artists doing songs over original rap beats as they would on an album. While this is a great part of hip hop (as well as r&b and pop), rising artists must also understand that time, money and focus can be better spent at certain times on singles instead of a large body of work. I’m about to explain why.

Why Focusing on Singles can be Better in the Short Term.

Focusing on one song at a time gives you better focus content wise and it prevents the feeling over being overwhelmed by the thought of getting an entire body of work done right and released by a certain time. With a single you can view the project as finite and pay more attention to every detail of it from the lyrics and flows to the beat and the mix.
Potential for sales and licensing. A single is easier to market by virtue of the low price on iTunes for example, and it can also be licensed to film or TV which can potentially bring in significant royalties for a long time.
Easy collaboration. If you are a member of a good artist forum or you have a plenty followers on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram who are also artists, you can easily find like minded artists to do collaborative singles with. This is beneficial because you can each introduce each other to new sets of fans and followers.
Easier on your budget. Producing a 10 song mixtape can be expensive in terms finding the right beats, studio time, artwork and promotion. However when you focus on one single at a time, you can earmark smaller amounts of money and give yourself time to earn more income. There are plenty of sites which allow you to buy beats online inexpensively, as well as many online sources for graphics, promotion and distribution.
A single is a vehicle for a great music video and an opportunity to earn money via Youtube.
The right single can be an engine for great success. If a single creates enough buzz it can lead to amazing things such as: a position on Billboard, performances on highly rated shows, a huge following on social media and opportunities to work with top artists and producers. All these things will in turn create an environment where it begins to make sense to drop a mixtape or even an album because by this point, you would have enough fans and a big enough budget to truly give the mixtape the mileage it deserves.

Unfold Your Strategy in Stages.

I am in no way bashing or saying that a mixtape should be avoided. On the contrary I’m suggesting that artists look at their process in stages. The single and all of its merits can easily open the door for a more successful mixtape release instead of trying to rush and do the mixtape first. If you need to buy beats, go online and buy a few that you really feel and create from there. Over time as your exposure grows, fans will begin to demand a larger body of work. After all, no one can sell to an audience that does not yet exist. Take your time and think things through. Put energy and attention to detail into making a great record and do this each time you set out to make a record and eventually your body of work will take shape. Remain focused and watch your success as an artist unfold.

INDUSTRY TALK: Artist Development

Jan 08, 2014 by strat - Comments Off

Developing As a Brand

It’s 2014. The music industry is no longer the same as 10 or 15 years ago. Artists now have to understand that relying on being discovered and signed to a dream of a deal should no longer be their ultimate goal. One must see oneself as a brand, just like Coca Cola or Microsoft. The idea is to get the masses emotionally invested in you. Not just your singing, rapping and beats, but you. Your brand must become important to them so that they care about whatever the next thing is you tell them you’re doing.

I came across a very interesting article by Mattew Myers at Music Think Tank, which outlines the process of artist development from the label/indie artist perspective. It is an excellent article which gives the risks and potential return of various strategies of music marketing. In my opinion, much of the things the writer earmarks as responsibilities of the publisher/investor/label can be handled by the savvy artist who understands the value of building a sizeable and loyal movement behind him/her. This involves getting music videos done, using social media as a promotional tool, booking and funding studio time and sourcing and funding music production among other things. This latter area happens to be a specialty of mine and I can tell you for a fact that artists who buy beats online have a head start because that can seriously cut the costs of getting a mixtape, EP or album completed.

Take some time and check this article out here. It is very informative and can help you focus your energies in the right direction

INDUSTRY TALK: Nikki ‘Nix’ McKnight is Blazing a Trail

Sep 30, 2013 by strat - Comments Off

Nikki ‘Nix’ McKnight: Tearing up Beats and Shining Online & Onstage

Straight out of Columbus, Georgia, Nix Mcknight (@706Nix) is a force to be reckoned with. Spitting pure, uncut hip hop on every track Nix is sure to make a fan out of you and yours. Don’t try to put her in a box because of where she’s from though. Her sound is versatile and her lyrics are mature and thoughtful. Nix shows that female emcees can go back to that hardcore spittin’ and real life subject matter without having to rely on image alone. On top of that, being perhaps the first openly gay female emcee in the game makes no difference to her passion. All she’s about is making good music. Checkout the video above. The song is called ‘Special’, produced by yours truly Strat Carter and featuring Duce Revolver & Ty Ty. Lookout for her upcoming Mixtape ‘The McKnight Files’ which is set to drop in a couple of weeks. The tape features Nix’ s smoking hot bars over beats from amazing producers, including 3 joints by yours truly.

For more info on this artist checkout www.706nix.com

For more about rap beats, r&b beats or buying beats online hit me up here at stratcarter.com

Make Your Rap Beats and Songs Bang!

Sep 02, 2013 by strat - Comments Off

Bigger Rap Beats!

One of the most important things in the life of any musician/producer/artist in today’s music scene is the mix quality of his or her product. We all long for the crispness, loudness and warmth of the tracks released by major label artists, especially in Pop and Hip Hop. Producers such as myself have been able to make great strides in improving the mixes of the rap beats we provide for artists who buy beats online. This provides the artist with the opportunity to make songs which already have that big major label type sound. One of the main reasons we can provide this quality is the affordability of top notch technology in today’s audio software and hardware.

There is no great secret to top quality mixes in your songs/rap beats.

There is no sure fire formula for success in anything. In terms of mixing your songs, pop beats, rap beats, reggae tracks et al, if you are an independent artist doing it all in your home studio, there are tons of resources available online to help you understand the world of mixing e.g. http://therecordingrevolution.com/. There is a wide range of information on this site, but one of the things one needs to focus on is monitoring. You need to be able to have a clear and uncoloured output of your raw music so that you can make accurate mixing decisions i.e. being able to accurately determine whether your bass level is either too low or too high. Good studio monitors are practically everywhere but here I want to show you a new entry from KRK Systems. This company has fast become one of the most popular and reliable providers of affordable, high quality studio monitors and you can check out their latest product here.

Buy Beats with Quality Mixes and Make More Accessible songs

To those of you who buy beats online, the equation is simple: Better mixed beats can equal better mixed songs and better mixed songs are more easily accepted in today’s music industry. In an era where lyrical content is no longer much of a focus, one must recognize that the public is now focused on the ‘bigness’ of your sound and the emotion and power in your music. Be sure to buy beats that will enhance this part of your overall projects.

Haleek Maul: Rising Hip Hop Juggernaut

Jun 26, 2012 by strat - Comments Off

Oxyconteen Album Art

MY MISSION: FROM MC’ING TO RAP BEATS FOR THE ONLINE MARKET TO BUY

I’ve been making rap beats for many years now. However, only recently I got into the market where artists buy beats online. While a good living can be made there, the real passion of a producer comes from sitting with an artist and building a project from concept to reality. This is sort of embedded in my DNA now. I’ve been on both ends of the spectrum having started out as a rapper flowing over Wu Tang and Mobb Deep instrumentals, then moving on to making my own rap beats and finally making the transition to being a producer for others. Since then I’ve made it my mission to develop young talent and help them get their creativity out. Enter: Haleek Maul.

ANOTHER AVENUE TO ONLINE SUCCESS WITH MAKING BEATS

Experts have given plenty of explanations regarding how to be successful selling beats online. From the active use of social media, to email marketing, to effective branding, these are all touted as useful ways to build your beat selling business and attract the attention of artists who buy beats online. I’m beginning to focus more on the idea of branding in a more specific sense. Haleek came to me late in 2011 with all his ideas and all his plans. At first I was skeptical. Here was a 15 year old Barbadian-American kid who didn’t seem at all like he would be a rapper. Then I heard his flows, lyrics AND his beats (yea he makes rap beats too) and I was thoroughly impressed. We eventually worked on and completed the Ep that you can listen to in the Soundcloud player above. Check out track number 2 “Inebriated”. That’s the one produced by me and even though he worked with other great producers, this tracks seems to be the one that stands out.

Even if only indirectly, Haleek is about to seriously help me with my branding. This little dude has the backing of UK label Merok Records and is featured on NUMEROUS top hip hop blogs including FADER and SPIN and you can check out the SPIN article here. This kind of coverage is invaluable to both the artist and the producers and one would be a fool not to be grateful for it.

The TAKEOVER IS COMING

Haleek is poised to do major things in this game. That is without a doubt. I would encourage all producers who cater to artists who prefer to buy beats online, to also look to work with promising artists from their area/region. If your beats help get an artist some major face time online, it can translate to a whole heap of publicity for you and hence traffic for your website. As with everything else it takes time but if you’re gonna take the branding route, there aren’t many better ways that to have a great track record of making hit SONGS as opposed to just beats.

One of the Realest Songs in Hip Hop….In a Long, Long Time

May 28, 2012 by strat - Comments Off

THE REASON I MAKE RAP BEATS

Nas has long been one of my favourite hip hop artists and perhaps one of the top 5 MCs of all time. April 19, 1994: Illmatic’s release date. This date was also the date that hip hop music changed for me forever. I had never heard an MC say the things Nas was saying in the way in which they were being said. Blew my mind. That album took my writing and rhyming to a whole new level. Not to mention the beats. Blew my mind again. From “New York State of Mind” to the Q-Tip produced “One Love”, It felt as though the energy of the culture itself had possessed Nas and his collaborators and producers for the period while this album was being created. I felt as though I had to make beats and make them as sick as what I was hearing. Of course back then there was no one to buy beats online. Shoot I didn’t even know too much about the internet then, or computers for that matter. Music like that is why I do what I do. Some like to call it “real hip hop” but I prefer not to imply that newer hip hop is less real because most of you young artists who are presently doing your thing, some of you even buy beats online at my site, are in this present era and honestly you’re doing good work. I’d rather say that songs which define the overall feeling of the culture are the songs that continue to inspire me to make rap beats.

INSPIRATION: THIS IS WHY YOU BUY BEATS

The video above is Nas’ latest offering from his upcoming album “Life Is Good”. The song “Daughters” is simply Nas speaking on his life as a father and the ups and downs of raising a girl, not only in this society, but raising a girl as a single black man with his own past transgressions still haunting him, and raising a girl as, well Nas. This song is inspirational on so many levels. To those of you who have daughters it will make you stop and think about your own relationships with them. To you artists, just listening to the beat, Nas’ flow and his lyrical content are sure to send you straight to your rhyme book or to your studio to pour out the creative juices that come spilling over. To you guys, this is why you need original rap beats. This is why you’ve always wanted and still feel that urge to be the best MC ever. This is why you buy beats online, and thus, this is why I’m here. Thank you and thank Nas and every other artist that continues to inspire the engine of hip hop.

How To Create Beats the Industry Will Demand

May 21, 2012 by strat - Comments Off

CREATING RAP BEATS THEY WILL WANT TO BUY

In the video above, I take you step by step and part by part through the creation of one of my latest beats. I’ve started to attract more success in terms of getting more beats sold, working with more artists and creating and selling more loopsets and sample packs for other producers. Most recently, I was connected with a licensing company interested in placing my music (rap beats, pop beats, full songs etc) in advertisements and TV shows. I’ll have an update on that in another post. Right now I’m just giving a little insight into what i do to make my sound more appealing to a wider cross section of artists who buy beats online and producers who use loops and samples.

There is no magical formula for making hot rap beats that artists will want to buy online and I can’t teach you what is not naturally a part of the talent you would need to possess. However I will give you a few points to give an idea of my personal process

PROFESSIONAL RAP BEATS START WITH A PROFESSIONAL MINDSET

If you are a producer trying to achieve a marketable sound with your rap beats, or if you are an artist who buys beats online then these points may interest you:

Develop at least a basic musically understanding. Learning to play chords, understand scales and the formulae for identifying major and minor scales are great ways to improve your skills. (Google the “Circle of Fifths” as well)
Understand the genre. Different genres are made up in different ways and they each carry their own unique sounds and styles. Learn which types of drums and tones suit which genre and use them well.
Listen to the music being released in your genre. If you’re making rap beats, listen to what’s hot in the hip hop world, both the mainstream and the underground. Chances are you will want to be able to cater to either type of artist.
Remember you are in business to succeed. Learn as much as you can about marketing and the psychology of why people buy things. It’s not just about great beats but also about an overall mindset.
Try to collect sounds and instruments that are being used in the latest styles. If your sound seems dated then it will be more difficult to attract artists with that they hear from you.

BUY BEATS ONLINE FROM THOSE WITH PROVEN EXPERTISE

Artists, it will be easy to tell the producers who follow the points above (or similar guidelines). The ones who don’t will have beats that are probably not well mixed or just don’t have the appeal of today’s hits (both mainstream and underground) that you are looking for. If you do buy beats online, make sure your money is well spent on quality beats.

Rihanna – This is Why You must ALWAYS Follow Your Dreams

May 10, 2012 by strat - Comments Off

Rihanna_Terry Richardson

A SALUTE TO RIHANNA FROM A PROUD BARBADIAN, WHO HAPPENS TO MAKE RAP BEATS

Hot off the press comes Rihanna’s new racy photos, taken by Terry Richardson. As usual she is the epitome of sexy, but this is not what I’m here to talk about. Hot on the heels of her debut acting stint in the blockbuster “Battleship”, Rihanna has apparently been cast in the role as a villain in the upcoming “Fast & Furious 6”. So let’s see, she’s been on top of the music world with hit after hit since 2005, she is a perennial trendsetter in the fashion world and now, a movie star. A bet she’s glad she went down the rabbit hole!

As a fellow Barbadian I just want to send all my love and support to Rihanna. Though some of us trash talk her and openly disapprove of what some call raunchy behaviour, me I’m open minded and think she should just keep doing her. Not to mention the fact that since her music has taken on a much harder edge, I’m hoping I can get her to check out the rap beats I’m slingin’ LOL!

MESSAGE TO ALL ARTISTS, WHETHER YOU BUY RAP BEATS ONLINE OR MAKE YOUR OWN

Rihanna is a great example of why you must ALWAYS follow your dreams. No matter how many times naysayers tel you that you’re being unrealistic, tell them reality is created by thought, emotion and action and that you intend to align those three things to create yours as you see fit! She has gone from a little girl singing at the Combermere School (here in Barbados) to…well, Rihanna.

If your aim is to be a rap artist, whether you’ve got multi-platinum dreams or you just want to be a hometown hero, the only one responsible for investing in your dream is you. Don’t expect everything to come free. This is why we are here, to offer support and a place where you can buy beats online at really affordable rates. Obviously you can’t keep using industry instrumentals because the world wants to hear your originals, and for that you need original rap beats.

I WANTED TO MAKE RAP BEATS FOR A LIVING, I BELIEVED IN ME AND NOW…

Well I’m not doing Rihanna numbers yet but that’s the aim and no matter what your dream is, it will only come to fruition if you can see it in your mind’s eye and feel it as though it’s already real. Instead of looking at what others have and feeling as though you’re lacking, look at all the blessings you have and use that as fuel to go harder after your dreams. Don’t sit there and criticize successful people as though they’ve done wrong, be glad for there success. Yours is coming. Get up and get what you need. If you’re a rapper, buy rap beats. If you’re a basketball player buy new kicks and new ball and get on the playground. If you’re an aspiring doctor or lawyer, get the books you need. Life is actually not that complicated!

MIXTAPE REVIEW: Jay. D & Nelly Nell – The Outline

May 03, 2012 by strat - Comments Off

The Outline - Jay. D & Nelly Nell

Every once in a while in Hip Hop this happens. An artist or group/pair artists comes along and brings a project that makes you say “Why the fuck are these guys not household names worldwide?” Then you remember that fame in this era is not necessarily based on talent. This is why I love independent artists. This is why I continue to strive to make the best rap beats possible, so that I can support the indie Hip Hop world.

Enter Jay.D and Nelly Nell and I’m sorry but I need to say this. This mixtape is one of the most refreshing things I’ve heard in Hip Hop in a while. I almost felt like I was transported back to what I like to call the glory days of Hip Hop, which saw the rise of Jay-Z, Nas, Fat Joe, Wu Tang, Busta Rhymes and others.Representing Philadelphia, Jay. D and Nelly Nell came through and delivered “The Outline”. The tape plays like an album from start to finish. From the opening track, which happens to be the title track, the pair of MCs spit bars over soulful yet hardcore beats like their lives depended on it. Listening to these guys brings to mind legendary duos Hip Hop like The Beatnuts, Raekwon & Ghostface, Heltah Skeltah and Mobb Deep. The subject matter ranges from clever braggadocio lyrics to getting high (“Roll Another Plane R.A.P” on that ill Jill Scott beat “Long Walk”) to women and more. Many of the songs have the potential to be hits with the right marketing.

Witty lyrics abound and instead of trying to quote any of the punchlines, I’ll simply suggest you take a listen. More than just the lyrics, these guys come across on the mic with such an effortless flair and ability to paint pictures and mesh seamlessly with the beats. In short the tape is a pleasing listening experience especially if you’re a true Hip Hop head. I give this tape a straight 5/5, no joke. Go download it NOW it’s right here. And to all you artists that may be reading this, here is a challenge. The next time you look to buy beats online and get your lyrics together to drop another tape, push yourself to reach the highest level possible because these cats are setting the bar way up in the stratosphere.

Don’t Let the Loudness War Ruin Your Music

Apr 19, 2012 by strat - Comments Off

Over the past 20 or so years, artists and producers alike have been trying, sometimes misguidedly, to achieve supreme loudness in their tracks and beats. It’s almost like as time went by and capabilities of dynamics processing (compressors, limiters etc) and mastering got more advanced, everyone began competing to see who could have the loudest pop records on the charts. If a client goes to get a track mastered and realizes that it’s not as loud as the newest Kanye West record, then he or she goes back to the mastering engineer and says, “try again pal, not loud enough”. If you are an artist who buys beats online, whether on Soundclick or otherwise, I’m sure you have heard what I’m talking about.

The video above (props to Streaky Mastering) makes a valid point in that there is a difference between actual loudness and perceived loudness. Usually artists will run to the mastering engineer and have him throw on a brickwall limiter such that all the peaks of the song are slammed at 0db. This causes the mix to lose dynamics and power and the whole song ends up sounding “crushed”. This is not what you want. A song or beat with a good balanced mix and tweaks in the right frequency ranges will invariably sound louder than a song with is totally crushed with a limiter just to achieve loudness comparable to the new Lady Gaga track. At the end of the day you’re buying beats, whether online or from a local beatmaker, because you want to make a top quality song.

Artists, when you’re looking to buy beats online, you should listen for songs with a good mix where the instruments and balanced and the low end has good power. The beats DO NOT need to be exceedingly loud. Here’s why:

You buy the beat online and decide to record on it
Your voice is added to the overall signal of the song
Your voice has to be mixed so that it sits well on the beat and among the instruments
Your finished song will most likely go through it’s own mastering process

If the beat is slammed to the maximum, there is no headroom at all for mastering. During the recording process, the engineer may even have to bring the level of the beat down to something more comfortable and that presents an even further challenge when mastering.

My advice: don’t just buy the loudest beats without listening for whether there is headroom left for your vocal or for further mastering. Your career depends on you putting your best foot forward.

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