subject: Secret Beat Maker Tips - Be Successful As A Hip Hop Beat Maker [print this page] If you are trying to build a career as a hip hop beat maker, there are a few things you should know. The majority of up and coming beat makers that want to make a living with their beats focus on developing skills more than anything else.
Although your skills as an artist are extremely important, it is more important to have a correct mindset if you truly want to make a living with your music production. There are a lot of talented musicians in the world that never make it big in the hip hop industry. They don't lack the skills. They lack the attitude of a professional.
I have listed here some important tips to embrace if you are serious about making a living as a beat maker:
LEARN HOW TO NETWORK
Learning how to effectively get to know people of influence in the beat making and hip hop industry is an essential part of climbing the ladder to success. Without getting to know artists, producers and other people of influence, you will always struggle to make yourself known. This is a tough business to make it in and if you don't get out and meet the leaders in your local area, it's near impossible to make it big. Don't cripple your efforts by waiting for your big break...it may never come. You might be the most talented beat maker in your city, but if you don't mix in circles of influence you will be the only one who ever gets to listen to your music.
Attend local, popular clubs and talk to people. Fill your pockets with some sample beats that are nicely labeled and spread them around. Make an effort to place some of your best samples in the hands of the performing artists or their associates. Most all of them are always looking for fresh, hot beats to use. Most of them will preview your beats if you are persistent in getting it to them.
Don't be obnoxious and make bold claims to them, they hear that kind of stuff from wannabe artists all the time. Be humble and let your music speak for itself. Make sure that you give them a business card so they can get in touch with you when they want more of your stuff. Also, make sure that you put your contact information on your discs.
LEARN TO THINK LIKE A BUSINESS PERSON
If you are serious about earning a living from your beats, you have to develop the professionalism that sets you apart from your competition. A professional works on a schedule. A professional keeps good business records of money spent and money earned. A professional is reliable and keeps appointments with people and is easy to get hold of.
You are building a business that will support you for the rest of your life if you do it correctly. If you don't know how to run a business, read some books, take a professional out to lunch and ask them questions about how they run their business. Most of your competition just tries to wing it and they never have anyone take them seriously.
SET GOALS FOR YOURSELF
There is a saying that "if you don't know what you are aiming at you will hit it every time"! Decide what you want to accomplish as an artist and then set challenging but reachable goals for yourself. How many beats do you want to create every month? Every week? Every day? Set goals for these and then work toward them. How many of your samples do you want to distribute each month? How many people do you want to get to know every month?
It is extremely important for you to set goals for yourself. Keep a notebook or journal and record your goals and the dates that you accomplish them. If your goals are set so high that you never reach them, make adjustments until your are having success reaching them. Stick with this discipline because it will make a huge difference in your success.
The point is that your talent alone is not enough. Learn to live a disciplined lifestyle. Work hard at it. Most other wannabe beat makers will never do these things. If you give yourself time and realize that what you are attempting to do as an artist is hard work, you will be miles ahead of everyone else.
There really is no such thing as an overnight success in the entertainment business. Study the life of any super star and you will find that they were working hard for years before they got their big break. You can do it to with the right attitude.
