Producers don’t need artists.
It’s actually the other way around (they need us way more).
But somewhere along the line, producers lost sight of our true value.
This may seem confusing coming from me because, in a recent letter, I discussed the idea that producers don’t deserve 50% form artists.
I haven’t changed my mind.
Whoever:
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Pays for studio time (and, thus, engineering)
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Handles advertising
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Runs content marketing
deserves to be paid the majority share.
(If you disagree, just close this page).
So, what’s my point here?
Producers should act like artists.
We don’t need artists to build our own following of people who enjoy our sound.
When we have our own following, we can leverage a higher payout from artists.
(yes, even greater than 50%).
Producers think too small.
What happens when you have a bigger following than the artists, along with a network of tools you can use to promote the song? (playlists, email lists, social media accounts)
And the only way for them to gain any real traction is by leveraging your name and brand?
I think that’s worth way more than 50%.
And in my experience, it has been.
You can get 60%.
70%
Even 80%.
If you set yourself up correctly.
That’s what I want to talk to you about in this letter.
You can use any style of production to build a brand (lo-fi, EDM, afrobeats, etc.).
Today, I’ll talk to you specifically about how I’m using hard dark trap beats to build my brand.
Like with my track UNTOUCHABLE (released Dec. 6, 2023) which got 1,000 Spotify streams in 2 days.
Or my new beat tape, MUSK (released Dec. 4, 2023), which has 25,000+ all time streams.
By the end of this journey, you’ll not only overcome common challenges but also gain the confidence to kick-start your brand and elevate your financial earnings as a music producer (all independent of artists).
Addressing Common Misconceptions in Solo Branding
Many producers have doubts about their ability to grow a solo brand with their music.
This is often driven by fear and a mistaken belief in market saturation.
The truth is, there are a lot of producers in the space (and more flooding in every day).
But.
Most of them suck.
I’m talking 99.9%.
You can instantly crush them (and take all their potential fans and earnings) just by not sucking.
This is so important that is bears repeating.
If your beats are genuinely good, you’ve already won.
Because when you’re actually good, people will show up just to see you perform.
This is something I refer to as “the phenomenon of consistency” (this is something I’ll write a lot more about in 2024, so be on the lookout).
This is why producers with higher levels of skill can post cook-ups as their form of content (and, often, these can perform better than normal ‘tutorials’).
I’m not even close to ‘the best’, but thanks to skills built over time, my recorded beatmaking process has become content that grows my brand and increases the reach of my music.
Like this Tyler, The Creator cook-up I did in 2021.
Or this A$AP Rocky cook-up from 2022.
And this dark trap melody cook-up from earlier this year (2023).
These 'tutorial' videos are literally just me recording myself making hard trap beats to release on Spotify.
The process of building my solo catalog is content because I can exhibit skill. People enjoy watch other do things they’re good at.
We don’t need any gimmicks.
We just need to be good at, and enjoy, what we do (everything else falls in place naturally).
You can build a brand with any genre of beats as long as they sound good.
And particularly, hard trap beats offer a unique space for individual growth if approached strategically.
So let’s discuss the best way to start a. solo journey in music production with hard trap beats.
The hard trap beats game plan.
Contrary to the belief that market saturation hinders individual growth, a solo brand is the most sustainable path for a music producer.
Establishing and maintaining a unique brand is achieved by releasing your own beats and songs.
Only you have your sound. You’re here to create something that no one else can.
Being the sole architect of your musical identity is the key to sustainable success.
Experiment until you find a genre/vibe that you like producing (bonus points if it gets attention or sales, as this explicitly shows that your sound has market value).
I did this with hard trap beats.
Like we’ve discussed already, you’ve got to have a good sound.
In hard trap beats, melodies usually drive the entire vibe of the song, so you want to get good at making them.
From there, you need to understand something fundamental to our role as producers.
Nothing about the beat is going to matter if it sounds like ass coming out of the speakers.
This is especially true for hard trap beats, where a weak mix is a death sentence to your track.
You can have the craziest melodies, insane transitions, and epic structuring.
But.
If that mix is muddy and weak, you might as well have recorded yourself playing ‘hot crossed buns’ on a recorder and sending that in as your beat instead.
So take mixing seriously. Check out this newsletter where I detail my entire mixing process from start to finish (it’s how I get my beats to sound harder no matter what platform or device).
Once your beats sound good, you need to set up your own distribution and promotion (because you need to get your good beats in front of people).
Instead of developing high skills just to beg artists to use your beats, release your own music.
Become the artist.
The Producer-Artist
When your beats are good and you have a way to get them in front of people, you are essentially an artist.
The artist is basically a middleman to help get your beats heard.
Yes, it’s collaboration. And, of course, our goal is to always create something beautiful by combining efforts with our fellow human beings.
But…
There’s a reason music producers try to build up theirs catalog by whoring themselves out to big names.
They do it because it helps them get their name out there (which helps expose their brand, even if they aren’t fairly compensated with money).
What I’m saying here is that we can cut the middleman out entirely (or at least enough to not depend solely on artists to progress our careers).
Here are the steps to do it.
1 - Master Your Craft.
Learn the art of creating captivating hard trap beats, paying special attention to melody creation—the backbone of any memorable track.
2 - Perfect Your Mix.
Elevate your production quality by honing your mixing skills. A well-mixed beat stands out in a crowded digital soundscape.
If you like my mixing style, you might enjoy the Centerfold Drum Kit, which comes with my all my mixer preset packs (and lifetime access to any new ones).
3 - Set Up Distribution Channels.
Make your beats accessible to a broader audience by understanding and leveraging DSPs (release your music to Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, etc.).
Read this letter if you want to know exactly how I do that.
4 - Content Creation.
Develop a content strategy around your beats. The goal is to engage your audience through social media.
This can be any kind of content on any platform:
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Cook-ups (long form YouTube videos) ⭐️ - check out Content Creation, Level 2 if you want to learn how I effortless make video content.
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Livestreams (Twitch Channel)
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Beat Battles (Discord Server)
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Tutorials (Tik Toks, IG Reels, YT Shorts)
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Valuable*** free and paid products (hosted on your website).
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Information that helps your followers and audience solve problems (like this newsletter I’m writing right now).
Just keep in mind, the more skilled you are, the fewer gimmicks you need in content creation.
Remember: “The Phenomenon of Consistency.”
5 - Financial Planning.
Budget your music earnings wisely.
You can definitely build a meaningful source of income through solo branding (most likely more so than just hoping for placements).
But the odds of becoming ‘mega rich’ in music are low (statistically speaking).
So it’s important not to blow through the money you make from this endeavour.
Reinvesting in your production setup and marketing efforts will fuel continuous growth (if you were going to get ‘mega rich’ with music, it’d probably be like this).
Saving, generally speaking, is also another good thing to do with your earnings.
6 - Collaborate and Network.
Connect with other producers and artists to expand your reach. Collaborations can introduce your beats to new audiences.
This is especially true on Spotify.
7 - Consistency is Key.
Cliches are usually cliche for a reason.
Regularly release beats and maintain a consistent brand image. Building trust with your audience takes time, but it’s essential for long-term success.
Develop the confidence to build a solo brand with hard trap beats. The advantages are substantial, and by following the framework above, you’ll not only enhance your technical skills but also pave the way for financial success.
Remember, your unique sound has the potential to resonate with a global audience—let it be heard.
Blessings,
Darth Chu
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