Patiently Aggressive

Let’s look at the numbers because numbers don’t lie. The global recorded music industry revenue reached $25.9 Billion in 2021, jumped 18.5%, including 35% growth in MENA and 31.2% in Latin America.

 1). The first thing you need to do is start your online business. It may seem obvious, but you must start your business. Whether it’s an L.L.C. or a sole proprietor or partnership, whether it’s an-s corp or c corp, regardless of how you decide to go about it, you need to start. 

It might seem overwhelming at; first, and you may not want to bother with the legality and business slogans, but you must get started. You’re the C.E.O. of your life and business; you must take control of your dream. You cant rely on others to take on the responsibility for your vision. If This is something, you genuinely love and believe can take you to new heights, then don’t delay starting your business. The cost of starting a business varies depending on your location, but it should be feasible. File the necessary documents to incorporate your business, register your business with the I.R.S., and get your employer’s identification number (E.I.N.). Open a bank account, so it will be easy to track your income and expenses, which will come in handy when filing your taxes.

2). Create your website. Pick a domain name, and register it with the proper service providers like godaddy.com or Bluehost website builder, etc. 

The next step is to choose where you would like your website hosting service. Below is a list of some of the top hosting services you can choose from; these are exclusively for beatmakers:

• TRAKTRAIN – The platform doesn’t charge for MP3 sales or membership, which is recommended by most because it’s cost-efficient.
• Beatstars – This is the one platform that’s most popular among producers, with free and paid account options. 
• Airbit – Formerly known as my flash store, similar to beat star, but you interact more with fellow producers.

 If you are tech-savvy, you can build your website instead of using a pro page. Creating your website gives you more creative control over the image, playlist, and the ability to sell more products. However, I suggest using a pro page to start because it’s much more manageable. Whichever route you decide to go when designing your website, make sure it’s professional and you are positively representing your business. It will cost you around 20-30 dollars per month to run that website, so factor that into your budget.

3). Upload your beats to your page. I can’t stress this enough. Once you have made a few beats, start your uploads. Don’t second guess yourself too much, and don’t procrastinate. Don’t doubt yourself or your talent; if you’ve done the necessary steps to make a proper beat, it’s time to put it out to the world. You’ll get feedback, whether positive or negative, and you will know how to fix sounds and move forward. It is also essential for you not to rely on feedback for your confidence. You’ll have to build your faith daily on your journey, so try to remain even kill. 

4). Create a YouTube channel, and upload your beats there. Having a youtube channel is like having a storefront, a place to display your music. Youtube is the 2nd biggest search engine in the world, and of course, Google is number one. 

It would be best if you used Youtube to show off your talent and your craft, having your followers ride along on your journey. You could show your music, production, lifestyle, or anything you chose as long as it relates to your business. 

5). Register yourself with the performing rights organization. The U.S.’s primary Performing Rights Organizations (P.R.O.) include ASCAP, B.M.I., and SESAC. All of these different companies have different terms; you should do a little research and contact them if you have any questions. These companies will collect the royalties based on your performing rights. When your song plays on the radio, streams, in movies, t.v shows, they will collect royalties for you. Don’t forget to register, and it is free to do so. Later, you will also need to register with a public administrator to collect International royalties. songtrust is one of those companies that can collect International royalties for you; you also have others who can perform the same duty, so do your research. 

6). Sell your products on your website. You can sell drumkits, loops, beat packs, merch, you name it; there’s no limit to what you can sell; use your creativity and imagination. Set up your website correctly to ensure that E-commerce is built into your website to sell your products. You will start to create passive income that will allow you to make money while you sleep.

  7). Start your affiliate marketing business. Set up your business so you can affiliate yourself with companies like Amazon. You can test products, write reviews, or promote a product. Once someone buys that product by clicking on your link, you’ll get a referral fee. It is free to become an affiliate with amazon.

 You want to be able to set all this up so that when things start to compound and you start to do something over and over, money and supporters will begin flowing to you; everything is already in order. You started your business and your website and affiliated yourself with a performing rights organization. You’ve got yourself registered with affiliate marketing companies and so on. Now it’s time to start putting your stuff out there. I would suggest using companies like TuneCore and Distrokid. I don’t care if you’re putting out your beat packs or extensive collaboration E.P.’s. So many people like you in the world want to hear it and vibe to it. Don’t hesitate to put any of that online. 

Distributors like Distrokid and TuneCore will get your music to Apple Music tidal, Spotify, Amazon Music, and so on. You have to put your music out there so people can find it. So regardless of what you put out, take these initial investments and start putting your music there for the world to hear. 

 8). Promote your journey, and put your music on social platforms so that people know what you’re doing. You can advertise in picture form or video form. If you’re using artwork, put your music behind it. You have got to find a way to put your music on these social platforms, Tik T.O.K., Instagram, Twitter, and all major social media platforms. The key is to promote this journey that you’re on. 

9). Network, it’s time to take networking to the next level. First, you need to make connections; music production is mainly a word-of-mouth business. The more relationships you build, the more links to potential clients and new opportunities will come your way. Inspire others; you’ll find those whom you’ve inspired by sending them positive messages and commenting on their channels and social media platforms. Others will start to see your name pop up repeatedly; This is a proven technique that benefits both parties involved to engage and think about those within your community. Even though building new relationships is crucial, it’s equally important to nourish the relationships with those you already have. They are the people rooting for you and believing in you initially. Once you build better relationships with them, they are the people who are going to continue to spread the word about what you’ve got going on. Build these relationships organically, you’ll start to see a community building around your business, and you’ll be able to target and promote things specifically to those who are rooting and believing in you. 

10). Give yourself time. Have you ever heard of the parable called the Chinese Bamboo Tree? It goes something like this.

Like any plant, to flourish, the Chinese Bamboo Tree requires nurturing – water, fertile soil, and sunshine. In year 1, there are no visible signs of activity, development, or growth. Year two, still the same, with no growth above the soil. And in the third and fourth years, no signs of growth and development remain. Finally, in the fifth year – boom! The Bamboo starts growing-and in six weeks; it grows to over 80 feet tall! Yes, 80 feet in six weeks!

Did the Chinese Bamboo Tree grow 80 feet in six weeks? Or was the little tree growing underground, developing a root system all along? Now one must not confuse this with doing the same thing and expecting different results; that’s the definition of insanity. The Chinese bamboo tree parable teaches us lessons about patience, faith, perseverance, growth, and development; in other words, it takes time. Always give yourself a 5-10 years window to work with, and within that time, make sure you’re doing the things necessary to get you to where you want to be. Believe in yourself, belief in a higher power source more incredible than your own, and work diligently towards your craft, and I assure you, you will see a level of success. Remember the Chinese bamboo plant.