How to Sell Beats Online in 2023?

As with any other hobby or venture, you must monetize your musical beats to be able to derive some profits from the same. How possible can you compensate for the efforts you put in place to be able to derive the beats in the first place?

Though many platforms exist whereupon you can sell yours, the online one stands out of the pack. The main reasons underlying this is the ease with which it allows for content-sharing, the cost-effective nature, and the ability to reach a wider audience easily. We explore how to sell beats online in the discussions that follow.

How to Sell Beats Online in 2023?

We shall take you through the steps and the procedures you need to adhere to if there be any hope of making a successful kill. How about you take your time to be able to scour through and find the necessary guidance?

Every beats maker who put up their effort and time in their passion also wants to make some serious cash with their skills. Before everything else, let’s talk about the common questions that most of the starting artists have on their minds.

How can rap music producers make money?

For one, there is no universal way via which the music producers can or do make money. The process to follow is entirely dependent on the individual producer. Nonetheless, some strategies have been employed by many a producer and have yielded awesome outcomes. We take a look of them right below:

Royalties

The royalties are by far the most significant avenue via which the music producers make their money. Royalties are the sums of money that are levied on the users of the musical productions. For this to happen, the producers themselves have to enroll in a royalty or copyright program and have the musical production registered.

Sales of Digital Contents

Next comes the sales of digital content. In this sense, the producers will package their productions in the digital formats and then sell them out to the wider public in several ways and means. It is much like the sales of hard copy CDs and DVDs.

CDs and Tapes

This used to be the norm or in vogue in years past but not anymore. The musical contents are mainly produced in a hard copy format and sold out to the masses. It entails the use of the traditional stores, musical outlets, and other avenues that were once used but have somewhat ceased in popularity.

Premium Streaming

Though rare, the producers may also leverage the premium streaming as a way of getting to their potential market base. This entails letting your target audience access your content via internet streaming but for a price. Yet again, it may also require the use of third-party streaming sites.

Collaborations

If you have someone who already has a foothold in the musical industry, you may partner and collaborate with them jointly to promote your music. The established authority serves to boost the popularity of the music using his following and expertise. You help him by adding some legitimacy to his stature.

Live Performances

Also, fast becoming obsolete is the use of live performances to boost the popularity of the music and also sell the merchandise that has the contents. When this method is employed, the money comes in the forms of gate tickets and other incentives that are meted out to the entrants and fans.

Can you make money selling beats?

In a nutshell, YES, you can make money selling beats. People love music. We hardly doubt whether there is anyone who does not like some sort of music. Producers make their money by tapping into this huge market base. This they do via a combination of the procedures we have already discussed above.

How much money can you make from selling beats online?

The amount of money you can make depends on the popularity of the beat and by extension the number of people who will buy into it. Overall expect to make an upward of $500.00 per beat with professional and aggressive marketing. On the lower side, be ready to make around $100.00 per beat.

The total amount of money you can make by selling the beats all depends on the number of downloads that your beats elicit. With proper marketing, some beats have been downloaded 100 million times. That of course rakes in billions of dollars to the producers and the copyright owners.

Is selling beats online profitable?

YES, it is! Several advantages come along with the use of this platform. Below are but a few of them explained in their finest details:

Low Entry Costs

For one, the platform demands low entry costs. Most of the time, you won’t have to purchase any pieces of equipment let alone raise startup capital. All you have to do is to identify a third-party site that deals in the promotion of music and there you go!

Reduced Overhead Expenses

Also related to the above is the comparatively reduced operational expenses. You only have to renew your subscription fees if at all they apply to you. No other expense beyond that is you required to meet. That also goes a long way to widen the profit margin.

Wider Reach

An online platform is typically accessible anywhere there is access to the internet. By opting for this platform, you do not have to spend too much of your money to advertise and push your product as is the norm with the alternative marketing and access channels.

Round-the-clock Availability

Aside from the wider reach, the online avenue also guarantees round-the-clock availability in the sense that the potential fan or buyer of the music may access it any day and at any time. You do not have to be constrained insofar as the times that a buyer might purchase your music is concerned.

Relative Ease of Engagement

In closing, the online platform guarantees relative ease of engagement. The process of obtaining musical merchandise is relatively simple. A user only has to access the site, search, and click to download. That is something that even the literate person can easily do!

How do you get started in beatmaking business?

So you’ve decided that you want to become an online producer and sell beats online? Here’s a basic setup guide of what you will need to get started:

Basic Setup

· Computer
· DAW
· Audio Interface
· Headphones
· Speakers (Optional)

Computer

A computer is the bare minimum you would need to start producing music. Beat making softwares can be taxing to the computer so it is recommended to use an i7 for a smooth experience. We also recommend an 8GB RAM at least to be able to make beats without any hiccups or performance issues.

DAW (Digital Audio Workstation)

DAW stands for Digital Audio Workstation. It is a software that can be used to make beats. Choosing a DAW can be hard as there are a lot of options available. Some of the popular ones that you can easily get started with are FL Studio for Windows and Logic for Mac. You can also try Abeleton if you have some experience using DAWs . It is available for both Windows and Mac and comes with a comes with a lot of advanced features for professionals.

Audio Interface

You would need an Audio Interface to connect your headphones and speakers to the computer. Audio interface will also provide you options to connect microphone in the future if you want to get into recording. Having a good audio interface provides higher quality audio input and output options. Some of the starter Audio Interfaces that we recommend are Scarlett 2i2, M-Audio 2×2. While choosing audio interface, look for the ones that provide you two outputs (speakers and headphones) and input (mics) as required.

Studio Headphones

The default output from computer speakers are of bad quality and it is almost impossible to make mixing decisions using them. You would need studio headphones to be able to hear the little details in sound and make informed decisions while mixing your track. Remember, a mix can easily make or break a track. Beginners can start with a headphone like Audio Technica M50x if you have the budget for it. Else, you can start with something like Audio Technica M30x or M40x.

Speakers

They aren’t absolutely necessary if you have the headphones but if you are serious about music production, it is good to be able to hear your music from speakers as well as headphones. That will give you a clearer perception of how the mix will translate across different systems. You can also choose to start with headphones and as you get better with music and start making money off it, upgrade to speakers.

Beat Licensing Explained (Different types and how it works)

To be allowed to make use of the beats, you have to obtain and be furnished with the necessary licensure. There are two main kinds of licenses in this case which you may look up to. We are now going to reveal and explain these two in finer details here for you to consider and make use:

a) Non-Exclusive Beat Licensing

This is a form of licensure that grants the user limited rights over the use and enjoyment of the music. It is non-exclusive in the sense that it may be advanced to multiple listeners at a time. In most cases, it is auto-generated and does not require lengthy paperwork to implement as is the norm with most other alternatives.

The license includes the names of the buyers, timestamp of the effective date, address of the buyer, and the finer details of the producer. It is comparatively cheaper by costing a paltry $20-$300. Moreover, it is the most preferred form of licensure by third party music sharing sites.

b) Exclusive Beat Licensing

Under this licensing regime, you get unconstrained right to use the product as per your expectations. You are not limited at all concerning the scope, time, and extent of use. For instance, the license does not limit you to the number of streams, sales, plays, or the number of downloads.

Considering the exclusive nature of this license, it costs a lot more to come by. Moreover, it in many cases is awarded to one person only at a time. As such, there is fierce competition for this form of licensure as many people will often have to fight for it at any given time.

Beats and Audio Formats

There are numerous kinds of beats and audio formats that are similarly designed for varying applications. You must know about them in their finest details to know the one that may be needful and necessary for your use. Here we highlight and explain them in totality:

.mp3

It stands for Moving Pictures Expert Group Audio Layer-3 and it refers to a compressed audio file format. The format was developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group. This is the one that suits those applications which demand excessively large storage space but none is existent.

.wav

The .wav stands for Waveform Audio File Format. This standard was jointly developed by IBM and the Microsoft corporations and is principally used for storing the audio bitstream on personal computers. To discharge its duties, it makes use of the containers whereas its files are uncompressed and subsequently take up more space.

.aac

It is an abbreviation for the Advanced Audio Coding and mainly serves the role of compressing digital data. For a large part, this standard was invented to succeed in the mp3 format. On the whole, it attains higher quality sound output than the standard mp3 format can give forth at the same bit rate.

.aiff

It is the Audio Interchange File Format in full. This format stores the sound data for personal computers and a host of other electronic devices. The format was developed by Apple Incorporated and prides itself on the ability to work across numerous devices and gadgets.

.flac

Some audio applications demand that the sound is compressed without necessarily any loss in quality. This Free Lossless Audio Codec is the one that is designed and intended for that role. It bears some semblance to the mp3 but is nonetheless capable of preserving the integrity of the audio files.

.alac

It is largely similar to the .flac above only that it is premium instead of being free. The format stands for the Apple Lossless Audio Codec and is for a large part mainly used on Apple products and electronic gadgets. This might be a great choice for the data compression of digital music.

.ogg

Derived from the Greek term ogging, this format is mainly used for streaming content from one source but to numerous electronic gadgets at a time. Moreover, it also supports and facilitates the production of subtitles that accompany the videos and audio files. You will find it useful for high-quality video productions.

.wma

The Windows Media Audio doubles up as an audio format and codec at the same time. Its primary purpose was to rival the .mp3 and the RealAudio audio formats respectively. To play its role, it wraps itself on the audio bitstream. That goes a long way in minimizing the leaks of the audio files and data.

.ape

Is a format that is used for managing the highly compressed lossless file. Consequently, it leads to great savings on the amount of space that is used to store the audio files. Those applications that demand huge storage of musical files will find the format truly relevant and applicable to their needs.

Beat Store Providers

Even though you may sell your beats singlehandedly, you are highly advised to make use of the beat store providers. These are companies and platforms that are dedicated to the storage and the subsequent lease of your contents on your behalf. They include Airbit, SoundCloud, and Twitch.

What is the advantage of using beat store providers?

Several advantages accrue from the use of the beat store providers to market your beats. These are the ones that make the platform suitable for your use and eventual applications. It is our pleasure now to examine these advantages to let you know what to expect from them:

Limited Administrative Efforts

The number one benefit that comes along is the limited administrative efforts. By opting to leverage the services of a beat store, you do not have to expend with some expenses like the server space, manpower, utility bills, and the costs of advertising. They are all taken care of by the provider on your behalf.

Professional Back-end Support

Many providers also station a team of well-trained professionals at the back end whose roles are to provide the necessary support for you. They are the ones in fact that handle the sales and other issues that pertain to the popularity of the musical beats you are intent on leveraging.

Sales and Promotions

From time to time, these providers also carry out some sales and promotion activities. These are primarily aimed at popularizing their platforms. Nonetheless, these promotional activities sell and promote the records that are hosted on their sites. You hence also get to gain from the undertakings somehow.

Unbridled access to the Contents

Given that the contents are available round-the-clock and in whichever part of the world that a potential client may be situated, their use allows for unbridled access to the contents that be. This not only cuts the effort but also allows for some cost-effectiveness while in the course of marketing them.

Advisory and Consultancy Services

Though outside their core roles and purposes, these platforms may also provide advisory and consultancy services to the hosts. These services may take the forms of free marketing advice and strategy, a peek into the emerging trends and the strategies that may inform greater returns on investments.

How to market your beats online?

Want to market your beats online? You have several platforms to look up to. In this segment of our discussions, we shall look into the different mediums to promote your beats online. These have been touted and vouched for by many people to deliver exceptionally awesome selling outcomes:

YouTube

YouTube is undoubtedly the king of the video-sharing sites. Indeed, many who start and end their online video watching start it out with YouTube. You can never want to promote your video beats hence without leveraging or considering leveraging the platform. What’s more? It is free of charge for you to use.

Instagram

Instagram is primarily intended to share pictures. Nonetheless, it also accepts video clips whose lengths do not exceed 1 minute. The platform is hence good enough for showcasing snippets and the previews of the video beats. Moreover, it also provides links to users to click to access the contents.

Facebook

Facebook is the king of social media networks. The platform mainly stands out because of being comprehensive and possessing a wider following. Here, you may take advantage of the ‘My Story’ to deliver the previews of the video content you might have in mind. Also, you may promote the track and the end-users to download for free.

Not only that, but Facebook is also one of the free powerful tools out there to promote your services or product. Join Facebook groups related to your industries and engage with your audience. Don’t SELL anything yet!

Be helpful and resourceful. Find out where your audiences hang out on Facebook and whom they follow. Research on what types of problems people have and help them with your experiences and answers. If you have a blog, this is the perfect place to share one of your informative blog posts that can solve their problem.

Another powerful tool to advertise on Facebook is the paid ads. With paid Facebook Advertising, you can reach out to millions of highly targeted audiences in no time. You need a Facebook business page of your business and a Facebook account to do the paid ads. Facebook paid promotion is one of the fastest mediums to reach out to your audiences.

SoundCloud

SoundCloud is an internet-based platform for the sharing of audio files. It is a German-based company that is based in the German capital of Berlin. Through this platform, the users can upload, share, and promote their audio files. That it is largely free makes it a great platform for the startups.

Your email list

If you have an inner circle that is passionate about the matters of music, you may similarly reach out to them directly rather than through third-party sites. To be able to do this, you have to create an email list and use it to send out the promotions en masse.

You can create your email list by different methods, out of which the best one is to offer them something for free. Everyone loves free stuff, and you can give away something in return for their name and email. Keep engaging with your email lists by sending them timely newsletters, discounts, or any other exciting offers.

Blog

Creating useful and informative content for your potential customers can bring you a lot of targeted traffic, which can convert into sales. If you expertise in any particular thing, then you can start a blog and start solving people’s problems.

Every day there are millions of searches over the internet, and all you need to do is answer their questions. Write informative blog posts about beats making or related topics that solve people’s problems. This way, you can create your list of a warm audience that you can later convert into customers.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

As with any other subject matter, how to sell beats online is also shrouded in some mysteries. It is only wise and clever to examine these are many more mysteries. To do this, we have identified some of the frequently asked questions and found answers to them. Find these here below:

How do I copyright my beats?

It all depends on the jurisdiction where you are based. If in the United States, simply submit your application to the Copyright Office via the Copyright.gov site. Upon the review and acceptance of your application, you will obtain a certificate of registration. That validates your copyright claim.

How much do beat makers make?

An experienced producer is certain to make $500.00 per beat, give or take. This figure may however drop to $100 to $300 per beat. In all, how aggressive you are is what determines to a large extent the kind of money you might be able to accrue from the sale of a beat.

Where can I sell beats?

Several platforms or methods exist via which you may sell your beats. The list below, being by no means exhaustive, serves to highlight the top avenues that are more likely to deliver your music to the masses:

• – Personal Website
• – YouTube
• – Spotify
• – Twitch
• – Airbi
• – SoundCloud

How can I sell beats without a website?

You may use a third-party website or burn the beats in a CD or record the same on a tape. These however require a fairer degree of aggressive, unlike the common methods that are easier to advance to the masses. We advise against them not unless you have no otherwise.

How much does it cost to start making beats?

All you need is a nice laptop, appropriate software, and headphones. You may or may not incorporate a speaker. All these should cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $1,000.00. The good news is that you can rent or lease them from an existing owner as you do not have to purchase them yourself.

How can I promote my beats?

You have several tools and interventions for your leverage. These could be paid adverts, the use of search engine optimizations, the video-sharing sites, and some promotional sites to contemplate. Chief examples of these are the Rocbattle.com that greatly popularizes the beats to a wider audience.

Conclusion

Our subject matter of how to sell beats online comes to an end there. We have truly done all that we can do belabor the point. Why not take over from where we have left and make the most of the insight? It pays nothing for you to read through yet take no substantive actions.

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