Instrumental Mixtape?

Im thinking of putting out an instrumental mixtape sometime down the line. has anyone done this? like pass 'em around my college next year and have a couple of friends do the same.

whats the deal with the amount to charge, if any at all? its completely different than a real mixtape, so i figured people probably wont pay for an all instrumental cd, but maybe they'll be cats out there that get their hands on a copy and hear something they like. and it would defintely get my name out, especially around college, cuz a lot of people are looking for people who are also into music so they can collabo.

any thoughts about if this is a good idea?

I love listening to hip hop instrumentals, so i think its a pretty good idea. I've had the same idea for a while, cause i got a pile of beats that really arent getting too much action. I wouldnt really know how much to charge, do you use illegal samples? But I say go for it, get yourself out there, then tell me how it goes.

ultimately man, this is the best thing you can do to get your music out there. I give my instrumental mixtape out for free all the time. It's sorta out of pocket to charge money for your cd, if it's not pressed up real real nice, let alone the fact that you are the artist trying to get heard, and the average dude you approach could give a **** less. I wouldn't have come into contact with the MC i work with, had I NOT done this. If you're worried about people stealing your beats, you know... it will probably happen, I look at that as exposure. But what do you care more about, a little money earned and spent, or getting your shit out to the masses?

I say give that shit out to anyone who looks the slightest bit into hip hop. You never know who you'll run into.

i haven't seen you in a while rhythm weaver, what you been upto..? i still got one of your tapes i DLed a while back, i'm yet to listen too..
that reminds me.... i'm

if your gonna give out music for promotional uses always watermark your stuff. i.e. record urself saying your name and/or label and play it a few times over the beat.

Tha Rhythm Weaver wrote:ultimately man, this is the best thing you can do to get your music out there. I give my instrumental mixtape out for free all the time. It's sorta out of pocket to charge money for your cd, if it's not pressed up real real nice, let alone the fact that you are the artist trying to get heard, and the average dude you approach could give a **** less. I wouldn't have come into contact with the MC i work with, had I NOT done this. If you're worried about people stealing your beats, you know... it will probably happen, I look at that as exposure. But what do you care more about, a little money earned and spent, or getting your **** out to the masses?

I say give that **** out to anyone who looks the slightest bit into hip hop. You never know who you'll run into.

well if the beats on there are really good. why not just copyright them???

fasttrackpimp wrote:^ Well if you got the money to clear samples on 12 or so beats then go for it. Otherwise copyright isn't an option.

i assume gaining clearance is costly and hard to do, especially it just being me. Im not on a label or anything, I figured I'd just hand the cds out free, not gaining any cash from it and just put copyright vocals over the tops of the beats. if some1 wants to buy a track (s) and it has samples on it, I'll have to look into clearing them i suppose...

DPM wrote:

fasttrackpimp wrote:^ Well if you got the money to clear samples on 12 or so beats then go for it. Otherwise copyright isn't an option.

i assume gaining clearance is costly and hard to do, especially it just being me. Im not on a label or anything, I figured I'd just hand the cds out free, not gaining any cash from it and just put copyright vocals over the tops of the beats. if some1 wants to buy a track (s) and it has samples on it, I'll have to look into clearing them i suppose...

oh ok. i didn't know it had samples. and yeah your pretty much right about it

or you can write it in to the beat sale contract that the client is responsible for any and all sample clearances--and accepts complete liability should any trouble due to uncleared samples come up.

Thats smart man, I sold a beat with an illegal sample but I didnt sign anything. He just came to me and said he wanted to buy it so I sold it and he payed me through pay pal. I figured I was charging for my time spent and not for the rights cause I didnt own them.

and that's pretty much what you are selling. The point is to make it clear up front for everybody that that is what's being sold / licenced with an INDEMNIFICATION CLAUSE in your contract. Like, "if you rent this chainsaw from me and cut your foot off by accident, you agree not to sue me" or "if you put out an album with known unlicensed samples and get sued for it... it's on you dude."

If someone wants to buy a beat with CLEARED samples... that's gonna cost WAY more--then you charge for the clearances as well as for the effort to clear that $h!t... but face it--most of us don't want to be worrying about all that, just making beats and hopefully some coin. If someone buys your beat and wants to put it on their album, let them take care of it for themselves or carry the risk themselves.

Man, I just was thinking about that some moments ago... Its just a good idea... lets put peepz together and make a free mixtape to spread our names and reputation for the hottest stuff we do... At the moment im selling my 9 instrumental album for 5€ jowdjo.com you can even check that if you want. LETS GET TOGETHER AND MAKE SOMETHING!!!

peace

jowdjo wrote:Man, I just was thinking about that some moments ago... Its just a good idea... lets put peepz together and make a free mixtape to spread our names and reputation for the hottest stuff we do... At the moment im selling my 9 instrumental album for 5€ jowdjo.com you can even check that if you want. LETS GET TOGETHER AND MAKE SOMETHING!!!

peace

Is that 9 instrumental CD selling well? Don't MCs look for a beat that no one else has?
I woulda thought you'd get more customers/money if you sold the beat on its own to one artist (£20 a pop) rather than a CD with various beats for £5).