WTF does this have to do with music??

roxstar wrote: It's fun to make music, but it's work to sell it.

I luv this quote... so true....

It has every thing to do with music. Get in the game. You want to be local like the rest of these whiners then go ahead but, just because you do not understand some thing do b!tch about it. Learn about it. I use to come to this forum in the past got busy with this music and now a few years later what the Farvignuton happen What happened to Dr Foo, Binger) and others that contributed to knowledge and growth? this is the real world she gave you worth while info. Dumb arss let me break it down for you, Business is universal, in the street $1K for graM OF THAT THANG and you make $5k off this investment - You and Pookie agreed to $1K right? Well this profit is your loot. Since you cant go to court you finalize your agreement in your own way a verbal contract.

1. Get your contracts "this if signed is your proof of what you agree to do for your client or they will do for you. Why is it important. Well I aint paying you $2500 for this song if we only agreed to $100. So what I made $10K what that got to do with you? A. This kills all the noise later.

2. Copyrights are your proof of ownership. F@ggots have tried to copyright my songs after I released a copy to them then charge me later. For my own shhh.... After a counter suite interest for wasting my time a settlement and a work out with a lead pipe I come out on top. Richer wiser and a little tension relieved A. I don't take shorts, never have and never will.

3. Company Articles of Inc. Bank account Legally. Like having alt social sec number. Tax deductions what more can I say? Unless you like being broke.

4. logo this is your branding. Your Seal of recommendation. What distinguishes you from other companies.

^^^^ You are kinda late homie... a lot of us serious producers are actually past these steps

Stay Up Roxstar,

Just cause we gotta eat and get money doesn't mean we don't do it for the love...
I'll tell nigg@z all the time "If I was just all about makin money I would have pursued a career in accounting or in the stock market."
It seems to be the artist's plight, propagated by those who want to vamp off of your creativity. I know construction workers who "do it for the love" or "love what they do" but no one EVER asks them to do shit for free. Why should we be treated any different?

Got to be one of the best threads I've seen .The question is , do you want other people to listen to and enjoy your music or keep it to yourself ? See personally this thing is a deep , spiritual matter for me cause I feel if you got a god given talent , your SUPPOSED to put yourself out there with it and the physical world operates on give and take so it would not make sense to not get paid for it. Having love for music is a unwritten requirement for making good music . I challenge you to look at anybody in or outside of music that is REALLY doing it big and I promise you they are doing what they love AND they are getting $$$ for it . To me this was like the original plan for humanity . Everybody does something that they are exceptional at and you are SUPPOSED to capitalize on that - especially if your'e grown . I work a 9 to 5 and no disrespect to anybody else that does but the truth of the matter is , your helping to make somebody else rich and live their dreams while you get the chump change and try to live out yours "on the side " in your spare time , etc ( even though that's how you feed your kids and pay the bills) You got to ask yourself - would you still be doing this if you were good financially and money was no issue. The way I see it if I'm going to be giving most of my time to something , why not let it be something I love to do ? And if I'm putting 8 + hours a day into it , then logically I SHOULD be getting money for it or ..... just do it as a hobby when I have time for it !

http://www.myspace.com/jacquesdusty

I thought this thread was long gone.. good to see people were still interested in it.
I know legally, the whole paperwork thing is important, but I just see the music industry changing so much now. Back in the days (Sugarhill days) Hip-Hop music was so pure. Corporations looked at Hip-Hop like it was a fad. Towards the late 80's, it was gaining more interest, and not fading like they assumed it was. Corporations started getting involved. Folks like MC Hammer joined in.. got Cartoons, and dolls made up. The CONSUMER called him a sellout (but he was rich) Now that's he's broke, other Rappers want the same fame, but are still involved with the legality of the system. If you look at the History of Hip-Hop, after Hammer, the true feeling of this culture has fizzled. Lets be honest, 1994 was probably the last GOOD year of this ish, by time 1998 rolled around, it was all about How much a record deal consisted of, How much albums a group artist sold. Money is the #1 factor for anything being made today. Now we have guys like Soulja Boy getting RICH, and you have true representers like Pete Rock staying humble, but how important is having a lawyer and a team of people if (like myself) I enjoy making beats, and I would REALLY be happy to sell 10,000 copies out my basement with tax free money. Funk copyrights and barcodes, this just allows the government to track your sales and figure out how much money YOU owe THEM, but why do we have to pay taxes on money we used to already pay taxes?? I mean, if you work, you paid taxes before you got your money. When you bought your equipment, you paid taxes at the counter (sales tax). When you bought the blank cd's, you paid sales taxes again, so now that you finally made a good song, you have to spend $85 (on a barcode) and $45 to copyright it and then pay $50+/hour for an entertainment lawyer to write up an agreement, and then pay sales taxes so you don't get locked up at the end of the year! I'm sorry, this, I don't understand. Like I said, I enjoy making the beats, but this legal part is just stupid; it only allows other to make money off you. If you big dreams for the mega million dollar house and a pretty wife who just wants you money, then yes, get the paperwork in order, but let me make an extra $100,000 off each cd.. allow me to travel the world and do shows at $2500 with paid air/hotel, give me a decent house and a nice ride while no one recognizes me and I'm straight! There are people doing this right now! I see a lot of these Techno producers here in Detroit doing big things, living quite well while producing their own vinyl that sells like crazy overseas. Their not rich, but I'm quite sure they have more bread than most, and they travel...very often!
Most Artists are "starving" artists, but it's the starving artist music I like to hear, not the clouded artist who has money as a primary purpose for creating the music. Labels make artists dress a certain way, act a certain way, dance a certain way, they decide what songs to place on an album. To me, this is just some fake ish, and it's the reason I don't want to be involved in that aspect of the music.

legibility is fundamental

let me know how that works for u man. should be a positive thing

roxstar wrote:haha, thanks for the responces. I decided to hire the attorney. I'm tired of not doing anything. Making beats is cool, but I want to see some money now.

ever try selling your beats online ?

Firstly, Mr Guiness .... you have entirely summed up my view to pretty much most of the ethos behind doing anything in life, although, sadly, sometimes it just AIN'T that simple, sadly ( we often find ourselves in situation where we must accept 'means to an end' type situations because of commitment and necessity - we don't all have such easy and clearcut choices when you are not privileged nor well heeled to begin with, brotha.

And, Roxstar, read up on the 'Social Contract' ... the very answers you keep bangin on about are there for you to comprehend. Basically, taxes enable Goverment, simple as that. Are you preechin subversion or just outright dissmisal ? Personally, I do not like to pay taxes, but I am glad that we have a fairly structured system as a consequence, even if at times it blo.dy faceless, beauracratic and corrupt - the alternative of outright anarchy would mean total nothingness for one and all .... just have a think about such before you bemoan a mechanism that provides the very system under whcih you are living, with all it's good n bad.

Coming back to the point about music, I am now approaching 40 in a few days time and, to be honest, I am tired ... tired badly in life and at the furstrations, failures and coutnless dissapointments I have had to face down the years. Just when I thought I couldn't get any lower or my luck any worse, I did and it did. I think the real miracles is that I am still standing here today - that is a testament to my spirit, strength and desire.
I started to produce melodies and tunes at 14 yrs of age ... and then wrote songs for various live bands. By 22, I had written so many tunes/melodies and songs that I couldn;t see my way forward becuase I was consumed with producing melody of complete composition. Then, I got marries and music stopped for me until I hit 30 ( a shock for someone that had produced so much for so long ). However, in 2000 I stopped work following injury and haven't worked since, I regret to say ... yet, I have continuosly written again since 2001.
I think I am now at a critical monent in my musical life where my songs may see some exposure and who knows what after ? But, the point is, I wrote out of pure love for the process, the feeling/vibe and for the end result which touches me somewhere I need to be touched in order to make some sense of this life I live ... this is true now more than ever, but my love for the entire effort has never wained.
All I can wish for you is to keep your focus on your music and just accept the truth that the business world and the world of creation have always had a love/hate relationship and this will carry on as long as you and I have a heartbeat, my friend.

God bless ......

great thread...

jaem is on some bullshit. keep at it Rox. you deserve to make some green off this...you can hear it in your music.

[quote="roxstar
I've dedicated about "8+" years, not getting paid for it, stopped hanging out, developing my style, spending money on equipment, selling schyt for pennies on the dollars that I didn't like, recording vocals for wack rappers, buying recording equipment that I don't need, endured my schyt being stolen, replaced it before the insurance kicked in with my own money, [/quote]

Man THIS right here is me! I feel the true frustration in your words man. Also on some real talk; years ago and 2 online ID names on this very forum, I remember when YOU joined Roxstar asking noob questions BUT on your grind! I respect you and admire your dedication. Keep pushin and don't listen to dum-BASSEs!

Okay so I didn't read the whole thread only some of it.

All I have to say is recently I read a quote from the Beatles that said that what was wrong with the music industry today is nobody makes music for music, and the pure joy of music, and changing the world with music. There is too much politics and money involved. This made me happy. These guys were one of the greatest bands of their time and maybe ever (recording wise, industry wise, image wise, and musically), but they still did it because they loved it.... a lot. They had so many problems, but if you read about all their sessions in the studio up until Abbey Road or the White Album you see how much fun they had doing it.....

Just make music. It is necessary to deal with this stuff, but honestly don't lose the reason you do it. I had to step back from industry BS, promotions, image, branding, blah blah blah because after awhile it just makes you hate music and everything about it and the people who make money off it. Everyone has their hands in your pocket... unless you got no money...

So be poor and make music, or do LSD like Lennon. LOL.

There are some great posts in here, and I dont often feel the need to read entire posts of those lengths.

And one thing that sticks out: 10,000 copies. I feel that, because it is possible to manufacture that many by hand, and it would be hard to do. But it is a barrier breakthrough goal for anybody who runs their own shit 100% solo like I do. I am nowhere close to selling that many disks though, haha.... but I think I will set my near future standards on that number.



Has anyone here done any advertizing by themselves? (postering, flyering, all that type of shit... adds in the local weekly entertainment paper) if so how did it work out for you?