About me
Hi My name is Ephraim a lot of people call me Ephy I’m a music producer and I help independent artists get their high-quality affordable beat instrumentals downloaded instantly to help grow and maintain themselves in the music industry
Let’s get started
The reason behind writing this article was because I had a lot of rappers & singers who contacted me who still don’t know how to navigate their way making money as independent artists and buying affordable high-quality beat instrumentals.
They would still upload their music on music streaming platforms that don’t generate an income for them, in the hopes or getting discovered by record labels and at the same time there are artists like Russ, Dorian Group 82 who made six figures yes that’s right!!! 😲 🙆♂️ six figures without signing to a record label, hard to believe right?!
RUSS
On the 25th June 2020 Rapper, Russ shared his earnings monthly statements on Instagram from his TuneCore account which I will go into later on about online music distribution services. He did this to inspire upcoming musicians and to teach them about the power of ownership.
To me, this looks like the biggest industry secret gem that only a few artists will let the public know about independence as an artist and Russ has been saying it in his interviews that he makes 6 figures as an independent artist, and signed artists were ridiculing him ever since he said it. Look at him now! but don’t worry I’m going to go in further and educate you about becoming an independent artist.
In this day in age getting signed to a record label is no different from being an employee with limited creative rights to your music record labels decide everything for you including songs that you know would be hit songs that you know deep down in your heart would put you on a higher level of your music career.
Record labels are a business they don’t care much about song quality they’ll just put any song they think won’t be a hit in the trash. I always say to label executives let the public decide what’s hot 🔥 and what’s not 👎 that’s the only way you’ll know if a song is a hit or a miss.
Record labels
You can always sign to labels such as Warner Music group, Columbia Records, Atlantic Records, Universal music group, and Sony Music. it is not that bad because the labels have resources to push your music.
The scenario
You also need to know the record label scenario for example: whether you submit your song or get discovered by an A&R they’ll make huge promises, 💰💰 court you, let you know how talented you are, saying how much they need you, and will develop you as an artist in your music career.
In some cases it works out but at the same time the minute you put your signature on the dotted line in the contract you now enter an environment similar to a field of other professional athletes ballplayers that have more focus priority than you in terms of getting pushed and getting heard.
it becomes a setback if you’re not a priority to record labels and at the same time, you can’t move unless you follow a chain of commands to be able to do certain things like releasing songs at your own time, doing interviews, concert shows, releasing merch, etc…..
Basically, as an independent artist, you’re in control of all of the above mentions and even more. You also know that you are a number one priority to yourself, the only major challenge would be financial resources as money is a huge problem but when you do happen to win eventually the upside is bigger financially it means more money.
Adam ivy on reasons not to get signed
Becoming Independent
Times have changed though most big musicians who end up owning their record labels know the exact ingredients to hit songs which is why you see labels such as Cash Money records, Def jam, Rocnation, Island records. A lot of the labels hit extraordinary record-breaking chart music that millions of fans love.
Signing to an independent record label isn’t as bad but it is still a challenge when you’re not an A-list artist because normal contracts that you would sign take a big percentage of your earnings as well and that’s if you are even lucky to recoup the money (advance) that you still owe them with the album released hence most artists sign another deal just to recoup money from the last album.
The sad part is if your album is not a hit record, the vicious cycle continues on and on and on until your no longer relevant in the industry, this includes not owning your masters and publishing. Let’s not forget some A-list superstars still don’t own their masters or publishing
I would recommend you to own your record label and sign yourself and your company keeps 100% of your earnings including your masters although you might make some business mistakes along the way that’s the whole part of the game learning from your mistakes and failures in the music industry and pushing harder and becoming an extremely successful record company.
Step by step guide
If you don’t want to deal with the headache in the administration of running a label hat’s not a problem you’ll have to get a team while still being an independent artist.
Let’s cover step by step how you would go about making money
1. Buy Beats online, a standard beat can cost from $19+ and exclusive can cost from $250+ depending on the license agreement, this includes all types of beat instrumental genres like hip hop beats, rap beats, pop beats, r&b beats, etc. You can always go back to my homepage you’ll find my beat catalogue or visit sites like Beatstars, Airbit, Soundee. For more information on beat licensing ill be publishing my next article in a couple of weeks called Professional artist beat licensing guide
2. Do NOT!! use free beats as they will hurt your image and copyright strikes especially when it comes to making money with your music I wrote an article on the advantages and disadvantages of using free beats as an independent artist, the guide will help you to take your music more seriously, looking into buying beats because you’re done using tagged free beats or if things are starting to get more serious in your career check it out.
3. Record, mix, and master make sure you have nothing but good music and quality production and this will go a long way with unlimited support from your fans,
4. Build your brand. Have you ever noticed how some artists have almost a cult-like following? well, that’s because of the transition from a regular artist to a well-known brand, something or someone you cannot just easily forget about or get out your mind, like Mcdonalds, Nike, BMW, Christiano Ronaldo, Drake, Rihanna.
The best things brands are good at are communication with their consumers and keeping their promises. An example of Rolls Royce would be keeping their promise that they’ll do nothing but give you exclusivity, a symbol of dreams, energy, quality, grace, and beauty
5. 1000 True fans Strategy: you don’t need millions of fans to follow you and support your music to make a living, all you need to understand is the concept of getting a 100 fans then 1000 fans. if you can start by getting a 100 true fans to spend at least $100 on anything you produce which is $10,000, your definitely well on your way to wealth.
You have to know how to build a direct relationship with your fans through utilizing social media, Exclusive content, collaboration and networking. Live performances: stage presence are crucial for building a strong fan base. It is also important to produce authenticity, quality and consistency of your product which will resonate well with your listeners.
6. Register your songs with a PRO (Performance right organization) research your own in your relevant country (that’s if you bought an exclusive beat license from your producer).
7. Get your music distributed through an online distributor such as Tunecore, CD Baby, Distrokid, UnitedMasters these distributors will get your music on all online music streaming platforms at a very affordable price. Have a consistent weekly release schedule for at least 2 years by releasing singles instead of albums check out the Russ strategy online and how he became successful
8. Fiverr is underrated but has produced great results for some musicians in terms of earning a basic living to cover their basic needs on a work-for-hire basis as a rapper, singer, or songwriter.
9. Soundcloud would work as a good platform for recognition as well.
10. Market your music share links on social media Instagram, Facebook metaverse, Twitter. Talk to playlist curators on Spotify to get your music playlisted for free or a fee. Pay to run ads on social media (note: only recommended for the artist with a very high organic social media following first).
11. Check your consumer/viewers analytics it will give you a more refined perspective of your consumer behavior, you will get a clear geographical location of where your consumers are coming from, and what time are they most likely to interact with you every time you post content or market your music on social media and streaming platforms.
This is the biggest secret strategy that every independent artist ignores and it will increase your engagement with your fans, viewers, and consumers. For more information on the customer, analytics click on the explanation below.
12. Open your own Youtube channel (it’s a very good platform for musicians and documenting your music career journey and can be very lucrative once you get enough subscribers and views to qualify for their partnership programs).
13. Sell merch I repeat sell merch and I’ll repeat for the last time sell merch!!! either through social media, opening your Shopify store, or your website.
14. Lastly you need to get yourself a team specifically the kind of people who are just as visionary and as hungry as you are. At first, you might wear a lot of DIY (do it yourself) hats for everything but eventually, it gets exhausting and it takes a long time.
Allocate certain tasks for your team members don’t be a boss about it instead become a leader guide each other discuss, plan, set temporary goals to achieve them one at a time to reach bigger goals.
I’ve attached a PDF guide secret gem 💎 from an artist who also makes 6 figures a year, his name is Dorian from Doriangroup82 as mentioned above in the beginning of my blog post. His guide explains how you can get a million Spotify streams and you know what a million Spotify streams gets you right? 💰🤑 $4000 in your pocket. Check out the guide below 👇
Once you have established yourself as a professional artist record labels will now come flocking to sign you and that’s when you can decide if you want to get signed and can also discuss your terms because you will have all the leverage you need or you can simply keep a 100% full ownership of your music and stay independent making money.
