RANDOM QUESTION

[TAY CAPONE1]

I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE ARENT WORKING WITH BIG BUDGETS...BUT I'D LIKE 2 KNOW WHAT SOME OF THE ARTISTS AND LABELS IN HERE SPENT ON THEIR LAST PROJECT THAT WAS ACTUALLY RELEASED?? OR HAS ALL THE FREE PROMOTION ON THE INTERNET CHANGED THE GAME WHERE PEOPLE DONT EVEN MARKET THEIR ALBUM RELEASES ANYMORE?? (just curious)

 

[BIG REESE LOC1]

I got a question also. Is it needed to have a big budget, if one is putting out quality product? I hear album that got big $$$ behind them, but they talent aint up to par. Then I hear folks with the laptop protools set up that be gassin, and the beats are on point. I think all the big budget now is used to promote your shit, and really get it out there so the public can view and at least know who you are. Since everything else can be done IN-HOUSE.. (just my 4 dollars and 8 cents)

 

[TAY CAPONE1]

WELL WHERE I SIT,EVEN IN HOUSE COSTS MONEY CUZ PRODUCERS DONT LIKE WORKING 4 FREE EITHER. I STILL PAY 4 PRODUCTION IF I FEEL ITS ABOVE THE NORM. IT SEEMS LIKE PROFESSIONALISM FROM A MARKETING STANDPOINT IS AT AN ALL TIME LOW. NOBODY TIGHT GETS DEALS CUZ NOBODY HAS SOLID MOVEMENTS. IM STILL THINKIN OUTSIDE THE BOX BUT ITS MORE IMPORTANT TO SELL YOUR BRAND AND BECOME KNOWN THAN TRYIN 2 SELL AN ALBUM.

 

[BIG REESE LOC1]

Yes Sir, but at the same time Producers come and go. The producer thats gettin the big money now, at one time was an up and coming producer. Not saying that you dont pay a cat for his craft, but givin an up and coming producer BIG $$$$ when he is just tryin to get his name out there don't make sense. Like models gotta show a portfolio of work they have done before they start demandin $4,900 for an hour photo shoot. Go get some of these young cats, recognize they talent, and give'em a shot. Money should be spent on making your product look appealing from a marketing standpoint to make the consumer want to buy. Cause I dont care if you got a 5 Mic, Double XL, Platinum ass album, if it aint correct on the visuals and packaging I aint coppin

 

[TeamShobeezy]

Spending that bread is relative to how far you push ya project.
quality is always gon be important too

 

[Unknown Poet]

I see a lot of people just recording in home studio..then
putting some money into mastering..
then they just sell it online ... and market online..

But I think advertising in magazines is a good idea...
and just networking etc...

 

[phncke]

Man shitty ass albums are successful with a big budget. Look at tony yayo. Didn't he go gold or some shit? Budget is still very relevant

 

[Gemini]

I don't think there is anything wrong with paying for production etc. The problem started when greedy people started to charge outrageous prices for verses, graphics, studio time etc. It stopped being a "favor for a favor / you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours." type of deal. Shoot me a beat I'll drop a verse, or a hook etc. We'll make something happen.

The infamous sales pitch is, "This is how I eat & my kids gotta eat." well, guess what? My kids & I gotta eat too.

It's become a circus of no names charging like they're names alone sell. Like 2 broke bums charging each other, but one bum is still trying to get an extra 4 bottles of booze out of the deal. When he's no more of a bum than the one he's charging.

Too many people out for the fast buck & ended up killing the game because when it came time to put out the album, the $2,500 that you spent on the verse you got from Ashy Elbows the "Why do they call me sandpapers?" rapper, name didn't sell enough to even come close to what you spent on his verse alone.

The game needs a slice of humble pie & take it back to the basics. For the love of it & work together until something happens. Too many egos & superstar attitudes. Too many dressing & acting the part & have everything within the image except a hit record.

 

[antilabs]

imho you shouldn't be shopping for services you can't afford if you have to ask for a front or a unreasonable discount. if you plan on having something that's marketable and makes money in the end, you should be willing to make an investment in quality. any service provider that has their own shit together isn't going to be looking to partner with you, or share your revenue. they want to get paid off top and move on to serving their other clients.

 

[Gemini]

imho you shouldn't be shopping for services you can't afford if you have to ask for a front or a unreasonable discount. if you plan on having something that's marketable and makes money in the end, you should be willing to make an investment in quality. any service provider that has their own shit together isn't going to be looking to partner with you, or share your revenue. they want to get paid and move on to servicing other people.

Agreed, but the problem is most no names think they are marketable and make money :dead:

 

[antilabs]

then you move on and they don't make shit. if you're putting together an independent project, it's your job to determine whether or not the people you're working with are worth the investment or to not use them, not to tell them what to charge. they'll learn what to charge through hearing "no" enough times.

 

[TAY CAPONE1]

SOME ARTISTS AND PRODUCERS DONT HAVE ANY BARGAINING POWER.... U PAY THE ONES WHO DO AND DONT PAY THE ONES WHO DONT...WHATS SO HARD ABOUT THAT?? MAYBE ITS A REGIONAL THING BUT IF U ARE GOING 2 INVEST MONEY,ITS GOOD 2 KNOW ABOUT THE BUSINESS AND WHO'S WORTH WHAT AND HOW THEY CAN HELP YOUR PROJECT OR SALES

 

[Gemini]

then you move on and they don't make shit. if you're putting together an independent project, it's your job to determine whether or not the people you're working with are worth the investment or to not use them, not to tell them what to charge. they'll learn what to charge through hearing "no" enough times.

I understand, Bro. I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm simply speaking on what's killed a little bit of the independent game which has trickled down to the lowest on the totem pole when it comes to selling Cd's.

 

[TAY CAPONE1]

MAYBE SOME PEOPLE NEED 2 SEE WHAT THE INDEPENDENT GAME IS LIKE OUTSIDE OF CALIFORNIA. I AGREE,THE GAME GOT DEADED OUT HERE A LONG TIME AGO,BUT THANKS 2 THE GOOD OLD INTERNET WE CAN MAKE CONNECTIONS WITH PEOPLE IN THE PLACES WHERE WE'RE WANTED AT. THE BAY IN GENERAL IS KINDA OVERSATURATED WITH ARTISTS BUT ITS NOT LIKE THAT EVERYWHERE. SOME ARTISTS WANT FOLLOWINGS IN DIFFERENT STATES AND REGIONS SO THEY PAY ARTISTS OR PRODUCERS WHO HAVE A FOLLOWING 2 FEATURE ON THEIR PROJECTS AND THEY GET KNOWN OUTSIDE OF THE LOCAL MARKET...NOT SAYING IT WORKS 4 EVERYBODY BUT I HAVE SEEN SOME PEOPLE WORK HARD AND ACCOMPLISH WHAT THEY SET OUT 2 DO. LAZY ARTISTS HAVE NEVER GOT PAID 2 MY KNOWLEDGE SO IF THEY STAY INDEPENDENT AND STAY AT HOME....THEY HAVE NO CHANCE OF INCREASING SALES AT ALL.

 

[antilabs]

I understand, Bro. I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm simply speaking on what's killed a little bit of the independent game which has trickled down to the lowest on the totem pole when it comes to selling Cd's.

i understand. but this applies to every type of industry. if i wanted to start a taco truck and was at the lowest on the totem pole in selling tacos and didn't have money to buy meat and no credit to get a net-30 with a food distributor, i'd be assed out. it's not the distributor's job to work with me because my truck would give their meat exposure.

 

[THACRITIC408]

Rap in cali is dead for real...We use to see comps that would come out and cats would grab it cuz it had hella dope artist that fucked with each other from everywhere..NOW
if u dont get a cat outside this region u get no radio and cats dont even take time to peep your music..

Seems like everything in cali is on a cosign now..Fuck if they dope if so and so say the hot then cats on it..Damn shame tha the game aint no where near was it use to be..Promo is dope and it do work but sometimes you gotta promo outside as well as inside to really get a buzz going it is what it is....

 

[WXS STOMP3R]

SO IF AN ARTIST HAS A LIMITED BUDGET? WHAT SHOULD HE PRIORITIZE?
SET ASIDE PRODUCTION,FEATURES,RECORDING TIME,AND THE BASICS.OR SHIT THAT CAN BE INHOUSE?

 

[recklessofgilaz]

I pay for everything when It comes to my projects. Thats kinda why it takes a while to put out shit. theres a lot more to this game than most people think. And not many people are willing to spend so much on certain shit but I pay what I got to to make sure my projects are quality and I feel satisfied with it.

 

[thizz]

The first thing I feel should be looked at when budgeting a indy project is what you are trying to accomplish. If it's financial success then a good formula is spending $3 and under per unit you think you would sell. So if you think you would sell 1,500 units then a budget of $4,500 should be the budget. On projects like that we usually spend 30% of the budget on recording 30% on Packaging and Manufacturing and 40% on promo. I personally over spend on artwork to be able to visually compete with any major.

 

[Gemini]

I had this one dude say he was doing free verses for a week or something to that effect. I honestly wasn't trippin', but went ahead and shot him a line. The dude then said, "Shoot me $30 for studio time & it's official."

I was all, "Whoa, whoa, you said free, homie. What's this $30 bucks shit?"

"Studio time ain't free though?"

"Mine ain't either, but you the one callin' it sayin' you doing free verses, but want to charge for your studio time? I'm cool with that noise."

This is the shit I mean. Dude at one point turned around and said he'd drop a verse for me for $250.00 & I was like WTF?!?!?!?! Nobody's ever heard of you!

It's not the point of having a budget or "investing." As an investor I want to make a profit & if not, I want double. No, it's not a gamble, you claim your hot & your name sells? Put you money where your mouth is. If your hot like you say you are I should make my profit back within the hour the album drops. Yet, can't nobody really even call that in the mainstream / corporate world.

I'm leaning more on the superstar attitudes within the game. The rappers themselves are killing it with that shit. Have a slice of humble pie and realize your not as famous as you think you are. IMO no independent rapper is worth breading out any large amount of bread when nobody outside his region thinks he's famous or ever heard of him for that matter. Eat for a day or 2, but motherfuckers want to eat & live off each verse for a month.

Even promoters charging rappers stage fees. Who started that shit? "It cost money to throw these shows etc." SHIT!!!! Your the one who decided to throw the show & now you trying to make some money back off these broke rappers, just in case you don't pack the club you already made some money up front off these idiots that pay for 10 minute sets. WHAT A FUCKIN' CROCK OF SHIT!!!!!!!

Again, that's what started to fuck up the game.